The next credit card of interest in the series of low cost carrier cards is the JetBlue Plus Card. This card is the paid version of the JetBlue Card that I covered a couple weeks ago. This card is also issued by Barclaycard USA and is one of the better Barclaycards that I am aware of.
I provide the information here just to give readers a vague idea if the rewards offered by the card might make sense for them to consider the card. The information on this page has been collected independently, and all information should be confirmed with the card company before applying.
Welcome Offer
At the time of posting, the JetBlue Card has a welcome offer of 40 000 bonus points after you spend $1 000 in the first 3 months of account opening and after you pay the annual fee. Paying the annual fee to get the welcome bonus is a key characteristic of the Barclaycard terms and conditions. JetBlue’s program is strictly a revenue-based program, and JetBlue points are pretty consistently worth 1.3 ¢/pt. That makes this welcome offer worth $520, which is alright for a card with a $99 annual fee.
Earnings
The JetBlue Card has an enhanced 6/2/1 points earning structure compared to the free card. The card earns 6x points/$ on JetBlue purchases, 2x points/$ on restaurants and (eligible) grocery stores, and 1x point/$ on everything else. These returns correspond to 7.8%, 2.6%, and 1.3%. The return on JetBlue is great for a card with a $99 annual fee, but the other categories are somewhat lackluster.
Benefits
Compared to the no annual fee version, this card offers substantially more benefits. It comes with a free first checked bag, 5 000 bonus points each year, a 10% rebate from reward flights, an annual $100 statement credit for JetBlue Vacations, and 50% off eligible inflight purchases on JetBlue-operated flights. 5 000 bonus points are worth $65, which erases most of the annual fee if used regularly.
JetBlue recently revamped its loyalty program and introduced new status tiers and a new way to earn status. Status is now earned using ‘tiles’, and tiles are earned at a rate of 1 tile/$100 spent on JetBlue and 1 tile/$1 000 spent on a JetBlue credit card. If you are chasing JetBlue status, this credit card can provide you a big boost.
How to use the points
The main use for JetBlue points is to redeem them for JetBlue flights. JetBlue’s points are pegged to consistently be worth around 1.3 ¢/pt. JetBlue is also a transfer partner of Chase, and its flights can be booked through the Chase portal.
Examples of using the card
These examples assume you spend all your airfare budget on JetBlue.
Spend per month
| Example A | Example B | Example C | Example D | |||||
| Groceries (2x) | $300 | 600 | $200 | 400 | $600 | 1 200 | $400 | 800 |
| Gas (1x) | $0 | 0 | $100 | 100 | $200 | 200 | $100 | 100 |
| Airfare (6x) | $700 | 4 200 | $200 | 1 200 | $0 | 0 | $400 | 2 400 |
| Hotels (1x) | $1 000 | 1 000 | $200 | 200 | $0 | 0 | $300 | 300 |
| Gen Travel (1x) | $400 | 400 | $0 | 0 | $300 | 300 | $100 | 100 |
| Dining (2x) | $600 | 1 200 | $300 | 600 | $300 | 600 | $0 | 0 |
| General (1x) | $1 000 | 1 000 | $500 | 500 | $500 | 500 | $400 | 400 |
| Total | $4 000 | 8 400 | $1 500 | 3 000 | $1 700 | 2 800 | $1 700 | 4 100 |
| Average points/$ | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.65 | 2.41 |
The 6/2/1 earning structure means that a fair number of points can be earned on this card, but the relatively narrow bonus categories means that the range is very dependent on how much you fly JetBlue: 1.65 – 2.41 points/$, which is worth 2.15 – 3.13 ¢/$. That’s actually a pretty good return for an airline co-branded credit card with a $99 annual fee. If you fly JetBlue often and want to double your accrual rate of JetBlue points off flight purchases, this card is probably your best bet.
Specific examples
These examples include the bonus points earned from getting IHG Elite Platinum status from the card.
| Card | JetBlue Blue fare ($750) (% return) | Marriott Hotel night ($230/night) | Points values (WT/Hotel) |
| No rewards card | 2 100 JBP (3.9%) | 2 200 MP (7.3%) | $27.30 / $11.00 |
| General 2% cashback card ($0) | 2 100 + $15.00 (5.9%) | 2 200 MP + $4.60 (9.3%) | $42.30 / $15.60 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95) | 2 100 + 1 500 UR (6.9%) | 2 200 MP + 460 UR (10.3%) | $49.80 / $17.90 |
| Amex Green Card ($150) | 2 100 + 2 250 MR (8.4%) | 2 200 MP + 690 MR (11.5%) | $61.05 / $21.35 |
| JetBlue Card ($0) | 6 300 JBP (10.9%) | 2 200 MP + 230 JBP (8.6%) | $81.90 / $14.45 |
Is this credit card right for you?
If you travel with JetBlue frequently, this card could definitely make sense. The benefits offered by this card, such as the bonus points, free checked bag, and earning tiles are pretty good. The points earnings on this card are somewhat limited but great for JetBlue purchases specifically. The sign-up bonus on this card isn’t amazing, but I definitely think this card could have a good place in someone’s wallet, if they really like to fly JetBlue.
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