Long gone are the days JetBlue would give passengers those blue airplane pillow and blankets for free, but at least their airplanes have extra legroom right? Well, not for long. JetBlue Airways Corp. announced Wednesday that it will take steps to cut back on its legroom in the future and plans on adding fees as early as 2015.
The airline said it will increase the number of seats on its Airbus A320 plane from 150 to 165, which will decrease leg room by almost 5 percent. The airline will also add a fourth flight attendant on these planes to comply with federal rules.
Despite stocks being up more than 50 percent in 2014, JetBlue is making changes after feeling pressure from analysts and investors to stop giving their passengers too much for low-prices. JetBlue will follow in the footsteps of American Airlines and Frontier Airlines, adding three new airfare classes that differ on free baggage policies.
"Beginning in the first half of 2015, customers will be able to choose between three branded fare bundle options. The first of these will be designed for customers who do not plan to check a bag, while the latter two will offer one and two free checked bags, respectively, along with other attractive benefits, including additional TrueBlue points and increased flexibility," a press release reads. " This new merchandising platform will enable JetBlue to tailor its offering to individual customers' needs in a way that is simple and transparent."
American Airlines currently uses a similar model that offers passengers a "choice" of fares. Frontier Airlines uses a model that offers low-priced airfares if passengers choose to pay for a carry on or checked-in bag. Southwest Airlines will now remain the only airline that offers free checked bags.
"I'm extremely confident that even with some of the changes today, our customers are going to still feel like JetBlue is offering a better experience than anyone else," JetBlue President Robin Hayes said.
JetBlue first announced the added fees back in August, along with the announcement of more expensive fares for first-class flights between New York and California, and a fee for fast Internet connection.
The airline expected the new initiatives will increase its annual income by $450 million by 2017.
Of course, JetBlue passengers took to Twitter to voice their opinions about the loss of legroom and cost for luggage. Check out some tweets below.
#jetblue will soon start charging for bags and cut down on legroom due to pressure from investors. #GoodbyeJetblue
— Keefe (@95Keefe) November 19, 2014
@IronwoodFinance It seems as though the company no longer has their customers' best interest at heart. #JetBlue #customers — Kevin Donahue (@K4DONAHUE) November 19, 2014
.@JetBlue will start charging you if you have to use the bathroom on the plane now as well. If it's #2, it will cost more. #JetBlue
— Bryan Kremkau (@bryankremkau) November 19, 2014
Baggage fees coming to #JetBlue? So disappointed. You will no longer be my first choice airline if that happens. — Joan Goldstein (@jgoldstein2) November 19, 2014
[Photo Credit: Anthony Quintano/ Flickr]
