According to both the Jetblue and the US passport website it states that your passport SHOULD be valid for 6 months after your travel. However, when calling them and explaining that we are traveling in September and our passports expire in February the both said we SHOULD be OK. That doesn't sound too definitive to me and I would not want to get to the airport and not be allowed do board the plane. Is anyone aware of how this works? I don't really want to spend $220 at this time if I don't have to.
I believe that is purely precautionary in the event you were delayed in returning. A 6 month margin seems a bit excessive for a quick trip to Mexico. Your passport is valid for travel as long as it is not expired, so I can't see you having a problem with it.
I would not chance it as it only takes one inmigration officer or someone at airline to turn you down and away. The 6 month rule has to do with being able to stay in MX for up to 6 months. They dont want you to be stuck with an expired passport and not being able to return to the US. Your call, it depends on whom you trust.
Personally I would not chance it. I know its a little different circumstances that ours but this was our experience with Mexican Immigration. Wife thought her passport was still good for a couple more years and didn't check the date. I can't fully hold it against her as neither the airlines that checked us in or the TSA agent at security caught it either. We got to Mexico City and it was a different story. They took us to a holding room for a while. Then they told me to come with them to get our bags and that I would return to wait with her. When I got out to the luggage area they handed me her cell phone and told me I was on my own to do what I wanted but that I could not return to where my wife was. They held her for another 8 hours and everyone acted like they didn't speak any english. She was lucky that someone being detained was able to translate "bathroom" for her since the guards just kept acting like they didn't understand what she wanted. They had a dirty water fountain to drink from and served old dried out bologna sandwich on bread you could play hockey with to those stuck in there. They finally put her on a plane back to Texas and it took me buying a new first class ticket the next day to get back home due to the holiday travel. So we don't take those kind of chances any more.
If your passport expires less than 6 months from your ticketed return date, you will likely get turned away at the ticket counter. I have seen it happen in person and heard of it happening many times. Did you check the exact dates?