Will Bag Fees Be Beginning of JetBlue’s End at Worcester Airport?

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Patrick Sargent, GoLocal Worcester Contributor

In November, JetBlue announced it would be implementing bag fees some time in early 2015. Being the only major airline flying out of Worcester, will bag fees hurt MassPort’s chances of keeping JetBlue long-term?

Currently, JetBlue offers its customers their first checked bag for free and charges for every checked bag after that.

Just the notion of bag fees may already be hurting JetBlue. According to a report by Skift, “a YouGov BrandIndex survey of 4,000 likely flyers on January 4, 2015, JetBlue’s satisfaction score fell 11.3 points to 52.5 out of a possible 100 compared with an October 7, 2014 survey. Among U.S. domestic airlines, JetBlue’s satisfaction score was the only one to notch a ‘significant’ drop, according to a spokesperson for YouGov. “

Many airlines have adopted the bag fee solely for ancillary revenue. In 2013, major airlines made $31.5 billion in “a la carte” charges like bag fees. According to CNNMoney, Jet Blue will generate at least $400 million in annual revenue once bag fees are implemented.

Here are the current costs of checked bags for JetBlue compared to the Airline Industry and International Airline Averages:

JetBlue Airways - Baggage | FindTheBest

More Changes Coming from JetBlue

Ticket pricing will also change to a three-tier system. The lowest tier will not allow checked bags, while the highest may offer up to two checked bags. According to JetBlue's 2014 Investor Day plan, the more you pay, the more "free" bags you are allowed to check. This system, according to JetBlue, could generate north of $200 million in operating income.

This fall, JetBlue also announced it would be adding 15 seats to many of its planes, giving each plane 165 seats. This will shorten leg room in front of each seat. The proposed change to its 'seat pitch' is a decrease of 1.6 inches.

Here are the current lengths of legroom, seat width, and recline for JetBlue flights compared to the Intertional Airline Average and the Airline Industry Average:

JetBlue Airways - Economy | FindTheBest

The Cost of Flying from Worcester During April Vacation

GoLocal Worcester looked into the cost of a flight (as of 1/14/15) from Worcester to Fort Lauderdale (currently the only flight offered by JetBlue from Worcester) during the Worcester Public School’s week of April vacation. School vacation weeks usually have higher fares due to higher demand.

The dates selected were Saturday April 18 to Saturday April 25. For a round-trip flight for one person between Worcester and Fort Lauderdale, the cheapest and non-refundable total cost was $862.28 (including taxes and fees). This price could be higher when bag fees are implemented.

Even as it stands currently, according to FindtheBest.com, "Baggage fees often increase with the number of bags you check. For example, JetBlue Airways charges $50 for the first checked bag, then the price rises to $100 for the second bag."

That same flight schedule with Southwest Airlines out of Logan Airport in Boston cost $551 (including taxes and fees). This amount is also the cheapest and a non-refundable fare. Southwest offers customers their first and second checked bags free of charge (with a weight and size allowance).

With a cost difference of at least $312 per individual (for the above flight) between flying out of Worcester with JetBlue and flying out of Boston with Southwest, it would be hard to argue with families that flying Southwest from Logan is much more affordable.