The other day, I was helping a friend book a JetBlue flight.
He asked me to assign him an extra-legroom seat, and when I got to the seat selection screen, I was floored.
JetBlue wanted a whopping $149 for an extra-legroom seat — an “Even More Space” seat, in JetBlue parlance — for a flight of less than three hours from New York to West Palm Beach.
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I’ve been a frequent JetBlue flyer for many years, and this was the first time I’d seen such an expensive buy-up for an Even More Space seat on a flight from New York to Florida. The last time I helped this friend a few months ago, he paid around $65 for the same seat on the same route.
I took to X (formerly Twitter) to ask if the $149 buy-up was a fluke, but JetBlue confirmed that it introduced a dynamic pricing algorithm for Even More Space seats.
I then searched five sample JetBlue routes to see how the airline’s dynamic pricing algorithm stacks up against the competition’s extra-legroom choices, and in many cases, the results weren’t pretty.
Westchester to West Palm Beach
| Airline | Aisle | Middle | Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta | $50 | $50 | $50 |
| JetBlue | $129 | $126 | $129 |
This is the starkest example that I could find of JetBlue charging significantly more than the competition for an extra-legroom seat.
On flights between Westchester County Airport (HPN) and Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), JetBlue was charging a whopping $79 more than Delta Air Lines on the exact same route.
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For years, JetBlue has had a monopoly on service from HPN to Florida, and the average fares reflect that. Last year, the airline’s route from Westchester to West Palm Beach had an average gross airfare of $203, Department of Transportation data shows. (In contrast, average JetBlue fares from John F. Kennedy International Airport to West Palm Beach were $168.)
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HPN’s catchment area includes some of the wealthiest communities in the New York suburbs, so JetBlue likely feels that it can get away with charging so much for an extra-legroom seat in this market.
LaGuardia to Orlando
| Airline | Aisle | Middle | Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta | $110 | $110 | $110 |
| Frontier | $33 | $33 | $33 |
| JetBlue | $64 | $60 | $64 |
| Spirit | $65 | NA | $65 |
On this route, Delta was charging the most for an extra-legroom seat, but the comparison is much more nuanced than the simple $46 difference between the Delta buy-up and the JetBlue one.
For one, Delta’s extra-legroom offering, Comfort+, doesn’t just include more pitch. Comfort+ is marketed as a separate cabin, and travelers sitting in this section on flights longer than 900 miles receive a better complimentary snack selection than in standard economy.
Furthermore, on flights longer than 251 miles, Comfort+ travelers can enjoy free beer and wine, and on flights longer than 500 miles, they can also enjoy free spirits.
Meanwhile, on JetBlue, each can of wine will run you $11, and if you’re looking to start your visit to Mickey Mouse with a little buzz, the difference between the Comfort+ and Even More Space narrows.
New York to West Palm Beach
| Airline | Aisle | Middle | Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta | $120 | $120 | $120 |
| JetBlue | $149 | $144 | $149 |
| Spirit | $118 | $NA | $118 |
| United (from Newark) | $84 | $79 | $84 |
Here’s another example where JetBlue’s Even More Space seats were priced higher than the competition.
This was the route I mentioned in the introduction, but looking at the difference between Even More Space and the competition reveals some interesting insights.
If faced with the choice, I’d fly Spirit Airlines on this route. That’s because the airline’s most premium extra-legroom offering, called Big Front Seat, is more like a domestic first-class product than an Even More Space seat.
Spirit’s Big Front Seats are arranged in a 2-2 configuration and offer extra legroom, additional width and larger tray tables. The only downside is that the seats are pre-reclined, but I’d still say that a Big Front Seat is more comfortable than an Even More Space seat.
Of course, we’ll have to wait and see what changes with the pending merger between JetBlue and Spirit, but until then, I’d be tempted to choose Spirit over JetBlue — especially with the latter charging $144 for an extra-legroom middle seat.
New York to Boston
| Airline | Aisle | Middle | Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| American | $32 | $31 | $32 |
| Delta | $60 | $60 | $60 |
| JetBlue | $39 | $39 | $39 |
| United (from Newark) | $29 | $29 | $29 |
Even More Space wasn’t always the priciest option on every route that I searched.
In this case, JetBlue’s extra-legroom offering was the second-most-expensive one after Delta’s Comfort+.
But it’s interesting to see that American Airlines and United Airlines were undercutting JetBlue’s buy-up on the short flight between New York and Boston.
New York to Los Angeles
| Airline | Aisle | Middle | Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska (from Newark) | $84 | $84 | $84 |
| American | $74 | $67 | $70 |
| Delta | $250 | $250 | $250 |
| JetBlue | $159 | $153 | $159 |
| Spirit | $249 | NA | $249 |
| United (from Newark) | $159 | $152 | $159 |
New York to Los Angeles is one of the country’s most heavily contested aviation markets, so I was curious to see how six of the largest U.S. airlines stacked up.
JetBlue was once again the second-most-expensive option after Delta, but the difference between JetBlue’s pricing and Alaska Airlines’ was quite noteworthy.
Alaska brands its extra-legroom seats as “Premium Class,” and these seats also include free booze on flights longer than 350 miles.
So not only is Alaska’s pricing among the lowest of the competitive set, but the value is also quite good.
JetBlue’s response
When I noticed how expensive the Even More Space seats have become, I reached out to JetBlue to ask about what happened.
It confirmed the existence of a dynamic pricing algorithm based on various factors, such as the route and demand, as you can see in the full statement below.
JetBlue’s Even More Space seats are a very popular choice for many customers, who not only take advantage of up to 7 inches of additional legroom on board, but also get earlier boarding and overhead bin access, as well as access to our Priority Security lines at select airports. JetBlue’s Even More Space pricing varies from flight to flight and is determined based on routes, demand, and other market factors. Even More Space seating remains free for our most loyal Mosaic customers and an optional enhancement to other JetBlue customers’ travel experience.
Bottom line
With the introduction of a dynamic pricing algorithm for Even More Space seats, JetBlue’s extra-legroom offering is now among the most expensive in the sky.
The buy-ups are pricier than ever before, and that’s without JetBlue introducing any new perks, such as free drinks, which you’d find on Alaska and Delta.
Even More Space does include priority security (a perk you won’t find on any other major U.S. competitor), but travelers with Clear or TSA PreCheck probably won’t value this extra benefit all too much.
If you’re still set on flying in an Even More Space seat, there are a few options to lower the cost.
The first is to take a close look at the seat map. As part of the dynamic pricing model, some seats are more expensive than others. For instance, on the Embraer E190 flying between New York and Boston, the bulkhead seats were $42, but those in the middle of the plane were $39.
Alternatively, you might want to wait until the check-in window opens. Some travelers have reported that JetBlue discounts unsold Even More Space seats as the flight approaches.
And finally, JetBlue’s Mosaic members have access to free Even More Space seats at booking or check-in, depending on the tier. If Even More Space is something you value, you could always swipe your way to Mosaic status to enjoy free seats for you and your traveling party.
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