JetBlue Airways

JetBlue is an American low-cost airline that is based in Long Island City, New York. The airline is the sixth-largest in the United States and calls the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York its home. JetBlue Airways offers 925 flights every day to over 90 destinations in the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America. Currently, JetBlue isn’t a member of any of the major airline alliances, however the airline does allow travelers to book connecting travel with any of its 41 partner airlines. The airline offers the fastest free in-flight Wi-Fi (Fly-Fi) of any airline as well as in-flight entertainment on every flight (36 DirectTV channels and 100 SiriusXM channels). JetBlue recently won awards for best airline, for customer satisfaction and for being one of the top 20 places to work. The airline published a customer bill of rights to protect the interests of travelers.

Touching on JetBlue Key Points…

• JetBlue Airways is an American low-cost airline that was founded in 1998.
• The airline is headquartered in Long Island City, New York.
• JetBlue is the sixth-largest airline in the United States by passengers carried.
• It operates over 1,000 flights daily and serves more than 100 destinations in the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.
• JetBlue is known for its customer-friendly policies, including free in-flight entertainment, complimentary snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages.
• The airline has a fleet of more than 250 aircraft, consisting primarily of Airbus A320 and A321 models.
• JetBlue is a founding member of the Value Alliance, a global low-cost carrier alliance.
• The company has received numerous awards for its customer service and operational excellence.
• JetBlue has a strong focus on sustainability and has implemented various initiatives to reduce its environmental impact.
• The airline has a loyalty program called TrueBlue, which offers rewards and benefits to frequent flyers.

JetBlue Airways has a fleet of more than 250 aircraft. The majority of their fleet consists of Airbus A320 and A321 models. These aircraft are known for their fuel efficiency and comfortable interiors. JetBlue also operates a small number of Embraer E190 aircraft. The airline regularly updates its fleet to ensure the highest level of safety and efficiency for its passengers.

JetBlue Flight Attendant Bases [2023] 

• JFK/LGA
• EWR
• BOS
• FLL
• MCO
• LAX

JetBlue flight attendants recently voted to join the Transport Workers Union. The votes were tallied on April 17th, 2017. The flight attendants voted 2,661 to 1,387 to join the union. JetBlue flight attendants ratified their first contract in December 2021. The contract is five years in duration.  

JetBlue Flight Attendant Pay [2023]

JetBlue Flight Attendants referred as “Inflight Crewmembers” currently have a pay scale that provides 12 yearly raises, which are received on the anniversary date that the flight attendant was hired on. Therefore, top pay will be reached after putting in 12 years of service. JetBlue flight attendants will receive a contractual increase to their pay scale on January 1st, 2024. The current rates took effect on 1/23/2023. 

The starting pay for a JetBlue flight attendant is $21.42 per credit hour for the first six months of employment increasing to $24.17 for the next six months. New hires are paid based on the rates provided in the premium pay scale. 

Two Pay Scales

JetBlue is the only airline that has two pay scales from which the flight attendants can choose from. This is a very unique creative compensation pay component but it doesn’t mean the pay is competitive. That will all depend on seniority, amount of hours flown and the additional pay elements that make up a JetBlue Flight Attendant’s salary.   

JetBlue IFCs have a choice on which pay scale they wish to be on twice annually. IFCs can choose between the Premium Pay or Straight Pay Scale during the election process held in February with an effective date of March 1 for six (6) months and August with an effective date of September 1 for six (6) months

Straight and Premium Pay Scales

Straight Pay Scale – The pay scale option which may be chosen by the flight attendant that consists of a higher base rate with no monthly premium pay threshold. The Straight Pay scale would be better for flight attendants that fly 86 hours or less each month.

Premium Pay Scale – This pay scale option which may be chosen by the flight attendants that pays 1.5 times the Base Premium Rate once the flight attendant has reached a monthly credit value threshold of seventy (70) hours. The Premium Pay Scale is the better option for flight attendants that fly more than 86 hours each month.

JetBlue Flight Attendants receive premium pay rates for all credit hours over 70 hours per bid period when choosing the Premium Scale. 

2023 Rates of Pay for both Pay Scales Side by Side

Provided below are the 2023 pay rates from the two pay scales that JetBlue Flight Attendants can choose from.

JetBlue Flight Attendant Per Diem Pay 2022

Domestic $2.15

International $2.35 

Jetblue Flight Attendants receive an hourly per diem allowance for each hour they are away from Base, starting at the required report time and ending fifteen (15) minutes (thirty minutes (30) for TransAtlantic) after Blockin of the last Segment of the Pairing. 

International Per Diem applies to International Segments and to Pairings or Duty Periods that are exclusively comprised of International Segments. 

A Jetblue Flight Attendant receiving classroom training in Base shall receive per diem for their time spent in training. 

Example: A flight attendant reports for a domestic trip at 06:00 and returns 09:00 the next day. The flight attendant was away from base for 27 hours and 15 minutes and will receive $58.59 in per diem pay. 

Domestic Per Diem will increase to $2.20 and International Per Diem will increase to $2.40 on 12/1/2022.

 International Pay [2022] 

$1.25 per block hour

JetBlue flight attendants receive an additional $1.25 per block hour flown on all International Flight Segments contained within each pairing. If the flight attendant is on a Deadhead or Self-Deadhead the International pay will not apply.

It’s important not to confuse International pay with per diem. International pay is compensation for working an international flight which is paid for the hours blocked for the flight. International per diem is paid for every hour the flight attendant is away from base.

International Customs Clearance Pay [2022]

$2.00 

JetBlue flight attendants receive an additional $2.00 stipend (not per hour) when the last Segment of their Pairing is a qualifying International Segment that ends in the United States from cities that do not pre-clear US Customs. International Customs Clearance Pay is not guaranteed in the event of a flight cancellation or a Pairing modification, Self-Deadhead on the last International Segment of a Pairing or a mid-Pairing removal. 

Example: A JFK based flight attendant with a one day pairing operated a flight to SDQ and back. Since the return flight is an international flight it will require the flight attendant to clear customs in JFK. The flight attendant will receive an additional $2.00 for that pairing.

JetBlue Flight Attendant Paydays 

JetBlue Flight Attendants referred as “Inflight Crewmembers” are issued paychecks twice monthly on the 8th and 20th. The IFCs are paid for flight pay and credit as follows: 

On the 20th of the current month paycheck JetBlue flight attendants are fronted 35 hours full time based on employment status (17.5 CrewFlex/Reduced Credit) + Per Diem from prior month; 

On the 8th of the following month paycheck JetBlue flight attendants are paid for all hours flown above the 35 (17.5 CrewFlex/Reduced Credit) including PTO + LOD, IFC#1, JRA, Night Override, etc..

Reported Salaries

The average JetBlue flight attendant salary provided on Indeed is $39,929 per year. It is estimated from 19 employees, users, and past and present job advertisements on Indeed in the past 12 months. This salary estimate is from the last update provided on January 14, 2022. 

The average base salary of JetBlue Flight Attendants being reported on PayScale is $36,172. This figure is based on only 15 profiles and was last updated on 1/15/2020.

JetBlue matches up to 5% and also makes a “Retirement Plus” contribution of 5% of eligible pay each pay period.

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JetBlue Flight Attendant Job Requirements

All new hire flight attendants must successfully complete “Initial Inflight Training” which is held at the Orlando Support Campus (OSC) also known as JetBlue University. Additionally, a minimum 5-hour “Initial Operating Experience” (IOE) flight(s) must also be successfully completed. JetBlue University is approximately a 10 minute drive from the MCO airport. 

Initial base assignments are received during training according to the current vacancies and operational needs of the airline. If you are interested in becoming a “JetBlue Inflight Crewmember” you must be prepared to either relocate or commute to one of the airline’s five bases which are: BOS (Boston), FLL (Fort Lauderdale), JFK (New York), LAX (Los Angeles) or MCO (Orlando).

JetBlue University

JetBlue University is the training facility and corporate headquarters of JetBlue Airways, a major airline in the United States. It is located in Orlando, Florida. JetBlue University is responsible for providing training and development programs for JetBlue crew members, including pilots, flight attendants, and customer service agents. The facility includes classrooms, simulators, and training aircraft where employees receive hands-on training to ensure they have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their roles effectively. The training programs at JetBlue University cover a wide range of topics, including operational procedures, safety protocols, customer service, and leadership development. The goal of JetBlue University is to ensure that all employees are well-trained and equipped to deliver exceptional service to passengers.