JetBlue Drone Policy – is their policy as modern as the rest of the airline?

CBoardingGroup - Business Travel Blog

5 years ago

JetBlue Drone Policy - is the policy as modern as the airline_

Can you take a drone on a JetBlue flight? We’ll let you know and under what conditions here! In this article we examine the JetBlue Drone Policy and answer all of your burning questions about traveling with your drone on JetBlue Airlines.

Be sure to check out all of our Airline Drone Policies here and of course, the TSA Policy on Drones here.Â

JetBlue Drone Policy

JetBlue…what a great airline. With fresh and unique sense of customer service, finely appointed airplanes and perky staff, JetBlue is a breath of fresh air in a sometimes stodgy business. We wish we could fly them a bit more and always enjoy the experience when we do.

As such, you’d expect this modern airline to have a modern policy on traveling with your drones. But, what is the JetBlue Drone Policy? Is it straightforward or squirrelly like some of the other airlines?

Actually…like it’s sleek and modern planes the policy is clean and simple:

Your drone can be both checked and carried on!

Let’s go a little deeper in the next few sections and examine all of the particulars including:

Carrying a drone onto a JetBlue Flight
Checking your drone on a JetBlue Flight
The JetBlue Drone Battery Policy

Carrying a drone onto a JetBlue Flight

As we noted, your drone can be carried onto the plane and stowed in the overhead bin or stored under the seat in front of you – assuming it meets the normal size limitations for carry-on luggage.

In case you didn’t know, or forgot, the JetBlue’s carry on dimensions are:

Overhead Bin: 22″ L (55.88 cm) x 14″ W (35.56 cm) x 9″ H (22.86 cm)
Under Seat: 17″ L (43.2 cm) x 13″ W (33 cm) x 8″ H (20.32 cm)

JetBlue’s Drone Policy also goes so far as to note that travelers can leave their drone batteries installed in the drone (some airlines require you to remove them). See more, below, on the JetBlue Drone Battery Policy.

When carrying a drone on a plane you really ought to carry it in a purpose-built drone backpack. Travelers can easily find a drone backpack that will fit your specific drone gear. Carrying your drone on you will give you some peace of mind as it sits safely above you in the overhead bin or beneath the seat back in front of you.

Example Drone Backpack on Amazon

If for some reason you decide to check your drone be sure to get a hard case for your drone and a TSA approved lock. And maybe some drone insurance.

Checking your Drone on JetBlue

Travelers can also check their drone on JetBlue if they so choose although we discourage travelers from doing so on any flight. Always carry it on. Why risk it getting damaged or stolen!? And, remember that with JetBlue you have to pay a checked bag fee which is yet another reason to carry your drone on the plane with you!

If you must check your drone on a JetBlue flight it is pretty easy. Your checked bag must simply adhere to the size and weight restrictions for all checked bags.

This likely won’t be a problem for your drone which is most likely well below the weight restrictions. When checking your droneÂ be sure to use a hard case for your drone (like pictured below) to help minimize the chance of it getting damaged in transit.

DJI Hard Case (check price)

How many drone batteries does JetBlue allow?

One wrinkle that pops up from time to time when traveling with drones is how the airline treats your batteries. Because drone batteries are almost always Lithium Polymer (LiPo) batteries there are some restrictions in most cases.

JetBlue’s drone battery policy notes:

100Wh and 160Wh Batteries can be brought – but no higher than 160Wh.
If your drone battery is 100WhÂ or greater you can bring two spares which must be placed in a plastic bag and have their terminals protected with tape (electrical or duct is fine)
If (and it’s unlikely) your drone battery is <100Wh there is no practical limit on the number of spares you can bring

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If you are interested in buying a travel drone please check out our detailed analysis of the very best drones for travel.Â

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JetBlue Drone PolicyÂ Summarized

Ok, let’s review what we’ve learned. The JetBlue Drone Policy is pretty easy really. We’ve summarized it for you below:

Drones are allowed
You can check them or carry them on
For either scneario you must adhere to luggage size and weight restrictions (duh…)
Drone batteries can be left in your drone
You can bring spare batteries
- If your batteries are >100Wh…no more than two and they must be stored in a bag with tape over the receptors
- If less than 100Wh there’s no limit on spare batteries.

That’s it…pretty straightforward!

Thanks for stopping by

Thanks for stopping in and learning about the JetBlue Drone Policy. We’ve covered a good deal of airlines drone policies so if you aren’t flying JetBlue, check out our entire section on airline drone policies!

We also encourage you to check out our insanely detailed and exhaustive coverage of the best drones for traveling. If you are trying to figure out which drone to buy and take with you on your next adventure, we got you covered.

Please check out these great articles including more travel drone related content, travel tips and more.