JetBlue Business Card review: Valuable sign-up bonus, free employee cards
Editor's Note
JetBlue Business Card overview
The JetBlue Business Card comes with a great return on JetBlue purchases and a 5,000-point anniversary bonus that helps justify the card's $99 annual fee. Plus, the card's free checked baggage allowance, 10% rebate on award redemptions and 50% savings on eligible inflight purchases make the JetBlue Business Card highly valuable for the airline's loyal business flyers. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
If you're a JetBlue enthusiast and are in the market for a business credit card, the cobranded JetBlue Business Card issued by Barclays has plenty to offer.
The card has a recommended credit score of 670 and a $99 annual fee, but it includes many valuable benefits that easily offset the annual cost.
Let's dig into the card details.
The information for 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 Business Card pros and cons
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JetBlue Business Card welcome offer
New JetBlue Business cardholders can earn up to 60,000 bonus points: 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days, plus 10,000 bonus points when a purchase is made on an employee card in the first 90 days.
Based on TPG's September 2024 valuations, TrueBlue points are worth 1.3 cents, meaning this welcome bonus is worth up to $780. Without considering all the additional useful benefits accompanying the card, the welcome offer alone is well worth the $99 annual fee.
JetBlue Business Card benefits
Even if your future travel plans only include a few JetBlue flights per year, you should be able to take full advantage of some valuable perks from the JetBlue Business Card. These include:
- Free first checked bag — Get a first checked bag for you and up to three companions on the same reservation when you use your card to book JetBlue-operated flights.
- Priority boarding - Get group A boarding on all JetBlue-operated flights
- 10% rebate on award flights — Get 10% of your points back every time you redeem for a JetBlue-operated flight.
- 5,000-point anniversary bonus — Get 5,000 points on every account anniversary. These points are worth about $65 according to our September 2024 valuations, essentially bringing the effective annual fee down to about $30.
- 50% inflight savings — Get 50% savings on eligible inflight purchases
- Annual JetBlue Vacations statement credit — Get a $100 statement credit every year with your purchase of a JetBlue Vacations package of $100 or more with your card.
- No foreign transaction fees
Aside from the JetBlue-specific perks, there are several business perks worth noting:
- Legal business name embossed on cards
- Additional cards for employees at no extra cost
- Set controls on employee cards for credit lines, single purchase limits and cash access
- Receive consolidated statements with all expenses, and employees can access individual statements online
- $0 Fraud Liability protection means you're not responsible for charges you did not authorize
Earning points on the JetBlue Business Card
The best way to earn TrueBlue points is by spending on JetBlue cobranded cards. The JetBlue Business Card earns a generous 6 points per dollar on eligible JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and eligible office supply stores and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Based on our September 2024 valuations, that equals a 7.8 % return on JetBlue spending, 2.6% return on dining and office supplies and 1.3% return on everything else.
You can also earn TrueBlue points in numerous ways, including transferring points from transfer programs such as Amex, Chase and Citi, using the JetBlue Shopping portal and spending with JetBlue's travel partners, among other forms of earning TrueBlue points.
My favorite feature of the TrueBlue program is the ability for families to pool reward points into a single-family account. This customer-friendly feature allows you to designate one person as the head of the household, and the points earned from multiple TrueBlue accounts can be consolidated into one head-of-household account to book reward flights for the entire family.
Redeeming points on the JetBlue Business Card
With the TrueBlue loyalty program, the cost of your award redemption is tied to the cash price of the ticket. Therefore, the more expensive your flight is, the more points you'll need. Your TrueBlue points never expire if you keep your free account open.
There are also no blackout dates for JetBlue flights, both on cash or award tickets.
JetBlue is known for offering frequent flash sales, with flights starting at $26 one-way, which can easily be booked for under 1,000 points. There's no need to comb through award availability or worry about finding sweet spot redemptions; just find the flight and redeem your points.
One thing to note: JetBlue's cheapest fare, Blue Basic, is not available for redemption with points. Therefore, the standard 'Blue' TrueBlue award yields an advance seat selection, flight changes for a nominal fee, general boarding (instead of last) and the additional perks granted as a JetBlue Business cardholder.
Transferring points with the JetBlue Business Card
Thanks to a mutual partnership, you can also redeem TrueBlue points on Hawaiian Airlines, Eithad Airways and Qatar Airways. However, you'll have to call JetBlue reservations as they cannot be booked online.
TrueBlue has a more standard, region-based award chart for these tickets instead of its revenue-based system. This isn't the most convenient transfer system in the world, but it is still nice to have that option if you want to use your TrueBlue points to fly Hawaiian Airlines, as TPG credit cards editor Emily Thompson prefers.
Which cards compete with the JetBlue Business Card?
When it comes to travel cards not specific to JetBlue, there are plenty of alternatives.
- If you spend a lot in certain categories: The American Express® Business Gold Card earns 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar (worth 2 cents each according to TPG's September 2024 valuations) on your two highest spending categories each billing cycle (on the first $150,000; 1 point per dollar thereafter). To learn more, read our full review of the Amex Business Gold.
- If you spend a lot on everything: The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card earns 1.5% back on all purchases; these rewards are significantly more valuable if you also have a premium Ultimate Rewards card. That's because you can combine your Ink Business Unlimited rewards with your premium Ultimate Rewards account and transfer them to Chase's 14 airline and hotel partners. To learn more, read our full review of the Ink Business Unlimited.
- If you want more premium travel rewards: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express comes with a slew of valuable statement credits along with airport lounge access and tons of other perks. Enrollment is required for select benefits; terms apply. To learn more, check out our full review of the Amex Business Platinum.
For additional options, check out our full list of the best business cards.
Related: The power of the Chase Trifecta: Sapphire Reserve, Ink Preferred and Freedom Unlimited
Is the JetBlue Business Card worth it?
In exchange for the moderate $99 annual fee, the JetBlue Business Card's earnings structure and perks make it worth consideration, especially for those loyal to the airline. If your business doesn't fly with JetBlue more than once a year, I recommend considering a travel card that earns transferable rewards instead.
Bottom line
Apart from the 6 points per dollar earned on JetBlue purchases, free checked baggage, a 50% savings off inflight purchases and a 10% rebate on award redemptions, the JetBlue Business Card accomplishes even greater worthiness with a 5,000-point anniversary bonus each year.
If you're a JetBlue loyalist looking for a new business card, this could be the one for you.
Related: Your guide to the JetBlue TrueBlue Rewards Program
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, click here.