JetBlue Plus Card: 10 Reasons to Have One

Last year, JetBlue and American Express severed business ties after having a credit card co-brand relationship for almost 10 years. Barclaycard would be taking over the contract and promised they would make changes with the card. Earlier this year they delivered on that promise with the JetBlue Plus Card.

The JetBlue Plus Card is the new premium customer loyalty credit card from JetBlue. Unlike the previous American Express credit card from JetBlue, this is a MasterCard issued by Barclaycard. If you like to fly JetBlue, then getting a credit card that lets you rack up points when you make purchases is a good way to get award flights fast.

There are several factors to consider when applying for any credit card. Simply applying for one can ding your credit score, however, a credit card can provide an array of benefits. The card certainly does bring an array of benefits to the table – more so than other travel cards out there.

Here are 10 reasons why you should have one:

SIGN-UP BONUS

You have the ability to earn 30,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 90 days. This equates to about $300 to $420 dollars which easily covers the $99 annual fee. You can use these points for travel to different locations. JetBlue also has a revenue-based program which can be redeemed for a free flight. This is a great offer to welcome you in.

10% REBATE

A great benefit with this card is that you get 10 percent back of your redeemed points. And it is unlimited! Each time you use the benefit, it increases the value of your points by just over 11 percent. For example, if your standard redemption was 19,200 points, you will receive 1,920 points back. This raises by redemption value.

FREE CHECKED BAG

Like other airline credit cards, this card also gives you a free checked bag which can be quite valuable with the new fare structure that airlines introduced last year. In the past, you only had two options:

(1) Book a Blue Far and pay $20 during online check-in and $25 at the airport

(2) Book a Blue Plus fare

With this card, you and up to three passengers on the same reservation don’t have to worry about these options. Each of you will enjoy a free checked bag, as long as your book the flight reservation using your card and membership number. This perk is not available with the regular Blue card.

PURCHASE BONUS POINTS

You will earn a generous 6X points on flights which is a return of 6 percent on purchases. This eventually increases to 8.4 percent. After researching other cards, this one outweighs other premium cards in that it offers double points at grocery stores and restaurants. Every time you make $1 of purchases, you will earn 2 TrueBlue points. That adds up to a lot of points, being that you eat and buy groceries all of the time. And even if you don’t fly often, you will benefit greatly when you do.

YEARLY BONUS

Another great feature of the JetBlue Plus Card is the anniversary bonus. Every year when you renew your card and pay the $99 annual fee, you’ll receive 5,000 bonus points. These bonus points could be worth up to $70, covering most of the annual fee.

50% OFF IN-FLIGHT PURCHASES

Cardholders enjoy 50% off in-flight purchases. This covers cocktails, food and in-flight movies.

Although it would take a lot of snacks and movies to make up the annual fee, this discount exceeds offers by other airline cards.

MOSAIC STATUS

When you spend at least $50,000 on purchases within 1 year, you will enjoy all Mosaic benefits for 1 year. If you spend that amount using your card every year, you can enjoy these benefits indefinitely. You would normally have to either fly 30 times plus collect 12,000 base flight points within a calendar year, or earn 15,000 base flight points within a calendar year to achieve this status. Other perks for Mosaic members include:

You don’t have to pay cancellation fees because these are waived for Mosaic members and other passengers on their itinerary.
You don’t pay for your first and second bag because they are checked in for free for Mosaic members and other passengers on their itinerary.
You get complimentary access to an expedited security line, which makes for a quicker and more relaxed airport experience.
You can redeem your points for “Even More Space” seats at reduced rates.
You earn an extra 3 points per $1 on your flights.
You enjoy early boarding, so you don’t need to wait in line.
You enjoy complimentary alcoholic beverages onboard all flights.

NO BLACK OUT DATES

Travel wherever and whenever you like! You can collect as many points as you want and redeem those points for any flight. Your points never expire. This is a nice advantage over the regular JetBlue card.

BALANCE TRANSFERS

JetBlue Plus Card has a zero introductory APR on balance transfers for the first year, after each balance transfer posts to your account within 45 days of your account opening. Transferring your balance from other credit cards is easy and you’ll enjoy a break on the interest. After the introductory APR period, the normal variable APR applies, so simply pay off your balances in full before the introductory APR period expires. The balance transfer fee is either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer (whichever is greater).

OTHER BENEFITS

These days, chip technology in bank cards and credit cards is pretty much standard. Particularly, if you travel outside the United Sates, it will certainly give you peace of mind as some terminals will not accept magnetic stripe technology. And if you report your card lost or stolen, you are not liable for any fraudulent transactions on your card.

JetBlue Plus points can be redeemed for tickets on all Hawaiian Airlines flights, as well as Getaway vacation packages. Also, your points cover most magazine subscriptions and donations to charities. This card goes above and beyond to make your life easier and reward you for being a loyal customer. This is truly a card that works hard to give you exactly what you need and a few extras.