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Last September, JetBlue teased that a premium credit card was on the way — and now it's here! The JetBlue Premier Card is now open to new applicants, sporting a 70,000-point welcome bonus — plus five status-qualifying tiles. This $499 annual fee product comes complete with airport lounge access, several perks for JetBlue flyers, and a whole lot more.
Here's what you need to know about the JetBlue Premier Card and how to navigate its tight application restrictions.
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Earn 70,000 Points and Five Tiles as a New Applicant for the JetBlue Premier Card
New applicants for the Barclays-issued JetBlue Premier Card can earn 70,000 bonus points plus five status-qualifying tiles after spending $5,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days.
Based on what AwardWallet users redeem TrueBlue points for (1.24¢ apiece), the bonus points you'll collect after meeting the minimum spending requirements are worth about $868 toward award travel booked through JetBlue. But it's possible you can unlock better value by booking awards on select partners, such as JetBlue's partnership with Qatar Airways.
The additional carrot of the JetBlue Premier Card‘s sign-up bonus is five TrueBlue tiles. If you're unfamiliar with how to earn JetBlue elite status, you'll need to collect tiles. You'll earn entry-level Mosaic 1 status after accruing 50 tiles, so this welcome offer puts a small dent in the total number of tiles you need to earn to qualify.
JetBlue Premier Card Benefits
The JetBlue Premier Card carries a $499 annual fee, which aligns it with other premium airline credit cards. And with an annual fee like that, you might expect several benefits to justify the cost, and the card comes with a reasonable array of perks, including:
- Access 1,500+ airport lounges (including restaurants and nap rooms!) with a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership.
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit (up to $120) every four years.
- Cardmembers and up to three travel companions on the same reservation can each check their first bag for free.
- 5,000 anniversary bonus points each year after your account anniversary.
- 10% rebate on the points you redeem towards a JetBlue-operated award flight
- Earn up to $300 in statement credits on Paisly purchases per calendar year — $50 on each booking over $250.
- Priority boarding with Group A.
- 50% savings on JetBlue inflight purchases.
- Redeem points for a statement credit on purchases of $25 or more.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- $0 fraud liability protection.
Later this year, JetBlue will open two premium airport lounges in Boston (BOS) and New York (JFK). In the press release announcing these outposts, JetBlue mentioned that those with its premium card would be granted access. However, it's still too early to tell if access will be capped at a certain number of visits or unlimited.
JetBlue Premier Card earning rates
One of the most disappointing aspects of the JetBlue Premier Card is its earning rates, which read as follows:
- 6X points per $1 spent on eligible JetBlue and Paisly purchases, including JetBlue Vacations
- 2X points per $1 spent at restaurants and grocery stores
- 1X points per $1 on all other purchases
While the 6X category looks good — and the 2X categories are fair — you may recognize these categories as identical to what's on offer with the $99 annual fee JetBlue Plus Card. In other words, there's nothing out of the ordinary with the JetBlue Premier Card‘s earning rates, which is a bit of a bummer.
Who’s Eligible for the JetBlue Premier Card?
JetBlue's premium card is issued by Barclays, which is notorious for its stringent yet inconsistently applied application rules. The issuer (sometimes) imposes a 6/24 rule, which is similar to Chase's 5/24 policy, except it's not a hard and fast rule.
Additionally, Barclays doesn't allow you to hold more than one of the same card at any given time — and that's where things start to get interesting. In bold print on the JetBlue Premier Card‘s application page, you'll see the following:
“Cardmembers who currently have or previously had a JetBlue Plus Card are not eligible for this offer.”
JetBlue doesn't have many credit cards, so this restriction is rather unfortunate. However, the fine print suggests that you may find an offer to upgrade your JetBlue Plus Card to the JetBlue Premier Card in your account. Obviously, this won't come with a new applicant bonus.
Final Thoughts
It's always exciting to cover the launch of a new credit card. JetBlue's brand-new $499 annual fee card is definitely worth a look if you're loyal (or considering becoming loyal) to the airline.
The JetBlue Premier Card has a reasonable assortment of perks — the most exciting of which is lounge access. And this might get even more exciting once JetBlue cuts the ribbon on its branded-lounges later this year.
However, the card's $499 annual fee can be a bit of a turn-off — especially when compared to the $99 annual fee JetBlue Plus Card. Both products have the same earning rates and checked bag benefits, so you're effectively paying a premium for a Priority Pass Select membership and access to future JetBlue lounges by applying for (or upgrading to) the JetBlue Premier Card.
If one thing is for sure, several premium credit cards offer airport lounge access, so you may find it worth your while to pair JetBlue's mid-tier card with one of these options — rather than splurging for the JetBlue Premier Card.
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