JetBlue is denying it uses personal data to jack up fares after a grieving traveler’s complaint about a $230 price spike for a funeral trip exploded online.
The airline said a now-deleted social media post advising the customer to clear browser cache and cookies was wrong — and fueled confusion about so-called “surveillance pricing.”
Last week, an X user posted a screenshot of another post from a flier who said that they were hit with a $230 increase on a ticket after traveling on JetBlue for a funeral.
“I love flying @JetBlue but a $230 increase on a ticket after one day is crazy. I’m just trying to make it to a funeral.”
JetBlue’s official social media account replied: “Try clearing your cache and cookies or booking with an incognito window. We’re sorry for your loss.”
The response sparked speculation that the airline was using surveillance pricing — adjusting ticket costs based on customers’ personal data available online.
But the airline denied this.
“The reply from our JetBlue crewmember on social media was incorrect, and we apologize for the error,” the company told The Post.
“JetBlue fares on JetBlue.com and our mobile app are not determined by cached data or other personal information.”
The airline said fares are driven by “real-time availability” and handled through its reservation system, but did not elaborate.
“Fares can change at any moment as seats are purchased or as inventory is adjusted based on demand, and are not guaranteed until a purchase is completed,” the company stated.
Sen. Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat, weighed in as the post went viral, writing: “Is Jet Blue openly admitting to raising someone’s price hundreds of dollars because they know they have to go to a funeral? Grief shouldn’t come with surge pricing. We need to pass my bill to make surveillance pricing illegal.”
Airline pricing has long been dynamic, with fares shifting constantly based on demand, timing and how many seats are available on a given flight.
Ticket costs can rise quickly when inventory tightens — particularly for last-minute bookings like emergency travel — even without any use of personal data.
The JetBlue brouhaha also comes amid growing concern over the controversial practice in which companies use consumer data such as browsing behavior, location or purchase history to tailor prices to individual customers.
Critics say the tactic can result in people paying different amounts for the same product.
While JetBlue denies engaging in such an approach, other companies have drawn scrutiny for experimenting with data-driven pricing.
Delta Air Lines previously told investors it was exploring artificial intelligence to help set fares before later walking back those remarks, while Instacart and Uber have faced criticism over claims of variable pricing tied to user behavior.
The uproar has caught the attention of lawmakers, with proposals gaining traction in several states to restrict or outright ban surveillance pricing.
New York currently requires companies to disclose when algorithms are used to set prices.
