JetBlue will charge $70 for changes on fares of $99 or less; $90 for changes on fares of up to $149; and $135 on fares of $149 and up. Southwest Airlines is now the only major United States airline carrier that doesn’t charge a baggage fee.
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The airline plans to reinvest the millions of dollars it will collect from bag fees into new seats and TVs, according to Marty St. George, JetBlue’s executive vice president of commercial products and planning. In further fare restructuring, JetBlue has lowered its flight change fees.
JetBlue has implemented its new fare structure and has begun charging a $20 fee for the first checked bag to customers who purchase the least expensive fare option.
JetBlue’s three-tier-system can work in consumers’ favor, if they know what they want. A second bag is included in the Blue Flex rate. Passengers with existing reservations will still get to check one bag free. Those who use a kiosk or check-in online will only pay $20 to check an item of luggage. Blue Plus prices require passengers to pay for a second piece of luggage. Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways do not, although JetBlue is about to start charging for some types of tickets. The cheapest, called Blue, doesn’t include a checked bag – although passengers can always add one later at a higher cost. Third, the Blue Flex fares include JetBlue’s “Even More Speed” expedited security. If that is the case, then customers could save approximately $5 to $10 if they upgrade their tickets. But JetBlue says Blue Flex fares will “generally” be about $85 more than Blue Plus and about $100 more than basic Blue fares.
The development comes after years of resistance to added fees from JetBlue.
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Aside from TrueBlue booking bonuses, the other fees (for meals, Wi-Fi, DirecTV, and so on) remain the same. According to US Today, JetBlue made the announcement in November, but did not release full details until June 30.
