JetBlue Plus Card Review 2024 (2024)

The JetBlue Plus Card* is a rewarding credit card option for travelers who fly on JetBlue or who live near a JetBlue hub. It earns 6 points per dollar on eligible JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and eligible grocery stores and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

The card offers benefits similar to many other airline credit cards, including a free checked bag for you and up to three companions on the same reservation, a 50% savings on inflight eligible food and drink purchases and TrueBlue Mosaic® status after spending $50,000 on the card during a calendar year. Though the card has a $99 annual fee, those who fly JetBlue, even occasionally, will likely come out ahead.

Frequent travelers on JetBlue should strongly consider the JetBlue Plus Card*. You can earn up to 6 points per dollar spent on your purchases and are eligible for the following welcome bonus: 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days. When you renew the card and pay the annual fee, you’ll also receive 5,000 bonus points added to your account.

Travelers can save money with the JetBlue Plus Card* when flying on JetBlue. The first checked bag for the cardholder and up to three companions on the same reservation is free, which could save up to $360 per round-trip flight. Additionally, cardholders enjoy a 50% savings on in-flight purchases of beverages and food. Plus, there are no foreign transaction fees for international purchases.

• Earn 6 points per dollar on eligible JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and eligible grocery stores and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
• $99 annual fee
• Welcome bonus of 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days
• No foreign transaction fees

Earning Rewards

The JetBlue Plus Card* earns 6 points per dollar on eligible JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and eligible grocery stores and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. There are no limits on the number of TrueBlue Points you can earn each year.

There’s a welcome offer, too: 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days. TrueBlue points don’t have a set value, but this bonus should be enough to snag you a round-trip flight or two (or more), depending on your destination.

When you renew your JetBlue Plus Card* each year and pay your annual fee, you’ll also receive 5,000 bonus points.

Barclays and JetBlue encourage redeeming TrueBlue points for flights with a 10% redemption bonus. For example, when you redeem 20,000 TrueBlue points for a JetBlue flight, you’ll receive 2,000 points back in your account four to six weeks after your flight is complete.

Redeeming Rewards

JetBlue flies to more than 100 destinations in the U.S., Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, South America and Europe. Currently, JetBlue does not fly to Asia, Africa or Oceania.

The JetBlue TrueBlue rewards program does not use an award chart. Instead, the price in points will vary based on the cash price of the same flight. In our tests, a flight from Boston (BOS) to Washington, D.C. (DCA) was selling for $45 or 4,200 TrueBlue points and $5.60 in taxes on one date, while on another the price was $339 or 35,300 points and $5.60 in taxes. This works out to an approximate value of 0.9 cents each.

JetBlue operates Mint (business class) on select domestic routes and multiple destinations across the Caribbean, Latin America and all transatlantic flights. When redeeming for premium-class Mint flights, point values are typically around 1.1 cents each. A sample Mint flight from Boston to Los Angeles (LAX) can be purchased for $1,546 or 142,500 TrueBlue points and $5.60.

TrueBlue points can also be redeemed for the air portion of a JetBlue Vacations package. Plus, when you use the JetBlue Plus Card* to pay for at least $100 of a JetBlue Vacations package, you’ll receive a $100 annual statement credit. Points can also be used to redeem for flights on Hawaiian Airlines, based on award availability.

Rewards Potential

Using data from various government agencies, Forbes Advisor has developed estimates for how much a family in the 70th percentile of income spends annually in various categories. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households brings in $116,000 annually and has $36,177 in expenses that can be charged to credit cards. These figures are used to estimate the potential rewards from this credit card.

• Points pooling. Up to seven TrueBlue members can pool points for more redemption options.
• Points don’t expire. Points earned do not expire unless the user closes the account.
• 10% rebate on flights. Get 10% of your points back after you redeem for and travel on a JetBlue-operated Award Flight.
• Annual $100 vacation credit. Cardholders who purchase a JetBlue Vacations package over $100 receive a $100 statement credit.
• In-flight savings. Receive in-flight savings of 50% on eligible food and beverages.
• Zero fraud liability. Cardholders aren’t responsible for unauthorized transactions.

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 21.24% - 29.99% variable
• Purchase intro APR: N/A
• Balance transfer intro APR: 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 12 billing cycles

Fees

• Annual fee: $99
• Balance transfer fee: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
• Foreign purchase transaction: None

JetBlue Plus Card* vs. JetBlue Card*

Barclays also offers a no-annual-fee JetBlue Card*. The JetBlue Card* earns 3 points per dollar on JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and grocery stores and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. The dining and grocery earning bonus is the same, but the JetBlue Card* bonus is half of what the JetBlue Plus Card* earns.

There are no foreign transaction fees for the JetBlue Card* and you’ll save 50% on in-flight purchases of food and beverages. Your points do not expire and there are no blackout dates when redeeming points for a JetBlue flight. New applicants will also enjoy an introductory APR offer on balance transfers. All of these benefits are also available with the JetBlue Plus Card*.

Checked bag fees are not waived with the no annual fee JetBlue Card*. If you purchase a checked bag 24 hours before your flight, JetBlue charges $35 for your first bag each way. If you pay for a bag during your 24-hour check-in period, you’ll be charged an additional $10. If you check bags on a regular basis, it makes sense to apply for the JetBlue Plus Card* instead. After three one-way flights for only one passenger, the savings will justify paying the $99 annual fee. If you regularly travel with family or friends, you’ll break even faster.

JetBlue Plus Card* vs. Chase Freedom Flex℠

If you’re looking for an all-purpose card that earns elevated rewards across a broad swath of categories, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ could be the needle in the haystack you’ve been searching for. For $0 annually, cardholders earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in categories that rotate quarterly (requires activation), 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on dining and drugstores and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Rewards come as Chase Ultimate Rewards®, a highly flexible currency that can be redeemed for cash back, travel, gift cards, merchandise or combined with rewards earned from a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® card and transferred to one of Chase’s travel transfer partners, including JetBlue.

If you are a frequent JetBlue flyer, this card should absolutely be in your wallet. The ability to earn 6 points per dollar on JetBlue flights is an industry-leading rate among airline credit cards. The generous welcome bonus adds additional appeal.

Big spenders can receive TrueBlue Mosaic® elite status after spending $50,000 in a calendar year and enjoy even more perks. With Mosaic elite status, there are no fees for same-day flight changes, the first and second checked bags are free, and you receive priority boarding and free alcoholic beverages. Elite benefits are granted for the remainder of the year earned and all of the following year.

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors, including:

• Annual fees
• Welcome bonus offers
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual points
• Additional cardholder benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

Read more: How Forbes Advisor Rates Credit Cards