JetBlue Airways is raising bag fees at least $4 as jet fuel prices soar amid the Iran war.

Airfare has climbed for routes around the world since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. The higher fees for checked bags are the most recent sign of airlines passing steeper fuel costs down to U.S. consumers. Jet fuel is airlines’ biggest expense after labor.

JetBlue now lists the price to check a first piece of luggage for domestic, Caribbean and Latin America flights as $39 for off-peak periods for most economy passengers, up from $35. For peak periods, like much of the summer and major holidays, the fee will go up to $49 from $40.

If paying less than 24 hours before departure, such as at the airport, travelers will pay $10 more. Airlines have charged customers less for prepaying for their checked baggage in recent years.

There are exemptions to the bag fees entirely, however, such as travelers with a co-branded credit card and frequent flyers with elite status.

“As we experience rising operating costs, we regularly evaluate how to manage those costs while keeping base fares competitive and continuing to invest in the experience our customers value,” JetBlue said in a statement to CNBC.

When an airline raises fees, competitors often follow. American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines didn’t immediately respond to CNBC’s requests for comment.

Fuel prices for Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New York averaged $4.57 a gallon last Friday, up nearly 83% since the day before the war began, according to data from Argus published by industry group Airlines for America.

“Adjusting fees for optional services used by select customers, such as checked baggage, allows us to continue offering more competitive fares while delivering the onboard experience our customers love, including complimentary snacks and drinks, unlimited, high-speed Wi-Fi and seatback entertainment screens,” JetBlue said. “While we recognize that fee increases are never ideal, we take careful consideration to ensure these changes are implemented only when necessary.” 

LOS ANGELES — United Airlines‘ formula for higher profits: fewer but better seats.

The country’s second-most profitable carrier after Delta Air Lines on Tuesday unveiled new cabin designs, including on some of its smallest planes, that feature more premium seating options and fewer in standard coach.

The differences in airfare for those seats can be vast. For example, a flight between United’s hub at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and San Francisco in the first week of May is going for $423 in standard coach and $5,556 in the carrier’s top-tier Polaris class on a Boeing 757.

Even with the spike in fuel prices, United’s executives have said in recent weeks that demand remains strong, noting that premium-travel demand has outshined the main cabin.

“The main cabin is also improving, and we’ve seen very strong demand across the board for United in Q1, but premium did lead the way yet again in the quarter, and continues to do so,” Andrew Nocella, United’s chief commercial officer, told reporters last week.

Spirit Airlines is gearing up to shrink to a tiny version of its former self in an attempt to survive, according to a new plan it’s set to unveil in U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Tuesday.

The budget-travel icon plans to announce it will get rid of even more of its Airbus fleet as it aims to exit its second bankruptcy in less than a year. It expects to emerge in late spring or early summer, according to the agreement.

In its second bankruptcy, Spirit had held deal talks with Frontier Airlines, and with investment firm Castlelake.

Spirit’s new fleet would be made up of mostly older Airbus planes, according the the plan.

Spirit’s annualized fleet cost would be cut another $550 million, down 65% from before its bankruptcy filing last year, according to the plan. The debtors have also eyed another $300 million in cost savings from non-fleet cuts.

Spirit has already reduced some of its Airbus fleet and furloughed pilots and flight attendants to cut costs as it reduced its network, though some cabin crew members were called back to work ahead of spring break.

Spirit’s new plan will be challenging. It would pit a smaller version of Spirit against ever-larger competitors that dominate the U.S. market. Some U.S. budget carriers have struggled due to a surge in labor and other costs post-Covid, a growing consumer shift in favor of more upscale travel and increased competition from larger airlines that offer stripped down fares.

Spirit was uniquely challenged by a massive engine recall from Pratt & Whitney and a failed plan to get acquired by JetBlue Airways, a deal knocked down by a federal judge in early 2024.

Spirit forecast it would generate a net profit of $252 million last year, according to a court filing in December 2024. But it said in an August report that it lost nearly $257 million in a matter of months stretching from March 13, after it exited its first Chapter 11 bankruptcy, through the end of June. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection again less than a month later.

The Transportation Security Administration said on Sunday that its PreCheck airport screening lanes are operational, hours after the Department of Homeland Security said the faster security checkpoint services would be paused amid the partial government shutdown.

“At this time, TSA PreCheck remains operational with no change for the traveling public,” TSA officials said in a statement. “As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case by case basis and adjust operations accordingly. Courtesy escorts, such as those for Members of Congress, have been suspended to allow officers to focus on the mission of securing America’s skies.”

The pause in the TSA PreCheck and Global Entry programs was initially scheduled to take effect at 6 a.m. ET on Sunday, DHS said.

The move comes as the U.S. Northeast braces for a massive winter storm that could disrupt airline flights for days.

“TSA and CBP are prioritizing the general traveling population at our airports and ports of entry and suspending courtesy and special privilege escorts,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.

TSA PreCheck has more than 20 million active members, according to an agency count in 2024.

“PreCheck members accounted for 34 percent of passengers screened at airport checkpoints,” The New York Times reported in August 2025, citing a TSA spokesman. The program is available at more than 200 U.S. airports, the newspaper noted.

The pause in TSA PreCheck and Global Entry security programs is a result of the partial government shutdown that began on Feb. 14, following congressional lawmakers’ failure to reach a deal to fund DHS.

Airlines have canceled more than 6,000 flights through Monday and waived cancellation and change fees for airports spanning Virginia to Maine ahead of the East Coast blizzard.

Travel industry members sharply criticized the move, which comes just months after last year’s federal government shutdown affected air travel and dented bookings, according to executives.

“A4A is deeply concerned that TSA PreCheck and Global Entry programs are being suspended and that the traveling public will be, once again, used as a political football amid another government shutdown,” said Airlines for America CEO Chris Sununu. The group represents American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and other major carriers.

“The announcement was issued with extremely short notice to travelers, giving them little time to plan accordingly, which is especially troubling at this time of record air travel,” he added.

The government shutdown in the fall, the longest ever, cost the travel industry and other sectors $6.1 billion, the group said. Those disruptions affected about 6 million travelers.

The Federal Aviation Administration abruptly grounded all flights in and out of El Paso International Airport in Texas for 10 days starting Wednesday morning, citing “special security” instructions — and then lifted the order hours later.

A Trump administration official said the Department of Defense disabled Mexican cartel drones that had breached U.S. airspace and that there was no threat to commercial air travel currently.

“The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso has been lifted,” the FAA said in a post on X. “There is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal.”

The airport sits next to Biggs Army Airfield and is near the Mexican border, about 12 miles from Juarez, Mexico. The Pentagon referred a question about the nature of the security issue to the FAA.

Flights were initially halted until late Feb. 20 and the ban applied to a 10-nautical-mile area around the airport. The FAA hadn’t immediately disclosed what the security reasons for the temporary sudden halt were or why it was set for so long.

While the FAA regularly halts flights at airports for weather, traffic or even rocket launches, a security issue is highly unusual, as is announcing such a long effective airspace closure.

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Texas Democrat whose district includes much of El Paso, said the move to suddenly close airspace was “unprecedented” and said that “what my office and I have been able to gather overnight and early this morning, there is no immediate threat to the community or surrounding areas.”

“There was no advance notice provided to my office, the City of El Paso, or anyone involved in airport operations,” she said in a statement. “We have urged the FAA to immediately lift the Temporary Flight Restrictions placed on the El Paso area.”

The airport served nearly 3.5 million people in the first 11 months of 2025 and is served by Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines and Frontier Airlines, according to airport data.

There were 1,314 departures scheduled for the El Paso airport this month, according to aviation-data firm Cirium, including about 40 departures on Wednesday.

Southwest has 23 flights scheduled at the airport, out of more than 3,000 systemwide. The airline said Wednesday it is resuming operations to and from El Paso and encouraged travelers to check its website for updated information.

“Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of its Customers…

United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and other carriers began restoring flights to Puerto Rico and other parts of the Caribbean early Sunday after U.S. aviation authorities lifted temporary airspace restrictions imposed following U.S. strikes on Venezuela.

The temporary restrictions were set to expire at midnight Eastern time, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a post on X, clearing the way for airlines to resume most scheduled service on Sunday.

“Airlines are informed, and will update their schedules quickly,” Duffy said.

Thousands of travelers at the end of the New Year holiday period were affected after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered commercial aircraft to avoid parts of the region on Saturday, triggering hundreds of flight cancellations.

President Donald Trump said Saturday the strikes resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

United Airlines said it would restart service beginning with flights to San Juan and planned additional departures on Sunday to accommodate disrupted passengers. Delta Air Lines said it was resuming Caribbean service and working to rebook affected customers as schedules normalize.

Frontier Airlines also confirmed with CNBC that it has resumed normal operations.

Other airlines impacted by the temporary restrictions included American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways.

Carriers waived change fees and fare differences for customers affected by the closures if they rebooked flights later in the month. More than a dozen airports in the region were included in the waivers.

The brief shutdown underscored how quickly military action can disrupt civilian air travel, forcing airlines to suspend operations well beyond the immediate conflict zone.

Major U.S. airlines have not served Venezuela directly for years. American Airlines was the last major carrier to halt flights to the country in 2019 amid unrest.

Airlines canceled hundreds of flights to Puerto Rico and other parts of the Caribbean on Saturday, stranding thousands of travelers at the tail-end of the New Year holiday period after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered commercial aircraft to avoid airspace in parts of the region following U.S. strikes on Venezuela.

President Donald Trump said Saturday the strikes resulted in the United States’ capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

Cancellations included 400 flights to and from Puerto Rico’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, close to 60% of the day’s schedule, according to FlightAware. Fifteen flights from San Juan were listed as canceled for Sunday.

Another 91 flights, more than half of Saturday’s flights to and from Aruba’s Queen Beatrix International Airport, were also canceled Saturday.

“When appropriate, these airspace restrictions will be lifted,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a post on X.

Airlines affected by the flight restrictions included American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways, United Airlines, and Frontier Airlines. Carriers waived change fees and fare differences for customers affected by the airspace closures if they change their flights to later in the month. Airlines included more than a dozen airports in region in their waivers.

JetBlue, which has a large operation in the Caribbean, said it canceled about 215 flights “due to airspace closures across the Caribbean related to military activity.” The airline noted that flights to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica were not affected by government restrictions

American Airlines said it canceled all of its flights in the Eastern Caribbean on Saturday.

Dutch airline KLM also warned travelers about disruptions because of the airspace restrictions, potentially affecting Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao and other flights.

Though such broad restrictions are often temporary, some flight crews were also stranded, so airlines could need extra time after the flight bans lift to reposition staff.

Major U.S. airlines haven’t served Venezuela directly for years. American was the last of the major U.S. carriers to stop flying to the country in 2019 amid unrest there.

Airspace closures in response to military activity and other safety concerns have forced airlines for years to take longer routes to avoid restricted airspace, or pause service altogether in recent years, including in and around

From Spirit Airlines‘ fight for survival to American Airlines‘ planned glow-up, from new international routes and brand-new airport lounges to stingier frequent flyer policies, class divides in the sky will intensify in 2026.

Airlines went into 2025 upbeat: Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian forecast a record year for the century-old carrier. But concerns about President Donald Trump’s trade war, skittish consumers and an oversupply of domestic seats brought U.S. airfare down and weighed on industry profits.

“It’s the airline version of the K-shaped economy. Monetize the top of the K and minimize the shortfall at the bottom,” said Robert Mann, who has worked at several airlines and is president of aviation consulting firm R.W. Mann & Co.

Now, the leaders of the country’s biggest airlines are putting even more focus on customers who will pay extra for their tickets in exchange for a little more space or other perks like earlier boarding and access to never-sufficient overhead bin space.

They still face continued problems, like a shortage of air traffic controllers and aging infrastructure. Despite billions of additional federal spending to fix some of the problems, major improvements will take years.

Mann said airlines need to do more to improve reliability. U.S. carriers had a 77% on-time rate, according to the Department of Transportation, which defines on-time as arrival within 15 minutes of the schedule.

“When the flight is late or canceled, it doesn’t matter if you’re at the top of the K or the bottom of the K,” he said.

Here’s how the next year is shaping up for the airline industry:

Through the first nine months of the year, Delta and United Airlines accounted for nearly all of U.S. airline profits.

It’s an industry divide that’s been brewing for years, further fueled by a surge in costs and shifting consumer tastes as wealthier travelers have increased their share of overall spending.

While the economy has been resilient for the most part, any weakening in 2026 could have an outsize effect on more price-sensitive consumers and, therefore, airlines that are more exposed to coach-class domestic travel, like lower-cost carriers.

Those airlines have been making moves of their own. JetBlue Airways, for example, has been shifting its focus to more profitable routes and premium seats. It plans to debut a domestic business class in mid-2026 with seats up at the front of the cabin that are roomier but not quite as elaborate as its top-tier lie-flat Mint suites.

Demand has rebounded after dropping during a record-long government shutdown, but it’s not clear whether 2026…

Delta Air Lines customers are getting used to first class.

Revenue from the pricier, roomier seats toward the front of the plane could eclipse sales from standard coach seats for at least a quarter or two next year, Delta executives said Thursday.

In the last quarter, Delta said ticket revenue from its premium cabin rose 9% from last year to nearly $5.8 billion, while main-cabin ticket revenue fell 4% from a year earlier to just over $6 billion.

CEO Ed Bastian said he’s seen no sign of premium-travel demand slowing down, a trend that helped drive the carrier’s upbeat forecast, released Thursday, for the rest of 2025 and next year.

Airlines from Delta to Frontier have been working to court travelers willing to pay more for seats on board.

During an investor day last year, Delta said that just 43% of its 2024 revenue was coming from main cabin tickets, down from a 60% share from in 2010. Meanwhile, Delta said that close to 60% of revenue last year was generated by premium seats and its lucrative loyalty program.

Delta, the most profitable U.S. airline, has benefited from its customers shelling out more for premium seats. Carriers have raced to add more of those seats to their fleets, some of them so elaborate — with lie-flat beds, ottomans and big entertainment screens — that they have delayed deliveries of new planes as regulators evaluate their design.