Newly minted: Reviewing JetBlue’s brand new business class from London to New York

Back in April of 2019, JetBlue Airways shared plans to launch its very first intercontinental flights  nonstop service to London from both Boston and New York-JFK.

Despite a steep drop in transatlantic demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, JetBlue took delivery of its first Airbus A321LR earlier this year, and, just last week, finally began those much-anticipated Europe flights.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

I joined the inaugural in JetBlue’s “Core” economy cabin, and I was blown away by the service — catered in partnership with NYC-based chain Dig Inn, the food was a particular highlight.

With such an exceptional experience in coach, I had especially high hopes for my return flight to New York, booked in the airline’s latest Mint business-class cabin. It did not disappoint.

In This Post

Booking

While there was only one choice for the inaugural flight, I had my pick of dates for the return. Emily McNutt booked the first flight from London on the day of my arrival in the U.K., so I decided to fly back one day later, assuming that would give me an opportunity to quickly turn around a review while avoiding traveling back to New York with the various inaugural flight dignitaries, whose presence might impact my experience onboard.

(Screenshot courtesy of JetBlue)

With an even higher fare for a one-way trip, I opted for a round-trip flight from London (LHR) to New York-JFK for ₤1,240 in total, some $1,760 based on the exchange rate when I purchased the ticket in April. That’s a heck of a deal for a round-trip in business class.

I paid with The Platinum Card® from American Express, earning me 5 points per dollar on airfare* — 8,800 Membership Rewards points in total, worth $176, based on TPG’s valuations.

*When booked directly with the airline; on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year

You can also book Mint via JetBlue’s TrueBlue program, but redemption rates are based on the cash fare, and can be extraordinarily high, especially for one-way trips.

(Screenshot courtesy of JetBlue)

JetBlue flights also recently became bookable via the Emirates Skywards program, but when I called to price out an award between New York and London, the agent explained that JetBlue redemptions are only available for flights within the U.S.

In my particular case, my itinerary was impacted by a schedule change, and JetBlue emailed me several times offering a free change to my ticket. However, any time I went to make a change, the airline’s website and app either wouldn’t load my itinerary or presented an error message. I eventually gave up and just kept what I had.

Similarly, I wasn’t able to access my reservation to change my seat, beyond the 12F I had originally selected, and each attempt to check in online generated the error message below.

(Screenshot courtesy of JetBlue)

JetBlue’s new inflight product is indisputably industry-leading — the carrier’s website and app, however, are among the worst I’ve encountered from any travel brand.

Ground experience

While most airlines offer lounge access to travelers in long-haul business class, that isn’t the case with JetBlue. As a result, I wouldn’t arrive at the airport earlier than necessary, unless you have access to Heathrow’s various Priority Pass lounges.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Currently, JetBlue is operating out of Terminal 2, “The Queen’s Terminal.” It’s home to Heathrow’s Star Alliance flights, though a handful of other carriers fly from there, as well.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

While there were a few extra hoops to jump through ahead of the London-bound flight, as a U.S. passport holder, I only needed to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of departure in order to fly back home.

Since I was flying within three days of my original test date, I was actually able to use the same result from my Abbott BinaxNow COVID-19 Home Test that I used to travel to London a couple of days before. There wasn’t a line at check-in, and the agent reviewed my test result quickly, handed me a boarding pass and sent me on my way.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Terminal 2 was a bit more crowded than I expected, but there were still plenty of open seats — including some that were distanced from other travelers by large dividing boards.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Without a lounge to check out, I wandered around the terminal as I waited for our gate assignment. I was tempted by a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant, but I ultimately decided to save my appetite for the flight.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Most of the stores seemed to be open, and several other restaurants were, too, so you should be able to keep yourself busy for at least a few minutes.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

I decided to hit up the duty free, and by the time I was done checking out, JetBlue Flight 20’s gate assignment appeared on the departures board.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

While my inbound flight arrived at a gate near the entrance to Terminal 2, JetBlue now appears to be operating out of the satellite area, so be sure to budget extra time to get over there.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

The journey to B46 began with a walk through the main departures area, followed by a very long escalator, which connects with a tunnel under the airport ramp.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

The moving walkways cut down on travel time a bit, and there was a cart available to shuttle folks back and forth.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

I noticed that 1F, a Mint Studio, as available to book, so I stopped to ask a gate agent if they could change my seat. Unfortunately the same $300 upgrade charge applies even if a Studio is available at the airport, so I decided to stick with 12F.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

After a roughly five minute delay, JetBlue Mosaic and Mint passengers were invited to board N4022J, our roughly four-month-old Airbus A321LR.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Cabin and seat

JetBlue’s A321LR is similar to the airline’s Mint-equipped regional A321neo, though the former has a considerably longer business-class cabin, and sports the new Airbus Airspace interior, including a very cool ceiling design throughout the plane.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Mint suites are arranged in a 1-1 configuration, with two studios in the first row, followed by 11 rows of suites. I chose 12F, located in the last row of Mint, hoping that would give me the best shot of seeing how the crew handles such a long business cabin. 

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

There’s a bulkhead wall just behind, so 12F ended up being the most private, as well.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

With the seat fully reclined and the door slid shut, I barely noticed when people passed by — it felt almost as private as my flight in Qatar’s Qsuite.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

The suite was very thoughtfully designed. The seat itself has an integrated Tuft & Needle mattress, so it was very comfortable, both as a seat and a bed. I really appreciated all of the clever storage areas, as well, starting with a smartphone spot right below a universal outlet and USB-C charging port.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

There’s also a Qi wireless charging pad over by the window — if you have a newer phone, there’s a good chance you can simply set it down there to charge. There’s a small storage compartment just to the side of the charging pad, too.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

I really love the slide-out drawer below the TV, but unfortunately my 16-inch MacBook Pro was a hair too long to fit inside. My MacBook Air managed just fine on my recent JFK-LAX flight, though.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

While it wasn’t quite ideal, the only compartment that fit a laptop this large was underneath the ottoman. It ended up being just fine under there, but you might feel more comfortable keeping larger electronics in your luggage, instead.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Fortunately, the tray table was plenty large enough for my big laptop, and didn’t have any trouble with the weight.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

There was a second universal outlet above the side table, and this one came with a nifty cord organizer.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

I was very impressed by how quickly the USB-C port charged my iPhone — it’s a huge improvement over the trickle you’ll get on most other planes.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

The A321LR also sports Airbus’ latest overhead bins, with enough room to accommodate extra bags. Not that overhead storage would otherwise be an issue on this low-density plane.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

The seat controls were especially intuitive, making it possible to control the lighting and make granular adjustments to the seat.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

JetBlue’s latest Mint suite includes an integrated “do not disturb” function, as well, so you can let the crew know whether or not you want to be interrupted for meals and drinks.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

The green light indicates that you’re good to go, while tapping the “do not disturb” button will change the color to blue.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

There’s a second small seat adjustment panel that’s more accessible in lie-flat mode, along with a wired TV control.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

I found the seat to be exceptionally comfortable in bed mode — it really did feel like I was sleeping on an (especially narrow) mattress.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

I’m of average height, at 5′ 9″, and the bed was more than long enough to accommodate me. Taller passengers will likely find the studio to be a worthwhile upgrade, though.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

I kept my door closed for much of the flight, but it’s easy to control — simply lift the release below the lamp to close the door, and slide it open to come in and out.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

12F has the added benefit of being directly across from the crew rest in 12A, where the pilots come for their rest periods throughout the flight. A dedicated curtain above adds even more privacy.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Each suite also has a dedicated air vent above, making it possible to adjust the temperature a bit during your flight.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

While some travelers have expressed concern about the comfort of crossing the Atlantic on a single-aisle jet, the cabin felt spacious enough to me. Some of the design elements really made a positive impact, too, including the various Airspace ceiling fixtures from the galley all the way to the back of coach.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

This Mint cabin has two lavatories up front as well — with a maximum of just 24 passengers in Mint, plus the crew, you shouldn’t have to wait long to use the loo.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Amenities and inflight entertainment

A highlight of any premium-cabin flight: amenity time!

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

JetBlue offers the same amenities that Mint flyers get on domestic flights. My Wanderfuel kit included dietary supplements, immune support chews, a deodorant wipe, lip mask and recovery cream. I also got an eye mask, ear plugs, dental kit, and disposable socks.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

All Mint passengers also get slippers, which you’ll find in the shoe storage bin to the side of the seat.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

The airline has extra items available upon request, as well, including a lint remover, chap stick, hand sanitizer, lotion and a stain remover pen. JetBlue-branded versions are on the way, but these off-the-shelf versions are available from a flight attendant for now.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

I completely missed the memo here, but JetBlue offers pajamas to passengers traveling in one of the two Mint Studios. I wasn’t eligible, since I was in a regular suite, but they brought some by for me to check out anyway. Very cool!

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Mint Studios have giant 22-inch screens, with 17-inch panels installed in each of the regular suites. It’s still quite large, especially once you slide out the screen and move the seat forward a bit.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

JetBlue also offers Master & Dynamic headphones. They do a decent job of blocking out ambient sound, but they don’t have noise-canceling functionality, unfortunately. Flight attendants also come by to collect them before landing (so you don’t “accidentally” take your pair home), so I’d recommend bringing your own noise-canceling headphones if you’re hoping to have the very best inflight entertainment experience.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

My seat “recognized” me on the flight out, but that wasn’t the case on this return. Apparently the passenger manifest wasn’t synching correctly with the inflight entertainment system.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Still, I had access to JetBlue’s huge array of on-demand content — including 181 movies and 111 TV shows — plus five channels of live TV: CNN, BBC, CNBC, Sport24 and Sky News.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

The airline had a larger selection of new releases than I’ve seen on other carriers recently, so there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find something that you haven’t seen.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

The picture was sharp, too — my only complaint is that there wasn’t an option to skip ahead during the advertisements.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

I ended up having to watch two commercials before each piece of content, including one for Marriott Bonvoy and another for JetBlue’s credit cards.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

The interactive moving map was sharp and responsive, and there’s an option to have it play in a picture-in-picture window.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

I also really appreciated being able to adjust the brightness without leaving a program — just tap the button and slide the control.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

As with the rest of JetBlue’s fleet, the A321LRs are equipped with free Wi-Fi. On this route, the antenna switches over between two providers.

(Screenshot courtesy of Ookla)

Eutelsat, above, offered decent performance over the U.K. After we passed over Ireland, the plane switched over to ViaSat-2, a speedier satellite with service over the Atlantic.

(Screenshot courtesy of Ookla)

I found the ViaSat satellite to be more reliable — fortunately that’s the one we were connected to for all but the very beginning of the flight.

Food and beverage

Last year, JetBlue upgraded its Mint meals with new catering designed by New York City-based Delicious Hospitality Group (DHG). The current menu includes dishes from one of DHG’s most popular restaurants, Pasquale Jones.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Immediately after boarding, I was offered my choice of sparkling wine, juice or a combination of the two. The flight attendant also presented the menu, along with a wine and cocktail card.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

I was especially excited to try JetBlue’s cocktails, given that they’re mixed to order and poured at your seat.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

There was also a water bottle waiting for me in the side compartment — and not one of the tiny bottles I’ve been encountering on a certain JetBlue competitor.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Dustin came by with a cocktail and “tasting trio” about 25 minutes after takeoff. While I was in the last row, there were only seven other passengers in Mint, so there might be a longer wait on full flights.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

I ordered an Old Fashioned with Bulleit Bourbon instead of Jack Daniel’s, and Dustin was happy to make the swap. The drink was fantastic, as was the tasting trio, with marinated artichokes, cashews and olives.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Lunch arrived another 25 minutes after that. Typically, passengers can choose three of five dishes, but I asked to sample them all, given that the cabin had been catered for a full flight.

You won’t see it mentioned on the menu, but all of JetBlue’s transatlantic meals are catered by Do & Co, largely considered to be the world’s best inflight caterer. It’s a big deal, and explains why the meals are as delicious as they are.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

The chicken Milanese, at the bottom right, was my favorite. It wasn’t especially crispy, but the flavor was fantastic and the meat wasn’t dry at all. The roasted carrots were outstanding as well, and the pasta was also delicious (and very hearty), but I’m not sure the shape quite matched cavatelli, which was listed on the menu.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

My backup dishes were also entirely edible. The salad was fresh, albeit not especially exciting. The shrimp were very flavorful, but overcooked. The crispy rice also reminded a bit too much of maggots — once the thought crossed by mind, it was impossible to unsee “them” in my bowl.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

love that JetBlue includes sea salt flakes and chili oil with each meal, too. I used both on various dishes and it was really fun to see how they impacted the flavor.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

After bringing my meal, Dustin insisted that I try the margarita as well. It was easily the best margarita I’ve ever had on a plane.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Finally, he came by with a martini — another home run.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Forty minutes after the mean arrived, Susan arrived with another round of drinks, including coffee and tea.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Dustin followed immediately with dessert, also served from the trolley. Given the length of the cabin, I definitely think it makes sense to serve at least some of the dishes from a cart.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

I tried both the vanilla gelato and the cheese plate. The ice cream was delicious, but the cheese plate was a bit… uninspired. The darker cracker was soggy, and the cheeses weren’t especially memorable. I really enjoyed my tea, though.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Roughly an hour before landing, the crew came through with hot towels and to take our order for the arrival meal. I also ordered an iced coffee, which I enjoyed very much.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Flyers are instructed to choose two of three dishes, but, again, I asked to try them all. I didn’t enjoy this meal quite as much, beyond the pretzel roll, which was hot, fresh and fantastic.

Otherwise, the panzanella salad was the strongest dish this time around, thanks to the super-flavorful roasted tomatoes. The Italian clam soup was a runner-up, but I found it to be a bit bland. The panini, meanwhile, was just far too soggy to enjoy — I barely took a bite.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Before landing, Susan came by with a tray of chocolates. A sweet ending to a phenomenal flight!

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Service

One of the reasons I grabbed the last row of the cabin was so I’d be able to better understand the service flow, and have an idea of what to expect throughout Mint — not just in the very back. With less than half of the suites occupied on this flight, I imagine the experience was a bit different than it would have been on a completely full plane.

I had also picked this flight hoping the JetBlue team on the inaugural would be spending at least one full day in London, but there were several folks from product development on the plane — there was simply no way for me to travel “under the radar” on this flight. While it was never specifically mentioned, it seemed clear that the crew was aware I was onboard to work on a review.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

This was the first time these flight attendants worked the leg from London to New York, but they’ve spent a considerable amount of time training for this particular service, including working a transcon demo flight within the U.S.

Additionally, this flight had the same handpicked crew that worked the inaugural from JFK two days earlier — Dustin, Susan and Vanessa in the Mint cabin clearly represented the best and brightest at JetBlue.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

All that’s to say that the crew was absolutely flawless — okay, aside from misspelling my name on the thank you note. Ha! Still, it was easily one of the best groups of flight attendants I’ve ever interacted with. That should be the case across any of JetBlue’s London flights, given that the airline’s transatlantic crews have received extra training and are now operating U.K. flights exclusively — it just remains to be seen whether or not they’re all this good.

Overall impression

Without a doubt, this was one of the best flights of my life. The crew was absolutely incredible, the food was restaurant-quality and the plane was comfortable, high-tech and brand-new. Really, there’s not much not to like.

(Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

That said, there are two areas where I think JetBlue needs to improve. First, if the airline wants to compete on the ground as well as in the air, JetBlue really needs to offer a lounge experience of some sort. In London, that shouldn’t be terribly difficult, even if it just means giving customers access to a partner lounge.

On the second front, the airline’s IT experience is aggressively awful. The app is largely web-based, so it takes a long time to accomplish even the simplest of tasks, like booking a flight or changing your seat. Sadly, JetBlue’s website isn’t much better — more often than not, I ended up with an error, or on a page that would only refresh each time I clicked to move along.

JetBlue really hit it out of the park with this new London service, and as the carrier prepares to expand elsewhere in Europe, it’s essential that it invests in other components of the experience, as well.


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