JetBlue said Tuesday it is raising checked bag fees again, pushing the first bag to $50 on domestic, Caribbean and Latin American flights for most economy passengers.
By the numbers: Off-peak first bags go from $39 to $50, and peak first bags go from $49 to $55. The new prices took effect Tuesday for most economy fares.
The backstory: JetBlue already raised checked bag fees by up to $9 in March, citing rising operating costs, and Delta, United and Southwest have each raised theirs this year.
- Jet fuel, an airline's second largest operating cost after labour, sat at $4.41 a gallon on Monday against just over $2 a gallon in January, per Airlines for America.
The big picture: Surging global oil prices have pushed jet fuel sharply higher this year, and carriers have recovered much of it through bag fees while holding base fares down.
Zoom in: Adding a bag at least 24 hours before departure saves up to $15 on the first checked bag, the airline says.
- JetBlue Plus, Business and Premier cardmembers check one bag free for themselves and up to three companions, and TrueBlue Mosaic members get at least one free bag.
What they're saying: The increase "helps us keep our base fares competitive while giving customers the choice to pay for a checked bag only if they need one," JetBlue told CBS News.
Why it matters: Bag fees are charged per person and each way, so this lands hardest on families flying at peak holiday times, and the levers a traveller controls are a carry-on, a co-branded card, or booking the bag a day ahead.
