An important disclaimer: boys and girls, don’t try this at home! I don’t plan to take out a mortgage in a near future, so I’m OK with abusing my credit score in the manner described below. It doesn’t mean you should follow my lead.
So, guys, I’ve been a very bad girl. Remember my post on getting denied for card, after card, after card? So, you would think I was planning to slow down, take a break from applying for at least few months. Wrong! That’s not how points addict’s brain works.
At the end of the post I jokingly mentioned that I was thinking about applying for Jet Blue offer of 60,000 points (annual fee is $99, not waived) Direct Link (doesn’t pay commission)You have to spend $1,000 in 90 days, according to T and C:
I was definitely joking at the time because: 1) Look at all the recent denials from other issuers 2) Barclay rejected two of my apps for Aviator card within the last few months, so I felt my chances of success with Jet Blue offer were slim.
But this is a very attractive bonus, double from what Barclay usually offers on this particular product. It’s basically an equivalent of buying Jet Blue points for 0.17 cents apiece, factoring in non-waived $99 annual fee. I mean, how could I NOT apply, right? So I did…and it went to pending status. I figured that was the end of it.
I didn’t have much hope for approval, obviously, so what is a gal to do? Apply in her husband’s name, that’s what! That one went to pending status as well. Ugh. Demoralized after these unwelcome (though totally expected) developments, I started looking for other ways to get my fix. Few weeks prior I got targeted offers from Fifth/Third bank (say that ten times in a row). I won’t share a link because like I said, the offer was tied to our SSNs. We would each have to spend $500 to get $250 bonus.
That’s a bit low by my usual standards. Still, $500 is $500. I can sure use that money for one fancy Bora Bora dinner. Plus, minimum spending requirements are quite low. I decided to go ahead and apply in each of our names. And this is what the page said :
Very confusing, right? It doesn’t say whether the application is approved or pending.
All four cards were approved in the end!
I can hardly believe it either. And no reconsideration calls were required. This just goes to prove my point that with credit cards you never know unless you apply. Obviously, trying to beat Chase 5/24 rule is pointless, it’s not gonna happen unless you are pre-approved in branch. But I didn’t see any recent data points that Barclay has instituted any restrictions on Jet Blue card.
I also didn’t really want to take any chances because I feel like this offer could disappear at any moment. It is a legitimate link, but it doesn’t show up on Barclay website, so there is no commitment on bank’s part. I don’t really have any solid plans for Jet Blue within the next few years. However, I felt strongly that this is the right time to “buy.” Aside from the fact that the bonus is at an-all-time-high, here are few additional reasons:
1) Jet Blue has an excellent coverage from Florida, specifically Orlando and Tampa airports. One route I’m particularly intrigued by is Orlando-San Jose (Costa Rica). I’ll have more on this topic at a later date. Jet Blue also flies non-stop to Boston and few other major US cities.
2) The program is revenue-based. This is great news for families like mine. It means that I don’t have to worry about award availability. As long as a seat is available for sale, I can book it with points. Obviously, when you travel last-minute the price will usually be quite high. It’s a tradeoff, no question about it.
I wrote a post highlighting some advantages of Jet Blue program, and mentioned that very often you can get around 1.4-1.7 cents per point. Not too shabby!
3) You can pull points between accounts within the same family. Again, a very nice feature.
4) Jet Blue points never expire. For realz, no strings attached. This is obviously great news for those of us who fly infrequently. It’s the main reason I passed on 50k Cathay Pacific bonus (now 35k aside from targeted offers). While my mileage supply is pretty much depleted at the moment, I didn’t want to be under pressure to use up those miles within the next three years.
While I do think renewing the card makes sense for those who plan to fly Jet Blue in a near future (due to 10% mileage rebate, free bags and 5,000 points bonus), I will probably downgrade it to a no-fee version next year. Later, when I do have solid plans to fly, I will simply upgrade it again.
5) This one is a bit of a wishful thinking, but still. You know how Jet Blue has recently partnered with Icelandair? While you can’t currently redeem Jet Blue points on that European carrier, perhaps that will change in a few years. Maybe I’ll be able to book non-stop flight from Reykjavik to Orlando with my stash. Now that would be cool.
I may seem crazy, but I’m not really
Well, not completely. Yes, all these new cards mean that I will have to meet $6k in minimum spending within 90 days, factoring in recent BoA card approval. That said, this is the perfect time for me to take on this challenge. I just paid my property taxes with one of the cards, which took care of $1,200 right there. I did have to pay 2.8% fee (it was too late to send payment via Plastiq), but the bonus will more than make up for it.
In addition, our car insurance is supposed to renew next month, which requires a sizable chunk of money. I usually prepay 6 months’ worth in order to get a full-pay discount. I also take care of car payment via Plastiq (my referral link). And if I’m having a tough time at the end of three months, I can always do one of the things listed here The easiest options for me are prepaying power bill and buying a few Walmart gift cards.
Jet Blue credit card offer was simply a deal I couldn’t say No to. I did hesitate because I have zero new travel plans at the moment. However, I know we will fly at some point, so why not strike when the iron is hot? Who knows what kind of restrictions Barclay plans to implement in a near future.
So, if everything goes according to the plan, I should have 122k Jet Blue points in a few months. Now I just need to figure out when and how I’ll be spending them. Carper diem! Or I guess, I should say Carpe Jet Blue.
Click here to view various credit cards and available sign-up bonuses
Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
fwiw, I was just able to get around 5/24 for the 80k Ink when I used a $500 bonus coupon ($30 on ebay) to open a new biz checking and the business banker that did it for me pushed a paper app through a different group. They looked at how much I used my current chase cards and I spread minor spend around on them to keep them active. BA card just finished min spend, Fairmont (now sapphire) spend completed 2 months ago, chase plus for different biz gets phone, cable, cell for 5x bonus every month, IHG card gets 1 or 2 rooms a month, Hyatt card gets some Costco spend, etc. Now I have $12k to do over the next 3 -4 months ($4k AA card, $1k each for Amex Gold Delta personal and biz (no lifetime language mailer) and Jet Blue, and $5k for the new Ink). College lets me pay dorms, tuition, and meal plans for two kids and then when the pre-paid tuition plan funds and the bright futures funds come in late January that cash comes back to kids accounts which I can then transfer to my account. Between that and Xmas this little apporama will kick out 102k Delta, 61k Jet Blue, 79k AA, and 85k UR points. Citi matched my 65k offer to a 75k. Will be on the hunt for next round come April and tax time and to prepay some excursions for Alaska this summer. Citi should citi again and send us some more mailers by then and hopefully BBarclay will give me another Red aviator or their biz aviator will increase to the 60k.
forgot to mention status when Ink was approved is 40/24 but 4 of them were within a week of applying for the ink so not sure they hit credit report yet at time of app.
@Brad Thank you so much for this valuable data point! I honestly can’t believe you got approved for Ink. I didn’t think it was possible without pre-approval in your profile. Looks like you will be flush with miles and points in a few months. This hobby is getting harder, but deals are obviously still there. While the high cost of college stinks, there is definitely a silver lining! Makes it way easier to meet minimum spend, that’s for sure.
Wohoo. Just applied for DH and he got approved. 120,000 points, here we come!
@ Natasha Yay!!! Congratulations.
Don’t forget that Hawaiin miles can be used for Jet Blue flights too. SW flies FLL to SJO and when booked ahead their award rates are the lowest I could find including using BA Avios on the AA flights out of MIA.
@Brad Thanks for the tip! I don’t have any Hawaiian miles, but will keep that in mind. I’ve had my eye on Costa Rica for quite a few years, so this windfall may actually make the trip happen. FLL airport is a bit far from us (3.5 hours), which is why I was excited to see that Jet Blue has a non-stop MCO-SJO route. The rates are decent, usually about 7,500 points one-way, as long as you book ahead.
We got declined =( I wonder if I can call the reconsideration line and move around some credit… although I did just get the Choice card from Barclay like two months ago (to use during our cross country road trip in Feb!) so maybe that’s why… do you know if Barclaycards has a “5/24”-type rule?
@Army @ ClimberMonkeysAbroad I’m sorry you got declined! I hate calling reconsideration, to be honest, but recommend you give it a shot. Barclay is usually very tough, so don’t get your hopes up too much. Getting that Choice card recently will probably work against you, unfortunately. But you never know unless you try. I have been able to reverse a denial with them before. Supposedly, Barclay has instituted a 6/24 rule, similar to Chase, but only on Arrival Plus (for now). That’s why I decided to apply for Jet Blue offer. You never know with these things.
Congrats on getting approved! We both got the cards when they were 40,000 each, but I can’t get too upset about missing out on the 60,000 bonus because I was able to use them for our NYC trip. I love the ability to pool our points. I wish other programs would do the same thing as my kids have measly points sitting in AA and Delta that I could really use if we pooled them.
@Stephanie Thank You! Definitely don’t feel bad. You got the cards and used the bonus in the manner intended, for tickets to NYC. Can’t beat that! I actually debated on applying for 40k offer, so when I saw 60k, I just had to give it a shot. Not sure when you got the 40k offer, but reportedly, there is no restriction on new bonus eligibility. Of course, I can’t guarantee anything, not to mention, you would have to cancel your existing card.
+1!
Congrats! I actually thought of you when I saw the bonus. I find them overall a great airline to deal with.
@Audrey Thanks! I’m SO excited about this unexpected windfall. Well, assuming I don’t mess up the minimum spend, of course. The only thing is, now I’m looking for an excuse to use the points. I think my husband is going to kill me one of these days, LOL.
congrats on getting the jetblue card. I’m about $200 away from meeting minimum spend.
@Natasha Thanks! I’m very excited. Actually, it was your approval that kind of inspired me to go for it. I’m not kidding! I just couldn’t resist this offer.