JetBlue has been talking the transatlantic game for some time. Well, it seems they’ve amped up their game today, with details revealed about their refreshed business class products. Let’s take a look at them.
The airline will use the Thompson Aero VantageSolo seat (and being a launch customer for the seat). This seat is optimised for narrow-body business class configurations, eschewing some of the more traditional 2-2 business class designs out there (such as the Collins Aerospace Diamond Seat).
These are forward-facing herringbone style seats, arranged in a 1-1 formation.
There will be 24 seats installed on an aircraft – presumably an Airbus A321LR (as the XLR is a little way off yet from production). This is the first major design overhaul of Mint – designed in partnership with Acumen Design Associates – A 16-seat layout will debut on a limited number of flights between New York and Los Angeles in 2021.
The 24 seat version will fly on the airlines planned London service this summer.
The “Mint Suites” will feature They will feature a tilting 17-inch Thales AVANT seatback screen, wireless charging capabilities, an integrated phone ledge for multitasking, and easy-to-reach in-seat power, as well as laptop, shoe and handbag storage. The seats will also feature sliding doors for those who want privacy in the air.
The very front two business class seats will be the “Mint Studio” seats. This was conceptualised by Acumen and developed in partnership with AIM Altitude. Each aircraft will have two Mint Studios in the first row, providing ample room for working or relaxing, and featuring a 22-inch tilting Thales AVANT seatback screen, an extra side table for added productivity, and a guest seat that can accommodate an additional Mint customer during flight at cruising altitude.
From above
Mint Studio – seated view.
In terms of comfort, JetBlue has partnered with Tuft & Needle to shape the entire Mint sleep experience onboard. According to the airline, the seats are engineered for comfort, every Mint seat is layered with Tuft & Needle’s proprietary T&N Adaptive® foam and a breathable cover to create a cool and comfortable sleep experience.
Mint Studio with Tuft & Needle bedding.
The seat complements additional sleep amenities developed in partnership with the brand, including a convertible blanket with a built-in foot pocket, a memory foam lined pillow with a pillowcase, and a snooze kit with a matching eye mask and earplugs.
The cabin will deploy Airspace by Airbus – the inflight Airbus cabin product, with custom lighting and passenger experience tweaks.
No details on the rest of the cabin have been disclosed at this time, in terms of the Economy products, seat types or configurations.
In Quotes
Joanna Geraghty, president and chief operating officer, JetBlue said:
“ Mint was an idea to make premium travel across the U.S. less stuffy and more affordable, and its performance has exceeded even our most optimistic expectations of going beyond New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco,”
“It’s remarkable how Mint’s thoughtful design has resonated with customers as we successfully grew it to more than 30 routes. We put our heart into this redesign of Mint and were inspired by our original vision of offering customers an exceptional experience at a lower fare – which is what JetBlue is all about.”
A Challenger Emerges
With the narrow-body long haul market being one that could drive a recovery – as flows may be long and thin for some time to come – JetBlue has come in strong with a very different product to what has seen up until now.
24 seats is a substantial amount of floorspace aboard an Airbus A321LR – so JetBlue is expecting these seats to earn their keep (along with the rest of the cabin).
Ultimately, it will be down to the customer if the price is right, and they’re wanting to try something a little different over the pond.
And of course, your neck when you try to contort your neck to look out the window…
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Let’s hope this actually happens. I’ve long been a fan of JetBlue in the NE USA. They offer a worthwhile no-nonsense value-for-money service with transparent pricing. Unlike some of the other carriers I frequent (BA, I’m lookin’ at you) they are not nickel-and-diming their customer base for every last pence/cent. They offer good communications when things are going well or not-so-well. Many times, they have “got me home” after weather or equipment failure. I missed a flight once due to terrible weather in NYC and they just said “You’re right it’s terrible” and put me on the next flight – no extra charge and no fuss. Agents have actually suggested “I think that bag could be your carry-on, so the other is your checked and I won’t have to charge you.” Can you imagine?
The upcharge for an extra legroom seat on JB is a pittance. Virgin and Delta have options but with BA it is “Try Premium Economy” or just suffer. Not my favourite…