While West Coast travelers frequently praise Southwest Airlines for families, my East Coast bias means JetBlue is my family's preferred carrier. While nothing beats Southwest's free checked bag policy, JetBlue provides an in-flight experience and loyalty program benefits that are particularly appealing to family passengers. If you're flying JetBlue with your kids, make sure you're aware of all of the special amenities and benefits JetBlue provides families.
Here's an in-depth look at everything you should know before flying on JetBlue with kids.
1. Free in-flight entertainment keeps you and your kids entertained on JetBlue
When JetBlue added complimentary DirectTV to their flights, the airline gained a significant competitive edge over rivals. With the convenience of an iPad, having a live TV stream is no longer as required, but it's still a good backup choice for entertaining your children on flights.
2. Get free gate-to-gate Wi-Fi with JetBlue's FlyFi.
JetBlue provides free gate-to-gate Wi-Fi for all passengers, allowing you to surf the web as much as you like. In my experience, Wi-Fi speeds are normally adequate, albeit the connection will occasionally dip due to satellite coverage. As previously stated, Amazon Prime subscribers may stream Prime Video titles onboard, and the bandwidth can surely handle it.
One little-known JetBlue bonus is that you get 3 JetBlue points for every dollar spent at Amazon onboard, so plan to make a few normal family purchases while in flight.
3. Blue Basic tickets save money, but may not be worth it
JetBlue just unveiled Blue Basic rates, which are the company's answer to basic economy tickets. As with other "basic" fares, you save money, but at a cost. After July 20, 2021, Blue Basic prices will no longer include a checked or carry-on bag. One personal item that fits beneath your seat is still complimentary, but you must pay $65 to store anything in the overhead bin. Blue Basic boards last, so the flight crew is fairly effective at preventing you from sneaking on with a bag that has to go into the overhead bin.
If you pick a seat more than 24 hours before your trip, you will have to pay an additional cost. For our family, not being able to select seats together is unacceptable. For any Blue Basic flights booked after June 7, 2021, there will be a $100 change charge per passenger.
If you are thinking of purchasing a Blue Basic price to save money on your travel, make careful to evaluate how many additional costs you will be paying and whether you will truly be saving money. Blue Basic prices will also place you in the final boarding group, unless you have young children.
4. If you’re going to check bags, pay in advance to save some money
For domestic flights, JetBlue charges $35 for the first checked bag and $45 for the second, with the exception of JetBlue Plus, which includes one checked bag. Check in one bag per person first to keep the fee at $35. Also, if you pay for your checked baggage more than 24 hours before your journey, you will save $5 on both your first and second checked bags. If you are on a Blue Basic fee and attempt to bring a carry-on bag to place in the overhead bin, they will charge you $65 to check it at the gate, so be cautious!
If you plan to travel JetBlue more than once a year and need to check baggage, you might consider acquiring the JetBlue Plus card, which allows you and up to three passengers to each receive one complimentary checked bag on each journey. The card has an annual charge of $99, but four checked bags per year eliminates that expense, so it's probably worth considering.
5. Change your flights for free with any tickets except Blue Basic
After June 7, 2021, any adjustments to Blue Basic rates will incur a $100 fee per traveler. The good news is that all other JetBlue rates enable you to alter your flight for free! You only need to pay any applicable fare differences. (Related: Which US Airlines Have No Change Fees?) When traveling with children, flexibility might be especially important.
If room is available, you can also alter your trip for $75 to another flight on the same day, regardless of the cost difference.
6. Enjoy complimentary nibbles, but don't anticipate a whole dinner
While JetBlue provides a good assortment of free snacks, including my personal favorite, Terra Blue chips, I don't anticipate a full dinner on most flights. You may also purchase snack and "Eat Up" boxes, although these options aren't particularly full. A few cross-country and international flights sell sandwiches and salads, but they are not reliable. If you're concerned about your children being hungry on the aircraft, prepare your own sandwiches or protein-rich snacks from home before your trip.
7. JetBlue seats offer a decent amount of legroom, but if you want more you can purchase Even More Space seats
JetBlue's regular seats have at least 32 inches of pitch (legroom), which is more than many other domestic carriers offer. If you're concerned about extremely squirmy youngsters, it's also worth noting that you may purchase Even More Space seats for your flight. This provides at least 37 and up to 41 inches of legroom; you'll notice a significant difference sitting in these seats. While these seats might be expensive, they may be worth it on longer journeys.
You may also purchase also More Space seats on Blue Basic tickets, which essentially avoids the fee for selecting seats more than 24 hours before your flight.
8. You can pool points among family members for award flights
JetBlue's TrueBlue program is one of my top airline loyalty programs. It features a straightforward structure that is easy to comprehend, and it's simple to utilize your points to book flights.
But what I like best about the TrueBlue program is the chance to pool points with family members. The principle is simple. You may link up to seven TrueBlue accounts, and all of the points earned by each family member can be used to book a flight for anybody. This is especially useful if your children haven't flown enough to accumulate enough points to pay for an award flight.
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