JetBlue Plus Card vs. JetBlue Premier Card: Should you go mid-tier or premium?

JetBlue entered the premium travel card space this year when it launched the JetBlue Premier Card issued by Barclays in January.

The New York-based airline now offers four cobranded cards for loyalists to maximize their spending with JetBlue, collect points in its TrueBlue loyalty program and earn Mosaic elite status. Two of these options exist at vastly different annual fee thresholds — the mid-tier JetBlue Plus Card with a $99 annual fee and the brand-new JetBlue Premier Card with a hefty $499 annual fee.

The JetBlue Plus Card is a solid option for casual and frequent JetBlue flyers alike. Meanwhile, the JetBlue Premier Card is intended to serve the airline's most loyal patrons with more credits and perks, such as a Priority Pass Select membership and complimentary access to JetBlue's branded lounges once they open.

While the JetBlue Plus and the JetBlue Premier's annual fees are vastly different, many of the cards' benefits are identical. Still, there are some notable differences between the JetBlue Plus and the JetBlue Premier.

I'll explore all facets to help you determine which JetBlue card is best for your wallet.

The information for the JetBlue Premier and JetBlue Plus cards 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 vs. JetBlue Premier Card comparison

JetBlue Plus vs. JetBlue Premier welcome offer

New JetBlue Plus cardholders can earn 70,000 points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in the first 90 days.

Per TPG's February 2025 valuation of JetBlue TrueBlue points at 1.35 cents per point, the bonus is worth $945. That's a fantastic return on your spending.

This is an elevated offer, so now is a great time to apply.

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With the JetBlue Premier, new cardholders can earn 70,000 points and 5 Tiles toward Mosaic elite status after spending $5,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in the first 90 days. TPG values the bonus points from this offer at $945.

The 5 Tiles you earn toward Mosaic status will get you 10% of the way there, as you have to spend $50,000 in a calendar year to collect 50 Tiles and qualify for entry-level Mosaic 1 status. Because it takes $5,000 to earn those 5 Tiles, it's hardly a head start. The money you'll spend to obtain the welcome bonus would organically translate to 5 Tiles either way.

Plus, the JetBlue Plus and the JetBlue Premier both require $50,000 in spending to reach Mosaic status, so earning 5 Tiles after spending $5,000 isn't unique to the JetBlue Premier.

While the JetBlue Premier's welcome offer is more lucrative than the JetBlue Plus because of the bonus Mosaic Tiles, it requires five times the amount of spending throughout the same 90-day period and $400 more in annual fees to earn the same number of points.

If you aren't interested in spending a large amount on this card so quickly, it may not be the best choice.

Winner: JetBlue Plus. It offers new cardholders the same number of points for significantly less spending.

Related: The best time to apply for these popular travel credit cards based on offer history

JetBlue Plus vs. JetBlue Premier benefits

The JetBlue Plus and the JetBlue Premier share a host of perks, including a 5,000-point bonus on each card account anniversary (worth $68, per TPG's February 2025 valuations), a 50% discount on inflight food and drink purchases made on JetBlue-operated flights and the first checked bag free for the cardholder and up to three companions on the same JetBlue-operated flight reservation.

Both cards also come with the World Elite Mastercard suite of protections and benefits, including a $5 Lyft credit once per month after taking at least three rides each month and cellphone protection in the event of a stolen or damaged device. Each claim is subject to a $50 deductible, and coverage is limited to two claims every 12 months for up to $1,000.

Neither card charges a foreign transaction fee.

In terms of where these two differ, the JetBlue Premier extends its benefits list further than the lower-annual-fee JetBlue Plus. This makes sense, given that the JetBlue Premier charges $400 more in annual fees.

The JetBlue Plus Card does offer a small statement credit for $100 off a JetBlue Vacations package of $100 or more. This benefit alone completely offsets the JetBlue Plus' $99 annual fee.

A similar benefit intended to help negate the JetBlue Premier Card's high annual fee is a $300 annual statement credit for purchases made through Paisly, JetBlue's travel portal. The credit is awarded in six $50 increments, and you must spend at least $250 in a single transaction to earn the credit. These stipulations add a barrier to maximizing the perk.

Among the JetBlue Premier's top perks is its lounge access. JetBlue Premier cardholders will receive complimentary access to JetBlue's recently announced lounges at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) for the cardholder and one additional guest.

While the JFK lounge is set to open in late 2025, there are often delays in lounge opening plans, and the BOS lounge has yet to announce a target date. So, this key perk likely won't be accessible for the majority of this year, and it'll only truly benefit travelers who frequent New York and Boston.

You'll also receive a Priority Pass Select membership, which allows cardholders to access more than 1,700 lounges in over 140 countries.

Notably, Thrifty Traveler reported that this membership will include Priority Pass restaurant access, per a Barclays representative. This is a noteworthy feature given that many premium competitors have eliminated Priority Pass restaurant access in previous years. The card's terms and conditions, however, do not mention restaurant access, so this may be subject to change.

The cardholder and up to four travel companions receive Group A boarding on JetBlue-operated flights with the card, as well as a statement credit for up to $120 every four years for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee.

Winner: JetBlue Premier. It comes with more benefits than the JetBlue Plus, including lounge access and statement credits, albeit for a much higher annual fee.

Related: Best credit cards for airport lounge access

Earning points with the JetBlue Plus vs. the JetBlue Premier

The earning rates on the JetBlue Plus Card and the JetBlue Premier Card are almost exactly the same.

With both cards, you'll earn 6 points per dollar spent on eligible JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar spent at restaurants and eligible grocery stores and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

When factoring in TPG's February 2025 valuations, you'll earn an 8.1% return on eligible spending with JetBlue, 2.7% back on purchases at restaurants and eligible grocery stores and 1.35% back on everything else.

The JetBlue Premier has just one additional bonus category: 6 points per dollar spent on Paisly purchases. Otherwise, there are no opportunities to earn more with a card meant to be the most premium spending option for JetBlue loyalists.

Winner: JetBlue Plus. With the exception of Paisly purchases, its bonus categories are identical to the JetBlue Premier for $400 less in annual fees.

Related: The best rewards credit cards for each bonus category

Redeeming points with the JetBlue Plus vs. the JetBlue Premier

The JetBlue Plus Card and the JetBlue Premier Card earn JetBlue TrueBlue points that don't expire and can be used to book award tickets with no blackout dates. However, redemptions within the program are dynamic, which means award ticket prices vary from flight to flight and directly relate to a ticket's cash rate.

If you use your points to book a JetBlue-operated flight, you'll get 10% of your redeemed points back with either card.

While you can obviously use your TrueBlue points to book flights with JetBlue, these points can also be used to book flights with JetBlue's partner airlines. These airlines include Cape Air, Etihad Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Qatar Airways and TAP Air Portugal.

Other redemption options include charitable donations, a statement credit (up to $1,000 annually) and JetBlue Vacations packages. However, we recommend using your points for flights, as you'll get the most value out of this choice.

If you want to redeem your points for a statement credit, a purchase must be at least $25 and made within the last 90 days. It costs 3,333 points to cover a $25 purchase, giving you a value of 0.75 cents per point.

One of our favorite TrueBlue redemption options is to use your points for a seat in JetBlue Mint business class. You could also find solid value in one-way economy tickets to cities across the U.S. Since JetBlue utilizes dynamic award pricing, your rates will vary depending on when and where you're flying.

Winner: Tie. Both of these cards offer the same redemption options.

Related: You can redeem JetBlue points for TAP Air Portugal flights — and there's a new sweet spot

Should I get the JetBlue Plus or the JetBlue Premier?

The JetBlue Premier comes with a slightly more valuable welcome bonus, a few more perks and nearly identical earning rates for a significantly higher annual fee than the JetBlue Plus.

Unless you place a lot of value in the Paisly statement credits and lounge access benefits, I'd recommend saving $400 in annual fees to collect most of the same perks with the JetBlue Plus. Though the JetBlue Premier edges out the JetBlue Plus in certain categories, the overall value isn't quite there for such a steep annual fee.

How to upgrade from the JetBlue Plus to the JetBlue Premier

If you're interested in adding some premium perks to your JetBlue card, Barclays encourages current JetBlue Plus cardholders to log into their account and check for an upgrade offer. According to reports from Reddit users, Barclays typically doesn't allow product changes via phone.

Note if you have or have previously had the JetBlue Plus Card, you aren't eligible to receive the welcome bonus on the JetBlue Premier Card. However, an upgrade offer may provide some level of compensation for moving up to the brand-new premium option.

Bottom line

On the surface, the JetBlue Premier Card offers more benefits than the JetBlue Plus Card. Unfortunately, these are generally difficult to maximize, considering the card's steep annual fee and the restrictions on the Paisly credit. You'll get similar value for a much lower fee with the mid-tier JetBlue Plus Card, which offers more than enough for casual JetBlue flyers and the airline's devotees.

Unless you're willing to wait it out for the upcoming JetBlue lounges and wish to make regular $250 purchases with Paisly to collect all six annual statement credits, it's hard to justify the JetBlue Premier over the JetBlue Plus in its current state.

To learn more, read our full reviews of the JetBlue Plus and the JetBlue Premier.

Related: JetBlue now allows Blue Basic award redemptions — and tickets are as low as 700 points