JetBlue Is Making a Big Change to Its Baggage Policy
Many JetBlue passengers have opted for the carrier's low-cost Blue Basic ticket tier, which up until now has included a free personal item. Now, in a major shift for the airline, basic economy passengers will also be able to bring one free carry-on onboard.
The company just announced that starting Sept. 4, all Blue Basic fares will include one free carry-on bag, regardless of when the ticket was purchased.
"Carry-on bags are an important piece of travel to customers, and when presented with a choice between JetBlue’s award-winning service and another carrier’s basic offering, we want JetBlue to be the easy winner," JetBlue president Marty St. George said of the move, per USA Today. "We’re always looking for ways to evolve our offering in response to customer preferences. This is a win-win as we improve the customer experience and keep JetBlue competitive in our industry."
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Up until now, if you wanted to bring a carry-on on your JetBlue flight, you had to pay more for a Blue or Blue Extra ticket. That doesn't mean your bag is guaranteed to make it aboard, however, as it depends on bag size and flight capacity.
"While many of JetBlue’s aircraft are outfitted with larger overhead bins to accommodate more customers, in the event of space constraints, customers may be required to check carry-on bags at the gate for no additional charge," JetBlue said in a statement. "Customers who want to board earlier to utilize overhead bin space will now find even more value in purchasing the more flexible Blue fare, JetBlue’s second lowest fare that comes with free advanced seat selection, no cancellation or change fees, and general boarding. Blue Basic customers remain the final group to board."
The new policy will take effect at the tail end of the summer travel season, but holiday flyers this year will surely be happy with the change.