JetBlue has always offered good quality and service for a low price and rose very quickly to be a staple in the airline industry. While we are not implying that any of those things have changed, we would like to inform you of some adapted policies that will affect the way the airline serves its customers.

JetBlue will be making two major changes that affect previous customer-favorite features of theirs:

Planes will be refitted with seats having less cushioning, adding 15 more seats per plane. This means 5% less legroom, as well as reduced elbow room and less overhead bin space.
A new tiered pricing system will eliminate the free checked bag previously available with even the cheapest JetBlue fares.

The second point is the most significant, as it represents not only a change in JetBlue policy, but a growing trend across the travel industry. “Customization” of options means more tiered packages, and the breakdown of services previously included to be sold as extras.

JetBlue will soon offer 3 levels of tickets, with the most affordable ones omitting the right to a free checked bag. The two higher tiers will include one and two checked bags each, as well as other perks like bonus frequent flier miles, though details have yet to be announced.

The changes will go into effect sometime in 2015.

Just recently we brought you a similar tip on changes in the booking policies of hotels. With the travel industry changing and the landscape constantly evolving, these types of changes are becoming more sweeping. Soon many perks we have become used to will become add-ons or features of the more expensive levels of tiered packages.

Stay informed and know what to expect when you arrive at the airport. We at RealFamilyTrips again encourage you to read the fine print when booking you travel to know exactly what will and won’t be included. We still think that JetBlue is a fantastic airline, with a lot to offer its customers, we will simply continue to report policy changes across the travel industry for the benefit of our readers.