JetBlue Plus Card Overview

The JetBlue Plus card offers great returns on airfare and comes with a 5,000-point anniversary bonus that covers nearly two-thirds of the card’s $99 annual fee. Perks like free checked baggage allowance, 10% rebate on award redemptions, and annual JetBlue vacation statement credit make this card well worth it, even for occasional travelers. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

*Card ratings are based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and are not influenced by the card issuer.

JetBlue’s Loyalty Program, TrueBlue tends to fly under the radar, as redemptions are mostly restricted to flights operated by JetBlue and Hawaiian Airlines. However, it’s not bad if JetBlue is your airline of choice, long known for its customer-friendly experience, excellent (and TPG Award-winning) Mint Business Class, and extensive East Coast and Caribbean route network.

If you’re a JetBlue flyer and want to increase your TrueBlue balance or enhance your flying experience with the airline, you should consider the JetBlue Plus card. Given its low spending requirement, the card offers several valuable benefits to help justify its $99 annual fee.

First, note that you want to have a “good” credit score (670 or higher) for the best chance of approval. Now, let’s find out the specifications of the card.

Information for the JetBlue Plus card is independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

JetBlue Plus Pros and Cons

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  • Low spend requirement for welcome bonus
  • Higher earnings on JetBlue flights
  • Anniversary points bonus
  • Free checked bag
  • There is an annual fee
  • Redemption is based on income, which may limit the value of points

JetBlue Plus Card welcome offer

The JetBlue Plus card currently offers a welcome bonus of 50,000 points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full within the first 90 days. Based on our October 2024 Valued at 1.35 cents per point, that’s a value of $670. It’s not the best offer we’ve seen on this card, but it’s not bad either.

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In fact, the welcome bonus is worth a little more because the card offers rebates on all award bookings, increasing your points.

Related: The Complete Guide to the Best Airline Credit Cards

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Benefits of JetBlue Plus Card

In addition to the high return on JetBlue spending, the benefits offered by the JetBlue Plus card are great value. Although the perks mostly revolve around JetBlue, occasional fliers should also be able to take full advantage of:

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Aside from the JetBlue-specific benefits, there are general travel and purchase protections as well as other everyday benefits of having a World Elite MasterCard. Here are some that stand out:

  • Trip delay protection: Get up to $300 per trip if your flight is delayed more than six hours (maximum twice in a 12-month period)
  • Trip cancellation and interruption coverage: Get back up to $5,000 in nonrefundable expenses per trip (maximum $10,000 per 12-month period) if you need to cancel or interrupt a trip for a covered reason.

Related: The Complete Guide to the JetBlue TrueBlue Program

Earn points on the JetBlue Plus card

On the earning side, this card outperforms most cobranded cards from other airlines and some Earn transferable points. With this card, you can earn 6 points per dollar on JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and grocery stores, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. As a point of comparison, the no-annual-fee version of this card offers half as many points on JetBlue purchases.

Zach Honig/The Points Guy

It’s also worth noting that as a TrueBlue member, you’ll earn at least 2 base points per dollar on JetBlue flights booked directly on top of the 6 points per dollar you’ll earn with the card.

Related: How to Earn JetBlue TrueBlue Points

To redeem points on a JetBlue Plus card

The TrueBlue loyalty program is revenue-based, so redemption is very easy. You can redeem points for any seat, including JetBlue Mint seats, on any JetBlue flight across its route network and get consistent value from your points. The more the flight costs in cash, the more it costs in points and vice versa.

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For example, a former TPG credit card writer Ryan Wilcox took advantage of JetBlue’s somewhat frequent flash sales. Typically, flights start at $20 one-way and can be booked for 400 points. The positive is that you won’t have to worry about scoring for saver reward availability. However, that also means there are no big sweet spots for long-haul international first class.

Related: How to maximize your JetBlue TrueBlue points

Transferring points to a JetBlue Plus card

Although JetBlue — as an airline — partners with a handful of other carriers, Hawaiian Airlines is the only one you can book through the TrueBlue loyalty program. Rather than using a revenue-based base redemption model that ties award rates to the cost of an individual trip, however, TrueBlue has a more standardized, region-based award chart for these tickets.

JetBlue

To give you a general idea, one-way flights to Hawaii cost 22,000 points from the West Coast and 30,000 points from the East Coast in coach, or 45,000 points and 70,000 points in first class, respectively.

Related: JetBlue Mosaic elite status: What it is and how to earn it

Which cards compete with the JetBlue Plus card?

Here’s a side-by-side look at three of the card’s mid-tier travel competitors:

Information for the JetBlue card is independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

For additional options, check out our Complete list of top travel awards.

Is the JetBlue Plus card worth it?

No other mid-tier cards come close to the JetBlue Plus card when it comes to return on JetBlue costs or benefits. However, those who don’t fly JetBlue regularly may not get enough value from this card to justify the annual fee.

Related: The best credit cards with annual fees under $100

The bottom line

Even if you only fly JetBlue occasionally, the 5,000-point anniversary bonus alone will cover two-thirds of the JetBlue Plus card’s annual fee. With additional JetBlue benefits such as free checked bags, point rebates and savings on inflight purchases, JetBlue fliers will almost certainly benefit from this card.

However, if you don’t think you’ll benefit from a higher earning rate or perks like a free checked baggage allowance, you might want to stick with the no-annual-fee JetBlue card.

Related: JetBlue Enters Lounge Space With JFK, Boston Clubs Plan For 2025 – A Stunning Shift

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