JetBlue Expands Mint To Phoenix, San Juan, Vancouver

I wonder if JetBlue will also suspend BOS-LGW for the winter. would make sense as well to source the aircraft

LGW is where the cuts will come form and only in Winter... AMs has struggled but I think it will stay.

Seems like their new exec team is getting the ball rolling. Great

All the routes make sense. They do need to add lounges at JFK, FLL and BOS. I feel JetBlue can get things pretty close, but just need a few more investments to really take away meaningful business from the majors.

If JetBlue is taking delivery of A321neos with Mint (not the LR or XLR), won't that increase the footprint of its Mint aircraft flying domestically (even excluding the Mint aircraft fly8ng to Europe)?

I'm excited to see JetBlue flying Mint to Vancouver. Right now, JetBlue flies once daily between JFK and YVR on an A220, so that's also a capacity increase in addition to the introduction of Mint. Interestingly, JetBlue is the only airline to fly nonstop right now between JFK and Vancouver. I remember not too long ago when Phillippines, Cathay Pacific, and Air Canada used to operate that route.

I'd also love to see Mint from California to Toronto and Montreal. Maybe JFK-MEX as well.

Lucky, do you have any clue how their lounges are going? I remember a post from you from a few years back they were hiring someone to do lounges...

Few more thoughts here...
1) JetBlue is competing with Delta on all three BOS/JFK routes... they are also competing with American on the routes Phoenix routes. I wonder if that would have happened if the alliance were still in place.

2) Will be interesting to see Delta's response to this. Delta flies BOS to PHX, JFK to SJU, and JFK to PHX each two or three times a day, all on the A321neo. I am actually not a big fan of F on Delta's A321neos (hard seats, weird half cabins that make it hard to get out of the window seat). Each plane has 20 F seats, and some Delta Comfort seats. Whatever JetBlue Mint configuration will offer a better on-plane experience on these routes than Delta offers.

@ Avgeek -- Haven't heard anything concrete, but this rumor emerged again several weeks back:
https://onemileatatime.com/news/jetblue-airport-lounges/

Could definitely see Delta throw in the 767s back on the JFK-PHX route again

Delta should bring premium transcon to SEA/BOS, even if not SEA/JFK. JetBlue gets my wallet for these routes because Mint is the de facto best product out there.

Delta is doing well out of BOS, not as well out of SEA. This will be a great equalizer for it. Strengthen it's BOS stronghold and win over the AS market share at SEA.

I’ve long thought that an airline could make San Juan or St. Croix a hub for the Caribbean and Latin America and then offer connecting flights on smaller, regional aircraft from San Juan or St. Croix to all the various islands, etc. that can’t necessarily support daily, year-round service on a 757/321/737. And if an airline moved their corporate HQ to Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands, they could effectively get at least 90% off their taxes.

JetBlue should partner La Compagnie for Paris. They should also offer an intra-Europe business-class product on domestic flights on routes without Mint; that is to say a blocked middle seat in the forward rows. Cater a Mint meal and Mint wines.

Delta used to offer its Delta One service between JFK and Seattle and Boston and Seattle.

I'm aware, they stopped doing it and stopped being competitive on that route. Perhaps that's why they're struggling to grow out of SEA unlike in BOS, which does get premium transcon to LAX.

Frontier is doing this, if i read correctly

Seems the fares are decent July 24 - March 25

Departure Cities
(All fares round-trip, *nonstop)

Boston (BOS)
Phoenix (PHX) - $986*

New York (JFK)
Phoenix (PHX) - $1068*
San Juan (SJU) - $796*

Phoenix (PHX)
Boston (BOS) - $986*
New York (JFK) - $1068*

San Juan (SJU)
New York (JFK) - $796*

I love that mint is finally coming to SJU but only once daily? That's 1 out of 7+ daily jetblue flights between SJU and JFK. I'm sure they're testing interest but I feel that's only going to create confusion with converting only one route. Yes other operators like United and American do this seasonally with 777s once daily but that's still usually 1/3 daily flights at most.

I think this is a great idea, but their non-Mint aircraft don’t have ovens. I don’t know how hard it is to put them in, but I’m sure it’s not a half-day project per plane. That said, if anyone can pull off decent *cold* domestic catering in the US, it’s B6. I’d bet they could come up with some pretty satisfying cold meals for such flights.

Didnt AA have quite the mini-hub at SJU back in the day?

Prior to the pandemic, Delta often offered at least one flight a day on the PHX-JFK route with lie-flat seats. It didn’t feature the full Delta One service, but it was still an upgrade. I wouldn’t be surprised if that came back in response to this.

I should add this was only in the winter.

Well Air Canada does YVR/EWR, which makes sense given their close partnership w/ United. United has 0 flights out of JFK.

Completely axing LAX-EWR is surprising to me - they fly that several times a day I believe. There is way more premium trans-continental demand than there is capacity... but maybe with only 16 premium seats the route is unprofitable? Or maybe (if they are planning on?) using the 321LR on the JFK-LAX route they are already increasing capacity?

Well it's more of because JetBlue is retreating from LAX signficantly. JFK is the more important airport to be at than EWR for JetBlue.

JFK is clearly their focus but unless they are increasing JFK-LAX frequency/capacity (which I doubt they can) the overall NYC-LAX reduction seems strange. I'm sure there is a rationale for it, just isn't clear to me what that is.

It's opportunity cost. JetBlue already has 8 flights a day on JFK/LAX. What value would it provide them to do another few JFK/LAX, when they can grow their markets in other destinations. The marginal value is higher to do these other routes rather than another few JFK/LAX, which is already saturated with premium cabins.

TW had SJU a focus city, AA as a hub. I suspect it a yield challenge, plus equipment has the range to fly anywhere in the Caribbean from existing hubs.

Used to be an A320 and they downsized. Though the 220 is a better experience.
The flight is a red eye back from YVR so the addition of lie flat mint will be welcome.

Mint is overhyped domestic First designed to appeal to the insatiable egos of New Yorkers. Compared to Polaris, it's Basic Economy.

First of all, there is no Polaris on domestic flights. Second, JetBlue has the best catering in the US. That's 2-0 in favor of JetBlue over United.

Uh-oh, someone said the D-word in an OMaaT comment thread for a post that's unrelated to Delta?

Do you want a 5000 word Tim Dunn essay on how Delta is so awesome? Because that's how you get a Tim Dunn essay...

jetBlue just cancelled JFK to Puerto Vallarta. At least for late January/early February 2025. Now I have to scramble for new flights.

AA already had this back in the day, with lots of A300 service, ATR's etc.

This is great news. There is a market for flat beds on longer domestic and North American international routes, as the big 3 run standard domestic first. This is what they should focus on.

100%. Would happily pay a premium for jetblue quality of service + flat bed on longer domestics. The big 3 are so vulnerable to this move.

AA retreated from SJU when they got a major deal from MIA to establish a hub there and PR did not match.

DL has in the past added 75w flat bed service to JFK-SJU. I would suspect they won’t match this time but it’s a possibility.

I have been waiting for this route from Phoenix (home) to JFK for years. First time I flew JetBlue was many years ago when they offered their first route from Phoenix and was so impressed with the soft product and the crew. We were delayed by about an hour because of a technical issue and the Captain came out and explained everything and then kept us posted. I believe it was once a day and was a redeye.
This is great news and will benefit snowbirds coming to the 5th largest city in America.