JetBlue To Dramatically Expand Its Mint Service

Interesting that JB would not implement Mint on its red-eye flight from Oakland to JFK?

Actually Delta will bring it's DeltaONE product to the JFK-SEA route in the not-too-distant future (as they promised to offer by June 2014.)

It will compliment their Asian expansion and the new International Arrivals & Departure terminal at Sea-Tac

I have a funny feeling we haven't seen the last of the Alaska/Virgin/JetBlue merger drama. I predict 5 years from now they will all have merged into one carrier.

Is this a sponsored post? "super-premium" and "groundbreaking"? really?

I have not flown Mint but this seems like great news for travelers in general. For passengers in some cities, like Seattle, this will be the first opportunity to purchase domestic flat bed seats. Consolidation has certainly reduced competition in some places but in others it seems like competition is only getting more intense. In the case of Seattle, the last 2-3 years has brought:

- Delta's quasi-hub operation to compete with Alaska
- Alaska dramatically expanding routes to compete with Delta
- American introducing more flights and also new routes to Southern California (competing with Delta and Alaska)
- JetBlue introducing Mint service
- Dramatically lower domestic first class fares on all airlines
- Alaska introducing improvements in first class and a new premium economy product later this year (41" seat pitch in first)
- Alaska buying VX to be more competitive with the big 3

I don't think there's ever been a better time to be a Seattle based flyer. There are far more choices available now than there were 10 or 20 years ago, both in terms of carriers and level of service.

Finally an Airline offering a premium product to New York from San Diego. Its about time. I have had to live with AA & UA & DL's terrible First class product on this route.
This is a great move where I think the demand is high and a lot of people will use it.

Being a BOS flier I can tell you the DL flights to LA and SFO are on old 737s and are not that comfortable even up front. The issue is, do you fly DL out of loyalty and to keep status (that is a fair amount of MQMs to give up), or do you jump to JetBlue for the product and comfort (assuming you want to fly up front to begin with)?

@Another Steve - There are already domestic flat-bed seats from SEA on one of Delta's daily SEA-ATL offerings.

I'm a BOS based flyer too, and have been debating talking the JetBlue plunge for a few years, especially since AA canceled their BOS-LHR service. But the systemwide upgrades are hard to give up. I'd be happy to fly everywhere nonstop from Boston, but being a nobody for the 4-5 international trips I take each year is tough. But since AA is cutting their upgrades in half, maybe it's time.

@ncsam says:There are already domestic flat-bed seats from SEA on one of Delta’s daily SEA-ATL offerings.

Yup, you're right I remembered that after I posted, doesn't change my opinion though.

Hoping they start having lounges at least in JFK, BOS, and LAX. they need that to be a true competitor now that they have the route network they're almost there!

Started booking my boss into these Mint flights ex-SFO, especially to BOS. He has basically ditched his lifetime status with UA.

I'd say Delta One is better than Mint, but when you figure the price is usually double I'd pick mint all the time (that said i usually take, and will continue to take Delta in Economy Comfort).

I'd also think if JetBlue can provide lounge access to Mint flyers they'd have an upper hand.

Also surprised they're launching Mint JFK->LAS. While it sounds like a classy route it's really just a long haul leisure route. I've flown this 3x in the past year as a Delta gold medallion and am 5 for 6 on getting an upgrade.

Having flown Mint I find it blows Delta One, American, and UA's product out of the water, especially with the single 'suite' seats, the food (and drinkable coffee), and the fast (and free) WiFi. This is also quite a shot across the bow to Virgin/Alaska, whose transcon product is pretty lousy.

As for lounges, not sure about the value given how little connecting traffic there is.

About how much more are these premium seats compared to their economy seats?

Except for the JFK-LAX/SFO routes which everyone does well, they are the premium carrier on the FLL routes (only remote competition AA 767/772/77W) and the BOS routes (all "domestic") and carribean

Am I the only one that thinks this might be related to JetBlue codesharing with premium carriers?

The mint product has definitely evoked a response out of the big three. I flew on my first BusinessFirst equipped 757-200 from BOS to SFO on Monday.

As a frequent transcon flyer out of Boston on UA, I am seriously considering switching to JetBlue. 1K on UA has become a let down, their operations (on the ground and IT) are a mess and I have respect for innovators.

Very nice...wht about the caribbean flights hummm st lucia jamacia barbados grenada antigua etc... we need tht also....

Flew Mint from SFO to BOS this May..Exceptional..Puts any other first class to shame. I flew United firstcClass out to Ca. and there was no comparison. I would drive to Boston or JFK to take Mint if I am heading cross country. I live in Upstate NY and our airport and flights are terrible. The only problem with the red eye from SFO to BOS is that I was so comfortable I slept 3/4 of the flight. Such a shame. Look forward to flying Mint again in the near future

Mint Service sounds wonderful! But I hope they will implement Mint Service to South Florida and Jet blue's South American routes as they could use it since their flights are father away like Cartagena/Bogota Lima and Quito.

Hey JetBlue - how about those of us in PORTLAND OREGON?

Are you aware that we are on same coast as SAN, LAX, SFO & SEA with equally long flights? How about instead of upgrading your existing MINT equipped planes, you use the old design for us "lessor markets" and start upgrading your coach only planes?

I only fly in paid first class, which means I have never flown you out of Portland. Would gladly pay $2000 or more roundtrip for MINT from PDX to JFK or BOS. Are your decisions driven purely by the competition's offering or are you trying to best service your markets?

Really sick of reading year after year about a service you refuse to offer in my hometown.

Really sick of onemileatatime and others failing to mention the complete lack of even basic first class on the bulk of your routes in articles like this