JetBlue raises its first checked bag to $50 each way, up from $39, the second hike this year

JetBlue has raised its checked baggage fees for the second time this year, just as holiday travel begins. On tickets bought on or after Nov. 3, most economy passengers flying within the U.S., Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean pay at least $50 each way for a first checked bag, up from $39, according to the Associated Press and CBS News.

The new fee schedule

Figures are as reported by AP; CBS reports the same $50 and $55 first-bag fees and says paying early saves up to $15 on the first bag, which matches the gap between $55 and $70 at peak. We could not load JetBlue's own fee page, so check it before you book.

What it costs a real trip

Take a family of four flying round trip, with one checked bag each, which is eight bag-trips in total.

• Off-peak, paid early: 8 x $50 = $400, against 8 x $39 = $312 before. That is $88 more.
• Thanksgiving or winter holiday, paid early: 8 x $55 = $440. CBS puts the old peak fee at $49, which would have been $392, so the increase is $48.
• Peak, paying at the airport: 8 x $70 = $560. Compared with paying early, that is $120 extra for the same bags.

A solo traveler checking one bag on a round trip pays $100 off-peak, or $110 at peak, before any second bag.

Why JetBlue says it did it

The airline told AP the change helps "offset rising fuel and operating costs." On its third-quarter call last week, JetBlue said its average fuel price hit $3.91 a gallon this summer, up 57% from a year earlier, and expects $4.64 in the final three months of the year, up 85%, according to AP. CBS, citing the Airlines for America tracker, put jet fuel at $4.41 a gallon on Monday, against just over $2 in January. The Strait of Hormuz disruption tied to the Iran war is the reason fuel stays high. Our own look at JetBlue's finances is in the Q3 results story, and the wider fuel and fare picture is in our Thanksgiving fares report.

This is the second increase: JetBlue raised bag fees by up to $9 in March, and AP says that move helped set off a round of hikes at Delta, United, American and Southwest. CBS also reports Delta, United and Southwest have raised bag fees this year.

What to do

• Pay for bags online, early. Adding a bag at least 24 hours out saves up to $15 on the first one.
• Check whether you qualify for a free bag. JetBlue says eligible co-branded card holders (JetBlue Plus, Business and Premier) can check one bag free for the cardholder and up to three companions, TrueBlue Mosaic members get at least one free bag, and Mosaic 2, 3 and 4 members get two.
• Compare the full price, not the base fare. A $20 cheaper ticket that adds $100 in bag fees for two people is not cheaper. Fees apply to tickets bought on or after Nov. 3, so earlier bookings are not affected, according to the reports.
• Travel carry-on only if the trip allows. The fee is a choice JetBlue says customers make "only if they need one."

Sources: AP, CBS News. Share price data via Yahoo Finance. More travel news in Travel. This is market information, not investment advice.