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Amex Platinum vs JetBlue Plus: Which Is Better In 2025?
July 1, 2025
Editor's Picks
- The American Express Platinum Card® is best for frequent travelers who can take full advantage of its extensive lounge access, hotel elite status, and premium travel credits. Terms Apply.
- The JetBlue Plus Card is ideal for frequent JetBlue flyers, offering high rewards on JetBlue purchases, restaurants, and groceries, plus a free checked bag benefit.
American Express Platinum Card® Breakdown
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Why We Like It
Here’s a closer look at what makes the American Express Platinum Card® (See Rates & Fees) a top-tier choice for discerning travelers.
- It offers an unparalleled travel experience with the most comprehensive airport lounge access of any card and automatic elite status at major hotel chains.
- Cardholders can extract significant value from a suite of statement credits for travel, dining, and entertainment, though terms and enrollment requirements apply.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Pros
- Top-tier travel perks: Beyond offering what is arguably the most comprehensive airport lounge access of any card, it also provides automatic hotel elite status and valuable benefits when booking through Fine Hotels + Resorts.
- Broad statement credits: Cardholders receive annual credits covering a wide range of expenses, from airline incidentals and hotel stays to digital entertainment and Uber Cash.
- Accelerated rewards on travel: You can earn bonus points on flights and prepaid hotels, and the points can be transferred to numerous airline and hotel partners.
Cons
- The card carries a significant annual fee, making it essential for cardholders to maximize its benefits to offset the cost.
- Many of the card’s statement credits require manual enrollment and have specific terms, which can make it challenging to extract their full value.
- Outside of travel-related purchases, the card offers limited opportunities to earn accelerated points on everyday spending.
JetBlue Plus Breakdown
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Why We Like It
From its rewarding points structure to its valuable travel perks, here’s a closer look at what makes the JetBlue Plus Card a compelling choice.
- It offers valuable travel perks, including a free first checked bag for you and your companions, that can provide significant savings for frequent flyers.
- The card features a strong rewards program that accelerates points-earning on JetBlue purchases and offers bonus points on everyday spending categories like restaurants and grocery stores.
- Cardholders receive an annual points bonus and get a percentage of their points back after redeeming for flights, making it easier to maximize rewards.
Pros
- A free first checked bag for the primary cardholder and companions on the same reservation.
- High rewards rate on JetBlue purchases and bonus points on everyday spending at restaurants and grocery stores.
- Annual bonus points and a points-back feature on flight redemptions add significant ongoing value.
Cons
- Lacks premium travel benefits like airport lounge access, priority boarding, or a fee credit for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck.
- The card's benefits are highly tailored to JetBlue, and the annual travel credit is limited to vacation packages, which may not suit all travel styles.
- Does not offer a fast track to elite status, which requires a substantial amount of spending on the card.
JetBlue Plus vs American Express Platinum Card®
Categories
Deciding which is better, Amex Platinum or JetBlue Plus, comes down to your travel habits and what you value in a premium card. Each card caters to a different type of traveler, offering distinct benefits tailored to specific needs.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express is designed for frequent travelers who prioritize luxury perks. It's best suited for those who can maximize benefits like extensive airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and exclusive travel experiences.
- JetBlue Plus Card is ideal for travelers who frequently fly with JetBlue and want to earn rewards and enjoy airline-specific perks. It offers benefits that enhance the JetBlue flying experience for loyal customers.
Redemption
The Platinum Card® from American Express: Rewards are redeemed through the Membership Rewards program, offering significant flexibility by allowing you to transfer points to numerous airline and hotel partners. You can also book travel directly through Amex Travel or redeem points for other options like statement credits.
JetBlue Plus Card: Points are redeemed through JetBlue's TrueBlue loyalty program, primarily for booking any available seat on JetBlue flights. This redemption method is straightforward, with no blackout dates on award travel.
Travel Perks
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: This card is built around a luxury travel ecosystem. (Terms apply)
- Travel Portal: Cardmembers can book travel through the Amex Travel portal, which provides access to exclusive programs like Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection.
- Lounge Access: Offers comprehensive airport lounge access via the American Express Global Lounge Collection, including the Centurion® Lounge network and Priority Pass lounges.
- Foreign Transaction Fees: Does not charge foreign transaction fees on international purchases.
- Elite Status: Provides complimentary elite status with hotel partners like Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors, plus benefits with major car rental agencies.
- JetBlue Plus Card: The ecosystem is focused on maximizing value when flying with JetBlue.
- Travel Portal: Travel is booked directly through JetBlue's own platform, integrating rewards and benefits seamlessly into the booking process.
- Lounge Access: Does not offer complimentary, all-access lounge passes as a standard benefit.
- Foreign Transaction Fees: Does not charge foreign transaction fees for purchases made outside the U.S.
- Airline-Specific Perks: Key benefits include a free first checked bag for the cardholder and companions on the same booking, savings on in-flight purchases, and an accelerated path to JetBlue's Mosaic elite status.
Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos
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- Test drive nearly 3,000 credit cards using your real spending history to see potential earnings before you apply.
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- Get a welcome offer guarantee, which ensures that if you find a better offer within three months, Kudos will match it.
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- Monitor your transactions, spending habits, and credit score from a single dashboard.
Who Should Choose the American Express Platinum Card®?
The ideal candidate for The Platinum Card® from American Express is a frequent traveler who values luxury experiences and can maximize the card's extensive benefits. This user regularly takes advantage of perks like comprehensive airport lounge access, elite hotel status, and exclusive dining reservations. Ultimately, it's designed for someone whose spending and travel habits naturally align with the card's various statement credits, allowing them to easily offset the substantial annual fee.
Who Should Choose the JetBlue Plus?
The JetBlue Plus Card is an excellent choice for casual or moderately frequent JetBlue flyers who travel with the airline a couple of times per year. This user profile values practical benefits that easily offset the annual fee, such as the free first checked bag, which can save a traveler around $70 on a single round-trip flight. It's the ideal card for someone who wants to save money and earn points on their regular JetBlue travel without paying for premium perks like lounge access.
Alternatives to Consider
After reviewing the Amex Platinum vs JetBlue Plus comparison, you might find that the ideal card for you lies somewhere in between their offerings. Fortunately, the travel rewards card landscape is vast, with several other compelling options available.
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Tips for Application Success
Before You Apply
- Check your credit score to ensure it aligns with the requirements for premium cards.
- Review issuer application rules as you may be ineligible for a welcome offer if you have or previously had certain cards.
- Create a usage plan for the card’s benefits to confirm you can maximize its value.
Application Strategy
- Time your application. Apply before a large purchase to help meet the spending requirement for the welcome offer.
- Be strategic with card families. Some issuers, like Barclays, may restrict welcome offers if you already have a similar card from the same product family.
- Prepare to activate benefits. Many premium cards, such as those from American Express, require you to manually enroll in benefits after approval.
Our Methodology
We evaluate nearly 3,000 credit cards across the U.S. market — far more than the ~150 cards commonly featured on sites that focus only on products tied to affiliate commissions. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive, unbiased view of the credit card landscape so you can make confident, data-driven decisions.
Our editorial team combines deep industry experience with rigorous verification standards. While our experts surface the most relevant recommendations in our guides, you can also explore the full dataset yourself through our card explorer tool, which includes thousands of cards — more than 95% of which do not provide us with commissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer American Express points to JetBlue?
Yes, American Express allows you to transfer Membership Rewards points to the JetBlue TrueBlue loyalty program. Transfer ratios can change, so be sure to confirm the current rate before making a transfer.
Does the JetBlue Plus Card offer airport lounge access?
No, the JetBlue Plus Card does not come with complimentary airport lounge access. This is a key differentiator from The Platinum Card® from American Express, which provides extensive access to lounges worldwide through its Global Lounge Collection.
How flexible are the rewards from each card?
The JetBlue Plus Card earns TrueBlue points, which are best for redemptions with JetBlue. In contrast, the American Express Platinum Card earns Membership Rewards points, a flexible currency that can be transferred to many different airline and hotel partners.
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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