Is JetBlue denying Points Match to those who transfer points? Here’s what to do…

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UPDATE: View from the Wing reports that JetBlue has not changed the terms of the promotion and will fully honor the deal even for those who transfer points.

Dan’s Deals has reported that JetBlue may have retroactively changed the terms of their Points Match promotion.  Dan’s Deals reports that several people have been denied registration into the JetBlue Points Match promotion purportedly because they transferred points into Virgin America rather than earning those points through flying.  One person reported that a JetBlue phone agent told him that they have added a clause “that the points must have been earned via Virgin America flights” (but that clause is not listed online).

At this point, there is not enough data to know if this is really happening or perhaps a mistake by a few people who have been reviewing Points Match applications.

For general details about the Points Match deal, please see: The Ultimate Guide to JetBlue’s points match deal.

How would they know?

Take a look at the example screenshot that is on JetBlue’s own website for this promotion:

JetBlue Example Screenshot

The above example image was developed by JetBlue to show exactly what to send them to prove the number of points in your Virgin America account.  There is no mention in this image of how John Smith got those 21,500 points, but if I were to guess I’d say that he probably transferred 43,000 points from Amex or Citi (since both transfer 2 to 1).

I’m confident that JetBlue doesn’t have the ability to check information about how got your Virgin America point balance.  So, if they deny your request because you transferred points, you probably sent them a screenshot that included recent activity:

VX recent activity

What to do?

If you haven’t yet submitted your request to enroll in the points match promotion, then simply make sure to send only the required screenshot and not the recent activity information.  Also, it’s probably a good idea to make sure that your account has a number of points other than exactly 50,001 (transferred from SPG, for example); or 50,100 (transferred from Amex); or 50,500 (transferred from Citi).

If you have already submitted your request, then hold tight and hope for the best.  Most people (including me) have reported success in enrolling despite transferring points into Virgin America.

If you receive a denial, call and make it clear that the terms did not state anything against transferring points to Virgin America.  If necessary, demand to speak to a supervisor.  Ultimately, Dan’s Deals recommends filing a complaint with the US Department of Transportation.  He writes:

If you transferred points to Virgin America and have been denied you should file a complaint immeditately with the US DoT and explain exactly what happened. Be sure to explain that you transferred points to Virgin America based on JetBlue’s published terms of the promotion and that the transfer can’t be reversed. Include screenshots of the promotion terms as well as denials from JetBlue.

In case it gets that far, here are the current terms (as of 6/30/2016 4:23pm ET):

Terms & Conditions

*This offer is available to new or existing TrueBlue members. To qualify, members must send an email including their TrueBlue number and a picture of their Elevate® account dashboard showing first name, last name, and points balance to pointsmatch@jetblue.com by 7/4/2016, await receipt of an email to confirm registration for the promotion and then book new roundtrip flights operated by JetBlue and completed all travel by 08/31/2016. Number of points awarded will be based on Elevate® points balance evidenced by submitted proof. Proof is subject to verification. TrueBlue number must be provided at the time of booking. Offer can only be redeemed one (1) time by any individual. Points awarded in conjunction with this promotion are considered bonus points and do not count towards earning Mosaic status. Offer does not apply to non-revenue travel; is not valid on flights operated by airline partners; is not valid in connection with any Getaways vacation packages, cruises, or any other product or service and may not be combined with other special offers. In the event you cancel your reservation or change your reservation so that it no longer complies with the terms of this offer, you will not receive any of the promotion bonus points. TrueBlue points will be awarded within 4-6 weeks after round-trip flight. Offer can be cancelled or modified at any time. TrueBlue Terms and Conditions apply.

And here is a screenshot of the offer:

screencapture-trueblue-jetblue-com-web-trueblue-pointmatch-1467318291191

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