JetBlue Ups Checked-Bag Fees by $5, to $35 for Domestic Flights

NEW YORK (AP) - JetBlue Airways is raising fees for checking bags again by $5 - to $35 for the first one and $40 for the second - on flights within the United States. Passengers can avoid the increase if they pay for their bags at least 24 hours before their flight.

JetBlue spokesman Derek Dombrowski said Friday that the airline believes that "it makes sense to charge for the added services that only certain customers use," while not charging for other things such as on-board TV and Wi-Fi.

Dombrowski added that the $5 discount for those who pay bag fees ahead of time should cut down on transactions in the airport lobby and make for a better travel experience.

The changes took effect for tickets bought on Thursday and were posted on the airline's website.

Passengers who buy certain more expensive types of tickets and those with a JetBlue-branded credit card do not have to pay the fees.

Many U.S. airlines have been charging for checking one or two bags for more than 10 years; Southwest is the major exception. New York-based JetBlue raised the fees by $5 in 2018, and other airlines quickly followed suit at the time.

Source:  Associated Press | January 21, 2020