How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.
The JetBlue Plus Card is a great choice for frequent JetBlue flyers who value airline benefits. There’s an excellent rewards rate and easy-to-earn sign-up bonus. And while this card comes with a $99 annual fee, it’s low compared to many airline credit cards.
For travelers who regularly fly with JetBlue, the JetBlue Plus Card can be worth it. In addition to a valuable sign-up bonus and strong earning rate, you’ll get free checked bags, in-flight savings and points pooling with friends and family. You’ll also enjoy other benefits like 5,000 bonus points after each account anniversary.
This card charges a 0% foreign transaction fee, which makes it more traveler-friendly if you take international trips. There is a $99 annual fee to own the card, but that’s moderate compared to what many other airline credit cards charge.
The JetBlue Plus Card offers new cardholders an attainable and valuable sign-up bonus. Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days.
That breaks down to about $333 in credit card spend per month — this can be doable for many, especially if you tend to charge a lot of your regular expenses each month. JetBlue TrueBlue points are worth around 1.2 cents each, making this sign-up bonus worth around $600.
According to a recent LendingTree survey, the average sign-up bonus for airline credit cards is 55,867 points.
The sign-up bonus on the JetBlue Plus Card falls near this average and is similar to offers on other co-branded airline credit cards like the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® or the United℠ Explorer Card.
Should you apply now? While 50,000 points is substantial, this card has had sign-up bonuses recently as high as 60,000 and 70,000 points.
The JetBlue Plus Card offers an impressive rewards rate. Earn 6x points on eligible JetBlue purchases, 2x points at restaurants and eligible grocery stores and 1x points on all other purchases.
Many co-branded airline credit cards limit spending categories and only give accelerated points for purchases made with a specific airline. With the JetBlue Plus Card, you’ll get 2x points at restaurants and groceries on top of 6x points on JetBlue purchases.
These earning categories are not only great for frequent JetBlue flyers, but they’re also ideal for everyday spending, making this card useful for day-to-day purchases.
The JetBlue rewards program is pretty straightforward — you’ll get the same value per point for most award flights, making it a good choice for those who prefer simple rewards. We rank JetBlue points as one of the most usable among airline rewards programs because:
| Usability overall score = 4.1 out of 5 (Excellent) | |
|---|---|
| Miles expiration | 5 out of 5 |
| Flight network | 2.5 out of 5 |
| Award availability | 5 out of 5 |
| Ease of booking | 4 out of 5 |
| Complexity | 4.5 out of 5 |
JetBlue TrueBlue points have a value of around 1.2 cents per point. While this a decent value, there are airline programs that offer a higher value.
For example, American Airlines AAdvantage miles are worth around 1.8 cents each, Southwest Airlines miles are worth around 1.4 cents each and United Airlines MileagePlus miles are worth around 1.3 cents each.
Redemption options are somewhat limited compared to other airline programs. Cardholders are restricted to redeeming their points for flights on JetBlue or vacation packages through JetBlue Vacations. You’re also able to earn JetBlue points when you purchase flights with select partner airlines. However, of the available partners, you can only redeem JetBlue points for flights on Hawaiian Airlines.
The JetBlue Plus Card offers a 0% introductory APR for the first twelve billing cycles following each balance transfer that posts to your account within 45 days of account opening. After that, the balance transfer APR is 21.24% - 29.99% Variable.
There’s a high balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. So while you can temporarily avoid paying interest on transferred balances, you’ll want to make sure you can pay off the balance before the introductory period ends.
If you’re looking for a balance transfer credit card, this is a decent option — but it’s not the longest intro balance intro APR we’ve found. Balance transfer credit cards typically offer an intro period between six and 21 months. If you don’t think you can pay your balance within 12 months choose a card with a longer intro period.
There’s also no intro APR on purchases with this card. So if you’re looking to use your credit card to finance a large purchase, choose a card with a 0% intro period.
The JetBlue Plus Card comes with a decent list of travel benefits for JetBlue loyalists including free checked bags, 50% in-flight savings and the chance to qualify for Mosaic status. Still, it’s lacking in general travel benefits. For example, you won’t get the same travel protections that you can find on cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
It also falls short on statement credits and anniversary bonus points. You’ll get 5,000 bonus points each year and a $100 statement credit that can only be used for JetBlue Vacations. In comparison, the American Express® Gold Card offers more than $500 in perks and credits each year.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Annual Fee | Rewards Rate | Welcome Offer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
JetBlue Plus Card*
|
$99 | Earn 6x points on eligible JetBlue purchases, 2x points at restaurants and eligible grocery stores and 1x points on all other purchases. | Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days. | ||
JetBlue Card*
|
$0 | Earn 3x points on eligible JetBlue purchases, 2x points at restaurants and grocery stores and 1x points on all other purchases. | Earn 10,000 bonus points after making $1,000 in purchases within 90 days of account opening. | ||
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
 Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
$95 | Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
American Express® Gold Card
|
$325 | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants (on up to $50,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X), Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point on all other eligible purchases. Terms Apply | Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24. |
Verdict: A good alternative if you don’t want to pay an annual feeIf you’re a frequent JetBlue flyer but don’t want to pay an annual fee, the JetBlue Card may be a better card for you. This card offers a slightly lower earning rate on JetBlue purchases, but the same rate at restaurants and grocery stores. And though you won’t get as many JetBlue benefits as you would with the JetBlue Plus Card, the JetBlue Card does offers a few, including 50% in-flight savings.
Unlike the JetBlue Plus Card, it doesn’t offer free checked bags. If you’re able to pay an annual fee, this benefit by itself could easily make the JetBlue Plus Card worth it.
Verdict: A top choice for a general travel credit card with high flat-rate rewardsThe Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best travel rewards cards you can find. It’s a better choice than the JetBlue Plus Card, as you’ll get a higher value for points and have more redemption options for a similar annual fee.
You can redeem points for cash, statement credits, gift cards and travel. Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase TravelSM. Plus, you can transfer points to Chase travel partners at a rate of 1:1 to get even more value.
Further, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is packed with benefits like extensive travel insurance and statement credits.
Verdict: An excellent luxury travel rewards card for everyday spendingThe American Express® Gold Card is a good alternative if you’re looking for more dining and grocery perks than the JetBlue Plus Card. There’s a much higher earning rate at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets. Plus, you’ll get accelerated rewards on flights.
This card does come with a higher $325 annual fee. However, you’ll stack up valuable Membership Rewards points on most of your food purchases, which can easily justify the fee each year. The card comes with other great perks, including up to a $120 credit ($10 per month) on select dining purchases (enrollment required).
The JetBlue Plus Card is a good option for avid travelers who want to capitalize on their adventures with JetBlue. The card gives you the opportunity for savings with JetBlue, like free checked bags on each flight and 50% off in-flight cocktail and food purchases. And if you’re able to take advantage of the strong earning rate, high sign-up bonus and additional perks that come with this card, it can be a great addition to your wallet.
However, if you rarely fly JetBlue or would prefer a more flexible rewards credit card, there are a number of other great options to choose from as well.
The information related to the JetBlue Plus Card has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication.
