FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) – Alaska Airlines announced on August 19, that they had passed a major milestone in their actions to acquire Hawaiian Airlines.

Alaska Airlines’ plan has cleared the U.S. Justice Department following the closure of a period for antitrust regulators to investigate the merger deal. That is the official situation, as there have been no moves to block the merger with a lawsuit.

The airlines must now get approval from the U.S. Transportation Department before the $1.9 billion deal can continue.

“These include plans to maintain the Hawaiian Airlines brand and local jobs and continue providing strong service between, to, and from the Islands,” said Josh Green, the governor of Hawaii, in a press release from Alaska Airlines.

“Hawaiian’s shares surged more than 11% on Tuesday after Alaska’s announcement,” according to CNBC.

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If you hold elite status in a major U.S. airline loyalty program, JetBlue is offering you to try the benefits of elite Mosaic status in its TrueBlue program even if you’ve never stepped onto a JetBlue aircraft.

Elite members of the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, American Airlines AAdvantage, Delta Air Lines SkyMiles and United Airlines MileagePlus programs can match their existing status to JetBlue TrueBlue and will be granted Mosaic 1 or 2 status in the TrueBlue program for three months. They can also extend their status through the end of 2025 by earning “tiles.”

Here’s how the offer works.

JetBlue Mosaic elite status: What it is and how to earn it

Which existing status will JetBlue’s TrueBlue match?

The current JetBlue status match is offering to match the following existing elite status levels:

Mosaic 1 status members receive:

• Priority boarding
• Priority security (where available)
• Dedicated check-in lines and phone support
• Same-day switches with no fee or fare difference, starting 24 hours before departure
• Two checked bags free
• Even More Space seats at check-in at no extra cost
• Beer, wine, and liquor (up to three drinks per Mosaic member per flight)
• Avis status match (coming later in 2024)
• A Perks You Pick benefit of Mint Suite seat selection on aircraft with Mint Suites installed

Mosaic 2 status members receive all of the same perks as Mosaic 1, in addition to:

• Select Even More Space seats at booking at no extra cost
• A Perks You Pick benefit of a pet fee waiver, allowing you to travel with your cat or small dog at no extra cost

How do I apply for a JetBlue status match?

First, sign up for TrueBlue, which you can do online for free.

Then, apply online by submitting a screenshot of the existing frequent flyer program profile you wish to match from, showing your full name and elite status level. If you wish to match to Mosaic 2, you’ll also need to include your most recent boarding pass or flight confirmation email showing the existing status you are matching from.

Matches can take up to four weeks to process, and you’ll be notified by email if your match is successful. There is no end date to this current status match offer.

How do I extend my matched JetBlue Mosaic status?

Mosaic status is usually earned through “tiles.” You can earn 1 tile for every $100 spent on JetBlue flights, Vacation and Paisly by JetBlue, or 1 tile for every $1,000 spent on any JetBlue-branded credit card.

To keep Mosaic 1 status, those who have been successfully matched will need to earn 10 tiles within the first three months to retain the status through 2025, or for those who wish to keep Mosaic 2, you’ll need to earn 25 tiles.

Those matched statuses that earn 40 tiles within the three months will be upgraded to Mosaic 3 status through 2025, which offers four certificates that allow you to upgrade to Mint business class for no additional cost (subject to availability; the number of upgrade certificates depends on the flight length), as well as all the Mosaic 1 and 2 perks.

Bottom line

It’s great to see a new ongoing status match offer from JetBlue. If you have built elite status in a competing program but perhaps are unhappy with that program, or your circumstances have changed, like moving to a location where JetBlue is more dominant than your usual carrier, this will give you the chance to try JetBlue and their TrueBlue loyalty program, without having to sacrifice all of your elite benefits.

Once matched, if you like what you see, earning tiles in the program can extend or upgrade your Mosaic status through the end of 2025.

Alaska Air is one step closer to acquiring Hawaiian Airlines after the U.S. Department of Justice chose not to challenge the $1.9 billion deal that the carriers say will create a company better able to serve travelers.

Alaska Air announced in December that it would pay $18 in cash for each share of Hawaiian. The deal includes $900 million in debt held by Hawaiian Airlines.

The brands of both airlines would be preserved after the merger, which is unique in an industry where decades of acquisitions have left only four big carriers dominating the U.S. market.

Alaska and Hawaiian say they have few overlapping routes and the intent of a tie-up is to allow the new airline to better compete with the nation’s Big Four: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.

Alaska Air and Hawaiian Holdings, the parent company of Hawaiian Airlines, said in regulatory filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission Tuesday that the review period for the Justice Department, which had already been extended several times, expired just after midnight.

The closing is still subject approval from the Department of Transportation. Alaska and Hawaiian have been working with Transportation on lingering issues, according to the SEC filing.

Shares of Hawaiian Holdings Inc. jumped more than 11% before the market open Tuesday. Alaska Air Group Inc.’s stock climbed 1.5%.