If you live near one of the 100+ airports that JetBlue flies to and from, then you should consider adding a JetBlue card to your repertoire. Branded cards from JetBlue will earn you extra points on all JetBlue purchases, as well as great welcome bonus points when you meet the required minimum spend.
Though the points earned on these cards are not transferrable like I usually suggest, JetBlue offers some great points redemptions both within the United States and internationally. Plus, there are options available even if you don’t want to pay an annual fee.
While other banks with points that transfer to JetBlue – such as Citi, Chase and American Express – offer cards with higher sign-up bonuses, a dedicated JetBlue branded card can be a great complement to those more flexible card options. Having an airline credit card like the JetBlue Mastercard can be a great choice to supplement the points you get from other credit card companies.
Let’s take a look at the two credit cards offered by JetBlue and see if they’re right for you!
Who should consider getting a JetBlue credit card?
You should consider getting a JetBlue card if any of the following apply to you:
- You frequently fly JetBlue operated flights
- You have a vacation planned that could be made possible by flying JetBlue
- You aren’t planning on opening a Chase card soon (see below for the reason why I say this!)
- You need a card with no foreign transaction fee
- You are trying to reach JetBlue Mosaic elite status
- You’re considering booking a JetBlue vacations package
- You want to earn more JetBlue points
Although JetBlue doesn’t have the same pull as some other major carriers, like American Airlines, or have a clear target destination like Hawaiian Airlines, I find that TrueBlue points can be highly valuable.
The ability to earn JetBlue points makes opening one of their cards a good choice for even infrequent JetBlue travelers.
Best overall JetBlue Mastercard: JetBlue Plus Card
The best overall card if you want to earn a lot of JetBlue TrueBlue points quickly is the JetBlue Plus card. The JetBlue Plus card offers the best balance between benefits and fees.
If you’re looking for a personal card, this card is far preferable to the $0 annual fee JetBlue Barclay card, particularly since the anniversary points bonus will offset the modest annual fee.
Annual Fee
$99 – a pretty typical fee for a card like this. This outlay of cash will likely be offset by the 5,000 points bonus and 10% bonus on your card anniversary.
Sign Up Bonus
Typically the JetBlue Plus card has a sign-up bonus of 40,000 TrueBlue points. At the time of this writing, though, the bonus had doubled to a whopping 80,000 points after spending $1,000 in three months!
Minimum Spend Required
The sign-up bonus (currently 80,000 points, usually 40,000 points) is awarded after spending $1,000 on purchases in three months. This is a very modest amount as annual fees go, and should be easy to meet for most people.
Benefits
The benefits of the JetBlue Plus card include:
- 6x points on JetBlue purchases
- 2x points on restaurants and grocery stores
- 1x points on all other eligible purchases
- JetBlue Mosaic elite status after spending $50,000 in one calendar year
- 5,000 point anniversary bonus
- 10% bonus points on card anniversary
- $100 statement credit on purchase of JetBlue vacations package
- 50% savings on eligible inflight food and drink purchases
Best JetBlue Mastercard for businesses: JetBlue Business Card
If you are eligible for business credit cards, then you should definitely consider the JetBlue Business Card.
With a higher typical sign-up bonus than the JetBlue Plus personal card for the same annual fee, I recommend going for this one over the personal card if you are able to do so. The minimum spend is higher, but still very attainable for most spenders.
Annual Fee
$99 – Again, a very typical fee for this kind of card, and absolutely outweighed by the 80,000 point sign-up bonus, 5,000 point anniversary bonus and waived checked bag fees – and of course the $99 statement credit in the first year of having the card.
Sign Up Bonus
The JetBlue Business welcome bonus is a hefty 80,000 TrueBlue points.
This is the typical bonus, and I haven’t seen it increase significantly in recent months. If interested in this card, I would go with the 80,000 point bonus rather than try to time out a special increased offer.
Minimum Spend Required
To get that great sign-up bonus, you’ll need to spend $2,000 in the first three months after being approved. Pretty easy to meet!
Plus, in the first year of having the card, you’ll receive a $99 statement credit to offset the $99 annual fee.
Benefits
The benefits of the JetBlue Business card include:
- Free checked bags for you and your traveling companions (one bag per person, traveling on the same reservation)
- 6x points on JetBlue purchases
- 2x points on restaurants and office supply stores
- 1x points on all other eligible purchases
- JetBlue Mosaic elite status after spending $50,000 in one calendar year
- 5,000 point anniversary bonus
- $100 statement credit on purchase of JetBlue vacations package
- 50% savings on eligible inflight food and drink purchases
These benefits are similar to the JetBlue Plus card, but you’ll notice that there is no 10% annual anniversary bonus, the 2x grocery store multiplier is replaced by a 2x office supply store multiplier, and the Business card includes free checked bags.
Best JetBlue Mastercard with no annual fee: JetBlue Card
“Best” is admittedly a strong word to use here. A more apt description would be “ONLY JetBlue Mastercard with no annual fee.” And that distinction would go to the JetBlue Card.
If you are absolutely dead-set on not paying an annual fee, then this is the only JetBlue branded card available to you. However, I think it would be shortsighted to choose this card over the JetBlue Plus card, as the latter offers so much better value for it’s $99 annual fee.
Annual Fee
$0, but in this case you sort of get what you pay for.
Sign Up Bonus
The JetBlue Card offers a welcome bonus of 10,000 points. This is okay if you are looking to top up points earned from transferrable cards like the ones discussed below. But they won’t get you far on their own.
Minimum Spend Required
The minimum spend for 10,000 points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months is the same spending requirement as the JetBlue Plus.
Benefits
The benefits of the JetBlue card include:
- 3x points on JetBlue purchases
- 2x points on restaurants and grocery stores
- 1x points on all other eligible purchases
- 50% savings on eligible inflight food and drink purchases
Other cards that earn points for use on JetBlue:
You don’t need a specific JetBlue branded credit card in order to earn points that can be used to book JetBlue flights.
The great news is that Citi, Chase and American Express are all transfer partners of JetBlue. That means that you can transfer these points to JetBlue and turn them into TrueBlue points.
By selecting a card from a credit card issuer with transferrable points, you’re increasing your likelihood of being able to redeem points for a free flight – possibly even in JetBlue’s Mint business class cabin.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best card for those who are just starting to earn points and miles for free travel. Chase Ultimate Rewards points are easy to earn and easy to transfer, making them some of the most valuable points in the industry.
If you’re seeking a more premium card, with more premium benefits, try the Chase Sapphire Reserve. And if you’re eligible for business cards, definitely check out the awesome Chase Ink Business Cash card, which earns 5x on eligible purchases at office supply stores. Despite the name, it earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
Citi Premier
Far too many people ignore Citi, which is a shame because their ThankYou points have grown in value over the last few years. The Citi Premier card has had a fantastic welcome bonus of 80,000 ThankYou points for a long time now (the typical offer is 60,000 points). Pairing the Citi Premier with the JetBlue Plus card will get you a lot of bonus points that can you can use for JetBlue flights.
American Express Platinum Card
The biggest hitter of all travel cards, the American Express Platinum card boasts a massive $695 annual fee, but delivers benefits like no other card on the market. If you’re an experienced traveler and are looking for a card that offers the cream of the crop of industry benefits, definitely consider the Platinum.
There are so many ways to purchase tickets through JetBlue by using TrueBlue points, and credit card welcome bonus points can be the fastest and most powerful tool for even the casual JetBlue flyer. From a free first checked bag, to account anniversary bonus points, to discounts on inflight purchases, JetBlue Mastercards deliver so much more than points.
Let us know what card you’ve chosen in the comments!
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