Best Credit Card for a JetBlue Frequent Flyer?

15 February, 2012

Q: Dear CreditShout. I have decided to finally get an airline miles credit card which is LONG overdue considering how often I fly for business. I mainly fly on JetBlue out of JFK, is there a particular rewards card you would recommend? – John

There are actually several credit cards on the market that work well for JetBlue Airways frequent flyers, so you are not limited to one card – which is good because each card is tailored a bit differently. Let’s explore a few of them and see which card will be best for you.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card – My Personal Favorite

Secure Application CREDITSHOUT RATING: Excellent With Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, you’ll earn 50,000 bonus points if you spend at least $3,000 within the first 3 months. That’s a value of $500. So, if you spend $3,000 during that timeframe, you’ll get an approximate return of 17 percent on your purchases.

You’d get nothing back if you spent cash and won‘t find that big of a bonus with most other cards, so this is a fantastic deal – in fact it’s one of the most valuable credit card sign up bonuses currently on the market.

You’ll also earn 2 points per dollar spent on travel and dining. All other purchases qualify for point per dollar spent.

Chase Sapphire Preferred also comes with a 7 percent annual points dividend on all points that you’ve earned, whether you’ve used them or not. Also, points that are used for travel are worth 25 percent more, meaning that $500 (50,000 points) will get you $625 worth of travel.

I’m not sure where you’re business takes you, but If you travel abroad, you won’t pay a foreign transaction fee with this card. That’s an important factor to consider if you do so frequently, as that could save you hundreds of dollars when compared to other cards.

All of this comes at an annual fee of $95. However, this fee is waived in the first year, so you won’t have to suck up that cost until you’ve had this card for a while.

Chase Sapphire Card – No Annual Fee Version

Secure Application CREDITSHOUT RATING: Very Good The Chase Sapphire Card is great for frequent flyers who don’t want to pay an annual fee.

If you spend at least $3,000 within the first 3 months, you’ll earn 25,000 bonus points with this card. That’s a $250 value – the price of a full flight in some cases.

When booking through Chase, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar spent on airline tickets.

In addition to points for your airline tickets, you’ll receive up to 10 points per dollar spent at the Ultimate Rewards Mall. All other purchases qualify for 1 point per dollar spent, so you’ll always walk away with rewards.

There are no travel restrictions or blackout dates with this card. You’ll fly when you want to and without a massive hassle. Well, I can’t promise that you won’t have an uncomfortable encounter with the TSA, but that has nothing to do with your credit card!

Additionally, the benefits of this card are not just limited to JetBlue frequent flyers, so it can still be very useful if you decide to stop flying with them. The benefits extend to all categories of spending and to multiple airlines, so you won’t have to stick with JetBlue if your preferences change.

All of this and a load of other strong benefits come at no annual fee. There is a 3 percent foreign transaction fee, so keep that in mind if you travel abroad frequently.

Overall, this is an excellent card to have in your wallet and will be a great asset if you are a JetBlue frequent flyer.

Escape by Discover Card – Great All Around Travel Rewards Card

Secure Application CREDITSHOUT RATING: Excellent The Escape by Discover Card is another excellent card to have in your wallet as a frequent flyer.

Like the mentioned Chase cards, it is useful to frequent flyers in general – not just JetBlue customers. So, if JetBlue’s service takes a nosedive, you can walk away (to a different terminal) and ride with another carrier. Oh, if that happens, let’s hope that it’s just their service that takes a nosedive!

With the Escape by Discover card, you can earn up to 25,000 bonus miles. You’ll earn 1,000 bonus miles in each of the first 25 months that you make a purchase. That is a bit complicated and time consuming, but it will work out well if you make regular purchases with this card.

When using Discover’s online shopping site, you’ll earn 4 miles per dollar spent. All other purchases qualify for 2 miles per dollar spent, which is a better offer than most cards have.

This card also comes with other key benefits. These include lost or damaged luggage insurance, travel delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance and auto rental insurance. These are excellent benefits to have for a frequent flyer and could save you a substantial amount of money and grief if something goes wrong.

All of this comes at an annual fee of $60. The foreign transaction fee is 2 percent, so keep that in mind if you travel abroad frequently.

With the miles and other features that this card offers, this is a good card to have in your wallet if you fly on JetBlue Airways – or another airline, for that matter.

JetBlue Card from American Express – For JetBlue Purists Only

Yes, there is an official JetBlue credit card – however there are a few hang-ups with this card which is why I like Chase Sapphire Preferred. After your first purchase with the JetBlue Card from American Express, you’ll earn a bonus of 10,000 TrueBlue points. As roundtrip flights start at 10,000 TrueBlue points, that could be enough to cover your next trip.

Don’t get me wrong…the points rewards are great with this card. You’ll earn 8 points per dollar spent on flights that are booked on JetBlue.com. You’ll earn 2 points per dollar spent on dining, movie theaters, qualifying sports and performing arts tickets, gym memberships, and golf course greens fees. So, if you decide to splurge on some fun, you’ll get a load of TrueBlue points to ease the strain on your wallet.

All other purchases qualify for 1 point per dollar spent.

But here’s the catch:

There is a 2.7 percent foreign transaction fee with the JetBlue Card from American Express. This could be a deal breaker if you travel internationally because it effectively canceles out the rewards you earn on purchases in other countries.

The card that is best for you will depend on how important factors such as flexibility and points are to you.

Bottom Line: For those interested purely in a card with JetBlue rewards that DON’T travel internationally, I recommend the JetBlue card. Eight points per dollar spent on JetBlue flights is an excellent deal and I don‘t know of any that are better.

For those who are interested in overall value, I recommend going with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. It’s $95 annual fee after the first year may seem high, but the upfront bonus will offset the fee for over 10 years. You’ll have a flexible card with strong bonuses if you choose this card.

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