Overview
- JetBlue increased the price of a first checked bag to $39 on non‑peak days and $49 on peak travel days, up from $35 and $40, according to its website.
- The airline cited rising operating costs for the change and added extra charges for bags paid less than a day before departure or at the airport.
- Customers with a co‑branded JetBlue credit card or eligible elite status still receive their free checked‑bag benefit.
- Other major U.S. carriers had not changed domestic checked‑bag fees as of March 30, while airlines abroad are canceling flights, adding fuel surcharges, or cutting capacity to manage higher costs.
- Jet fuel prices jumped more than 80% between February 27 and March 30 after tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slowed during the Iran conflict, raising costs across aviation.