JetBlue to impose fee for first checked bag

[DALLAS] JetBlue Airways is positioning itself to boost revenue with a fee to check a passenger's first bag, a break with the airline's history, and by squeezing more seats onto its planes.

In promoting president Robin Hayes to be the airline's next chief executive officer last Thursday, JetBlue's board signalled its readiness to focus on those investor-friendly changes, according to analysts including Stifel Nicolaus & Co's Joseph Denardi in Baltimore.

Mr Hayes will succeed CEO Dave Barger on Feb 16, the day after Mr Barger's contract ends. With the stock lagging behind the industry average, New York-based JetBlue has come under fire during Mr Barger's seven-year tenure for not moving swiftly enough to increase revenue and pare debt, and for failing to reach goals for return on invested capital.