The best cards for JetBlue flyers
JetBlue has arguably some of the best snacks among domestic airlines and offers free inflight Wi-Fi and the most legroom in economy — what’s not to love? Here, we’ve picked the top credit cards that fit various lifestyles of loyal JetBlue flyers, including three cobranded options from Barclays and three general travel cards.
Comparing the best cards for JetBlue flyers
| Card | Best for | Welcome bonus | Earning rates | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JetBlue Plus Card | Frequent JetBlue flyers | Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days. |
|
$99 |
| JetBlue Card | Casual JetBlue flyers | Earn 10,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first 90 days. |
|
$0 |
| JetBlue Business Card | Small-business owners | Earn up to 60,000 bonus points: 50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 90 days, plus an additional 10,000 points when a purchase is made on an employee card in the first 90 days. |
|
$99 |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Everyday spending | Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. |
|
$95 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Frequent travelers | Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. |
|
$95 |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® | All-around travel credit card | Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. |
|
$550 |
The information for the JetBlue Card, the JetBlue Plus Card and the JetBlue Business Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
JetBlue Plus Card
New JetBlue Plus Card cardholders can earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days. According to TPG’s November 2024 valuations, this welcome bonus is worth $1,040.
This is JetBlue’s most expensive option (yet still very reasonable) at a $99 annual fee. For loyal JetBlue flyers, this card is an absolute must. For starters, you’ll get a free checked bag for you and up to three travel companions on your reservation.
Other benefits include getting 10% of your points back when you redeem them for a JetBlue flight, a $100 annual statement credit for JetBlue Vacations (when you spend $100 or more), 5,000-anniversary bonus points each card membership year, a 50% discount on eligible inflight purchases and no foreign transaction fees.
You can also use the card’s Points Payback feature to redeem points for statement credits, up to $1,000 annually. Finally, you’ll earn 6 points per dollar on JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar on restaurants and groceries and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
Learn more: JetBlue Plus Card
JetBlue Card
When you can’t justify paying an annual fee every year, the JetBlue Card is a decent airline card worth considering.
While it lacks many of the perks associated with the JetBlue Plus Card, it still offers a decent rewards rate of 3 points per dollar on JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar on restaurants and groceries and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
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The tradeoff is the welcome bonus is much smaller. You’ll earn 10,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.
As of November 2024, TPG values this welcome bonus at just $130. However, you’ll still enjoy the benefit of the 50% inflight discount and no foreign transaction fees for any travels abroad.
Learn more: JetBlue Card
JetBlue Business Card
If the JetBlue Plus card is the most appealing option for you in this guide so far, business owners or freelancers may want to consider the JetBlue Business Card instead.
This card also gives you the chance to earn up to 60,000 bonus points, as you’ll earn 50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 90 days and an additional 10,000 points when a purchase is made on an employee card in the first 90 days. Earning the full bonus will get you $780 in value, according to TPG’s November 2024 valuations.
With a $99 annual fee, the credit card perks are virtually the same as the JetBlue Plus Card. You’ll get a free checked bag for you and three companions, Group A boarding on JetBlue-operated flights, 50% off on inflight purchases, 10% of your points back when you use them for a JetBlue flight, 5,000 bonus points each card anniversary and an annual $100 statement credit toward JetBlue Vacations.
But with the JetBlue Business, the earning rate is slightly different. You’ll still get 6 points per dollar on JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases, but you’ll also earn 2 points per dollar at office supply stores.
If this is a more lucrative way for you to earn points, you’ll want to apply for this card instead of the consumer JetBlue Plus.
Learn more: JetBlue Business Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
If the rewards rates of either the JetBlue Plus Card or the JetBlue Card don’t appeal to you, you may be better off with a card with a less structured rewards rate. With the Capital One Venture Rewards, you won’t have to juggle multiple bonus categories if your purchases are scattered and vary outside of traditional everyday spending.
You’ll earn unlimited 2 miles per dollar on all purchases, whether it’s your gym membership or your veterinary bills. You’ll also earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and cars booked through Capital One Travel.
The Capital One Venture Rewards comes with a $95 annual fee but offers a terrific welcome bonus, with the opportunity to earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months from account opening.
In return, you’ll receive a welcome bonus of $1,388 (based on TPG’s November 2024 valuations).
You can use your miles to “pay” for any recent travel-related purchases (such as JetBlue flights) at a fixed rate of 1 cent each. Alternatively, you can transfer your miles directly to any of Capital One’s 15-plus airline and three hotel transfer partners. Unfortunately, JetBlue isn’t on this list, but it’s still a nice option to have for your travels.
While you won’t get any JetBlue-specific perks, you’ll still enjoy no foreign transaction fees and an application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck.
To learn more, check out our full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards Card.
Learn more: Capital One Venture Rewards
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of our must-haves for award travelers. With a $95 annual fee, you’ll earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
As of November 2024, TPG values Ultimate Rewards points at 2.05 cents each, equating to a whopping $1,230 in value.
We like this card so much because you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio to Chase’s 14 airline and hotel partners, including JetBlue. This means your welcome bonus can be worth 60,000 TrueBlue points if you wish. Another option is to use your points to book any travel through the Ultimate Rewards portal at an elevated 1.25-cent rate.
This card also comes with awesome partner benefits with DoorDash and Lyft as well as an unmatched portfolio of travel and shopping protections. Like the other travel cards in this guide, you won’t be charged foreign transaction fees.
DoorDash benefits require activation by Dec. 31, 2027; Lyft benefits are good through March 2025.
To learn more, check out our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Chase Sapphire Reserve
If you’re a luxury traveler (perhaps you’re a regular patron of JetBlue Mint), you may be looking for a card with elevated perks. If this is the case, consider applying for the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
New cardholders can earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Although there’s a $550 annual fee, many travelers will quickly appreciate the benefits of this card. You’ll get a $300 annual travel credit, which can be applied to virtually any travel purchases. You’ll earn 3 points per dollar on a broad definition of travel (after the first $300 is spent annually on travel) and dining and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Your points are worth 50% more when you book travel through Chase Travel — each point is worth 1.5 cents each. Like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you can opt to transfer your points to Chase’s transfer partners instead, including JetBlue.
Since JetBlue doesn’t offer any airport lounges, you’ll be happy to know that this card comes with Priority Pass access to more than 1,300 lounges worldwide. Plus, you’ll be able to access Chase’s growing network of Sapphire lounges.
To learn more, check out our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Which JetBlue card are you eligible for?
Barclays issues three JetBlue credit cards. The terms and conditions of the two personal JetBlue cards suggest that you’re ineligible for their welcome bonuses if you’ve held these cards and received them in the past.
Meanwhile, the JetBlue Business Card doesn’t count as a personal card and is subject to other rules. Owning this card would not disqualify you from opening a JetBlue Plus Card or JetBlue Card, for example. There are many ways to qualify for a business card, even if you don’t own a brick-and-mortar store.
Who should get a JetBlue card?
JetBlue TrueBlue is a decent loyalty program that offers redemption options at reasonable rates. In the past, we’ve seen redemptions as low as 3,000 points one-way.
If you’re a frequent JetBlue flyer, you’ll want to open the JetBlue Plus or JetBlue Business to take advantage of nice perks such as a free checked bag and a points rebate on award bookings.
Otherwise, it makes sense for most travelers to get a credit card that earns transferable points or miles like the Capital One Venture Rewards, Chase Sapphire Preferred or the Chase Sapphire Reserve. This lets you diversify your points and miles portfolio and doesn’t lock you into earning with just the JetBlue TrueBlue program.
Bottom line
Although JetBlue is not part of a major airline alliance, that may be a plus for many award travelers trying to find good deals on redemptions or who mainly fly on domestic routes.
As you start to plan more trips, now may be a good time to apply for a new travel rewards card to jump-start earning the welcome bonus and take advantage of these perks.
