As a result of its egalitarian economy plan, JetBlue disrupted the airline industry in 1999, rising to become the sixth-largest airline in North America, serving over 100 cities with at least 1,000 flights daily.
JetBlue's routes are mainly in North America, but it now offers transatlantic flights from New York to London and Paris. There are swanky, next-generation Mint business-class suites aboard these flights.
Fare classes
In addition to basic economy, JetBlue also offers business class and first class fares.
Blue Basic
The JetBlue Blue Basic fare offers significant savings to budget fliers. While the ticket itself is cheaper, expect to pay extra for:
- Personal items and transatlantic flights are not allowed in carry-on bags
- Checked bags
- Changes and cancellations
- Advance seat selection
Additionally, you can board last and earn just one TrueBlue point per dollar (instead of three on all other fares).
As Tripadvisor user Elddis74 points out, though, the frills might not matter to you. He says, "I looked at this airline and it was labelled as a budget airline, but I wouldn't categorize it as a budget airline. It was a superb flight, and the return flight was equally excellent."
Blue
It is JetBlue's term for regular economy tickets. Blue lets fliers bring a carry-on bag and personal item aboard for free, waives change and cancellation fees, lets them choose a seat in advance, and boards with the general group for free. However, on flights to London and Paris, only one suitcase is free for checked bags.
Blue Extra
A Blue Extra ticket gives you even more benefits. You can stand by or switch to another flight on the same day without paying a fee, choose from more seats in advance, and board early. It is still necessary to pay for checked bags except on transatlantic flights. Additionally, Blue Extra passengers may be able to take advantage of the airline's priority check-in and security service - which is also available to Even More Space customers.
Mint
A few of the airline's longer routes, including transcontinental flights and Caribbean routes, offer its signature Mint business class seats and service. These tickets come with all of the perks listed above, plus two free checked bags and first shot at boarding. You can also upgrade to lie-flat seats on certain flights for an additional fee.
Mint fares are much more expensive than economy ones, as you can imagine. As Tripadvisor commenter @644jeremyb wrote, "The upcharge is worth it, because they do a great job looking after their passengers, from preboarding to flat beds that are extremely comfortable." In addition, they offer a variety of meal options, all of which deliver smaller portions, but they are also far more tasty and imaginative than the major airlines."
Even More Space
This isn't quite an experience by itself, but there are upgrades available to this experience, such as more legroom in coach, expedited check-in, security, and boarding. Despite a slight increase in legroom, the seats aren't all that comfortable. This is according to TripAdvisor user @GoldnAdvice, who summarized the experience in the following way: "Unfortunately, JetBlue has not improved its seats thus I had a very uncomfortable seat."
Does JetBlue charge for phone reservations?
Flights booked or modified by phone or through chat are subject to a $25 fee per-person on the reservation. Skip the fee by booking on jetblue.com or managing your existing JetBlue Reservation from the Manage trips page. Booked through a travel agent?
Change and Cancellation Policies
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, JetBlue relaxed its cancellation and change policies. Starting June 8, 2021, most fares, except Blue Basic, will be free of change and cancellation fees. Flights in the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America will incur a $100 change or cancellation fee, whereas other routes will incur a $200 fee.
In case of a JetBlue Flight Change or Cancellation, customers with Blue, Blue Extra, Blue Plus, and Mint tickets will not be charged. However, they will have to pay any applicable fare difference. Instead of a refund, you will usually receive a credit towards your next trip. According to Tripadvisor contributor @patriciaU3085IG, this might be harder to use than it sounds. I was unable to make a trip I had booked for July, so I cancelled it in late February. Instead of refunding my JetBlue credit card, they gave me a Travel Bank Credit which must be used by December 2024.
On the same day, you will be charged $75 to standby or switch flights unless you are a Mosaic elite member, or if you purchased a Blue Extra fare, in which case there will not be a fare difference.
JetBlue Bag Policy/Fees
While we strive to keep JetBlue's baggage policies and fees as updated as possible, changes can happen at any time. For our Economy baggage fee chart.
- JetBlue Airlines Personal Item
It is not allowed to have items that exceed 17" in length, 13" in width, and 8" in height under the front seat.
- JetBlue Airlines Carry-on Bag
If booked after February 25, 21 and for travel by July 20, 21, you will not be permitted to bring a carry-on bag. Any carry-on bag brought to the gate (other than a personal item that fits under the seat in front of you) will incur a fee and need to be checked. The fee is $65 for the first or second checked bag and $180 for the third bag.
Each Blue Plus, Blue Extra, and Mint fare includes a carry-on bag that fits in the overhead bin. Carry-on bags cannot exceed 22 inches long, 14 inches wide, and 9 inches high.
- JetBlue Airlines Checked Bag
JetBlue charges $35 for the first bag and $40 to $100 for the second bag depending on the fare type, destination, and airline status. Bag fees between the U.S. and the U.K. are $65 for the first bag and $105 for the second bag on Blue Basic. With all other classes of service, two bags are included with the ticket price.
The weight and size of checked bags must meet the requirements. Checked bags exceeding 50 pounds (22.68 kg) will be charged.
- Sports equipment fees on JetBlue Airlines
The maximum weight for any sports equipment is 99 lbs. Any sports equipment weighing more than 99 lbs will not be allowed to travel.
There will be handling fees associated with large sports gear. Bikes, surfboards, kiteboarding and windsurfing equipment will be accepted as checked bags on domestic and international flights. The per-item fee is $100 per way, plus any checked bag fees associated with the fare purchased.
Food and Beverage
- In coach, passengers can enjoy free packaged snacks such as Cheez-Its and Chewy bars, along with complimentary drinks such as sodas, juices, water, and Dunkin' coffees. A Tripadvisor commenter commented on a recent flight from Philadelphia to Orlando: "There were no delays, the flight was so comfortable and the snacks and food were delicious."
- The airline offers alcohol-free beverages, as well as EatUp boxes (on flights longer than two hours), which include hummus, olives, and crackers from the Mediterranean and cheese, crackers, and dried cherries from the Mediterranean. You can also buy fuller cheese plates, sandwiches, and salads. According to a Tripadvisor review by @thebay_to_newengland, "I got hungry on our way back home so purchased a turkey sandwich for $12.00. The quality was good, but the price was high."
- If you're flying Mint, you can expect a much higher-end meal and drinks service with a selection of small plates to choose from, courtesy of Delicious Hospitality Group. The offerings vary by route and schedule.
- Their signature cocktail, the Mint Condition, features Bombay Sapphire gin or Tito's vodka, ginger, lime, cucumber, and mint, and Parcelle Wine offers a wide selection of wines. You can choose from a variety of dishes, including lasagna, farro with snap peas, radish, and pistachios, roasted shrimp, and Tuscan fried chicken, by consulting the airline's menu before you fly.
- At Mint, JetBlue flier and Tripadvisor user @travis219m wrote, "The food service was great. There were three main entree options. I got chicken curry, beef filet, and truffle ravioli. They were all delicious!"
JetBlue points: how to earn them
There are several ways to earn JetBlue points, and the best part is they don't expire. For most flights, you earn 3X TrueBlue points per dollar of base fare; however, for JetBlue Basic flights, you earn one point per dollar. JetBlue offers 200 points for booking an Even More Space seat and 300 points for traveling with a pet. Finally, JetBlue vacation packages allow you to earn points on the entire itinerary, not just the flight.
Shopping through the TrueBlue Shopping portal allows you to earn additional JetBlue points with your purchases. It is free to use and features many popular stores, including Best Buy, Home Depot, Staples, and Groupon. In most cases, you’ll earn 3X points per dollar spent through the portal, plus there are coupons that can save you money.
Additional points can also be earned by crediting your flights on JetBlue's partner airlines. JetBlue's airline partners include Aer Lingus, Emirates, Hawaiian Airlines, and JSX.
JetBlue has partnered with American Express, Capital One, Chase, and Citibank to allow you to transfer points you earn with those cards to your TrueBlue account if you're a loyal JetBlue flyer.
Points pooling
Families are able to pool points and use them to book flights through the TrueBlue travel portal, one of the unique features of JetBlue TrueBlue. Creating a JetBlue points pool is free, and it only requires two members, but you can pool points with up to seven friends and family.
Likewise, members contribute 100% of their points to the pool and can still redeem their individual points for award bookings. This allows the leader to book award travel more quickly by pooling points from several accounts.
JetBlue Airways allows pets to fly with them
Besides your pet, your approved pet carrier must fit under the seat in front of you. The pet carrier cannot exceed 17′′L x 12.5′′W x 8.5′′H, and the combined weight of your pet and carrier cannot exceed 20 pounds).
The CDC has issued a directive banning dogs from flying to or from Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Peru, Barbados, Trinidad Tobago, and London.
Recent awards
JetBlue Airways has been honored with the following accolades:
- D. Power North America Airline Satisfaction Study's top low-cost carrier for 13 years
- The best regional business class in North America according to Tripadvisor
- Number 1 Domestic Airline in the Travel Leisure Best Awards for 2019, 2020, and 2021
Most common complaints
When it comes to customer satisfaction, JetBlue consistently leads the pack. But where does the majority of complaints come from?
- According to the DOT Air Travel Consumer Report for August 2022, JetBlue ranked seventh best in consumer complaints among the top ten airlines. The number of complaints received in August 2021 was 9.19 complaints per 100,000 enplanements. While that may not seem great, the number of complaints was only 9.73 per 100,000 enplanements.
- (According to the DOT report, these statistics are compiled by the Aviation Consumer Protection Division of the OAEP, so we will explain them in more detail. In light of the fact that most people are not filing formal complaints, but rather grumble on social media or the like, the above numbers are provided in light of consumer rankings/ratings..)
- The same DOT analysis ranks JetBlue sixth out of 10 when it comes to mishandled baggage in August 2022 with 0.59 mishandled bags per 100 enplanements. JetBlue sits at the middle of the pack, but this is just a slight drop from the August 2021 statistic of 0.60 mishandled bags per 100 enplanements.
