Sad Trombone: JetBlue is adding Basic Economy

JetBlue posted on their blog today that they're going to continue the race to the bottom and add Basic Economy. (I predicted this would happen). While this makes me sad, we've seen mountains of data that show most passengers won't pay extra for a nicer experience in the cabin.

They haven't figured out all of the details yet, but it sounds like their messaging is going to be about letting people have JetBlue's superior experience for the same price as flying Spirit or Frontier. While I'm sure it'll be cheaper than JetBlue's regular fares, I've found that Basic Economy on the legacy carriers is still priced higher than flying an Ultra Low Cost Carrier.

The unfortunate reality is that their existing customers will be getting a taste of that ULCC spirit when JetBlue finishes retrofitting all of their old A320 planes. Their industry-leading 34" seat pitch in Economy is dropping to 32", and they're shrinking the lavatories to accommodate a dozen more seats onboard. 

I think it's interesting their president says "internet comparison sites encouraged more people to shop solely on price". I feel like Google Flights and the like are actually really good at highlighting flights that don't offer carry-on bags or have lousy legroom. I mean, it doesn't show that JetBlue has fast, free Wi-Fi for everyone or that they have nicer-than-average flight attendants, but even if it did I doubt it would change much. People are cheap, and most flights are short enough that people will endure whatever conditions they encounter and then commiserate on social media about the shared indignity of modern air travel. It's the one few things most Americans can agree on these days.




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