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The
price climbs to $55 during peak travel periods, including
Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, if passengers pay at least
24 hours before departure. Those who wait until the final 24
hours will pay $60 during off-peak periods and $70 during peak
periods.
“We’re adjusting checked bag fees to help offset rising fuel and
operating costs," JetBlue said in an emailed statement. “This
helps us keep our base fares competitive while giving customers
the choice to pay for a checked bag only if they need one.”
At the start of the year, the first checked bag on most economy
domestic JetBlue flights cost $35 during off-peak periods. But
that was before the Iran war started in late February with
U.S.-Israeli strikes and sent jet fuel prices swinging.
The fee for a second checked bag has also increased, starting at
$70 each way during off-peak periods and $75 during peak travel.
Passengers checking their bags at the airport can pay as much as
$85 for a second bag.
JetBlue, which has its flagship terminal at New York’s John F.
Kennedy International Airport, previously raised its checked
baggage fees in March. That increase helped set off a broader
round of baggage fee hikes among major U.S. airlines, including
Delta, United, American and Southwest.
The war with Iran remains unresolved, keeping traffic largely
restricted through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping
route for global oil supplies. The disruption has kept jet fuel
prices elevated.
JetBlue executives said last week during the airline's
third-quarter earnings call that demand has remained resilient
even as fares have risen in response to higher jet fuel prices.
JetBlue said its average fuel price reached $3.91 per gallon in
the summer, up 57% from a year earlier, and is expected to climb
to $4.64 during the final three months of the year, up 85% from
the same time last year.
Some travelers, including eligible co-branded credit card
holders and members of JetBlue’s loyalty program, can still
check bags for free, the airline said.
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