The JetBlue Plus Card delivers solid value for regular JetBlue flyers through its generous airline rewards and travel perks like free checked bags. The card’s benefits are heavily JetBlue-focused, making it a poor choice for travelers who frequently fly other airlines.
This credit card review will cover everything you need to know about this card to determine if you should add this card or a different card to your wallet. Let’s dive right in.
Welcome Bonus
The JetBlue Plus Card currently offers the following welcome bonus: Earn up to 80,000 bonus points (60,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 within the first 90 days and earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 within the first year).
Earning Points
The JetBlue Plus Card earns TrueBlue points at the following rate: Spending on the JetBlue Plus helps you earn Mosaic elite status. Members earn “1 Tile” for every $1,000 spent on the card.
JetBlue points typically offer lower value than many other airline currencies, making the high 6x earning rate less impressive than it appears at first glance. The 2x categories provide modest returns on dining and groceries, though you’ll find superior earnings with many transferable points cards in these categories.
While the base earning rate is standard at 1x, this card’s value proposition centers solely on JetBlue purchases rather than everyday spending. For frequent JetBlue flyers the earnings can still add up meaningfully despite the lower point values.
Annual Fee
The JetBlue Plus Card has a $99 annual fee that is not waived in the first year. You’ll receive valuable benefits that can easily offset this cost, including a 5,000-point anniversary bonus (worth approximately $75), free checked bags for you and up to three companions, and a $100 annual JetBlue Vacations statement credit.
Card Benefits and Perks
The JetBlue Plus Card offers the following benefits for its cardholders: Free Checked Bag: Receive a first checked bag free for you and up to three companions on the same reservation when you purchase a ticket with your card. Anniversary Points: Celebrate your cardmember anniversary with an automatic 5,000-point bonus each year. These points post to your account without any spending requirements, giving you a valuable reward just for keeping your card active. Inflight Savings: Enjoy 50% back on eligible inflight purchases when flying JetBlue. From drinks to snacks, you’ll automatically receive statement credits for half of what you spend on inflight refreshments. Award Flight Rebate: Get 10% of your points back every time you redeem for JetBlue flights. This rebate helps stretch your points further and adds extra value to every award redemption. Vacation Credit: Get a $100 statement credit annually when booking a JetBlue Vacations package worth $100 or more. This perk effectively reduces the cost of your vacation packages and provides extra value for bundling your travel. No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose. World Elite Benefits: This card is a World Elite Mastercard, which gets you access to these special benefits and discounts: DoorDash ($5 off your first DoorDash order each month), Lyft (Take 3 rides in one month and earn a $5 Lyft credit), Shoprunner (free two-day shipping), and Fandango (spend $20 and get $5 back).
Redeeming JetBlue Points
JetBlue TrueBlue offers a straightforward rewards program with flexible redemption options. Members can redeem points for any seat on JetBlue flights, with no blackout dates. The program uses a revenue-based model, typically offering solid value for economy bookings. In fact, our analysis shows that TrueBlue points are worth approximately 1.31 cents each when redeemed for economy flights. This value proposition makes TrueBlue points particularly attractive for budget-conscious travelers. For those seeking premium travel experiences, TrueBlue points can be used for JetBlue’s Mint business class, though the redemption value is generally lower, averaging about 1.1 cents per point. Despite this lower redemption rate, the program truly shines with its partnership redemptions, particularly with Qatar Airways. Members can book Qatar Airways flights directly through JetBlue’s website, often securing excellent value for long-haul business class travel. Another notable partner is Hawaiian Airlines, offering opportunities for inter-island hops and flights between Hawaii and the U.S. mainland. These redemptions can provide good value, especially during peak travel periods when cash fares are high. TrueBlue’s user-friendly features include points that never expire and fee-free changes or cancellations on award bookings. This flexibility allows members to book with confidence, knowing they can adjust their plans if needed. While JetBlue doesn’t belong to a major airline alliance, its partnerships with Qatar Airways and Hawaiian Airlines expand redemption options beyond JetBlue’s network. This combination of simplicity, flexibility, and strategic partnerships makes TrueBlue an appealing program for both casual and frequent travelers, offering consistent value for economy redemptions and unique opportunities for premium travel experiences.
Pros and Cons
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of this card:
Pros:
Strong Earning on JetBlue Flights: The 6x points earning rate on JetBlue purchases gives you excellent returns when flying with the airline. This is one of the highest earning rates you’ll find on airline purchases with a co-branded card.
Free Checked Bags: You and up to three companions on your reservation get a free first checked bag when using the card for your ticket purchase. This benefit can save you hundreds of dollars per trip, quickly offsetting the annual fee.
Anniversary Points Bonus: The 5,000 points bonus each year helps offset most of the annual fee. This is a guaranteed return just for keeping the card, making it easier to justify the annual fee.
Points Rebate on Awards: The 10% points rebate on award flights helps stretch your points further. There’s no cap on how many points you can earn back, making this particularly valuable if you frequently book award travel.
Cons:
Limited Route Network: JetBlue’s smaller footprint means fewer options compared to major carriers, particularly if you don’t live near their hub cities.
Annual Fee Not Waived: Unlike many competing airline cards, you’ll pay the $99 annual fee right away in your first year.
Weak Travel Protections: The card lacks crucial travel insurance benefits like trip delay coverage, trip cancellation insurance, and lost luggage reimbursement that you’ll find on many other travel cards in this price range.
Alternatives to the JetBlue Plus
Now that you know about this credit card’s various benefits and pros and cons, it’s time to see its alternatives.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) is one of the most popular travel rewards cards because it offers nice welcome bonus and extra points on travel and dining, which can be transferred to airline and hotel partners or redeemed directly for travel at a rate of 1.25 cents per point through Chase Travel℠. The Sapphire Preferred also offers great travel and purchase protections for a card with a $95 annual fee. Welcome Bonus: bonus_miles_full Earning Rewards: 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2x points on all other travel purchases, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Card Benefits: Ability to transfer to airline and hotel partners, 25% bonus when redeeming points through Chase Travel, $50 annual hotel stay credit via Chase Travel, 10% anniversary points bonus, no foreign transaction fees, primary rental car insurance, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, baggage delay insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty. Transfer Partners: Aer Lingus, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways, Emirates, Air France KLM Flying Blue, Hyatt, IHG, Iberia, JetBlue, Marriott, Singapore KrisFlyer, Southwest, United, and Virgin Atlantic.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) delivers both everyday value with unlimited 2x miles on purchases and premium comfort through comprehensive airport lounge access for you upon enrollment. You’ll also receive $300 in annual travel credits plus 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, creating substantial ongoing value. Welcome Bonus: bonus_miles_full Earning Rewards: 10x miles on hotels and rental cars and 5x miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel; 2x miles on all other purchases. Card Benefits: $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary, airport lounge access (Capital One and Priority Pass) upon enrollment, Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit, Hertz President’s Circle elite status, primary rental car insurance, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, and cell phone protection. Transfer Partners: Accor (2 to 1), Aeromexico, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Choice Privileges, Emirates, Etihad, Finnair, I Prefer Hotels (1 to 2), Japan Airlines(2 to 1.5), JetBlue (5 to 3), Qantas, Qatar, Singapore KrisFlyer, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Red, and Wyndham Rewards.
Is the JetBlue Plus Worth It?
The JetBlue Plus Card might seem appealing with its JetBlue-specific perks and solid earning rate on airline purchases, but it’s ultimately a limiting choice unless you’re a dedicated JetBlue flyer. W
hile benefits like free checked bags and the annual points bonus help offset the $99 annual fee, the card’s value is restricted by JetBlue’s limited route network and limited redemption options.
You’ll get much more flexibility with transferable points cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Capital One Venture, which let you redeem points across multiple airlines and travel partners. For most travelers, the ability to earn and redeem points across different airlines and hotels, along with better travel protection benefits, makes general travel rewards cards a smarter choice than the JetBlue Plus.
Unless you frequently fly JetBlue from their hub cities or strongly prefer the airline, consider a more versatile travel rewards card that gives you the freedom to book with any carrier.
