The view when touching down at Boston Logan Airport (on JetBlue)! Photo by: Evan Berman

In previous articles, I have alluded to the fact that American Airlines Status is relatively easy to obtain and that I have entry-level Gold Status. In a future article, I’ll dive into the specifics of how to achieve this status but today I want to talk about a valuable perk that may be coming to an end soon: benefits when flying JetBlue.

Northeast Alliance:

The Northeast Alliance was a partnership between American Airlines and JetBlue that allowed for reciprocal earning and redemptions on these flights and matching elite status benefits. In short, if you are flying with one airline and have status with the other, you will get free checked baggage, be eligible for upgrades, and get better service. The courts recently struck down this agreement and JetBlue has indicated that they do not want to appeal. As such, it is unclear how much longer fliers will be able to benefit from this partnership.

AA Elite Benefits when Flying JetBlue:

Let’s focus on the AA side today. When you are an AA Elite flying JetBlue, you get the following:

Checked Baggage Allowance:

I’m fully on board team carry-on, but sometimes you need a checked bag. If that’s the case, here are your allowances on JetBlue flights (with any fare, including Blue Basic aka basic economy):

• 1 checked bag per person on reservation for AA Gold members
• 2 checked bags per person on reservation for AA Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Executive Platinum members

Even More Space Selection:

JetBlue exclusively operates narrowbody planes. Their best seats are the JetBlue Mint or Mint Studio seats on the A321neo-LR. These are fully lie-flat and in the case of the Mint Studio, come with closed doors! However, for the purposes of this discussion, that is a moot point– AA Elites cannot upgrade to Mint. However, it is possible to upgrade to the Even More Space Seats, which can be thought of as extra legroom economy seats for free within 24 hours.

One other advantage is that you are allowed a free carry-on even when booking in Blue Basic when flying in Even More Space. In essence, you are second in line for upgrades behind only the top-tier JetBlue elites, no matter whether you are an entry-level elite or have top-tier status.

Priority Baggage (In Theory):

As with most of the airlines that offer elite status, using your AA status will allow for priority baggage services on JetBlue flights. I say in theory because I flew JetBlue today and despite the priority tag, my bag was in the middle of the pack.

Real Life Example:

I flew up to Boston yesterday from Charleston on JetBlue. I purposely picked the Blue Basic seats so as to get a real life example of these perks at hand. Here are my observations:

• You will not have the baggage recognized until 24 hours before departure. Do not pay the $30 for a checked bag. Once 24 hours before departure rolls around, you will get your baggage allowance recognized.
• I booked us in Blue Basic and was still able to select an upgrade into Even More Space within 24 hours of departure.
• Despite booking in Blue Basic, due to our upgrades, we were able to bring a free carry-on.

Recap:

I flew JetBlue yesterday with AA entry-level Gold Status and thought it was worthwhile to write about the benefits and my experience. You get a free checked bag (or 2 once you get above AA Gold) and an upgrade to Even More Space, their extra legroom seats. Have you flown JetBlue before with American Status? What are you experiences?

Evan