JetBlue Plus Card Review: Solid Value for Loyal JetBlue Flyers

JetBlue Plus Credit Card Benefits

The JetBlue Plus Card can offer solid value for its cost.

Bonus Everyday Earning Rates

The JetBlue Plus Card earns an elevated 6x points on JetBlue purchases, plus 2x points for restaurant spending and grocery purchases. This makes it easy to build up TrueBlue points for future flights through everyday spending.

While I can earn higher rates on bonus categories with other cards, I have no problem using it when I need to boost my balance, especially in the grocery category.

Solid Set of Perks

The JetBlue Plus Card comes with a solid set of perks for a mid-tier co-branded card. Here’s what you can get with the card:

• Earn 5,000 bonus points each year after your account anniversary
• 50% savings on eligible in-flight purchases on JetBlue-operated flights
• Get 10% of your points back after you redeem for and travel on a JetBlue-operated award flight
• Receive a $100 statement credit after you purchase a JetBlue Vacations package of $100 or more with your card (Limit one statement credit per year)
• Redeem TrueBlue points to receive a statement credit and pay yourself back for purchases of $25 or more, made within the last 90 days, using your card
• Free first checked bag for the primary cardmember and up to three travel companions on the same reservation
• Earn one Mosaic tile for every $1,000 in spending

Spending $50,000 on the card will qualify for JetBlue Mosaic 1 elite status. Mosaic status includes perks such as priority boarding, free same-day flight changes and other benefits that can make your travel experience smoother and more flexible.

If you’re considering how far to move up the loyalty ladder, take a closer look at whether JetBlue Mosaic status is worth it based on your travel habits.

For me, earning the annual bonus points is enough to justify keeping the card. This benefit alone can offset a large portion of the annual fee. I’ll use the free checked bag perk for my entire family a couple of times a year, giving me plenty of value from the card.

Valuable Welcome Offer

The JetBlue Plus Card provides outstanding initial value from an easy-to-earn welcome offer: Earn 70,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days.

JetBlue points are worth about 1.4 cents each on average, so the welcome offer gives you about $940 in flight value while requiring only an average of $334 in monthly spending.

I opened the card once JetBlue established a direct route from my home airport to Orlando (MCO). I knew I’d at least use points every year for our family’s trip to Disney World, and I quickly earned the welcome bonus by purchasing a set of flights for my family.

Travel and Purchase Protections

While the JetBlue Plus Card doesn’t include premium perks like airport lounge access, it does offer a strong set of travel insurance protections through its World Elite Mastercard benefits. Here’s what you’ll get with the card.

Travel Insurance

You’ll receive a solid suite of travel protections — stronger than many mid-tier airline cards — when you pay for eligible travel with the card. Coverage includes:

• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance to reimburse prepaid, nonrefundable expenses if your trip is canceled or cut short for a covered reason.
• Trip delay coverage after six hours, which is earlier than many other cards.
• Baggage delay insurance to help cover essential purchases if your bags are delayed.
• Secondary rental car insurance when you decline the rental company’s coverage and pay with your card.
• Travel accident insurance that can provide coverage for accidental loss of life or injury while on a trip.

Purchase Coverage

In addition to travel perks, the JetBlue Plus includes several shopping protections that aren’t always available on airline cards, making it more useful beyond travel purchases:

• Purchase protection for eligible items damaged or stolen within a limited timeframe after purchase.
• Extended warranty coverage that adds extra protection beyond the manufacturer’s warranty.
• Return protection if a retailer won’t accept an eligible return.
• Price protection, an increasingly rare benefit that may reimburse you if an item drops in price after purchase.

JetBlue Plus Credit Card Drawbacks

The JetBlue Plus Card isn’t for everyone. Here’s why you might not want the card.

Limited Airline Flexibility

Rewards are tied to JetBlue’s TrueBlue airline loyalty program. While JetBlue has partnerships with some other airlines, your points are less flexible than those from general travel cards.

If you prefer flexibility with multiple airlines, consider some of the best travel credit cards to find the one that best meets your travel and spending needs.

Annual Fee

The JetBlue Plus Card carries a $99 annual fee, which means you’ll need to make sure you’re getting enough consistent value from the card’s benefits to justify keeping the card.

Intro APR on Balance Transfers Only

The card includes a 0% introductory APR for the first 12 months on balance transfers made within the first 45 days of account opening. After that, a 19.49% – 29.49% Variable APR applies. A 19.49% – 29.49% Variable APR applies for purchases.

However, this offer does not apply to purchases or cash advances, and a balance transfer fee of $5 or 5% of each transfer amount (whichever is greater) applies.

While it’s uncommon for an airline credit card with an annual fee to include a balance transfer offer, this feature is best viewed as a secondary perk. I don’t recommend getting the card for this purpose. Other balance transfer cards are much better suited to financing debt. The JetBlue Plus Card delivers the most value through its airline benefits and earning rewards, not as a long-term financing tool.

Who Is the JetBlue Plus Card Best For?

The JetBlue Plus Card is best suited for regular JetBlue travelers who want to maximize their experience with the airline. If you frequently check bags or book multiple JetBlue flights each year, the savings and rewards can add up quickly.

It’s also a decent fit for people who want a simple rewards structure without having to manage complex transfer partners or redemption strategies.

I would advise making sure you’ll use your points regularly, and consider whether you’d be better off earning higher rates on other cards before adding this card to your wallet.

Is It the Right Card for You?

The JetBlue Plus Card may be the worth it if you:

• Fly JetBlue multiple times per year
• Want free checked bags and in-flight savings
• Can use JetBlue points regularly
• Are working toward JetBlue Mosaic status
• Can justify the annual fee using the card’s benefits

Alternatives to the JetBlue Plus Card

Depending on your airline preference, here are a couple of alternatives to the JetBlue Plus Card worth considering:

• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®: This card from our advertising partner, Citi, is a solid option for American Airlines AAdvantage loyalists, offering co-branded in-flight perks similar to those of the JetBlue Plus Card. While you’ll earn a much higher rate on co-branded airline purchases with the JetBlue Plus, the Citi AA Platinum Select Card has access to a much stronger partner network of flights. The choice between these two cards comes down to your personal travel habits. There’s an annual fee of $99, waived for first 12 months.
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: This card from our advertising partner, American Express, also offers similar in-flight perks and identical bonus everyday categories. While it earns fewer points on co-branded airline purchases than the JetBlue Plus Card, Delta’s extensive route network and partner network provide more flexible flight options. The Delta Gold’s annual fee is higher ($0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.) However, you can offset it with a Delta Stays credit and other valuable benefits.