Today, JetBlue has announced that a new “BlueFirst” cabin, a pseudo-first-class experience on domestic routes that do not have Mint cabins, will be coming later this year. Along with that news came the announcement that they are bringing the “basic economy” experience to both Even More and that new first class cabin. That’s a bummer since it means that you may book a first class ticket or an Even More space ticket and be unable to select your seat (and also face a fee if you need to change or cancel).
The meat of JetBlue’s announcement today seemed to be the coming launch of what they are dubbing BlueFirst, their new first-class experience on flights that don’t feature a Mint cabin. Details are light at this point, but expect recliner seating. We don’t yet know how things like upgrades may work to that first-class cabin.
However, along with the announcement of the launch of BlueFirst came the announcement that JetBlue will “simplify fare classes.” Whereas they currently have Blue Basic, Blue Extra, even more space, and Mint, “in the coming days” they are going to be moving to Base, Standard, and Flex, doing away with Blue Basic and Blue altogether. Instead, the Base level will be equivalent to what most people know as basic economy, but it will now expand to EvenMore and BlueFirst.
Base fares will include a carry-on but will not include seat selection and will feature change and cancellation fees. Yes, even in BlueFirst you’ll be subject to change and cancellation fees. If you don’t purchase a standard fare or higher, you’ll also only earn one true Blue point per dollar spent on those base fares. Here is a look at the breakdown:
Personally, I would be pretty disappointed if I paid up for an Even More Space seat and couldn’t pick that seat prior to departure. I’m sure that’s what JetBlue wants, because they will be offering Standard fares that include seat selection and have no change or cancellation fees. Those Standard fares will also come with three JetBlue TrueBlue points per dollar spent, though both Base and Standard fares will only be refunded as a travel credit if you cancel your trip.
The most expensive fare bucket will still be Flex. Those flex fares add the ability to refund your ticket to the original method of payment if you cancel your trip, but you’ll still only earn three TrueBlue points per dollar spent.
It makes sense that JetBlue would want to compete for premium passengers. As of now, while many frequent flyers consider JetBlue’s Mint class to be a superior business class option, the problem has been that Mint is only available on select routes like premium transcontinental flights, the routes they operate to Europe, and select Caribbean routes. Later this year, that will change, and I suppose JetBlue is hoping that will help them be more competitive with the likes of American, Delta, and United.
I’m rooting for JetBlue, but I’m not much of a fan of the idea of base fares expanding to those Even More Space and first class cabins. That said, it isn’t entirely surprising. Once we saw Delta expand the basic experience to premium cabins, it was only a matter of time before we saw the rest of the major players in the United States following in their footsteps.
The landing page says that there will be no change to Mosaic benefits, so I expect that elite members will continue to get free seat selection (and EvenMore space seats, according to elite status level). With the addition of cheaper Even More Space fares, I expect it may become harder to come by those upgraded seat choices at check-in, but time will tell.
The frequently asked questions note that these new fares will launch in the coming days. If you prefer to buy Blue Basic, Blue, or some other fare class for an upcoming trip, you may want to consider doing that now before the new fare classes are launched — though it might also be worth keeping an eye out for an opportunity to re-price your trip if and when prices change.
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Do these changes affect award fares?
If you cancel a flight booked using miles on a standard fare, will you get a full refund of those miles as you now do on a regular Blue fare? If not, I will cut back on Jet Blue flights.
I have no reason to think you wouldn’t. It says no fee for changes and cancellations for Standard.
I’m excited for this. If it’s even half as nice as Mint, it’ll be a success (from a passenger experience standpoint). 2-2 recliners is better than 3-3 economy. More competition in this space is good for consumers. I just want B6 to survive!
I am most concerned with the new cost associated with a same day change like Nick used on his 30 for 30 tour last year. Hopefully with Mosaic status there is a $0 fee for that still.