JETBLUE-Unfair practice!

[kandb]

We like Jetblue and fly them all the time BUT I find it unfair that now the first half of the plane you have to pay extra to sit closer to the front AND people on our last Florida flight were all bragging that they give them the extra legroom and front of the plane, even though they book the cheapest fair (Blue Basic). When nobody pays extra for the extra legroom, and close to the front seats, all those people who didn't get a seat assignment got put up front in the expensive seats. Definitely poor policy!

 

[Minnie1222]

What would be a better policy? Go through the list of non-Blue Basic (nonBB) passengers and offer them the free upgrade first? What criteria are used for the selection? If two nonBBs have the same status, wouldn't it also be unfair to upgrade one and not the other?

 

[Disneylover99]

Next time book Blue Basic, don’t pick your seats, and see if it works out for you.

 

[OKW Lover]

Vote with your pocket book. And don't forget to check out the prices on other airlines.

 

[Marrila]

Maybe if you'd like the seats upfront book them.

 

[FreeTime]

I am not following why this is an unfair practice. Their policy is to assign seats that are not already reserved to those on the basic fare. It is pretty clear. If you need / want more legroom, pay for it.

 

[Simba's Mom]

What would be a better policy? Go through the list of non-Blue Basic (nonBB) passengers and offer them the free upgrade first? What criteria are used for the selection?

I don't know anything about Jet Blue. Is there a category between Blue Basic and those who paid to sit in the front? On Southwest, there's Choice Extra, and Choice Preferred pays to sit in extra legroom seats in the front. In that case, I think it would be fairer to offer the Choice Extra people the Extra legroom seats in front before giving them to Basic

 

[Marrila]

I don't know anything about Jet Blue. Is there a category between Blue Basic and those who paid to sit in the front? On Southwest, there's Choice Extra, and Choice Preferred pays to sit in extra legroom seats in the front. In that case, I think it would be fairer to offer the Choice Extra people the Extra legroom seats in front before giving them to Basic

I believe jet blue has reserved seating, except for Blue basic.

 

[Minnie1222]

Is there a category between Blue Basic and those who paid to sit in the front? On Southwest, there's Choice Extra, and Choice Preferred pays to sit in extra legroom seats in the front. In that case, I think it would be fairer to offer the Choice Extra people the Extra legroom seats in front before giving them to Basic

There are Even More, Blue, and Blue Basic (there's also first class Mint for international and long domestic flights). Even More have their own designated rows in the front. Blues can pick any seats that are not Even More's, and Blue Basics get whatever that remains at the last minute. If the only available seats happen to be in the Even More rows, the Blue Basics get to sit there.

Offering the Even More seats to the Blues, who already have assigned seats, and then in turn reissue these seats to the Blue Basics would require a double amount of work for the airline employees.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I'm going to go a different route here I think the OP is more complaining that booking the most basic fare is being used by certain people as a gamble to get upgraded. I think most of us love random upgrades (even if this is just because of unpicked seats) but there is a case for unintentionally incentivizing people to do something that which they really weren't supposed to do. This is how you get into situations where you've dug a hole and it's made other passengers upset the more it occurs. SWA had it with the pre-boarding situation that got worse and worse and worse.

When Basic fares (in the airline biz) first came out things like getting carry on luggage and seat selection were understood by the airlines to be something the passenger wouldn't care about and be willing to pay for if they did. However, over time people have figured out that they can push that.

Thems the breaks if the up front seats are the only ones left unassigned but if you had passengers outwardly discussing how they do this all the time as a gamble to getting those seats without paying for it you've essentially broken what the product was intended for and given an exploitation outlet for people. This is why certain airlines won't allow upgrades even for people willing to pay for it. For this reason I understand the OP's complaint isn't necessarily about what they can do the next time. I'm not sure there is a solution unless the airline sets a limit on how many seats of Blue Basic is allowed to be purchased which is calculated on ensuring that as many as possible end up in the more undesirable seats thus preserving the front of the plane more. If that happened then you'd probably only have random people here and there being put in the front. If enough people aren't booking the upfront seats it might mean the airline needs to reevaluate the pricing of the upfront seats.

 

[Disneylover99]

I am not following why this is an unfair practice. Their policy is to assign seats that are not already reserved to those on the basic fare. It is pretty clear. If you need / want more legroom, pay for it.

Yep. Or take the gamble and hope for the upgrade.

 

[gottalovepluto]

You know that’s not JetBlue specific right?

 

[hardcorestitch]

I am not following why this is an unfair practice. Their policy is to assign seats that are not already reserved to those on the basic fare. It is pretty clear. If you need / want more legroom, pay for it.

It’s basically an ALL airline thing nowadays…