Back in May, Barclays increased the signup bonuses for the co-brand JetBlue credit cards. The JetBlue Plus card bonus went up to 50,000 True Blue points.
That promotion is due to end on July 31st so you better act fast if you were interested in getting this offer.
Increased Sign-Up Bonus
The JetBlue Plus card and its currently increased 50,000 points sign up bonus is great for those whose travel goal is going on a family vacation. Getting airfare for free would allow you to go on an extra trip or just splurge on some extras when you get to your locations, like a bigger hotel or some additional souvenirs.
If you want to read about the JetBlue Card in general, my review is located here:
JETBLUE PLUS CARD REVIEW
The sign-up bonus on the JetBlue Plus card is currently 50,000 points if you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days and pay the $99 annual fee. This is a relatively easy spending goal for families to hit if you just put your everyday expenses on the card.
With those miles, you have a variety of places to travel, which includes many locations in the Caribbean, Central and South America.
Why are JetBlue points, which are called TrueBlue points, so great for family travel?
JetBlue’s frequent flyer program is easy to understand. The cost of an award ticket is related to the cash cost of a ticket. The more expensive a ticket, the more points that flight will cost. This means you’re not going to get any exceptional value from JetBlue points, but it also means you’re going to be able to use your points on any flights where there are tickets available. No having to worry about award space or the airline telling you that in order to use your miles you have to fly at 6AM with two connections.
Having the number of points pegged to the cash price also means that if there’s a fare sale (and JetBlue does love their fare sales), the number of points needed to book that ticket will go down accordingly. This is a great way to stretch the value of your points.
For example, say you’d want to fly your family of three from Boston to Orlando this October to see either Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights or Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom.
I picked out an itinerary where the flights are non-stop, decent times, and leave from Boston’s Logan airport. If you wanted to save money or points, you could take the early morning or late evening flights or even fly out of Providence instead.
Two adult and one child round trip tickets would cost $673.80
To book the same flights using JetBlue points, 45,000 points and $33.60 in fees.
Totally covered by the 50,000 sign up bonus. Remember, you do have to pay the $99 annual fee for the card, so the flights aren’t really “free” but paying $132 out of pocket is much better than paying $673. In this example, you’re getting 1.42 cents per point value for each JetBlue point which is right at the value this post from FrequentMiler said they are worth.
Additional Benefits Of The Card
If getting a flight for almost free isn’t good enough, the JetBlue Plus card also has some additional benefits.
Free First Checked Bag – The cardholder and up to 3 travel companions on the same reservations, who have purchased Blue fares, will each receive their first checked bag free on JetBlue-operated flights that don’t include first checked bag free. All ticket purchases must be made with your JetBlue Plus Card, and the primary cardmember’s TrueBlue member number must be entered at the time of booking.
This benefit can save a family of three $180 in checked bags fees on a single trip. Award tickets do get the benefit as long as the reservation is made under the primary cardmember’s account. This is a good reason for keeping the JetBlue Plus card for the long term.
10% Rebate on Redeemed Points – You’ll get 10% of the points back every time you redeem them. Points are usually deposited into your account within 4-6 weeks.
If you booked the flight above for 45,000 points, you’d get 4,500 points back.
Earn 5,000 Bonus Points Annually – Every year, after your account anniversary, you’ll receive 5,000 bonus points.
Family Pooling – This isn’t a benefit of the JetBlue Plus card but it’s worth mentioning that JetBlue allows family members to pool points into a single account. This makes it easier to combine a few smaller account balances and have enough points to redeem for a flight.
Final Thoughts
The increased 50,000 points sign up bonus for the JetBlue Plus Card is the highest offer since 2017. Those points are good for any JetBlue flight with no blackout dates. Having points in a revenue-based frequent flyer program like JetBlue is a great option for families because there are no worries about finding available award space for multiple people. Your Mileage May Vary if this is a good offer because maybe JetBlue doesn’t fly to/from where you live. If that’s the case, then this definitely isn’t the offer for you.
If you don’t want to sign up for a card with an annual fee, the plain JetBlue Mastercard is also offering an increased sign up bonus of 15,000 points if you charge $1,000 to the card in the first 90 days. IMHO the Plus card is the better value because for the extra $99 you’ll get an extra 35,000 miles for the same amount of spending.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
