JetBlue Airways was the first U.S. airline to eliminate change and cancellation fees in February 2020, when the epidemic initially began.
Three years later, the New York-based airline is regaining some of the freedom that passengers formerly had when changing their flight plans – without giving prior notice.
Any recently awarded JetBlue credits will only be good for a year from the date of your initial reservation as of March 8.
Formerly, if you changed or canceled a JetBlue flight, you were given a credit to your so-called Travel Bank that could be applied to future travel within a year of the date of the change.
Let's take an example. On April 1, 2023, you decide to book a normal "Blue" economy ticket with JetBlue for travel on December 23, 2023.
You will still receive a credit for the entire cost of your ticket if you decide to amend or cancel it in the days before Christmas, but the credit will only be good until April 1, 2024.
In the past, the credit would have been good for a full year starting from the day you canceled.
As you can see, JetBlue's travel credit program has undergone a significant devaluation, particularly for individuals who like to book their flights months in advance.
The manner in which JetBlue implemented the change, though, may hurt much more than the devaluation itself. Without warning or an opportunity for travelers to take advantage of the previous, more benevolent policy, the carrier just uploaded the updated policy to its website.
JetBlue made the decision to change the rules on the same day that it unveiled its eagerly awaited transatlantic service from New York to Paris, so it may just be a coincidence. Furthermore, the Department of Justice officially filed its lawsuit on Tuesday in opposition to JetBlue's planned merger with Spirit Airlines.
Perhaps the airline reasoned that by making the change on a day with lots of news, it wouldn't attract much attention. To their defence, JetBlue stated that "customers are welcome to utilize these money to book any available JetBlue ticket for sale, with our schedule always continuing for at least 331 days, as long as travel is booked prior to the Travel Bank expiration."
There is no real way to sugarcoat this devaluation, though, as booking travel after the expiration of your JetBlue credit has long been the airline's policy.
With the exception of the airline's Blue Basic rates, all JetBlue fares are changeable or cancel able without any fees. Before paying any applicable rate difference, these basic economy tickets may be adjusted for travel within North America, Central America, or the Caribbean for $100, or for travel on all other routes for $200.
JetBlue's amended travel credit expiration policy now closely resembles that of its major rivals, despite the fact that it will undoubtedly frustrate some devoted customers.
The majority of the time, travel credits on United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines expire one year from the original booking date.
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