JetBlue has once again increased the cost of checked baggage, announcing that bags now cost as much as $70 when checked within 24 hours of departure during “peak” travel periods (which is a misleading way for them to market this, given that the majority of the year is defined as “peak”). On the one hand, having elite status or a credit card with JetBlue continues to become more valuable. On the other hand, flying on JetBlue continues to become more expensive for most, particularly if you’re not careful about adding checked bags far in advance.
New JetBlue checked baggage fees during off-peak travel periods
JetBlue has increased the cost of checked baggage for travel during standard times, as follows:
Within the U.S., Latin America, Caribbean and Canada
More than 24 hours prior to departure
- Main Base/Main/Main Flex, EvenMore® Base/EvenMore/EvenMore Flex:
- 1st checked bag: $50
- 2nd checked bag: $70
Within 24 hours of departure
- Main Base/Main/Main Flex, EvenMore® Base/EvenMore/EvenMore Flex:
- 1st checked bag: $60
- 2nd checked bag: $75
Transatlantic flights
More than 24 hours prior to departure
- Main Base/Main/Main Flex, EvenMore® Base/EvenMore/EvenMore Flex:
- 1st checked bag: $80/£70/€75
- 2nd checked bag: $115/£95/€105
Within 24 hours of departure
- Main Base/Main/Main Flex, EvenMore® Base/EvenMore/EvenMore Flex:
- 1st checked bag: $90/£80/€85
- 2nd checked bag: $120/£100/€110
New JetBlue checked baggage fees during peak travel periods
JetBlue is charging EvenMore for checked baggage during “peak” travel dates. Unfortunately, at the time of publication, they define 223 of the next 365 days as peak. That means 61% of the dates over the next year are peak dates. There’s a greater-than-50% chance that you’ll be subject to peak pricing if you just close your days and point to a random date on the calendar; I would therefore assume that the dates when you actually want to travel will most likely be peak.
The current list of peak travel dates includes:
The new checked baggage fees for travel during the majority of the year are as follows:
Within the U.S., Latin America, Caribbean and Canada
More than 24 hours prior to departure
- Main Base/Main/Main Flex, EvenMore® Base/EvenMore/EvenMore Flex:
- 1st checked bag: $55
- 2nd checked bag: $75
Within 24 hours of departure
- Main Base/Main/Main Flex, EvenMore® Base/EvenMore/EvenMore Flex:
- 1st checked bag: $70
- 2nd checked bag: $85
Transatlantic flights
More than 24 hours prior to departure
- Main Base/Main/Main Flex, EvenMore® Base/EvenMore/EvenMore Flex:
- 1st checked bag: $90/£80/€85
- 2nd checked bag: $125/£105/€115
Within 24 hours of departure
- Main Base/Main/Main Flex, EvenMore® Base/EvenMore/EvenMore Flex:
- 1st checked bag: $100/£90/€95
- 2nd checked bag: $130/£110/€120
How to avoid paying checked baggage fees on JetBlue
The good news is that if you want to avoid paying for your first checked bag, you can simply get a JetBlue Plus or JetBlue Premier credit card. Both cards offer the first checked bag for free, both domestically/regionally and transatlantically. If you would check just one bag round trip one time per year, the JetBlue Plus card could easily pay for itself.
Elite members also continue to get free checked bags, with Mosaic 1 members getting one free checked bag and Mosaic 2-4 members getting two free checked bags regardless of the itinerary.
You’ll save a little bit of money by paying for your checked baggage fees in advance, though whether you pay for them in advance or at the airport, there’s no doubt that the cost of checking bags has increased substantially over the last couple of years. If you don’t have a way to get free checked bags, you really need to factor in the cost of bags when comparing tickets across multiple airlines.
I’m disappointed to see these increases, though not surprised, as the cost of fuel has continued to rise and JetBlue needs to bring in more revenue. Hopefully, most readers will be able to avoid the pain of these increased fees through either a credit card or elite status. Ultimately, that’s the bright side, in my opinion. Those who are savvy to the system will continue to enjoy the benefit even though the cost has increased.
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