The JetBlue Plus Card from Barclaycard offers terrific perks for folks who fly JetBlue, like a free checked bag and discounts on in-flight purchases. And the card offers a sign-up bonus that gets you ~$420 worth of JetBlue flights.
But for a limited time, there’s a different card with a huge sign-up bonus that can get you $2,000+ worth of JetBlue airfare! And it comes with a $200 annual statement credit to cover your checked baggage fees and other JetBlue purchases.
I’ll explain which card is best for JetBlue flights. And why now is a good time to apply!
Best Credit Card for JetBlue Flights
Link: The Business Platinum® Card from American Express
Link: My Review of the AMEX Business Platinum 100,000 Point Offer
For folks who fly JetBlue, the best credit card is The Business Platinum® Card from American Express.
You’ll need a for-profit small business to qualify for the card. But AMEX doesn’t have strict income requirements for their small business cards. So they’re relatively easy to get.
And besides the reasons listed below, remember AMEX small business cards do NOT appear on your personal credit report. So the Business Platinum card won’t count against you if you apply for Chase cards in the future.
Here are 5 reasons why the Business Platinum card is best for JetBlue fliers!
1. Use Fewer Points for Flights
Link: Best Way to Book JetBlue Business Class: AMEX Business Platinum Pay With Points
Link: Get 50% of Your Points Back With AMEX Business Platinum
With the AMEX Business Platinum card, you can redeem AMEX Membership Rewards points for JetBlue flights and get 50% of your points back when you book through the AMEX travel portal.
I’ve written why this perk is the best way to book JetBlue Mint Business Class airfare. But it’s also a good way to book a seat in coach if JetBlue is your selected airline.
That’s because you’ll use fewer points than you would if you booked an award flight directly through JetBlue. And you’ll earn points and elite status credit.
For example, I found a one-way JetBlue flight from Orlando to Los Angeles for 8,600 JetBlue points.
The same flight costs $131 if you paid cash. This means you can book the flight through the AMEX travel portal for 13,100 AMEX Membership Rewards points using Pay With Points.
And if JetBlue is your selected airline on the Business Platinum card, you’ll automatically get 50% of your points back. So the flight ends up only costing 6,550 AMEX Membership Rewards points.
2. Large Sign-Up Bonus
Link: My Review of the 100,000 AMEX Membership Rewards Points Offer
Until January 25, 2017, you can earn 100,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points with the Business Platinum card after meeting tiered minimum spending requirements.
Redeeming 100,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points for JetBlue flights using the Pay With Points perk makes the sign-up bonus worth $2,000 worth of JetBlue airfare. That’s an amazing deal!
3. $200 Annual Statement Credit
Link: 4 Easy Steps to Select Your $200 AMEX Airline Credit
You can use the $200 airline incidental credit with the Business Platinum card to save money on JetBlue purchases such as:
- Checked baggage
- In-flight food or beverages
- Change or cancellation fees
- Seat assignments
The incidental credit works with fees for Even More Space seats, which gets you 38″ of legroom and other perks like:
- Early boarding
- Expedited security at certain airports
- Power outlets in select rows
4. Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
The Business Platinum card offers a statement credit once every 5 years for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
With this perk, you can fly through security the next time you’re traveling on a JetBlue flight.
Or take advantage of Global Entry to quickly re-enter the US after a JetBlue flight from Mexico or the Caribbean.
5. Airport Lounge Access
Link: How to Find AMEX Platinum Airport Lounges
JetBlue doesn’t have their own airport lounges. But with the Business Platinum card, you’ll get complimentary access to AirSpace Lounges or Centurion Lounges. And you can bring immediate family or 2 guests.
So you can visit the Airspace Lounge in the JetBlue terminal at New York (JFK) airport.
The Business Platinum card also gets you a Priority Pass Select membership, which gives you access to 1,000+ Priority Pass lounges. But you’ll have to pay $27 to bring a guest along.
For example, you can enjoy free drinks and snacks at the Virgin America Loft Lounge in Los Angeles, which is in the same terminal as JetBlue.
JetBlue Plus Card Is Still a Great Option
Link: Barclaycard JetBlue Plus
Link: My Review of the JetBlue Plus Card
While the Business Platinum card has its advantages for JetBlue flights, the Barclaycard JetBlue Plus is still a great choice for many folks.
And the $99 annual fee on the JetBlue Plus card is much lower than the Business Platinum’s $450 annual fee. Although the Business Platinum has many perks that offset the cost of the annual fee.
The JetBlue Plus card comes with benefits like:
- 30,000 JetBlue points (worth ~$420 in JetBlue flights) after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of opening your account
- 5,000 JetBlue points (worth ~$70 in JetBlue flights) each year on your account anniversary
- 6 JetBlue points per $1 you spend on JetBlue purchases
- 2 JetBlue points per $1 you spend at restaurants and grocery stores
- 1 JetBlue point per $1 you spend everywhere else
- Free first checked bag for cardholder and up to 3 companions on the same reservation when you use your card to pay for your ticket
- 50% discount on eligible in-flight purchases like cocktails, food, and movies
- 10% of points back when you redeem them
- Annual $100 statement credit when you purchase a Getaway Vacation Package for $100 or more
- Earn JetBlue Mosaic elite status each year after spending $50,000 or more on purchases (free first and 2nd checked bag, early boarding, free alcoholic beverages)
- No foreign transaction fees
And you don’t need a small business to qualify!
But keep in mind Barclaycard typically doesn’t approve folks for more than 1 or 2 cards per year. And they like to see you using your existing cards before extending you new credit.
Bottom Line
The AMEX Business Platinum is the best card for JetBlue flights. Because the Pay With Points perk lets you use fewer points to book flights compared to redeeming JetBlue points directly for an award flight.
This perk makes the card’s limited time 100,000-point sign-up bonus worth $2,000 in JetBlue flights.
You also get other benefits with the Business Platinum like a $200 annual airline incidental credit, which you can use to pay for checked baggage, purchase Even More Space seats, or for other JetBlue fees. And you’ll get access to airport lounges where you can relax before a JetBlue flight.
The Barclaycard JetBlue Plus is still a great alternative for folks who might not qualify for a small business card.