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JetBlue is protecting its bottom line with baggage fees.
Yesterday, JetBlue announced it would once again increase its baggage fees to counter higher fuel and rising operating costs.
This marks the second time in less than a year that the Queens-based airline has raised baggage fees.
In March, JetBlue hiked its checked-bag fees by up to $9.
Effective Tuesday, JetBlue is again raising first-bag check fees for most economy flights within the U.S., Latin America, and the Caribbean to $50 for off-peak travel (previously $39) and $55 for peak dates (previously $49).
JetBlue told CBS News the uptick will “help us keep our base fares competitive while giving customers the choice to pay for a checked bag only if they need one.”
The airline also encouraged travelers to add checked bags at least 24 hours before departure to activate savings of up to $15 on the first checked bag.
It also pays to be a card member.
Per the airline, JetBlue Plus, JetBlue Business, and JetBlue Premier cardmembers can check one bag for free for the cardholder and up to three travel companions.
Additionally, TrueBlue Mosaic members can check at least one bag for free, while Mosaic 2, 3, and 4 members each get two free checked bags.
JetBlue is no outlier in the bag price increase.
United Airlines, Delta, and Southwest have all increased their checked bag fees in the past year amid staggering fuel prices.
Jet fuel prices have surged by about 86% since the Iran war began back in February. Before the war, prices were about $2.39 a gallon, while they currently sit at $4.44 per gallon.
However, experts note that these higher bag fees might remain in place even after jet fuel prices fall.
“Airlines are looking at creative ways to help their bottom line as jet fuel prices soar, taking their expenses along with it. Increased ancillaries like bag fees unfortunately may be here to stay even after airline costs deflate,” Katy Nastro, a travel correspondent at Flighty, previously told the Post.
Earlier this month, JetBlue revealed it was partnering with Virgin Voyages to provide exclusively adult vacations from airport gate to shipping port.
The Do Not Disturb package — including round-trip, kid-free JetBlue flights, the Virgin Voyages sailing and exclusive VIP experiences and add-ons throughout the journey — is $2,750 for two.
In June, JetBlue announced it was shutting down key operations at Newark and LaGuardia airports and shifting resources to booming South Florida to restore profitability.
The airline will close its flight attendant base at Newark and its technical operations bases there and at LaGuardia as part of a broader effort to cut costs and expand service in Florida.
Earlier this year, JetBlue was sued in a proposed class action claiming it uses customers’ personal data to set ticket prices, after its response to a social media post raised concerns that the carrier employed “surveillance pricing” to make flying more expensive.
