ReviewsJetBlue Plus Card Review: Earn 6X Points and Free Checked Bags
Card Review
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The JetBlue Plus Card can be quite lucrative and useful for JetBlue loyalists. The credit card’s impressive 6X points on JetBlue purchases and the option to pool points with friends and family make it easy to earn award flights. As an added bonus, if you spend enough, you can earn free priority boarding, along with free flight changes and cancellations.
If you don’t fly JetBlue often, a more flexible travel rewards credit card probably makes more sense. In that case, it’s worth trying out the CardCruncher tool to see what rewards card best matches the way you spend. But to find out all about the JetBlue Plus Card, check out our full review.
JetBlue Plus Card Review
Here are the key things you need to know before applying for the JetBlue Plus Card:
Annual Fee: $99
APR: See Terms
Sign-Up Bonus: 40,000 points
Benefits:
- Earn 6X TrueBlue points on JetBlue purchases,
- Earn 2X points at restaurants and grocery stores
- Earn 1X points everywhere else
- First checked bag is free for you and up to three companions
- No foreign transaction fees
- Save 50% on in-flight food and drink purchases
- Enjoy Mosaic benefits, including priority boarding and fee-free cancellations, when you spend $50,000 or more on purchases in a single year
- Pool your TrueBlue points with up to six friends or family members to help earn rewards faster
- Receive a $100 statement credit when you book a JetBlue Vacations package worth $100 or more
- Earn 5,000 bonus points every year on your account anniversary
Other Fees:
- Balance transfer fee of $5 or 3%, whichever is greater
- Cash advance fee of $10 or 5%, whichever is greater
- Up to $39 late payment fee
- Up to $39 returned payment fee
Why Apply for the JetBlue Plus Card
Here are a few reasons loyal JetBlue travelers may want the JetBlue Plus Card:
You’ll be rewarded handsomely for flying JetBlue
The JetBlue Plus Card offers an impressive 6 points per dollar on all JetBlue purchases. In addition, you’ll earn to 2 points per dollar at grocery stores and restaurants, and 1 point per dollar everywhere else. New cardholders can also earn a sign-up bonus of 40,000 points by hitting the minimum spend to trigger that bonus. Plus, every year on your account anniversary, you’ll get another 5,000 bonus points. You can redeem your points for any seat on any JetBlue flight with no blackout dates, and your points will never expire as long as your account remains active.
Enjoy special perks on all JetBlue flights
JetBlue Plus Cardholders receive a free checked bag for themselves and up to three companions. That saves a family of four $240 on a round-trip flight. Every time you use your card to purchase food or drinks on JetBlue flights, you’ll receive a 50% discount, too. And if you spend $50,000 or more in a calendar year, you’ll qualify for Mosaic benefits. These include fee-free flight changes and cancellations, priority boarding, two free checked bags per flight, and complimentary alcoholic beverages on JetBlue flights.
Share points with family members and friends
If your friends or relatives also fly JetBlue often, consider starting a points pool. Up to seven people can join a pool, and when you join, all of your points are automatically contributed. The Pool Leader determines how points are spent, but anyone in the pool can use them. You can only be part of one pool at a time, but you can leave a pool at any time and take your unused points with you. It’s a unique way to help you redeem rewards faster and share with your friends and family.
JetBlue Plus Card: Drawbacks and Downsides
The JetBlue Plus Card has a number of valuable perks, but also a few downsides:
Some benefits are only available to big spenders
Qualifying for Mosaic status means spending $50,000 or more on your JetBlue Plus Card in a calendar year. That brings with it priority boarding, a second free checked bag, and fee-free flight changes. Many other airline cards offer these benefits without such huge spending requirements. But if you feel confident you’ll spend at least $50,000 with your JetBlue Plus Card each year, this shouldn’t concern you.
It doesn’t offer a free companion fare
Some airline rewards cards offer free annual companion fares to cardholders, but the JetBlue Plus Card doesn’t. Even if you attain the coveted Mosaic status, you won’t get a companion fare. Instead, you’ll have to rely on your rewards points to cover any award tickets for you and your companions.
JetBlue Plus Card Alternatives
If the JetBlue Plus Card doesn’t suit your lifestyle, one of these travel rewards credit cards may be a better fit:
Barclaycard Arrival® Plus World Elite Mastercard
The Barclaycard Arrival® Plus World Elite Mastercard offers unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, which you can use toward any travel-related expense. Book your travel arrangements when and how you want, then simply request a statement credit for the expenses on your next credit card bill. New cardholders will appreciate the card’s generous sign-up bonus of 70,000 miles, and every time you redeem your points, you’ll automatically receive 5% of them back.
The card has an annual fee of $0 the first year, then $89, which is pretty reasonable, especially considering the high rewards-earning rate. But because it’s not affiliated with any airline, the card doesn’t grant you free checked bags, priority boarding, or other ancillary perks.
Chase Sapphire Reserve℠
If you travel frequently, but bounce around airlines, consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve℠. You’ll earn 3 points per dollar on travel and dining purchases, and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else. Redeem those points for any travel-related expenses, or transfer them to one of Chase’s partner travel rewards programs for even-more lucrative redemptions, like first-class flights.
The card has an annual fee of $550, which may seem steep. Fortunately, the card also offers a $300 annual travel credit, plus a credit for a TSA PreCheck/Global Entry membership. Those credits can add up to $400 that offset the annual fee. In addition, the card offers terrific travel insurance, rental car insurance and purchase protections that you won’t find on most travel rewards credit cards. All those extra perks and features can save you a ton if you travel frequently.
JetBlue Plus Card FAQs
Here are answers to the most commonly asked questions about the JetBlue Plus Card:
What credit score do you need to get a JetBlue Plus Card?
Barclays doesn’t share details on the minimum credit score required to be approved for its credit cards. Even so, most travel rewards credit cards require good to excellent credit. That’s typically defined as a score of 700 or higher. Assume you’d need a credit score in this range to get the JetBlue Plus Card.
How much is 40,000 JetBlue points worth?
The exact value of TrueBlue points will vary depending on which flight you redeem them for. Generally, they range between $0.014 and $0.017 each. So 40,000 points would be worth between $560 and $680.
Do TrueBlue points expire?
No, your TrueBlue points will never expire as long as your JetBlue credit card account remains active and in good standing.
Bottom Line: Should You Apply for the JetBlue Plus Card?
The JetBlue Plus Card is worth considering if you fly JetBlue often. It’s certainly worthwhile if you spend enough in a year to qualify for Mosaic status. But if you don’t travel often on JetBlue, or don’t want to be tied to one airline, you’d be better off with a more flexible travel rewards credit card. There are plenty of options out there—it’s just a matter of figuring out what perks and rewards make the most sense for you.
