JetBlue Introduces 3 Credit Cards for New Applicants
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JetBlue’s new partnership with Barclaycard is proving to be a fruitful one. The airline has already announced a new credit card for existing cardholders, and this week it introduced three MasterCard credit cards for new applicants. The new cards come with moderate fees and solid rewards that should tempt both loyal JetBlue customers and more freewheeling travelers.
“With many credit card rebrandings or relaunches, very little changes for consumers,” says Sean McQuay, NerdWallet’s resident credit card expert. “But JetBlue is proving to be different. Each of JetBlue’s new cards outshine their predecessor, earning higher rewards and offering better perks.”
All three cards come with chip-and-PIN capability, which offers a higher level of security than regular chip-and-signature cards. And with MasterCard accepted at 35 million locations in 210 countries, according to figures provided by MasterCard, these cards will be easy to use — easier to use than the old JetBlue Card from American Express.
Let’s look at the details.
Option 1: JetBlue Card
This card is comparable to the JetBlue Card from American Express, with many of the same features and a few new ones. Meant to be a widely accessible card for savvy travelers, this card is attractive for its low fees and high rewards.
You can expect:
A great sign-up bonus: Earn 10,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.
An impressive 3 TrueBlue points for every dollar spent on JetBlue purchases, unusually high for a co-branded travel rewards credit card.
2 TrueBlue points per dollar spent at grocery stores and restaurants.
1 TrueBlue point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
No foreign transaction fee.
No blackout dates for award travel.
An annual fee of $0.
50% off in-flight purchases, including cocktails, food and movies.
Option 2: JetBlue Plus Card
If you travel more than the average person, or live near a JetBlue hub, it may be worth leveling up to JetBlue Plus Card. This card comes with all of the perks of JetBlue Card, plus a lot of other goodies.
You can expect:
An even better sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days, with the JetBlue Plus Card.
6 TrueBlue points for every dollar spent on JetBlue purchases.
2 TrueBlue points for every dollar spent at restaurants and grocery stores.
1 TrueBlue point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
A free checked bag for the cardholder and up to three additional passengers.
50% off in-flight purchases, including cocktails, food and movies.
Access to the benefits for JetBlue’s preferred flyer program, Mosaic, for one year if you spend $50,000 or more on purchases annually, including:
The ability to change or cancel a flight for no fee.
Pre-boarding privileges.
Unlimited cocktails during your flight.
An annual fee of $99.
5,000 bonus points per year.
A 10% redemption bonus when you cash in your TrueBlue points for flights.
» COMPARE: NerdWallet’s best travel credit cards
Option 3: The JetBlue Business Card
JetBlue is known for its innovative culture. “We have a history over the 16 years we’ve been around of trying to do things differently,” says Jamie Perry, JetBlue’s vice president for marketing. That spirit is well represented by its new business credit card. While other airlines focus on bigger businesses, JetBlue is courting small-business owners. You’ll get all the benefits of JetBlue Plus Card, but you’ll also earn rewards bonuses more relevant to business owners.
The sign-up bonus, benefits and annual points bonus are all identical to the JetBlue Plus Card.
6 TrueBlue points for every dollar spent on JetBlue purchases.
2 TrueBlue points for every dollar spent at restaurants and office supply stores.
1 TrueBlue point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
An annual fee of $99.
Which card should you choose?
Many people do better with a general travel card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card than with a dedicated airline credit card. But if you’re loyal to JetBlue, getting one of the new co-branded credit cards from Barclaycard may be worthwhile.
For most people, a travel rewards card with an annual fee of $0 is about as good as it gets. JetBlue Card has low fees, a high rewards rate and an unusually generous discount on in-flight purchases.
But for the Nerds, the big news here is JetBlue Plus Card.
“The ability to earn Mosiac status by spending $50,000 per year sounds nice,” McQuay says. “But that’s a fair amount of money to put on a credit card — nearly $4,200 per month, or about 5 times the national average.”
Even without Mosaic status, however, we think the higher rewards rate on JetBlue Plus Card, not to mention the 5,000 annual bonus points and 10% redemption bonus, will quickly make up for the $99 annual fee. As for the JetBlue Business card, we think a solid business card for only $99 a year is a pretty great deal.
Whichever card you choose, the Nerds think the new partnership among JetBlue, Barclaycard and MasterCard is turning out to be a very good thing for consumers.
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