In August 2021, JetBlue launched its much anticipated transatlantic service, with a New York to London route. In April 2022, the airline announced it would add its first transatlantic routes out of Boston, as the airline will fly to two airports in London. Unfortunately this service has just been delayed by a few weeks due to some late deliveries from Airbus.
JetBlue’s Boston to London route launches August 2022
JetBlue will be adding service to both London Heathrow and London Gatwick as of the summer of 2022.
As of August 4, 2022, JetBlue will launch a new daily flight between Boston (BOS) and London Gatwick (LGW). This route was initially supposed to launch July 19, 2022. The flight will operate with the following schedule:
B62104 Boston to London departing 6:37PM arriving 6:35AM (+1 day)
B61926 London to Boston departing 12:15PM arriving 3:02PM
The 3,283-mile flight will be operated by an Airbus A321LR, and is blocked at 6hr58min eastbound and 7hr47min westbound.
Then as of September 20, 2022, JetBlue will launch a new daily flight between Boston (BOS) and London Heathrow (LHR). This route was initially supposed to launch on August 22, 2022. The flight will operate with the following schedule:
B61620 Boston to London departing 6:32PM arriving 6:30AM (+1 day)
B61621 London to Boston departing 8:25AM arriving 11:13AM
The 3,265-mile flight will be operated by an Airbus A321LR, and is blocked at 6hr58min eastbound and 7hr48min westbound.
In the past JetBlue had issues with securing slots for London Heathrow, given how expensive they are to acquire. However, for the time being the airline has been granted temporary slots to operate service to the airport, so we’ll see how this evolves over time.
JetBlue will be facing quite a bit of competition between Boston and London, as it’s also operated by American, British Airways, Delta, United, and Virgin Atlantic.
The reason for JetBlue’s Boston transatlantic flight delays
JetBlue’s revised launch dates are due to Airbus delaying the delivery of two new A321LRs, which the carrier needs to operate these routes. Unfortunately these kinds of delivery delays are quite common, and it’s especially problematic when the airline is relying on a specific plane to launch a route.
JetBlue’s incredible Airbus A321LRs
JetBlue has specially configured Airbus A321LRs that are used for this route, featuring a total of only 138 seats (most A321s have closer to 200 seats, but admittedly aren’t configured in such a premium way).
At the front of the plane is the Mint business class cabin, consisting of 24 seats in a 1-1 configuration, all with privacy doors. The first row has the Mint Studios, which are the most spacious seats that are available for an upcharge.
Catering in business class is great as well — JetBlue is in a league of its own among US carriers when it comes to inflight dining.
Even in economy JetBlue offers a nice experience, as seats have a minimum of 32″ of pitch. On top of that, there’s free high-speed Wi-Fi throughout the plane, an excellent entertainment system, and a unique dining concept.
To give you a sense of what to expect, I reviewed JetBlue Mint roundtrip between New York and London in August 2021 — I flew from New York to London in the Mint Suite, and from London to New York in the Mint Studio.
If you want to redeem miles for JetBlue Mint across the Atlantic, your best bet is to book through Emirates Skywards, as you’ll pay 64,000 Skywards miles for a one-way ticket. Skywards partners with virtually all transferable points programs, including Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou.
Bottom line
JetBlue will finally be launching transatlantic flights out of Boston. As of August 2022, the airline will fly daily between Boston and London Gatwick, and then as of September 2022, the airline will fly daily between Boston and London Heathrow. This complements existing service from New York to the two London-area airports. It’s great to see JetBlue add more transatlantic flights, as the airline offers an innovative product.
Unfortunately the service will be delayed by a few weeks due to the late delivery of some new Airbus jets.
There’s no denying that JetBlue is in two very competitive markets, though, and I’m curious to see if the airline can establish itself with limited frequencies and no lounges.
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