JetBlue kicked off the year by launching a new elite credit card with perks that rival some of the best travel rewards cards on the market today. The JetBlue Premier World Elite Mastercard offers cardholders exclusive perks that you can’t get with any of the airline’s other cards. That includes complimentary lounge access, a variety of statement credits and new ways to earn TrueBlue points.
As part of the launch, JetBlue is also offering a generous bonus offer of 70,000 TrueBlue points and five tiles to help you reach Mosaic elite status faster this year. To qualify for the intro offer, you need to spend $5,000 on your new card and pay the annual fee within the first 90 days.
With TrueBlue points valued at an estimated 1.3 cents each, that sign-up bonus is worth over $900. Since TrueBlue loyalty program members earn one tile for every $100 on JetBlue flights or vacation packages, that five tile bonus will put you $500 closer to Mosaic elite status.
While the perks and bonus offer on the new JetBlue Premier Card look great, it’s worth noting that the airline’s newest card also comes with a $499 annual fee. That’s $400 more than its JetBlue Plus and JetBlue Business cards. With that dramatically higher fee, travelers need to do the math to figure out if the perks are really worth it.
The new JetBlue Premier Card offers exciting new perks for travelers
The latest addition to JetBlue’s credit card lineup comes with a slate of brand-new perks not offered on any of the airline’s lower-tier cards. One of the most noteworthy new perks is airport lounge access. Premier cardholders can get Priority Pass Select, a program that grants access to over 1,500 airport lounges around the globe. You’ll also get access to JetBlue’s new airport lounges in New York and Boston when they open in late 2025 and early 2026.
Lounge access aside, the new JetBlue Premier Card also comes with a $120 statement credit on Global Entry or TSA PreCheck so cardholders can get to their favorite airport lounges faster. Travelers can also earn up to $300 in statement credits on Paisly purchases each year. The travel booking platform allows you to book cars, hotels, vacation packages and more. Cardholders earn $50 in credits for each purchase of $250 or more on the travel booking site. So you would need to make six separate qualifying purchases to maximize that benefit.
Earn TrueBlue Points faster with the JetBlue Premier Card
For travelers who care more about racking up points toward free flights than lounge access, the elite credit card offers more ways to earn and redeem TrueBlue points. In addition to the 6x points JetBlue Plus and Business card holders earn on JetBlue purchases, Premier cardholders will also earn 6x points on Paisly purchases. That means you can enjoy that 6x point bonus on your hotel booking, car rental and other trip-related purchases rather than just your flight.
With the new card, travelers also have the option to redeem TrueBlue points for statement credits, effectively turning them into a cashback rewards program. While that perk is available on the JetBlue Plus card, there’s a $1,000 credit cap per year. The Premier Card has no limit.
JetBlue’s $499 Premier card – a good deal or too expensive?
While the new perks are nice, the JetBlue Premier Card also carries a $499 annual fee. That seems exorbitant when you consider that the credit card one tier down only costs $99 per year. The JetBlue Plus Card has many overlapping benefits with the Premier Card, including a 5,000-point bonus every year, a free checked bag and the ability to earn 6x points on JetBlue purchases.
The key benefits exclusive to the Premier card include the $120 Global Entry credit, up to $300 Paisly credit, the Priority Pass Select membership and the ability to earn 6x points on Paisly purchases.
For travelers who would make use of those perks, the value would be more than enough to offset the $499 annual fee. However, for less frequent fliers or travelers who aren’t interested in lounge access, sticking with one of the lower-tier cards may make more sense.
