JetBlue recently, quietly, has made changes to its checked-bag policy—about two months after it raised those fees—to differentiate between peak and off-peak pricing, according to its website. The increases follow not only its own prior hikes but also those made since January by Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and United Airlines.
The fees JetBlue updated in February remain the same for off-peak flights: $45 for the first checked bag and $60 for the second for flights booked within the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean, if checked within 24 hours of departure. If checked prior to that, there is a $10 discount.
But for peak flight times, the charges increase to $50 and $70, respectively, with a $10 discount if checked more than 24 hours before departure. JetBlue has defined peak times mostly around spring break, holidays and summer travel, including: April 1-29, June 20 to Sept. 3, Nov. 21 to Dec. 2, Dec. 19 to Jan. 6, 2025, Feb. 13-24, 2025, and April 3-28, 2025. "All other travel dates would be off-peak pricing," according to the website.
The new peak-fare pricing applies to bookings made on or after March 22, 2024.
Blue Plus fares and JetBlue Plus cardmembers still get a first bag checked for free. Mint fares get two free checked bags, up to 70 pounds. Mosaic members get two free checked bags, with no weight limitation noted.
JetBlue in an emailed statement provided to BTN said: "The cost of transporting bags has gone up significantly due to increased wages and higher fuel costs, and we remain unprofitable since COVID. While we don’t like increasing fees, we are making these adjustments to help get our company back to profitability and cover the increased costs. By adjusting fees for added services that only certain customers use, especially during periods of highest demand for limited space in the cargo hold, we can keep base fares as low as possible and ensure customer favorites like seatback TVs and high-speed Wi-Fi remain free for everyone."
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