JetBlue overhauls fares ahead of BlueFirst launch

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- JetBlue is overhauling its fare structure ahead of debuting BlueFirst, a new domestic first-class product slated to launch later this year, with no start date yet announced.
- The new booking flow organizes travel by legroom and seat tier first — Main (economy), Even More (extra legroom with priority boarding and airport screening), and BlueFirst — before customers choose a fare option within each.
- Three fare tiers apply within each cabin: Base (carry-on included but no seat selection, refundable as travel credit, 1 TrueBlue point per $1), Standard (seat selection, no change/cancel fee though fare differences apply, 3 TrueBlue points per $1), and Flex (refunds return to original form of payment).
- JetBlue is eliminating its current "Core" fares and consolidating economy options under a new "Main" category.
- The lie-flat Mint business class — used on transcontinental and select European routes to Paris, London, and Milan — will offer only Standard and Flex fares, with no basic Mint option.
- JetBlue stopped short of matching United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, which both launched basic lie-flat business fares this year; United this month said it will charge a premium for a blocked middle seat on some aircraft.
- The changes arrive as airlines chase high demand for pricier seats; JetBlue is set to report quarterly results on Tuesday.
Why it matters: JetBlue is following United and Delta in unbundling premium cabins into multiple fare tiers, but it held back from offering a basic lie-flat Mint fare competitors have introduced. Travelers get new price flexibility within each cabin — Base starts cheapest but excludes seat selection, while Flex returns refunds to the original payment form — as the airline retires existing "Core" economy fares.



