JetBlue Airways: Getting Compensation After a Delayed or Canceled Flight

JetBlue Airways was fined in 2024 for chronically delayed flights. Here are your entitlements as a passenger.

JetBlue compensation policies

Like other airlines, JetBlue does not compensate passengers for flight delays and cancellations, regardless of whether the carrier is at fault or not. The reason for this is simple actually: the United States government doesn’t mandate it in the same way that European passengers are protected under EC 261.

This does not mean that compensation is not possible, of course, just that JetBlue is not required by law to provide passengers with trip credits, flight vouchers, TrueBlue points, or other benefits to travelers.

So, while compensation is not required, passengers still have entitlements to protect them, which are enforced/governed by both:

• The United States DOT
• JetBlue’s commitments in its Contract of Carriage

JetBlue passenger rights and policies

JetBlue offers some of the most robust passenger rights of any American carrier, far better than Frontier, Allegiant, or Spirit, and on par with Hawaiian and Alaska.

In the event of a flight delay or cancellation, JetBlue must meet certain passenger rights if the delay is controllable.

What is a controllable flight delay?

A controllable delay is a flight disruption that an airline is at fault for. Simply put, JetBlue passengers have more rights in instances of mechanical failures, crew scheduling problems, fuel/baggage loading issues, and cabin cleaning delays.

This policy also holds airlines accountable to report the real reason for a flight delay. If JetBlue is not transparent or communicative upfront, consider using ExpertFlyer to understand the reason you are running behind schedule.

1. Refund rights

JetBlue passengers may receive refunds for untraveled parts of their itinerary (including bag and other fees) if one or more of the following is true:

• Departure or arrival times that change by more than 3 hours domestically/6 hours internationally
• Change in itinerary including a connection at a different airport
• An addition of 1 or more connections

2. Other passenger entitlements

Passengers are also entitled to:

• Complimentary rebooking at no expense, either on JetBlue or another partner carrier (mostly on international itineraries)
• Meal vouchers or reimbursement when a flight delay/cancellation causes a 3+ hour wait until your next flight
• Hotel accommodations if your cancellation spans overnight
• Complimentary transportation to and from the hotel
• Future flight credits/travel vouchers when flight disruptions causes a 3+ hour delay (Only Alaska, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, and Southwest offer this)