Recently, I took a whirlwind of a trip to Hyannis and back on jetBlue to earn 50,000 bonus miles, thanks to the #GoForthWithJetblue promotion–you can read about that saga here:  part 1, part 2, part 3.

After that was all set and done, I thought that applying for the jetBlue Plus credit card would be a great way to add even more points to my jetBlue balance–30,000 to be exact. For a NYC-based traveller, jetBlue is a great option, offering 200+ flights a day from the NYC metro area. To recap the benefits of the card:

I’m most excited about the 10% redemption credit and the 5,000-point yearly bonus–this card is definitely going to be a keeper! I’ll also earn at least 12 points per dollar on jetBlue flights when I use my card and pay for my trip at jetblue.com (6 for using the credit card, and 6 for being a TrueBlue member).

Unlike all other cards I’ve applied for before, I was not instantly approved. Barclaycard, the issuer of this card, is historically stingy with the number of cards from their portfolio they let you hold. When I applied, I also had the American Airlines Aviator Red card, and so when I submitted my application, I got the dreaded “We need more time to process your application, we’ll get back to you in 7-10 days.”

So, I waited 7-10 days, and when I hadn’t heard, I called Barclaycard up, talked with a nice guy who explained that in order to be approved, I would need to shift some of my credit line from my AA card to the new jetBlue card, and I would be approved. Done-zo!

When I earn the bonus points in ~3 months, I’ll be sitting on ~80,000 jetBlue points, which can be used for a variety of different redemptions, including to Cuba! Tune in next week for a few ways to spend those jetBlue points!