Card comparison
Which card is better between JetBlue Premier and Hilton Honors American Express Surpass?
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is the better overall pick over JetBlue Premier because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (53 vs 47) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee.
Effective rate Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
Annual fee Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
Welcome bonus JetBlue Premier
Benefits value JetBlue Premier
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is the stronger overall pick between JetBlue Premier and Hilton Honors American Express Surpass because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (53 vs 47) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. JetBlue Premier (2.6% top effective rate) vs Hilton Honors American Express Surpass (3%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
Choose A if
Choose JetBlue Premier when its strongest categories, bonus, or perks match how you actually spend.
Choose B if
Choose Hilton Honors American Express Surpass when the fee, welcome bonus, or issuer ecosystem fits better than the headline winner.
Full comparison
How do JetBlue Premier and Hilton Honors American Express Surpass compare across all spend categories?
Across all five spend categories, JetBlue Premier and Hilton Honors American Express Surpass trade wins row by row. JetBlue Premier peaks at 2.6% effective; Hilton Honors American Express Surpass peaks at 3%. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass wins the headline effective-rate view in this pair.
| Category / metric | JetBlue Premier | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dining | 2x miles (2.6%) | 6x points (3%) | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass · 0.4 pts |
| Grocery | 2x miles (2.6%) | 6x points (3%) | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass · 0.4 pts |
| Gas | 1x miles (1.3%) | 6x points (3%) | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass · 1.7 pts |
| Travel | 1x miles (1.3%) | 3x points (1.5%) | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass · 0.2 pts |
| Other | 1x miles (1.3%) | 4x points (2%) | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass · 0.7 pts |
| Welcome bonus | ~$1300 estimated | ~$650 estimated | JetBlue Premier |
| Est. annual benefits | $745/yr | $315/yr | JetBlue Premier |
| Annual fee | $499 | $150 | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass |
| Holistic overall | 47 pts (cat 12, bonus 13, benefits 18, fee 4) | 53 pts (cat 28, bonus 7, benefits 7, fee 11) | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass |
Madeen take
How to think about this pair
JetBlue Premier (2.6% top effective rate) vs Hilton Honors American Express Surpass (3%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
Strategy
Use JetBlue Premier when Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2x miles. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement. Travel perks may add value beyond the earn rate.. Use Hilton Honors American Express Surpass when Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 6x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the.
Welcome bonus playbook
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, JetBlue Premier leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Madeen analysis
Which card has stronger benefits: JetBlue Premier or Hilton Honors American Express Surpass?
Madeen estimates $745 annual benefit value on JetBlue Premier versus $315 on Hilton Honors American Express Surpass. Credits only matter if you will use them.
JetBlue Premier
Total est. value: $745/yr
Credits and perks only help if you will actually use them in a typical year.
- World Elite Concierge $150/yr
- Instacart $140/yr
- Global Entry $120 Credit $120/yr
- Lounge Access $99/yr
- Free Checked Bag $60/yr
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
Total est. value: $315/yr
Credits and perks only help if you will actually use them in a typical year.
- $200 Hilton Credit $200/yr
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance $40/yr
- Free Night Reward $25/yr
- Global Assist® Hotline $25/yr
- ShopRunner $25/yr
Welcome bonus
Which welcome bonus is stronger for JetBlue Premier or Hilton Honors American Express Surpass?
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, JetBlue Premier leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend. JetBlue Premier lists 100k JetBlue TrueBlue Rewards Program; Hilton Honors American Express Surpass lists 130k Hilton Honors.
JetBlue Premier
100k JetBlue TrueBlue Rewards Program
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
130k Hilton Honors
Caps & conditions
Caps and earn limits
Both JetBlue Premier and Hilton Honors American Express Surpass carry structured reward caps in the catalog. Compare the category that matters most before assuming the headline multiplier lasts all year.
JetBlue Premier
- 2X points at restaurants
- 2X points at grocery stores
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
- 6X points on dining at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery
- 6X points on gas at U.S. gas stations
- 6X points on groceries at U.S. supermarkets
- 4X points U.S online retail purchases
Who should pick which
Scenario playbook
Cashback-first user
Pick Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is the better cashback-style pick because it has the cleaner effective-rate and fee blend for this pair.
Travel & points user
Pick JetBlue Premier
JetBlue Premier is the stronger travel-style pick because it combines better reward value with more travel-friendly positioning.
No annual fee priority
Pick Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is easier to keep for no-fee users because it has the lighter annual-fee burden in this pair.
Heavy dining spend
Pick Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
For restaurant and dining-coded spend, the winner is whoever posts the stronger dining effective rate after caps and exclusions — see the category matrix for the current snapshot.
Heavy grocery spend
Pick Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
Supermarket and grocery coding can differ from superstores and delivery, so compare the grocery row before you optimize a weekly shopping basket.
Welcome bonus chaser
Pick JetBlue Premier
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, JetBlue Premier leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Fee-sensitive keeper
Pick Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
When you want the card that is easiest to keep year two, annual fee often matters more than a narrow category edge.
Decision guide
Which card is better between JetBlue Premier and Hilton Honors American Express Surpass?
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is the better overall pick because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (53 vs 47) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. JetBlue Premier (2.6% top effective rate) vs Hilton Honors American Express Surpass (3%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
When should you pick JetBlue Premier over Hilton Honors American Express Surpass?
Choose JetBlue Premier if Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2x miles. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement. Travel perks may add value beyond the earn rate.. Best for dining-heavy spend when the $499 fee fits your usage; confirm issuer terms before applying.
Strengths
- Strongest Madeen category is dining at about 2.6% effective (2x miles).
- That dining rate ranks higher than about 81% of cards we track in the category.
- No foreign transaction fee listed.
Tradeoffs
- $499 annual fee requires enough spend in bonus categories to offset.
- JetBlue TrueBlue Rewards Program value depends on how you redeem, not straight cash back.
When should you pick Hilton Honors American Express Surpass over JetBlue Premier?
Choose Hilton Honors American Express Surpass if Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 6x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.. Best for dining-heavy spend when the $150 fee fits your usage; confirm issuer terms before applying.
Strengths
- Strongest Madeen category is dining at about 3% effective (6x points).
- That dining rate ranks higher than about 81% of cards we track in the category.
- No foreign transaction fee listed.
Tradeoffs
- $150 annual fee requires enough spend in bonus categories to offset.
- Multiple caps, activations, or exclusions may limit headline earn rates.
Common questions about JetBlue Premier vs Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
Which card is better between JetBlue Premier and Hilton Honors American Express Surpass?
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is the stronger overall fit because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (53 vs 47) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. The overall winner depends on your spend mix — use the scorecard rows and scenario playbook to see where each card actually wins.
Which card wins on dining: JetBlue Premier or Hilton Honors American Express Surpass?
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass leads dining at 3% effective versus 2.6%.
Which card is better for cashback users: JetBlue Premier or Hilton Honors American Express Surpass?
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is the better cashback-style pick between JetBlue Premier and Hilton Honors American Express Surpass.
Which welcome bonus is stronger between JetBlue Premier and Hilton Honors American Express Surpass?
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, JetBlue Premier leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Which card has stronger benefits: JetBlue Premier or Hilton Honors American Express Surpass?
JetBlue Premier leads on estimated annual benefit value in the Madeen snapshot.
Which card has the lower annual fee: JetBlue Premier or Hilton Honors American Express Surpass?
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass has the simpler fee story in this pair ($499 vs $150). Annual fee only wins if you use the rewards and credits that justify it.
Is JetBlue Premier or Hilton Honors American Express Surpass better for travel spend?
JetBlue Premier is the stronger travel-style pick between JetBlue Premier and Hilton Honors American Express Surpass in this snapshot.
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Reviewed by Madeen editorial review
Catalog snapshot 2026-05-01
Updated 2026-08-16
Content tier Premium depth
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