JetBlue Airways this week raised the price to check a bag on domestic flights by up to $9, becoming one of the first U.S. carriers to begin charging more for extras as the war in Iran causes oil prices to skyrocket. But, experts say, it’s unlikely to be the last.
JetBlue prices checked bags depending on date of travel and when passengers pay for them. On the low end, a first checked bag paid for more than 24 hours before departure for a nonpeak flight rises by $4 to $39. On the high end, a first bag paid for at departure during a peak travel time goes up by $9 to $59. Other major U.S. carriers generally charge $35 for one checked bag on a domestic flight.
The changes apply in the airline’s standard cabins for passengers who do not get free checked bags through JetBlue-branded credit cards.
JetBlue said in a statement that though fee increases were “never ideal,” they were carried out “only when necessary.”
“Adjusting fees for optional services used by select customers, such as checked baggage, allows us to continue offering more competitive fares while delivering the onboard experience our customers love,” the statement said.
Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group, a research firm specializing in the travel industry, called JetBlue’s action “ironic,” given its history as a low-cost carrier, though understandable, given the escalating financial strain on airlines. Higher bag fees were most likely more palatable to customers than more expensive airfares, Mr. Harteveldt said, adding that JetBlue’s price bump could inspire other domestic airlines to follow suit.
“U.S. airlines have to find ways to recoup that where they can,” he said. “They know they can increase fares only so much.”
Since the war in Iran began on Feb. 28, jet fuel costs have climbed more than 80 percent, to $4.56 a gallon on Wednesday, according to Argus Media.
Airfares — both domestic and international — have also jumped since the war started, according to an analysis of economy round-trip tickets by the travel search engine Kayak: On March 23, an average international trip cost $952, compared with $772 on Feb. 23, and a domestic trip cost $349, compared with $336 on Feb. 23.
Last-minute flights are notably becoming more expensive. Last Friday, JetBlue was charging an average of $368 for a same-day one-way domestic flight, a 16 percent increase from the previous week and the highest airfare jump among major U.S. carriers, according to an analysis of flight pricing by Deutsche Bank.
International tickets purchased on the same day also generally cost more than they did before the war began. The average price for a Delta Air Lines international flight was about $850 on Feb. 27. A month later, it had risen to $1,506, according to the Deutsche Bank analysis.
Industry analysts say the biggest airfare jumps have come for flights this summer. Katy Nastro, a travel expert at Going.com, a membership service for cheap flights, noted that typical domestic airfares were up about 20 percent from the same period last year. International tickets rose a more modest 3 percent, she added.
“There is likely some panic buying as well, contributing to higher summer fares, but the impact is evident,” she said.
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Christine Chung is a Times reporter covering airlines and consumer travel.
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