If you like booking a flight knowing you'll be protected if your plans change, JetBlue is a great option, though you'll need to pay attention to the fare class booked. Despite JetBlue eliminating its change and cancellation fees a few years back, the airline's flexible policy doesn't apply to its lowest fare class, Blue Basic.
Still, it doesn't usually cost too much more to book the next fare above Blue Basic. If you decide to book an award ticket, you'll find that you can't choose the Blue Basic fare anyway. So, as long as you don't book a Blue Basic fare, you'll have some peace of mind with JetBlue if you need to change or cancel a flight.
Before you lock in your next flight, here's everything you need to know about changing or canceling a JetBlue flight.
JetBlue cancellation policy
JetBlue's cancellation policy makes it incredibly easy for flyers to cancel a JetBlue flight if the situation should arise. Unless you book a Blue Basic fare, the process is fairly straightforward, whether you made your reservation with cash or points. You'll also find that if you're a Mosaic member — JetBlue's elite status — the same policies apply, even for the lowest fare class.
Canceling a paid JetBlue reservation
When booking a JetBlue flight, there are up to five different fare options (depending on the route): Blue Basic, Blue, Blue Extra, Blue Plus and Mint. For the latter four — everything except Blue Basic reservations — there's no fee to cancel your JetBlue reservation before departure.
If your plans change with these four fare classes and you need to cancel your flight, you'll receive the entire amount paid for the reservation back as a JetBlue Travel Bank credit — unless you purchase the "refundable" add-on option. Credits expire 12 months from the original ticketing date (which means when the flight you are canceling was originally booked).
Although you can't transfer credits from one travel bank to another, you can use them toward another passenger's future reservation. But remember, if you use credits to pay for the flight you are canceling, that will not extend the expiration date. The credits will still carry the same original expiration date.
Related: JetBlue makes no-notice devaluation to travel credits
If you need to cancel Blue Basic reservations, you'll be charged a $100 to $200 fee. For routes in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, the fee is $100 per person. For all other routes, the fee is $200 per person. You'll then receive a credit, minus the fee, as a travel credit in your JetBlue Travel Bank — with the same policies as above.
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Additionally, if you purchased any add-ons to your flight (such as Even More Space seats or baggage fees), those fees are also refundable as long as you cancel prior to departure.
You'll only receive a full refund one of two ways: if you cancel your reservation within 24 hours of booking (and only if you booked your flight at least seven days before departure) or if you purchase the refundable add-on option during checkout. With the latter, you'll be charged a set premium — on top of the fare price — that is directly tied to the cost of the ticket. Once you select your flight, you'll be notified of the charge to make your flight fully refundable. You'll receive the amount paid directly back to your method of payment instead of a travel credit.
With this example below, the cost to make the trip fully refundable is $60.59, which is more than 50% of the total fare price. The more expensive the flight, the more you'll have to pay to make your flight refundable. This option is not available with Blue Basic fares or flights booked with points.
Canceling a JetBlue reservation booked with points
There's no option to book a Blue Basic award when booking a JetBlue flight with points. So, you can easily cancel any JetBlue award — regardless of the fare class booked — with no fees.
If you cancel your award, the points you redeemed will go back into the account you originally redeemed from, but you'll get a credit for the taxes and fees paid. While this is typically only $5.60 per flight for domestic flights, international flights can be upward of $100. The credits follow the typical rules, meaning they'll expire after 12 months from the original ticketing date and can be used for other passengers.
Unlike Southwest Airlines awards, where you can speculatively book and cancel with no ramifications, with JetBlue, you will end up with a flight credit for the taxes and fees.
Related: The complete guide to the JetBlue TrueBlue program
How to cancel a JetBlue flight
If you go to the JetBlue website, you can see all your upcoming flights in the "Manage trips" section within your JetBlue account. Find the upcoming trip you want to cancel, and click "Trip details."
All of your flight information will be listed. On this screen, you'll see many ways to manage your flight, including the option to cancel your itinerary.
Before finalizing the cancellation, you'll be given a breakdown of how you'll receive your refund. For paid reservations, you'll be notified of the amount being credited to your travel bank. For a points reservation, it'll show the number of points being refunded, as well as the travel bank credit for the taxes and fees. From there, you'll then have to confirm your flight cancellation.
Changing a JetBlue flight
Changing a JetBlue flight follows the same fee structure as canceling a paid or award flight.
Changing a paid JetBlue reservation
Like canceling a JetBlue reservation, you can change any Blue, Blue Extra, Blue Plus or Mint reservation for no fee. However, Blue Basic fares will incur a $100 per person fee for routes in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, and a $200 per person fee for all other routes.
Know that you'll still be on the hook for paying the price difference if there is one. If you are changing to a flight that costs more, you'll be required to pay the difference. However, if you're changing to a less expensive flight, you'll receive a credit awarded to your travel bank for the difference. This credit is valid for 12 months from the original ticketing date and can be used for a future flight for any passenger.
You don't have to worry about a fare difference if on the same day of travel you're looking to switch your flight to another flight for that day. Starting at midnight on the day of travel, you can change to another JetBlue flight that same day as long as you travel on the same route (or to a nearby airport). However, for most fare classes, you'll need to pay a $75 fee. The only exception is Blue Extra reservations, where you can switch to another flight for no fee. Additionally, those who have JetBlue Mosaic status can confirm a same-day flight change with the fee waived within 24 hours of the originally scheduled flight — they don't need to wait until midnight. Additionally, if you happened to purchase a refundable fare, there's no fee for a same-day switch.
Related: Now live: JetBlue overhauls TrueBlue loyalty program with major new perks and 4 status tiers
Changing a JetBlue reservation booked with points
Since you can't book a Blue Basic fare with JetBlue points, there are no fees for changing any JetBlue award reservation. However, if your new flight costs more in points, you'll have to pay the difference in points. Alternatively, if the new flight costs fewer points, you'll receive the difference back into your JetBlue account.
Similar to paid reservations, you can also change your flight on the day of travel without worrying about a fare difference. However, the change fee applies similarly to how it would for paid fares.
How to change a JetBlue flight
To change your upcoming JetBlue flight, you'll have to select the "Change" option within your flight's reservation details.
You'll then be prompted to enter your new itinerary details. Both the departure and arrival flights will be listed for a round-trip itinerary. You'll need to select which flight you want to change (you can opt to change both flights).
All flight options will appear, including the price difference that you'll be charged (or refunded) for each option. When changing a JetBlue flight, you can only book the same fare class as what was originally booked. If you're looking to book a new fare class for your flight, you'll need to cancel and rebook.
Once you select your new flight, you'll then be given the full price summary. From there, you can select your seats and add on any extras.
Re-pricing a JetBlue flight
Because there's no fee to change or cancel a flight with most fares (except Blue Basic fares), if your upcoming reservation — booked with cash or points — happens to go down in price, you can usually re-price your flight at no cost.
To do this, you'll ultimately follow the same method as changing your flight, as outlined above. However, instead of picking a brand-new flight, you'll just select the flight originally booked. You'll ultimately end up with the difference in the fare back in your account — either in points or travel credits, depending on how you booked.
Even if you booked a Blue Basic fare, it still might make sense to cancel and rebook if the price difference is more than $100 or $200 (depending on where you are traveling).
Related: Book now and then check for hotel and airline price drops
Bottom line
Fortunately, changing and canceling a JetBlue flight is incredibly easy with JetBlue's cancellation policies. As long as you don't book a Blue Basic fare, you can change or cancel your flight with no fee. However, if you're certain of your plans, booking a Blue Basic fare might make sense.
While JetBlue's refund policy requires you to receive a credit back into your travel bank — for nonrefundable paid reservations or the taxes and fees on award bookings — using your credits is incredibly easy. Even if you have no plans to fly before the expiration date, you can easily use the credits on a friend or family member's reservation to ensure the credits do not go unused.
Even so, if you need to book a very expensive flight and there's a decent chance you'll have to cancel, purchasing the add-on refundable option may make sense.
Related reading:
- Key travel tips you need to know — whether you're a first-time or frequent traveler
- Best travel credit cards
- Where to go in 2024: The 16 best places to travel
- 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
- 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
- 13 must-have items the TPG team can't travel without
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
