Blue Sky’s Ahead: Barclay’s JetBlue Card vs. JetBlue Plus Card
JetBlue is the airline of the people. It’s got great programs like Family Pooling, no blackout dates or points expiration, 400 points for completing surveys (!), and great perks that let you feel like you’re flying luxuriously without the steep price tag. You can apply for either of the 2 JetBlue credit cards and receive an answer within a few seconds. How's that for instant gratification?!
But wait, if there are two JetBlue cards, that means you need to make a choice. So, which is it going to be, the JetBlue card or the JetBlue Plus card? Well, the easy answer is, of course, the one that’ll give you the most value. And that is…? Relax, I’m not going to leave you hanging. Here’s a breakdown of both cards so you can decide for yourself which version of the JetBlue card is meant to be.
| JetBlue Card | JetBlue Plus Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Signup Bonus | 10,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in first 90 days | 40,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in first 90 days |
| Rewards Program | 3x points per $1 on JetBlue purchases 2x points per $1 spent at restaurants and grocery stores 1x point per $1 spent on all other purchases | 6x points per each dollar spent on JetBlue purchases 2x points per each dollar spent at restaurants and grocery stores 1x point per each dollar spent on all other purchases |
| Additional Benefits | 50% savings on certain in-flight purchases | 5,000 points anniversary gift each year |
| Annual Fee | $0 | $99 |
JetBlue Card
What I loved...
- 10,000 point signup bonus
- 3, 2, 1 rewards program
- Additional points earnings for each flight tier
- Absolutely no annual fee
- 50% off on in-flight purchases
- Chip technology
- 0% intro APR
- Super easy online redemption portal
What I didn’t...
- No free bag check
Who it’s best for...
- Casual travelers who want to earn the most from their everyday spending
- Anyone who laughs in the face of annual fees
The JetBlue card is a terrific option if you hate, hate, hate annual fees. If this sounds like you, well, this card comes with a lot of goodies, and no annual fee, so you’re going to love it! To begin with, you get a nice 10,000 point signup bonus just for joining the fun. You just have to spend $1,000 in the first three months of owning the card. Stick a few of your monthly bills on there, and you’re good to go!
Next, the JetBlue card has a sweet rewards program. It’s a 3, 2, 1 tiered program, which means you earn staggered rewards for different categories. I know, boohoo categories, but this card makes it pretty simple and definitely worthwhile. Here’s the breakdown:
- Earn 3 bonus points for each dollar spent on JetBlue purchases
- Earn 2 bonus points for every dollar spent on groceries and restaurant purchases
- Earn a single bonus point for each dollar spent on everything else
So, you see, it’s not that hard to keep track of, and the points distribution is very generous. The JetBlue card also comes with a 50% discount on in-flight purchases like beverages and headphones. Let’s not forget about the no foreign transaction fee. That’ll save you 3% on all your buys overseas.
One final perk that you might have missed if you didn’t read the fine print is the JetBlue card’s introductory APR offer. You’ll get 0% APR for the first 12 months when you transfer a balance within the first 45 days of owning your JetBlue card. That’s a considerable savings, and not one to be missed!
Earn More by Booking With JetBlue.com
What’s more, you’ll earn even more points when you book on jetblue.com. You’ll get the three base TrueBlue points we talked about, plus you’ll get an additional bonus for every level of purchase you climb. Here’s what I mean:
| Flight Tier | Additional Points Earned | Points Earned for a $300 Flight |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | 3 | 1,800 |
| Blue Plus | 4 | 2,100 |
| Blue Flex | 5 | 2,400 |
| Mint | 3 | 1,800 |
JetBlue Plus Card
What I loved...
- 40,000 points signup bonus
- 5,000 points anniversary gift
- Outstanding rewards program: 6, 2, 1
- First bag checked free (companions too!)
- Mosaic benefits potential
- 50% in-flight purchase savings
- No foreign transaction fee
- $100 annual statement credit
What I didn’t...
- The minor annual fee
Who it’s best for...
- Anyone who loves earning big rewards for little effort
- JetBlue fans
- People reaching for Mosaic status
If you liked what you heard about the JetBlue card, then you’re going to love the JetBlue Plus card! It’s like the JetBlue card on steroids! You get all the perks that you get with the original card, plus more. The signup bonus jumps from 10,000 to 40,000 points. You also get 5,000 points every year on your card anniversary.
Next, you will enjoy an even better rewards program. You'll get the same 2x points per restaurant and grocery dollar spent, but you'll also earn 6 points for each dollar spent on JetBlue purchases. That’s unbelievable! What’s even more incredible is that the benefits don’t stop there!
You’ll also enjoy great perks like an annual statement credit for $100, first bag checked for free (and three of your companions too), and the ability to achieve Mosaic status!
You may be asking why anyone would choose the regular JetBlue card over the JetBlue Plus card. It's simple. The JetBlue Plus card comes with a $99 annual fee. Now to me, the benefits far outweigh the annual fee (after all, you're getting a $100 statement credit which just cancels this right out, as does the anniversary gift, the signup bonus, the baggage fee waiver...get my drift?), but some people just aren't interested in paying that yearly fee. If that's you, the JetBlue card is an awesome choice, and you'll get a lot of benefit from it. If you don't mind the annual fee though, the JetBlue Plus card is for sure the way to go.
TrueBlue Mosaic
Speaking of Mosaic status, this is one of the best parts of the JetBlue Plus card. You qualify for these benefits if you earn 12,000 base flight points + 30 segments or 15,000 base flight points within a single calendar year. If you do, you’ll qualify for Mosaic benefits like:
- Fee waivers on cancellation or change of itinerary fees
- First bag checked for free for both you and any companions flying with you
- Discounts on Even More Space seats
- Complimentary access for faster security check in
- Early boarding
- Accelerated earn rate up to a staggering 9x points per dollar spent on JetBlue purchases!
- 24/7 live customer service
- Complimentary drinks on the flight (and we’re talking the good stuff here!)
So, there are a lot of reasons you’ll want to qualify for Mosaic status, and they all amount to more comfort, more convenience, and more savings for you.
Working the Miles Magic
Those perks may sound nice and all, but let’s cut to the chase. How much are TrueBlue points worth and will they get me a free flight or not? The annoying answer is that it depends (the easy answer is YES though, so read on!) TrueBlue points value fluctuates depending on the season and the current fares. In general, though, you’re looking at about 1.4-1.5 cents per point. So, you could get flights like:
- One way flight from NY to LA for around 12,200 points
- One way flight from NY to Dallas for around 14,300 points
Depending which card you sign up for, you're looking at a signup bonus of anywhere between $145-$450! I don't have to be a psychic to see that you're going to have a lot of free flights in your future!
One last perk that I LOOOOVE from JetBlue is that you automatically earn 10% of your points back when redeeming them for a JetBlue flight. For example, if you redeem 25,000 points for a flight, you'll instantly earn 2,500. That's a 10% freebie right there, and in my book, that's just good-hearted.
