JetBlue Airways has raised the cost of checking bags, following in the footsteps of American Airlines. Customers will now have to pay $45 to check one bag and $60 for a second bag if they do so within 24 hours of their flight departure. However, customers can save $10 on each of their first two checked bags if they add them before check-in. Previously, JetBlue charged $35 for the first checked bag and $60 for the second if they were added at the airport or within 24 hours of departure.
These changes were not announced by JetBlue through any recent press releases or social media posts. The airline first raised its checked baggage fee to $30 in the summer of 2018 and then increased the price again in January 2020 to $35 for the first checked bag and $45 for the second.
American Airlines, on the other hand, has announced that checking a bag on a domestic flight will rise from $30 to $35 if purchased online and $40 if purchased at the airport. The fee for a second checked bag will rise from $40 to $45 both online and at the airport. The airline is also raising bag fees by $5 for short international flights, including those to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. However, customers with elite status in American’s loyalty program, a premium-class ticket, or an American-branded credit card will be allowed to check at least one bag free.
American Airlines introduced bag fees in 2008 to cope with the rising cost of jet fuel and has since become a steady revenue source for most major U.S. carriers. In 2022, American led the industry by raising $1.4 billion in bag fees. The airline is also cutting the cost of transferring points between frequent-flyer accounts and announced that customers will have to buy tickets directly from the airline or its partner carriers or from preferred online travel agencies if they want to earn points in its AAdvantage loyalty program.
The changes come as part of a long shift by airlines away from using travel agents and bringing ticket sales in-house. About 60% of American’s ticket sales are already made directly through the airline, according to Scott Chandler, vice president of revenue management.
These changes in bag fees and ticket sales are expected to have a significant impact on customers, especially frequent flyers, who will need to adjust to the new policies.
