JetBlue Credit Card Review

Full Review of JetBlue Credit Card

Pros Explained

• Higher rewards on JetBlue purchases and at restaurants and grocery stores: This card offers 3 TrueBlue points per dollar spent on JetBlue purchases and 2 points per dollar spent at restaurants and grocery stores. Not all basic airline cards offer additional bonus categories that are higher than the 1.5% cash back some of the more generic rewards cards offer on all purchases.
• Generous one-time offer: Any time a no-annual-fee credit card comes with a bonus it is a nice positive. This card's 10,000-point bonus is relatively easy to earn. You only need to spend $1,000 in the first 90 days—less than $350 a month. 
• In-flight discounts: Cardholders get a 50% discount on in-flight food and drink purchases. While other airline-branded cards offer similar discounts, they’re typically 20% to 25%.
• 0% intro APR on balance transfers: This card offers a nice and somewhat unusual benefit for an airline card: an introductory 0% APR on balance transfers for 12 months that posts to your account in the first 45 days of account opening. There is a balance transfer fee of $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. Some other cards offer introductory $0 balance transfer fees for the first 60 days of being a cardholder and extend the 0% for a longer time period, but not the JetBlue card, unfortunately.
• No foreign transaction fees: The JetBlue credit card doesn't charge foreign transaction fees and, as a Mastercard, is widely accepted around the globe. Many credit cards charge a 3% foreign transaction fee.

Cons Explained

• Few standard benefits: While credit cards without annual fees aren't known for offering outstanding benefits, this airline card has less than the norm. Travel perks are limited to the in-flight discount on food and drink.
• Higher rewards rates found elsewhere: If you travel with JetBlue regularly, the JetBlue Plus card may be a better option. It offers 6 points per dollar spent on JetBlue purchases and a bonus of 60,000 points but has an annual fee of $99. Other no-annual-fee credit cards offer higher rewards rates at restaurants or grocery stores and some offer larger bonuses, too. The American Express Blue Cash Everyday card offers 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 a year in purchases) alone and the Bank of America Travel Rewards card's bonus offer is worth $250.

Who This Card Is Best For

The JetBlue card is for people with good to excellent credit who fly on JetBlue occasionally, want to earn flights as their primary reward, and don’t want to pay an annual fee. 

With no annual fee to justify, the TrueBlue points earned through the bonus, JetBlue purchases, and spending at restaurants and grocery stores help you earn an award flight.

Consumers open to paying an annual fee might be better served by another reward or cash-back credit card. For instance, the JetBlue Plus card offers a more lucrative bonus, rewards structure, and benefits, for a $99 annual fee.   

JetBlue Credit Card Bonus

First-time cardholders earn 10,000 TrueBlue points for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days after account opening. This bonus is worth up to $143 based on our points valuation methodology. 

Bonuses aren't typical of credit cards with no annual fee but there are some offering higher bonuses, such as the Chase Freedom Unlimited card's $200 bonus and the Bank of America Travel Rewards card's 25,000 point bonus.

Rewards Earning Details

Earning rewards with this card is extremely easy. Cardholders earn 3 points per dollar spent on JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar spent at restaurants and grocery stores, and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. Purchases at superstores and warehouse clubs, like Target, Walmart, and Costco, do not count as grocery store purchases, however.

TrueBlue points never expire and there's no limit to the number of points you can earn with this card. However, points not yet transferred to your JetBlue TrueBlue account may be forfeited under certain circumstances.

Rewards Redemption Details

Cardholders have three ways to redeem TrueBlue points. Redeeming points for flights through JetBlue results in an average value of 1.42 cents per point. But you can do a little better redeeming points through JetBlue’s vacation package option to pay for the flight portion of a flight and hotel package.

Unfortunately, JetBlue does not have an award chart. The points needed to book an award flight vary based on the current fares for flights. 

You can also book flights through Hawaiian Airlines by calling 1-877-426-4537. Redemption rates will vary based on the flights you choose.

How to Maximize Your Rewards

Maximizing your rewards is straightforward. Simply charge all JetBlue, restaurant, and grocery store purchases on this card. There are no rotating categories or spending caps to worry about. 

Average case

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tells us that over a year an average family spends $2,375 dining out and $4,942 on groceries. This combined spending would result in 14,634 points, worth up to $207.80, according to our valuations. This is without accounting for any points earned on JetBlue purchases or any other purchases on the card. Add the 10,000-mile bonus and you should have enough points for certain round-trip flights if you’re flexible with your flight dates, times, and locations. You will have to pay applicable taxes and fees.

Aspirational case

In an aspirational case, you may decide to save up your points for three years to purchase an international ticket. Based on the example above, you would have at least 43,902 points worth $623.40, according to our valuation. This is again before accounting for points earned for JetBlue purchases or all other purchases. JetBlue's flight finder pulled up a round-trip flight from Boston to Aruba for less than this point balance. The only charge was for the applicable taxes and fees.

Standard Benefits

• Points pooling
• No blackout dates
• $0 fraud liability protection
• Chip technology

Cardholder Experience

Barclays U.S., the issuer of the JetBlue card, ranked seventh out of 11 national card issuers in the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study. Barclays was given a below-average score.

This card doesn't have any outstanding features that enhance customer experience. You can contact Barclays U.S. at 866-928-8598 or by sending a secure message when logged in to your account.

Security Features

While the JetBlue card offers the standard security features, it also offers a couple of nice benefits you may want to use. In particular, you can lock your card within the app to prevent new, non-recurring purchases if you lose or misplace your card. It also allows you to monitor your credit score.

If you lose your card, you can get a complimentary replacement via standard mail. If you don't mind paying a fee, you can get rush shipping. You can also request a PIN to make chip and PIN transactions when traveling overseas.

Final Verdict

The JetBlue credit card's rewards on JetBlue purchases, restaurants, and groceries make this a decent card for consumers looking to avoid paying an annual fee. The 10,000 bonus points for spending $1,000 within 90 days is a nice added benefit, as is the 0% APR for balance transfers for 12 months. 

This card is best for those who want to earn JetBlue flights and don't mind working and waiting to have enough points. That said, you can find other credit cards with better rewards earning potential for both JetBlue points or other types of rewards, with and without an annual fee.