Jet Blue May 2021

[minster22]

I need some advice from my experienced Transportation posters. JetBlue just released fares for our trip May 2021. We have credits from this years cancellation. Fares are much higher, especially our flight Bos to Mco 5/2 is $279...yikes!! Now I already know Sundays are more $$$ and that fares change. I do have to say that over the last 5 years or so JetBlue fares for our trips have never gone down in price except for a bump sometimes when they are first released and then later in the day they settle in at a normal price. I will wait a few days and see what happens but don't want to see it skyrocket from $279. Delta comparable roundtrips(nonstops) are $284 round trip. Is this just Covid uncertainty or long term higher prices?

 

[RogueX]

In January when I traveled to MCO last, the JetBlue prices for nonstop were around that range. That was before COVID, so I wouldn't be surprised if they're trying to recuperate some lost revenue.

 

[holyrita]

I just booked flights for February 2021 (JFK to MCO) and they were $150 RT for Blue fare. I suspect they're hoping more people resume travel as it gets later into 2021 and they're increasing their fare to more normal (or slightly above normal) prices.

 

[Leigh L]

I agree they might be testing out higher fares to see if they can recoup some losses.

I haven't looked for 2021 yet, but for 2020 in my area (DCA) you can still get cheap JetBlue flights, but it seems they are really struggling right now. At DCA they routinely seem to start off with 4 non-stop flights a day to MCO and eventually pare it down to 3 non-stop flights a week. They moved us numerous times in August (by more than 24 hours). Our trip was supposed to be 8/12-8/19 and ended up being 8/8-8/16 so we could get direct flights. Looks to be the same for October (still waiting to see what they do for November, as rates were very good the last I looked. I'm booked United, but would love to move to JB if I could be confident they wouldn't change my dates which are not flexible this trip).

DH just had to cancel a trip to TPA this coming weekend because JB canceled all direct flights on Saturday and he was unable to leave on Friday at 7:30 am which was where they'd moved him.

 

[minster22]

Having checked JetBlue's best fare finder, this are some of the higher fares all year excluding Christmas and April vacation week. I am going to hold off and see what happens.

 

[Donna M]

I just booked my March 2-12 trip. We booked out of Manchester because the price was better than out of Boston. We're going Southwest in case we have to change our flights. Check out MHT and see if that works for you.

The prices are much higher than last year.

 

[minster22]

Thank you for the suggestion but we live on Cape Cod...already an 1 1/2 bus ride (hopefully they will be up and running by May)so Boston is actually the best fit for us. The one time we booked out of Providence the 7:30 am flight was delayed til 1pm, waiting for a part from Boston to repair the plane. Actually Delta has great prices for nonstops out of Boston but we have almost $400 in JetBlue credits. I feel pretty confident that the prices will go down some....I am an overplanner...lol!

 

[goofy4tink]

I've already booked my trip in January, with credits and miles. But, my trip in April isn't booked yet. I'm waiting to see if they come down at all. Perhaps when SW opens their booking window we might see a slight drop. I'm not willing to pay close to $200 one way! And it looks like they aren't booking out of Worcester then either. That's my airport of choice. So, it looks like Boston or TF Green.

 

[jaredjohn4]

I'd love to see $150. Last year's spring break Chicago to Orlando round trip was $600 at my wife's preferred times. I just checked AA for spring break 2021 and it is down to $590. I was hoping for a little break this year and not really sure that spring break will be fully up to what the parks used to be.

 

[The Mayor]

if you book Jet Blue you can cancel without any change fees until 2/28/2021, so if the fare/points drop by then you can cancel and rebook. Points go back in you account and payments go in the travel bank. Found this out yesterday when I booked two fights to MCO instead of one as a return flight back to Boston

 

[minster22]

That is an interesting take but I am going to hang in there for a bit and see what happens. My dates are when prices have been historically low and cannot understand why this one date is so damn expensive.

 

[goofy4tink]

I know I can book now and then change later. But, I'm not taking the chance that JB will drop those fares days after the cut off for making changes. I'll just wait a few months. No big rush at this point.

 

[minster22]

Ok...I have been checking those flights everyday (of course I have...lol) and are now up tp $514 BOS/MCO and $208 MCO/BOS for a total of $726 without our bags....Also they are saying that the Blue Basic fares are sold out on several flights. All seats are still available. These are prices that people pay for school vacation weeks out of Boston. WTH !!!

 

[The Mayor]

Ok...I have been checking those flights everyday (of course I have...lol) and are now up tp $514 BOS/MCO and $208 MCO/BOS for a total of $726 without our bags....Also they are saying that the Blue Basic fares are sold out on several flights. All seats are still available. These are prices that people pay for school vacation weeks out of Boston. WTH !!!

It’s MA vacation the week of 4/19 and NH vacation the week of 4/26.

 

[minster22]

Yes, that is my point, we are going 5/2 to 5/14.....when fares really go down. We have been going for a 10 day trip usually flying out of BOS on that Sunday 4/25 for many years so I am very familiar with the fares. It is always cheaper flying out that week after we have normally gone to WDW...a wedding is pushing us out a week in 2021.

 

[minster22]

OK so I actually booked our flights. After seeing our optimal flight out of BOS go up to $514 , the 8am option was still "reasonable" . We are not that flexible for many different reasons (having already snagged a BWV standard studio for the duration of our stay), it seems the best option for us. And if the fares do go down, I will take The Mayor's suggestion and either rebook the flight we really want and/or get a credit. Thanks for the suggestions and listening to all my angst.