JETBLUE-Unfair practice!

[sam_gordon]

How do you know which passengers got the upgrades?

 

[gottalovepluto]

No, I didn't but maybe instead of them charging so much for an upgrade, make it less and more people would pay and then people with the lowest fares wouldn't get the best seats. $65 for a two hour flight is high and most don't want to pay that per person.

Yeah, it’s industry standard. I’m not defending JB or anything but if you switched to like UA over something like this you’d be destined to be disappointed.

 

[gottalovepluto]

How do you know which passengers got the upgrades?

Jerks who lack the intelligence to not brag loudly to all those around them

 

[Minnie1222]

Maybe Jetblue should reduce the price of the more preferred and extra legroom seats. It doesn't seem fair or wise to me that Jetblue gives the best seats to the people who paid the least. I think it's bad policy.

I agree JetBlue should reduce the upgrade charges, but I also don't care if the Blue Basic passengers get the better seats.

 

[kandb]

How do you know which passengers got the upgrades?

I spoke to a few on one flight and on another flight the woman sitting near me was saying how many people in her group got upgraded to the extra leg room seats and they booked the cheapest seats.

 

[reddog21]

I don’t really see why it matters. So what if some people get upgraded after paying less? I’ll keep paying more to guarantee the seat I want. If others want to gamble on a cheaper fare with the chance of an upgrade, that’s their choice

 

[Miffy]

What if instead of upgrading Basic fare passengers to the unoccupied EMS seats they instead upgraded the passengers who paid extra to sit closer to the front of the plane to the EMS seats and then upgraded the Basic fare passengers to those seats? That would actually seem more fair to me.

Although it doesn't really bother me that the Basic fare passengers get upgraded to EMS seats. It's JetBlue's policy and apparently the policy of many other airlines as well. I'm unwilling to gamble on this so I always pay extra.

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

What if instead of upgrading Basic fare passengers to the unoccupied EMS seats they instead upgraded the passengers who paid extra to sit closer to the front of the plane to the EMS seats and then upgraded the Basic fare passengers to those seats? That would actually seem more fair to me.

While this would probably be a more "fair" policy, the added time to basically reshuffle the entire plane's seating chart would make it impossible to do without adding significant time to the boarding process. The gate agents are usually juggling 10 different things trying to get the flight out on time and this would just add way to much too their plate to efficiently board the aircraft.

At the end of the day there is very little that is fair about airline pricing. Prices fluctuate by the minute and 10 different passengers can end up paying 10 different prices. Once resigned to the fact that someone else paid less than you or got a better deal the easier it is to not worry about it.

 

[jimmymc]

This is normal, and it's a gamble. Sometimes you'll get the EE rows, and sometimes you'll be in the middle seat at the very back of the plane.

They probably don't upgrade the regular fare passengers because they might not consider it an upgrade. I would personally prefer a standard aisle seat over an EE middle seat.

 

[focusondisney]

And as the person says they got upgraded to extra legroom seats once, they’re not telling you about the multiple times they got stuck in a middle seat in row 20 or in the last row on the aisle next to the bathroom.

 

[Mommb]

As long as everyone gets at least the level of seat they paid for, I don't see why this is unfair.
Someone who feels strongly about getting a particular seat can purchase that seat. That should guarantee a specific seat and allow travelers to guarantee seats together.
Someone who is willing to sit anywhere can purchase a Basic seat. That will give a chance of getting a good seat, depending on how many people buy more expensive seats, but will also give a chance of getting an undesirable seat if the more expensive seats are all taken.
This seems like a reasonable way to approach fares. People who want to be sure of their seat can pay extra for it. It does not hurt them in any way if other people paid less in exchange for not having a seat until right before boarding.
(If the airline changed the seats of people who paid for specific seats in advance to accommodate people who booked Basic seats, were upgraded, and now want to sit together, that would be unfair. But that doesn't appear to be what's happening.)

Sure, it would be better for passengers who like "better" seats if airlines charged less for those seats. Then more people might pay for upgraded seats and fewer people would get them free. However, airlines would make less money selling the same number or slightly more of the upgraded seats, which might lead to an increase in the cost of non-premium seats to result in the same profit.

They probably don't upgrade the regular fare passengers because they might not consider it an upgrade. I would personally prefer a standard aisle seat over an EE middle seat.

I agree. If I select a seat, I want to have that seat. Some people may welcome an "upgrade" but some people may have selected seats specifically to be with a traveling companion (who may not be on the same reservation, so may not get upgraded at the same time).

 

[kandb]

Jetblue charges $65+ for extra legroom. They charge $39 for "preferred" which gets you closer to the front of the plane and this is the price for a 2 hr. trip to Florida from NY. The day before flights are going to leave the majority of the "paid for" seats are available and are given to people who booked the cheapest seats. Maybe Jetblue should reduce the price of the more preferred and extra legroom seats. It doesn't seem fair or wise to me that Jetblue gives the best seats to the people who paid the least. I think it's bad policy.

I'm wondering why people are laughing at this post? Honestly, I don't see what's funny about it. Please explain because I want to laugh also. Lol.

 

[kandb]

My point. Look at Sept. 4 at 11am flight from EWR to MCO. ALL the seats that are not premium are sold and taken. The majority of the premium seats are available. I am sure there are many seats sold under "blue basic" which are the cheapest seats and do not let you pick your seat. ALL those people are going to get premium seats and they paid for the cheapest seats. Jetblue should lower the cost of the premium seats so more people would actually buy them.

 

[pooch]

It’s like booking a guaranty cabin on a cruise. You get what’s left. Sometimes it’s a nice cabin in a good location, sometimes not. If you are willing to take the risk, sometimes you get a reward!

 

[FreeTime]

I'm wondering why people are laughing at this post? Honestly, I don't see what's funny about it. Please explain because I want to laugh also. Lol.

Because there is no reason for them to reduce the price. People who want a seat guarantee are willing to pay the current going rate.

 

[Lewisc]

they paid for the cheapest seats.

That's where you're missing it. They paid for whatever left over seat Jet Blue wants to give them. They may get a great seat. They might get a middle seat. They didn't pay for the cheapest seat. They elected not to pay for any specific seat.

The alternative would be to offer paid upgrades at check in.

Many Frontier passengers don't pay for an assigned seat. Frontier assigns seats at check in starting from the back of the plane..a few passengers may then pay for preferred seats. Some passengers delay checking in. Time it right and they'll get a preferred seat

Cruise analogy is on the money.

 

[kylenne]

I'm wondering why people are laughing at this post? Honestly, I don't see what's funny about it. Please explain because I want to laugh also. Lol.

Because you’re crashing out over what’s a standard US airline practice in 2025, and like many, many folks have said, booking the cheapest fare possible and accepting whatever seat is left over in the hopes of an upgraded seat is a gamble. More often than not it does not work out in people's favor. You’re only hearing about the times it did. More than once I turned down a C+ upgrade on Delta because it was a middle seat.

It’s a weird thing to be scandalized by anyway. I’ve never once thought it “unfair” that the person next to me up front got upgraded there when I paid for my seat. Being tall and leggy I’m particular about seats and I pay for what I want. What other people paid for that seat does not impact my flight at all. Even pax who pay to sit in the exact same standard economy section of the plane can end up paying wildly different prices due to pricing algorithms on a given day. It’s just not that serious. Especially when B6 has some of the most leg room in standard economy.