While JetBlue is in severe cost-cutting mode, eliminating cities and routes, dropping hot meals from long haul economy, and scaling back its fleet ambitions, they’re planning to add business class lounges – having gotten Barclays to pay for it.
The new premium JetBlue credit card makes the economics of lounges work for them, and they’re planning to open lounges at New York JFK and Boston, which will be available to:
- Transatlantic business class
- Top tier elites (“Mosaic 4”)
- Premium credit card cardmembers
- Paid annual members and pay-in day pass customers
View Of An Airport Lounge
The new credit card isn’t available yet, but they allowed the details to sneak out on their website.
New “JetBlue Premier Card” live on JetBlue’s website
byu/MikeyStocks11 injetblue
- Earning: 6x JetBlue purchases and JetBlue’s Paisly travel booking purchases; 2x on restaurants and grocery stores; 1x on every thing else.
- JetBlue travel benefits: Group A boarding; first checked bag free; spend counts towards status (although we don’t yet know at what rate, or any caps)
- Additional benefits: Priority Pass Select; Global Entry or PreCheck credit up to $120 every 4 years; $300 annual Paisly purchase credit
- Annual fee: $499 plus $150 per authorized user
The information released into the wild doesn’t mention JetBlue lounges, but we know this card will include access. The $150 authorized user fee highly suggests that authorized users will receive substantive benefits – but we don’t know if that means JetBlue lounge access, JetBlue boarding and baggage benefits, or Priority Pass.
There’s no information on the card’s initial bonus offer, which could make it worth getting. But there’s very little here that’ll make it worth putting spending on (other than JetBlue purchases, but even there 5x American Express points from Platinum is likely better, plus we know what Amex trip delay coverage looks like). Of course someone might choose modest points-earning for their spend in exchange for progress towards status.
Presumably this will be the best way to purchase JetBlue lounge access for those regular enough to want it, but with a highly limited lounge network plus Priority Pass there isn’t a lot of coverage here.
(HT: Danny Deal Guru)
Until JetBlue can stabilize its routes and also put a domestic first-class seat on every flight, it’s just not a viable option.
So for $400 more than the plus card all you get is access to 2-3 lounges (I would assume anyone getting this card already has PP and GE etc).
Gary, one thing that’s never made sense to me is why more airline credit cards don’t provide competitive earning rates on their own flight purchase. This is first I recall seeing an airline beat Amex’s 5x. Why don’t more cobranded cards try to compete in what seems like the most obvious spend category?
6x 2x and 1x same as the plus card nobody going to pay 500 for just lounge access nope
Hoping details are wrong fly them a bunch
@Daniel – usually the airline is helping to fund the accelerator category for spend on their own product and they are loathe to pay for this.
As it is, that’s a ‘nope’ for me, dawg. I’ve had the jetBlue Plus card for years, and probably should close it at this point. It’s only made sense for the 5K points each card anniversary and the 10% points back on redemptions, if redeeming enough to outweigh the $99 AF. But, $499 for a lounge at JFK? Get outta here.
Will the Florida bound bucket and spade flyer, the staple of jetBlue’s loyalists, pay $499 for a credit card to fly them on an airline that never gets them there on time? Seems doubtful. JetBlue and American will merge.
@Gary Leff
The card is live now at https://cards.barclaycardus.com/banking/cards/jetblue-premier-card/
SUB is 70K points + 5 tiles after $5K spend in 90 days.
Underwhelming in my opinion. Definitely not proceeding, personally.
This card makes no sense and is honestly insulting? It’s $500 and the only difference is lounge access, precheck and a $50 credit for every $250 spent (up to $300) through their own service? Almost all other cards give you instant $300 credits for any travel purchase of any kind with no spend requirements.
You are far better off just doing JetBlue Plus + Chase Reserve (or equivalent).
I fly between CA/FL&NY a lot (the only real routes I think that makes Jetblue’s card worth it) and was really hoping for a premium card that got me status much faster, got me access to mint more frequently etc.
Real bummer.