Historically, jetBlue partnered with American Express to provide consumers with a co-branded credit card; however, about a year ago, jetBlue dumped American Express and partnered with Barclaycard. This switch gave jetBlue the opportunity to offer more than one credit card. In this post, we’re going to compare the two personal versions of the jetBlue credit card: the jetBlue Card and the jetBlue Plus Card.
The jetBlue Card by Barclaycard.
The jetBlue Card
This is the “base model” card, if you will. It comes with no annual fee (which is why I said it’s one of the top three cards with no annual fee for NYers) and no foreign transaction fees.
You’ll also earn 5,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in three months. This is not as great as the jetBlue Plus Card, but if you’re avoiding the annual fee, it’s better than nothing. This card does not come with an anniversary point bonus.
Earning points is pretty straightforward: you earn 3 points per dollar on jetBlue flights, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and grocery stores, and 1 point per dollar everywhere else.
Finally, this card will save you 50% on all in-flight purchases.
The jetBlue Plus Card
The jetBlue Plus Card by Barclaycard.
Unlike the jetBlue Card, the jetBlue Plus Card does come with an annual fee of $99 per year, and it is not waived in the first year, unlike competing cards from American, Delta, or United. Paying that annual fee; however, earns you 5,000 anniversary points per year when you renew your card.
In my opinion, the sign-up bonus is much better (and worth paying the annual fee for): you’ll earn 30,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in three months.
The point earning structure is very similar to the jetBlue Card, the only difference being the number of points you earn for purchases made at www.jetblue.com. You’ll earn 6 points per dollar on jetBlue flights, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and grocery stores, and 1 point per dollar everywhere else.
Finally this card comes with a ton of perks that the base card doesn’t offer, including:
- Free first checked bag for you and up to three companions
- A 10% redemption bonus when you use points
- Mosaic benefits after you spend $50,000 on the card in a calendar year
- Annual $100 statement credit after you purchase a JetBlue Vacations package of $100 or more
- 50% on all in-flight purchases
Which card for you?
If you value not having an annual fee, and find yourself traveling on jetBlue only once or twice a year, I would suggest getting the jetBlue Card. You’ll still pay bag fees, but those fees will be less than the price of the annual fee of the jetBlue Plus Card.
If you live in a jetBlue hub (or close to one) and travel on jetBlue more than three times a year, the jetBlue Plus Card makes more sense, as you’ll actually save money by paying the annual fee ($99 annual fee vs. $100 for checked bags on three round trips). You’ll also earn more points from signing up for the card to use on a vacation–and keep more of those points in your account with the 10% redemption bonus.
Remember, both cards earn double points at restaurants and grocery stores, which makes this card a better earner than most of its competitors. If you spend $100 a week on groceries, you’ll earn 10,400 jetBlue miles a year, rather than 5,200 miles with most of the competitions cards. That’s enough for a roundtrip from NYC to Jacksonville, FL (if that’s your thing)!
Conclusion
As always, make sure to carefully evaluate YOUR needs before signing up for a new credit card. Make sure you:
- Have a plan for spending (don’t buy things you don’t need!)
- Pay off your balance in FULL each month
- Have a plan for the bonus points
You can compare the 2 JetBlue cards along with other Barclaycard cards here
I’ve had this card for about eight months so I’m happy to answer any questions you might have about it.
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
I luv (pun intended) JetBlue, but nope, remain unimpressed. Waiting for JetBlue to get around to hiking the bonus to 50k. Til then, why fork over yet another nasty and un-waved annual fee.