JetBlue caves to pressure, adds checked bag fee

[700UW]

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/jetblue-caves-pressure-adds-checked-bag-fee-article-1.2276163?utm_content=buffer9717d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=NYDN+Facebook

 

The era of free checked suitcases on JetBlue has come to an end.
 
The airline proudly proclaimed itself a holdout on fees for years, allowing passengers to check one bag for free. Now it will charge up to $25 for checked luggage.
 
The move leaves Southwest Airlines as the only major U.S. carrier not to charge a bag fee.
 

 

 

[WorldTraveler]

it will be interesting to see how B6 passenger loyalty is changed by this.

WN has repeatedly said they won't add baggage fees because it would lose passengers. B6' network is far more competitive so if adding checked baggage fees hurts passenger loyalty, then WN absolutely won't move. I would bet that B6 will be fine and WN will end up adding bag fees and be no worse because of it.

 

[eolesen]

IOW, Jetblue finally realized that they were leaving a lot of money on the table, and fees really weren't influencing passenger loyalty or choice nearly as much as some pundits thought it would.

I expect WN will eventually add fees when they finally switch off their dinosaur era automation. That remains a huge limitation in SAAS and their home-grown solutions. Obviously wasn't a limitation that either TZ or FL had prior to being integrated into WN.

 

[swamt]

IOW, Jetblue finally realized that they were leaving a lot of money on the table, and fees really weren't influencing passenger loyalty or choice nearly as much as some pundits thought it would.

I expect WN will eventually add fees when they finally switch off their dinosaur era automation. That remains a huge limitation in SAAS and their home-grown solutions. Obviously wasn't a limitation that either TZ or FL had prior to being integrated into WN.

I think you are correct about SWA going to bag fees.  It might take awhile as they will want to keep picking up some travelers now from JB for the bag fees being added.  I see it as another source of boosting the income after this new growth from W/A, DCA, LGA, and international settles down a little. I also see SWA starting the bag fees at a very low intro and possibly only going to about or around half of what all the other airlines are charging.  But, SWA may very well wait it out, see if the increase in passengers is enough to offset the bag fees and continue for some time and can now advertise even more on the free bags as the only airline left to not charge for the bags, SWA will use this to their advantage to kick off yet another free bag campaign.    I say 50/50 on SWA going to the bag fees, but if they do I would say half price bag fees.  JMO