The JetBlue Plus Card is an airline points credit card issued by Barclays that offers a range of travel rewards and benefits to frequent flyers of JetBlue airlines.
With an annual fee of $99, the JetBlue Plus Card provides cardholders with various perks such as an 6x points on JetBlue flights, an annual points bonus, free checked bags, discounts on inflight purchases, and a rebate on award bookings.
This article 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 70,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days, with the JetBlue Plus Card.
Earning Points
The JetBlue Plus Card earns TrueBlue points at the following rate:
- 6 points per dollar for JetBlue purchases;
- 2 points per dollar at restaurants;
- 2 points per dollar at grocery stores; and
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Annual Fee
The JetBlue Plus Card has a $99 annual fee, which you can try to offset with a free first checked bag and 5,000 points each account anniversary.
Card Benefits and Perks
Below are the card benefits and perks of the JetBlue Plus Card:
Free First Checked Bag
The primary cardmember and up to 3 travel companions on the same reservation each receive their first checked bag free on JetBlue-operated flights.
To qualify for the free checked bags, you must purchase the flight with the JetBlue Plus, and the primary cardmember’s JetBlue account number must be entered at booking.
5,000 Anniversary Points
Cardmembers receive 5,000 points each account anniversary for just holding onto the card.
50% In-Flight Savings
Cardmembers will qualify for a 50% savings on eligible inflight food and drink purchases.
Eligible purchases include cocktails, beer, wine, and meals, but does not apply to any other inflight purchases, such as pillows, earphones, or upgraded seats or cabins.
10% Rebate on JetBlue Awards
You can receive 10% of TrueBlue points back as a bonus after you redeem for a JetBlue flight.
For example, if you redeemed 30,000 points, you would receive 3,000 points back.
Earn Points Towards Mosaic Elite Status
Spending on the JetBlue card helps you earn Mosaic elite status. Members earn “1 Tile” for every $1,000 spent on JetBlue credit cards and “1 Tile” for every $100 spent on Jetblue flights.
There are four levels of Mosaic elite status:
- 50 tiles = Mosaic 1
- 100 tiles = Mosaic 2
- 150 tiles = Mosaic 3
- 250 tiles = Mosaic 4
For example, if you were to spend $2,500 a year on JetBlue flights (25 tiles) plus $25,000 in spending on a JetBlue card, you would unlock Mosaic 1, which gets you:
- Even More Space Seats at check-in.
- A free alcoholic drink each flight.
- Same-Day flight changes.
- Two free checked bags.
- Priority Boarding, Security, and Check-In.
$100 Statement Credit on JetBlue Vacations
JetBlue Plus cardmembers receive a $100 statement credit when they purchase a JetBlue Vacations package of $100 or more with the card.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., which is helpful if you travel internationally to help you avoid paying a 3% fee on those international purchases.
World Elite Mastercard Benefits
This card is a World Elite Mastercard, which gets you access to these special benefits and discounts:
- DoorDash: Automatically get $5 off your first DoorDash order each month.
- Lyft: Take 3 rides in one calendar month and pay with your World Elite Mastercard to earn a $5 Lyft credit.
- Fandango: Spend $20 at Fandango or on Fandango’s streaming service and get a $5 Fandango Reward.
- ShopRunner: ShopRunner is an online membership that unlocks free 2-day shipping and free returns at dozens of top stores, including Under Armour, Cole Hann, Bloomingdale’s, and more.
Redeeming JetBlue Points
JetBlue’s TrueBlue program is revenue based, which means the number of points required for a flight is linked to the price of the flight. The more expensive the cash flight, the more points are required.
We looked at the value of JetBlue points and found that you get about 1.38 cents per point in value for economy flights and 1.0 cents per point for JetBlue’s Mint Business class.
For example, a $200 economy flight should cost about 14,500 points and a $500 Mint business class flight costs about 50,000 points.
Another option is to fly from the West Coast to Hawaii on Hawaiian Airlines Business class starting at 22,000 points in Economy and 45,000 points in Business class.
Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
- Free first checked bag.
- Priority Boarding and Check-In.
- 5,000 points each account anniversary helps offset the annual fee.
- 6x points on JetBlue.
- 10% points rebate increases the value of earning points with the card.
Cons:
- $99 Annual Fee.
- Lack of travel and purchase protections, which is important because JetBlue is statistically one of the least reliable airlines.
- Only two other bonus categories (restaurants and grocery stores).
- No airport lounge access.
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
Better for Travel and Purchase Protections
- bonus_miles_full
- 5x Points on Travel Booked Via Chase
- 3x Points on Dining and Eligible Delivery Services
- 2x Points on All Other Travel Purchases
- 10% Anniversary Points Boost
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) is one of the best rewards cards for travelers who want solid earning rates for travel and dining expenses.
For only $95 per year, this card earns 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 3x points on dining, online groceries, and streaming services, and 2x on all other travel purchases.
Cardholders will also get a 10% anniversary points bonus, a 12-month DoorDash DashPass subscription when activated by December 31, 2024, and a $50 anniversary hotel statement credit.
Plus, it provides extensive travel protections, including trip delay, primary rental car, baggage, and purchase protection plans.
Citi Premier® Card
Better for Earning Points
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- 3x Points at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas Stations, Air Travel, and Other Hotels.
- $100 Off a Single $500 Hotel Stay Per Year
- Extended Warranty and Purchase Protections
- $95 Annual Fee
The Citi Premier® Card is the best card for earning points because it offers 3x points at:
The Premier card also comes with no foreign transaction fees, purchase protection, and an extended warranty for items purchased, adding an additional 24 months to the manufacturer’s warranty.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Better for Airport Lounge Access and Premium Travel
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) is a premium travel rewards card that’s perfect for travelers who want outstanding travel perks like annual travel credits, worldwide airport lounge access, and travel and purchase protections.
The Venture X earns 2x miles on all purchases helping you maximize every dollar of your spending. Plus, you can earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars, and 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One.
The card has a $395 annual fee, completely offset by a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, and 10,000 points (worth at least $100) for each account anniversary.
Plus, you get airport lounge access via Priority Pass, Capital One, and Plaza Premium Lounges, Hertz President’s Circle elite status, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, rental car insurance, trip and luggage insurance, cell phone insurance, and purchase protection.
Is the JetBlue Plus Worth It?
The JetBlue Plus Card is only worth it if you frequently travel on JetBlue to maximize the first free checked bag and 6x points on JetBlue.
However, most people are better off with a general travel card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review), offering 5x points on travel booked via Chase Ultimate Rewards and better travel and purchase protections.
