JetBlue is charging more for checked luggage for the second time this year as the busy holiday travel season begins and jet fuel costs remain elevated. The revised fees apply to tickets bought on or after Nov. 3, increasing baggage costs for most economy passengers traveling within the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean.
For those travelers, the first checked bag now starts at $50 each way, compared with the previous starting price of $39. During peak travel periods, including Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, the charge is $55 when paid at least 24 hours before departure. Passengers paying within the final 24 hours face fees of $60 outside peak periods and $70 during peak travel.
A second checked bag also costs more under the revised pricing. The starting charge is $70 each way during off-peak travel and $75 during peak periods. Travelers who check their luggage at the airport may pay up to $85 for a second bag. Some passengers remain eligible for free checked baggage, including qualifying holders of co-branded credit cards and members of JetBlue’s loyalty program.
At the beginning of the year, most economy passengers on JetBlue’s domestic flights paid $35 for a first checked bag during off-peak periods. That was before U.S.-Israeli strikes in late February began the Iran war, triggering swings in jet fuel prices.
JetBlue’s earlier baggage fee increase came in March and helped prompt similar increases at other major U.S. carriers, including Delta, United, American and Southwest. The airline, whose flagship terminal is at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, said in the spring that higher fees would help cover rising operating expenses while keeping base fares competitive.
The unresolved war continues to restrict traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, an important route for global oil shipments. That disruption has sustained pressure on jet fuel prices. The Associated Press emailed JetBlue seeking comment on the latest baggage charges on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
During its third-quarter earnings call last week, JetBlue executives said demand had held up despite fare increases tied to higher fuel costs. The airline reported an average summer fuel price of $3.91 per gallon, a 57% increase from a year earlier. It expects that figure to reach $4.64 per gallon in the final three months of the year, 85% above the corresponding period last year.
