Launched earlier this year, the JetBlue Premier World Elite Mastercard joined the club of premium travel cards. But are the perks premium enough to justify the $499 annual fee?
“If you’re a JetBlue loyalist who either has a very consistent need to take JetBlue flights, or perhaps only has JetBlue availability for a preferred route, then this card might be for you,” says Armand Khatri, founder of All Ways Away, a points and miles blog.
Before you submit your application, learn more about the key benefits and potential drawbacks of the JetBlue Premier credit card and see how it stacks up against top-tier travel cards.
[Read: Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards.]
JetBlue Premier Benefits: Our Top 5 Picks
Calculating the value of the card’s perks against its annual fee is a good way to see if the cost is worth it. But make sure that you’re not paying for things you already have. “Nearly every serious flyer already has a card that offers some of these benefits,” says Dave Grossman, credit card expert and founder of Your Best Credit Cards, a site that provides you with a personalized selection of credit cards.
Here are our top five benefits offered by the JetBlue Premier card:
1. Priority Pass lounge access
You’ll get access to over 1,500 Priority Pass lounges, with unlimited visits for you and one guest.
2. Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
Get a statement credit of up to $120 once every four years when you use your card to apply for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
3. JetBlue Lounge access
Cardholders and one guest will get complimentary access to JetBlue’s lounges opening at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport in late 2025, followed by Boston Logan International Airport.
Grossman says that the JetBlue Premier credit card might become worth it once the lounges open.
4. Welcome Offer
In addition to 70,000 bonus points, new cardholders who meet the spending requirement will also get five tiles toward Mosaic status.
Grossman says JetBlue should have sweetened this deal a bit more. “It’s only one-tenth of what you need to earn Level 1 Mosaic status, and because it’s a component of the sign-up bonus, you won’t get it every year.”
5. Paisly statement credits
Getting up to $300 in annual statement credits may sound like a great way to offset the annual fee, but it’s not that easy to earn. You’ll earn the credits in $50 increments every time you spend $250 or more on up to six travel transactions booked through JetBlue’s Paisly travel service per calendar year.
“If this could have been used as a straight $300 travel credit, it would have been more on par with a premium travel card like the Capital One Venture X,” says Grossman. “Designed this way, I don’t think many will find it useful, especially given that serious travelers prefer to book direct rather than third party as it is.”
[Read: Best Airline Credit Cards.]
How the JetBlue Premier Card Compares With Other Premium Travel Cards
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[Read: Best Credit Cards.]
Is the JetBlue Premium Card Worth Getting?
“The JetBlue Premier card was much anticipated but did not land with the excitement hoped for, at least not within the communities of frequent flyers,” says Grossman.
For JetBlue loyalists who fly frequently, though, the card could be worth the fee if you maximize all of its benefits. To squeeze the most value from this card:
— Earn the welcome offer.
— Book trips through Paisly to earn statement credits.
— Use the Priority Pass lounge access and keep watch for the JetBlue Lounge openings so you can be among the first to enjoy them.
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Is the JetBlue Premier Credit Card Worth Its $499 Annual Fee? originally appeared on usnews.com
