JetBlue is getting into the premium journey bank card house with the JetBlue Premier World Elite Mastercard. The cardboard, which launched on Jan. 29, 2025, with a hefty $499 annual charge (and an additional $150 for every approved consumer), affords perks like lounge entry and assertion credit for the airline’s journey portal.
However these perks include notable limitations, and the cardboard falls wanting competitor affords. Though JetBlue plans to open its personal lounges, it received’t be till at the least late 2025 earlier than the primary arrives. The cardboard additionally affords as much as $300 in annual assertion credit once you store with Paisly, JetBlue’s on-line platform for reserving accommodations, automotive leases and actions. However you may’t expend your complete credit score in a single transaction, making it a problem to get this perk’s full worth.
Is the JetBlue Premier Card value its $499 annual charge for you? Right here’s a rundown of the cardboard’s advantages.
JetBlue Premier Card advantages
Signal-up bonus
Earn 70,000 TrueBlue factors after spending $5,000 within the first three months from account opening, value $1,125 in journey. (NerdWallet values TrueBlue factors at 1.5 cents per level; it is a baseline worth, so it’s best to intention to get at the least this a lot in worth when redeeming your factors.)
You’ll additionally earn 5 “tiles” towards qualification for JetBlue’s Mosaic elite standing. It takes 50 tiles to earn Mosaic 1, JetBlue’s entry-level elite standing.
As of January 2025, that is the best present sign-up bonus obtainable for a JetBlue bank card and the one one that gives a lift towards incomes elite standing.
Rewards price
The JetBlue Premier Card affords reward charges which might be practically an identical to the JetBlue Plus Card, its midtier card providing with a $99 annual charge.
Right here’s how factors incomes works for the JetBlue Premier Card:
6 TrueBlue factors for each $1 spent on eligible purchases with JetBlue and Paisly, together with JetBlue Holidays.
2 factors for each $1 spent on eligible restaurant and grocery retailer purchases.
1 level for each $1 spent on all different purchases.
1 elite-qualifying tile for each $1,000 in eligible purchases.
A key distinction between the premium JetBlue Premier Card and the JetBlue Plus Card: You don’t earn further factors on Paisly purchases with the JetBlue Plus Card.
Lounge entry
Probably the most noteworthy perk of the JetBlue Premier Card is lounge entry, and sure why the cardboard instructions such a excessive annual charge. However there’s a catch. Whereas JetBlue has introduced that it’s going to open its personal JetBlue-branded lounges, none have opened to this point.
At the moment, JetBlue has plans for 2 lounges: one at New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport, set to open in Terminal 5 in late 2025, and one at Boston Logan Worldwide Airport, which is able to come quickly after in Terminal C.
Within the meantime, cardholders and approved customers will every get a Precedence Cross Choose membership, giving them and one visitor limitless entry to lounges, Minute Suites and Be Loosen up Spas within the Precedence Cross community. Nevertheless, home Precedence Cross lounges might be hit and miss.
Assertion credit for Paisly purchases (as much as $300)
One other main perk of the cardboard is as much as $300 in assertion credit for journey purchases on Paisly — though it will not be really easy to get the complete worth of the credit score.
The Paisly platform unlocks reductions for lodge bookings, trip leases, automotive leases and exercise bookings. That is open to members of TrueBlue, JetBlue’s frequent-flyer program, however passengers with an upcoming JetBlue itinerary will see essentially the most financial savings when reserving with Paisly. With every Paisly buy, you’ll earn TrueBlue factors along with the factors you earn for spending on the JetBlue Premier Card; nonetheless, factors can’t be redeemed for Paisly purchases.
Whereas a $300 credit score can cowl a big chunk of the $499 annual charge, there’s a catch: You earn a $50 credit score for every qualifying transaction of at the least $250. Which means you’d must make six qualifying purchases per calendar yr (spending at the least $1,500 upfront) to make use of up your complete $300 credit score.
Nerdy Tip
If you use a third-party platform like Paisly to ebook lodge stays, you’re forfeiting the power to earn issues like elite evening credit and lodge factors should you’re a member of that lodge’s loyalty program.
JetBlue journey perks (precedence boarding, free checked bag, and so on.)
High-tier airline playing cards typically include journey perks when flying on that airline, and the JetBlue Premier Card isn’t any exception.
Cardholders, approved customers and as much as 4 journey companions on the identical reservation will get Group A precedence boarding. You’ll nonetheless be behind JetBlue Mint and Mosaic elite passengers, however this will get you nearly to the entrance of the road.
And once you use your JetBlue Premier Card to buy JetBlue-operated tickets, you and as much as three others in your reservation can verify your first bag at no cost. (This perk can also be obtainable in case you have the JetBlue Plus Card.) You’ll additionally get 50% off in-flight foods and drinks purchases on JetBlue flights.
JetBlue TrueBlue level bonuses
The JetBlue Premier Card additionally consists of an anniversary bonus and a factors redemption bonus. After every account anniversary, you’ll get 5,000 bonus factors. On TrueBlue award flights, you’ll get 10% of your factors again after journey is accomplished.
However these perks shouldn’t be your primary driver to join the JetBlue Premier Card. The JetBlue Plus Card affords the identical perks for a way more palatable annual charge.
Assertion credit score for TSA PreCheck or World Entry
Many premium journey playing cards additionally include the identical credit score, so this perk will not be that helpful if you have already got such a card. Nevertheless, you can too use this credit score for different individuals so long as the charge is paid utilizing this card.
United℠ Explorer Card
Financial institution of America® Premium Rewards® bank card
on Financial institution of America’s web site
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Annual charge
$0 intro for the primary yr, then $95.
Profit
Assertion credit score of as much as $120 as reimbursement once you cost the appliance charge for TSA PreCheck, World Entry or NEXUS to the cardboard. Out there as soon as each 4 years.
Assertion credit score of as much as $100 as reimbursement once you cost the appliance charge for TSA PreCheck or World Entry to the cardboard. Out there as soon as each 4 years.
Assertion credit score of as much as $120 as reimbursement once you cost the appliance charge for TSA PreCheck, World Entry or NEXUS to the cardboard. Out there as soon as each 4 years.
Who ought to get the JetBlue Premier Card?
JetBlue loyalists will probably discover essentially the most worth in opening the JetBlue Premier Card, with its present sign-up bonus provide that features a enhance towards incomes Mosaic elite standing. And if you have already got a behavior of creating journey bookings by way of Paisly, it could be simple so that you can expend the $300 assertion credit.
Nonetheless, it’s laborious to justify that $499 annual charge when evaluating it to present opponents within the premium journey card house.
It comes with horny perks like lounge entry, however JetBlue-branded lounges are nonetheless an unproven idea. It received’t be till late 2025 — assuming there aren’t any launch delays — that clients can see for themselves simply how good JetBlue’s lounge choices will probably be. And the Precedence Cross Choose membership it comes with might be obtained by way of different premium journey playing cards, such because the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, The Platinum Card® from American Specific (enrollment required, phrases apply) and the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card.
Till JetBlue’s lounges open, it is value taking a critical have a look at the midtier JetBlue Plus Card, which affords lots of the identical advantages and rewards incomes charges at a fraction of the JetBlue Premier Card’s annual charge.
