For travelers who spring for the more expensive “Blue Plus” fares, one checked bag is included and a third higher-priced tier, allows passengers to bring two checked bags at no additional cost.
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Say goodbye to a free checked bag on JetBlue Airways Corp. if you buy the cheapest ticket.
No matter what class they’re flying, all passengers will be charged $100 for additional extra bag.
The move, introduced Tuesday as part of JetBlue’s three-tiered “Fare Options”, leaves Southwest Airlines Co.as the only major US carrier not charging for an initial piece of checked luggage. Frugal travelers can elect the lowest price, with no free bag.
The airline plans to reinvest The millions of dollars it will collect from bag fees into new seats and TVs, reported by Marty St George, JetBlue’s executive vice president of commercial products and planning.
As reported by CNN, there is an average $15 difference between Blue and Blue Plus fares and around an $85 difference between Blue Plus and Blue Flex.
JetBlue opted to end the free-bag policy under pressure from investors and analysts to boost revenue after the company failed to reach targets for return on invested capital.
Even after the degradation, JetBlue’s economy product will still be better than any other airline’s economy product.
Blue, a basic bare-bones fare that allows only one carry-on bag and one personal item.
The airline fell 2.8 percent to $20.20 at 4 p.m.in New York as other carriers also declined.
Customers who protested the planned demise of the free checked bag in November will probably express their unhappiness again when the new system debuts, Stifel’s DeNardi said. By the end of next year, it will offer free Internet on all its Airbus A320 and A321 jets. Passengers will still have to pay at the airport for their checked bags but St. George notes that about 75 per cent of passengers book directly with JetBlue. JetBlue may seek to offset that by initially discounting base fares, he said.
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Some fees are being cut. Customers who booked flights before Tuesday will still be able to check a suitcase for free, but those booking last-minute summer vacations and all other trips on or after Tuesday will have to pay up to $25 for their first checked bag. Blue Plus costs $15 more each way than Blue.
