I presently have greater than 20 totally different journey rewards bank cards. A few of these are nice for on a regular basis spending, whereas others provide helpful perks that may make my journey expertise more cost effective or extra snug — or each. Most carry annual charges, together with some hefty ones. Each time one comes up for renewal, I crunch the numbers and ensure it is value holding the cardboard for an additional yr.
One card that has made the minimize for a number of years now could be the JetBlue Plus Card.
This is why I proceed to hold this card in my pockets — though I solely take a handful of JetBlue flights every year.
The data for the JetBlue Plus Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
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Why I first acquired the JetBlue Plus Card
Barclays first launched three new JetBlue bank cards again in March 2016, and I shortly jumped on the chance to make my travels with the provider much more rewarding.
I dwell in South Florida, about midway between Orlando Worldwide Airport (MCO) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Worldwide Airport (FLL), two airports with vital JetBlue operations. The provider additionally flies to a number of cities out of Palm Seashore Worldwide Airport (PBI), which is my closest departure gateway.
However JetBlue is interesting for a variety of different causes, too. I really like the power to pool factors with my spouse and daughter. Plus, the inflight expertise for our frequent hops to the New York space is stable — together with free Wi-Fi, limitless snacks and complimentary DirecTV.
We additionally get to make use of the improbable Sapphire Lounge at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) each time we fly house, due to my Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
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I even tried JetBlue Mint for the primary time final yr, and it was terrific. I am nonetheless hoping to snag a very good worth on a Mint flight to Europe, as JetBlue now serves six locations from the East Coast. And there is much more to return — together with the airline’s first-ever airport lounges and a new home first-class.
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Why I am holding the JetBlue Plus Card
The $99 annual charge on my JetBlue Plus Card simply posted, so I analyzed the earlier yr of card membership to see simply how a lot worth I acquired from the cardboard. Finally, I needed to see if the cardboard ought to keep in my pockets.
And never surprisingly, the reply was a powerful sure.
Whereas I personally do not make the most of the perk of spending my option to Mosaic standing, and I do not use the cardboard for on a regular basis purchases, there are a lot of different advantages that carry large worth for me, specifically:
- Factors bonuses
- 10% of my redeemed factors again
- Free checked bag on JetBlue fares
- 50% low cost on inflight purchases
Let’s break this down by every profit to point out you the overall worth I acquired from the cardboard prior to now yr.
Bonuses
Once you first open a brand new bank card, the welcome bonus ought to nearly at all times cowl the cardboard’s annual charge (after which some). The JetBlue Plus Card is not any exception, as new cardholders can earn 70,000 bonus factors after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual charge in full, each throughout the first 90 days.
Based mostly on TPG’s March 2025 valuations, this haul is value a superb $945.
After all, the welcome bonus solely applies to the primary yr of card membership, and I’m gone that time, so I will not embrace it in my calculations. Nonetheless, there’s one other bonus awarded to cardholders in yr two and past: 5,000 factors on (or round) their anniversary date.
Once more, utilizing TPG’s valuations, these factors are value round $68, so with out ever setting foot on a JetBlue airplane, you are already masking over two-thirds of the cardboard’s $99 annual charge.
Worth: $68
10% of my redeemed factors again
One other improbable perk of the JetBlue Plus Card is that on each award ticket you ebook, you may get 10% of these factors again as a credit score to your TrueBlue account. Whereas the FAQ signifies that this may take 4 to 6 weeks, I usually see the rebate put up to my account inside per week of finishing the journey.
This is a listing of what number of factors I acquired again throughout this previous yr of card membership:
- October 2024: 1,610 factors on a flight from PBI-LGA for my spouse
- December 2024: 1,780 factors on a flight from LGA-PBI for me
Should you do the maths, I’ve saved 3,390 factors in my account just by carrying this card on the time of redemption, a financial savings of $46 (based mostly on TPG’s valuations).
What makes this profit even higher is that it does not matter who is definitely flying; anytime factors are redeemed out of the TrueBlue account of the first cardholder, the bonus will apply. As well as, since I’m additionally the first TrueBlue member in a pooled household account, all the factors I spend (together with these contributed by my spouse and 10-year-old daughter) are eligible for this rebate.
Worth: $46
Free checked bag on Blue fares
Final yr, JetBlue up to date its pricing for checked luggage on home and short-haul worldwide flights. Now, the primary bag added no less than 24 hours earlier than departure throughout off-peak dates begins at $35. Nonetheless, this may climb as excessive as $50 for those who wait till check-in opens and journey on a peak date.
However not for these with the JetBlue Plus Card, as you and as much as three companions in your reservation can get your first checked bag at no cost.
This actually got here in helpful when touring from New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) in early April. We had a complete of three checked luggage as we had been flying house from a 10-day trip within the Philippines. I checked one, my spouse checked one and my daughter checked one — for $0 out of pocket.
As well as, I additionally checked a bag on two flights I took on my own from New York again to Florida — one in October and one other simply final month.
With these journeys, that was 5 checked bag charge waivers, saving us $175.
Worth: $175
50% low cost on inflight purchases
The fourth and ultimate profit that helps me justify holding the JetBlue Plus Card is the 50% low cost it gives on inflight purchases, together with alcoholic drinks and EatUp snack packing containers. This low cost is utilized routinely, usually on the day the cost posts to your card account. I used this perk twice over the past yr:
- October 2024: One EatUp field ($5 financial savings)
- February 2025: Two cans of wine ($11 financial savings)
Worth: $16
Complete worth from the JetBlue Plus Card
So given this exercise, listed here are the totals for my previous yr of card membership:
- Anniversary factors bonus: $68
- 10% factors again: $46
- Checked bag: $175
- Inflight reductions: $16
Once you add these collectively, I’ve loved $305 of worth on this previous yr alone just by carrying the cardboard in my pockets. When you think about that the annual charge is simply $99, it is clear that I am getting my cash’s value.
Associated: The entire information to bank card annual charges
Is the JetBlue Plus Card best for you?
Whereas the numbers make the cardboard a no brainer for me, it is vital to notice that this evaluation is probably not as easy for others.
For starters, I’ve many choices for flying on JetBlue, with dozens of nonstop locations from three totally different airports inside 90 minutes of my home. Readers in New York, Boston, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale have a comparably intensive route map.
Nonetheless, many different airports have way more restricted service, together with the next hubs of different main carriers:
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL): Two nonstop locations
- Charlotte Douglas Worldwide Airport (CLT): Zero nonstop locations
- Chicago’s O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD): Two nonstop locations
- Dallas Fort Value Worldwide Airport (DFW): One nonstop vacation spot
- Denver Worldwide Airport (DEN): Two nonstop locations
The cardboard could not current such a robust worth proposition for those who dwell close to any of those airports.
Lastly, you’ll want to contemplate whether or not the opposite perks ship precise worth. Should you solely journey with a carry-on bag, you will not get a lot worth out of the checked bag charge waiver. And for those who by no means make inflight purchases, the 50% low cost can also be irrelevant.
Backside line
Each journey rewards bank card appeals to totally different profiles of vacationers, and for me, the JetBlue Plus Card has supplied large worth yr in and yr out. Based mostly on my calculations, holding the cardboard in my pockets for the long term is value my whereas — though I am solely taking a couple of JetBlue flights every year.
Whereas this card is probably not the perfect one for you, hopefully this put up has given you a framework to make use of as you consider whether or not to maintain different playing cards past the primary yr.
Study extra: JetBlue Plus Card
