JetPrivilege hikes award chart — 5x devaluation
JetPrivilege increased miles required for short intra-US hops from 2,500 to 12,500 miles, a nearly five-fold increase. This change makes JPMiles less valuable for cardholders who were relying on these routes.
JetPrivilege replaced its per-partner-airline redemption charts with a standardized zone-based table, effective April 1, 2016. The change increased the miles required for short intra-US hops from 2,500 to as much as 12,500 miles. Intra-Australia flights now require 20,000 miles, up from a lower amount, and long-haul Australia-Europe awards jumped to 37,500 miles one-way.
The increase in miles required for these flights will significantly impact cardholders who have been hoarding JPMiles for these specific routes. Those who were relying on the cheap short-hops within the US will be hit the hardest, with their miles being worth less than before.
Our take: if you have JPMiles, consider burning them quickly, especially if you were planning to use them for short intra-US hops or other routes that have seen significant increases in miles required. The new zone-based table may be more transparent, but it is also more expensive, making it less valuable for cardholders.