Review: JetBlue Mint Suite A321LR New York To London

There was an Airspace Lounge at Terminal 5 that closed - you even reviewed it back in 2016! https://onemileatatime.com/airspace-lounge-new-york-jfk-review/ That space wouldn't be big enough for a lounge for all J passengers, but there's some retail space nearby that could be reclaimed...

Great review @Ben! I suspect Europe Business class tickets to be much cheaper now, even next summer!

IMO a lounge is pretty necessary for an airline that wants to operate long-haul business class.

Build one for Mint passengers at JFK, and then use a contract lounge at LHR. Even if the TATL flights don't stick, a JetBlue lounge option at JFK T5 is long overdue.

Hey Ben, you have the seat count wrong, JetBlue's A321LR's have 138 total seats not 164. 24 in Mint and 114 in core

I feel like this product is so good id choose it over the competitor despite not having lounge access. Plus who doesnt have a priority pass anyways which works great at LHR, and at JFK im not worried about lounge because im about to board mint and get real food and service.

@ Ben

Great review, but you made an error on the seat count.

The LR has 22 mint seats and 2 studio suites, and 114 core seats. For a total of 138

I cannot wait for Biden to open up the US/UK for travel again, this is number 1 on my list of airlines to try.

I’m usually a BA loyalist but with those kind of fares and with a review like this its a no brainier.

Looks great ! Is the Bos to LHR starting later this year ?

There are plans for T7 to be demolished and rebuilt into T6 and be connected to T5, which means there should be plenty of space for lounges.

@ Frank Valentino -- Boston to London is supposed to be the next transatlantic route for JetBlue, but no official start date has been announced yet.

@ Rob @ Jim -- Thanks, no clue how I messed that up, my apologies. Post updated.

@ Steve -- Indeed, at T2 Heathrow on the way out the Plaza Premium lounge (accessible with Amex Platinum) did the trick for me.

Considering how they offer their business class on several routes these days, some lounge access would probably not be a bad idea. Particularly when trying to compete on the NYC-LON route.

Why would they put jack in the old fashioned instead of bulleit? Unbelievable.

The details of the seat really are nice. @ben did you notice the tray table is in the shape of their mint leave logo? Very fun and subtle touch they added for that one!

Keep in mind that PP doesn't work on Plaza Premium lounges anymore. Only Amex Platinum does.

With the breakfast "to go" is there any issue with bringing it into the UK? Some international arrivals ports are fussy about bringing in food from overseas.

When I flew Tap Air Portugal out of the JetBlue terminal at JFK, there was a lounge. I forget the name. This was pre-pandemic, however.

But anyways, WOW. This blows away Delta, American and United. By leaps and bounds. Delta doesn't even give slippers on transatlantic business-class flights. And for wine, in Delta One, they're using big plastic bottle wine with no published wine list and plastic cups.

If I had one one complaint it's that JetBlue should serve a champagne over sparkling wine from Burgundy. Or serve an English sparkling wine since this is a London flight or even something from Dr. Frank in New York's Finger Lakes.

Don't think I can bring myself to pay full price for this flight. If it goes on sale sure then we are definitely talking, but the default price is just a bit much for a shorter flight NY to London. I can tolerate economy for NY to London. Anything further than that though I need to be in at least J, unless I am doing layovers. Hopefully they put these seats on sale close in.

Ben asks, "I just don’t get it — how is JetBlue’s food so much better than what virtually every other airline serves in business class?"

Ben previously said, "...maintaining the “integrity” of the cabin in terms of pricing. Most airlines will sell discounted upgrades as the departure date approaches (or on the day of departure) if seats are empty, but JetBlue doesn’t."

Perhaps there is no such thing as a free upgrade (or discounted one)? You simply end up getting what you paid for: Many airlines in the USA operate "upgrade class" rather than "first class", and their product is designed appropriately to that positioning and pricing, perhaps JetBlue's is designed for those who are willing to pay full price only?

I hope the Breakfast-To-Go option doesn't contain any meat/dairy, given the UK import restriction on these products.

Feel they should also have offered a real Champagne.
While the Cremant De Bourgogne could be excellent, not having a real champagne (on top of not having a lounge) may make them look cheap to some customers.

While the food does look good, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything other than ice cream offered for dessert in Mint. It would be nice to see more variety.

This is the first product on an US-based airline that I may actually want to fly. Usually, I board all my journeys with zero expectations - typically with UA and DL. While the cabin, food and amenities don't excite me so much, the service and attention to detail are refreshing. Cannot help but notice that the seat in the fully flat mode is quite narrow for those of us with broader shoulders. Having said that, seems like a journey on a US airline that I may actually disembark without feeling dread.

How is their coffee game? Any comments on their traditional cappuccino? Oat milk cappuccino doesn't say much about the quality of the actual coffee.

That meal and drink service looks amazing. Pretty astonishing that they can produce that kind of meal in a narrow body galley, and yet, many wide body galleys simply can't compete (or won't compete).

The best J class meal I had so far was on Turkish Airlines (pre pandemic). Ben, I know you liked their meals, too. How does JetBlue’s compare?

That Hi fly A330-900neo is headed to Pakistan on behalf of PIA (because of their EU/UK ban from 2020). They've been using that plane for a while now and it seems to operate their LHR, MAN, BHX, and CDG routes from Islamabad and Lahore. They also utilized the Hi Fly Air Senegal A330neo's for a short period a few months ago.

Does the all-engulfing blueness of the cabin fade to something more normal in-flight? I totally hate it.
I notice the pre-departure drink (nice!) is served in a plastic cup. Do they switch to glassware for meal service?

Ben, I love your reviews. They are informative and generally intelligent.

This review is smarmy and smacks of "insider trading" so to say. And I am being very polite here. How much did Jetblue pay you for this ass kissing review?
Honestly, I had more respect for you than I do now.

I struggle to find anything in this product that is exception, unless one compares to the American airlines. I wouldn't go out of my way to fly on JetBlue's mint to LHR when alternatives from Virgin and BA exist. It seems like a fairly basic business product with a marginally nicer hard product; although I would describe the hard product as cozy while some may describe it as cramped.

Great review and appears to be in a different league to the traditional carriers.

Wow. I would try that in a heartbeat but the lack of lounge is disappointing, surely they could partner with someone to sort this out. It seems such a shame you go from sitting in Starbucks at the gate to such a compelling offer on the aircraft.

I'd love to book a flight in Mint, but every time I visit the JetBlue site to book, it falls apart and doesn't show any available flights in any month.

A cursory glance across the Internet suggests JetBlue has a notoriously janky website, so at least I know it's not just me

Excellent review! It certainly seems to be a great product to fly on ! Too bad about the lack of lounge. I tend to fly SkyTeam (FB Platinum) or one world (BA Gold) when flying transatlantic. Too bad JetBlue does not belong to an alliance... Do you know if there are partnering with a European airline for flights from the EU in/out of LHR ?

Nice review. The product and service elements are really nice. B6 definitely needs to have a lounge at JFK and at LHR in order for this service to truly "take off" once demand returns. I'm a huge fan of the JetBlue concept, but the delivery is always a mixed bag with them, with operational problems very common and frequent delays. It will be interesting to see of JetBlue maintains or starts to dial back some of the perks offered in this cabin and route. The route itself is off to a not so great start. It will only operate 4 days a week in October and part of November and the LGW route has been postponed.

Great review, I've missed these aspirational reviews!
Would love to try it. Disappointing that their fares from the UK aren't as disruptive as hoped. Almost twice the price of TAP in the coming months.

You said you wish they’d serve cold brews. But if you take a look at JetBlue Mint breakfast to-go, you spot a can of cold brew

Nope. Unlike the US, the UK is relaxed about food coming in. Besides none of that food is fresh so wouldn’t be caught by the US rules.

Stand corrected. I got the EU rules mixed with non EU. So no fresh fruit or meat allowed in from the US.

Gatwick is not postponed. Get your facts straight. September 29 launch.

The lasagna is beautifully presented? It looks like… lasagna. I guess. I actually wasn’t initially sure what it was at first when reading on my phone until I read your description. Needless to say, beautiful was not the word that came to mind when looking at that food.

It could be the best cremant (French sparkling wine made from the champagne method but not from Champagne) but it's still not champagne. Reminds me of Delta serving cheap-as-heck Andre out of Boston or serving Mionetto prosseco on all domestic Delta One flights.

Not sure how you can say JetBlue's product is objectively better than British Airways. Isn't British Airways still using its old business class on many aircraft? Virgin has a great soft product out of London, but is weak elsewhere. Look at Manchester or Edinburgh. No Clubhouse lounges, etc.

Doesn't JetBlue partner with Tap Air Portugal? If so, you could fly JetBlue to London and then Tap via Lisbon to elsewhere.

LHR-JFK on BA is scheduled all Club Suite now and their food these days isn't bad at all. With lounge access both sides if the price were the same I'd probably go BA - especially if you're a OW FF member

Always love it when an airline other than Cathay Pacific has handwritten notes by the crew. They make a flight all the more special!

I didn't say that JetBlue's product is objectively better. In fact, I allude to the exact opposite. I would fly British Airways or Virgin over JetBlue any day.

This report is putting the competitors to shame. I am certainly intrigue in trying JetBlue's Premium Cabin.
Add a great Lounge to the Business Class package..it will be the " preferred airline" like QR and SQ.

You lose respect for someone over one single review in which you *suspect* without any hard evidence that Ben was paid off? What a sensitive respect mechanism you have. Oh, and I am being very polite here.

@ VT-CIE -- Totally agree, and great point. I think JetBlue is the only airline other than Cathay Pacific to consistently have handwritten notes, right?

@ reddargon -- Clearly you haven't seen some of the airline lasagna I've seen over the years, which typically looks like it exploded in the microwave.

@ Endre -- Good point, but it was only available in the to-go bag, and not on the menu otherwise. Furthermore, it would be nice to just have plain cold brew that can be customized (if you don't want it with milk and/or sugar).

@ Guillaume -- While JetBlue has some stateside partnerships with foreign airlines, to the best of my knowledge the airline isn't partnering with any airlines for connectivity in Europe. Hopefully that changes over time.

@ James W. -- JetBlue's website and app are AWFUL, agreed.

@ Stephen Morrissey -- I haven't been paid a dime by JetBlue for what I wrote. You realize you're accusing me of doing something illegal by not disclosing a financial relationship here, right? I've been blogging for almost 15 years, so hopefully my transparency speaks for itself.

@ glenn t -- They do indeed have glassware during the flight. Yes, pre-departure drinks are in plastic cups, but then again, other US airlines don't have pre-departure drinks right now. And yes, the mood lighting is turned down a bit later in the flight, and in particular at night.

@ Matt -- Turkish Airlines definitely still has the edge with catering. Turkish has the best meals of any airlines in business class, in my opinion. I'd say Qatar Airways follows closely behind. JetBlue is definitely the best among US airlines, and perhaps in the top five globally.

@ DCharlie -- I also had a standard cappuccino on the way back, and it was one of the best cappuccinos I've had on a plane. So their coffee game is strong.

@ Ted -- Agreed on that front, it would be nice if they mixed it up beyond ice cream. That being said, this was probably the best ice cream dessert I've ever had on a plane.

@ orflyer -- Thought that was super cute as well. JetBlue's attention to detail is on point.

This looks like a great way to cross the Atlantic.

Warm greetings from China mainland.

That is sooooo fantastic and inspiring to see such kind of gorgeous and caring services on the trans-Atlantic route in such a devastating COVID-19 period where other airlines are cutting the services and be cost savers.

Hope everything will go back to the original track in the near future!

Fantastic to read another great trip report, Ben. Thanks! As a maybe once a year (UK-based) leisure flyer in economy, I'd love to try out JetBlue if the general hype about quality of service and legroom is to be believed in economy just as much as it seems they've got business class nailed. Anyone flown transatlantic economy with any feedback?

Does anyone else notice that in economy the seat cushions are uneven across the rows. What is going on with that? I mean is D supposed to have an inch more pitch than F?
At least I know what to expect if I'm in Mint and announce myself as a reporter...

This looks like a fabulous product, and not with the usual caveat “for a US airline”. I love the cabin finishes and it seems they’ve really thought out the details.

A great read, thanks.

I've flown CX many times in front, and also oneworld Emerald, but I've never had a note from the FA's?? That's not a complaint, as I am not that fussy....and they certainly always superbly take care of me.

While I wouldn't accuse you of being paid I am a long time fan and this review leaves me confused....and a bit sad. It reads almost like Tesla fanboys reviews of new teslas, they build it up and build it up and then they find everything they've been obsessing over to be true. I really don't see much here to prefer over AA's 321T product for instance. Pre covid their service and food was excellent, the seat was massive and comfortable.. and there was lounge access and one world connections at either end. Again, you have always been transparent and honest but I really did not get anything approaching a "game changing" read from this review. Did the mood lighting on a new plane do it for you? A new build UA 777-300ER in polaris looks just as nice during boarding. I honestly don't see anything that says I would rather be on B6 over AA/BA/UA. All I'm left with is the price point which for now is compelling but I also cannot imagine being profitable longer term. Again, I have always appreciated your integrity and honest reviews but this review does feel like a miss in terms of conveying your experience which might be what triggered @ Stephen Morrissey's misguided comment.

I would choose an inflight product like this over a subpar product that has pre-flight lounges everyday of the week

I was at JFK that same day, and saw that same A321LR at gate 22

Can't wait to try it.

Awesome news!!, JetBlue announces the summer of the next year 2022, there would be the first lounges to the London SERVICE!! It is not the great! Now they just need a widebody to fly across the world.

Flown Mint three times across the Atlantic. every flight has been exceptional. You didn't mention the dedicated checking T5 and the lounge facility at the TWA hotel before airside. A big plus is the snooze dinner meal that arrives before the full service meal and is quickly taken away to allow extra rest. As a silver and gold member on other airlines the service on Jetblue is exceptional. Only down side is that all LHR flights appear to be at furthest gate at T2 with no fast track through security.

This review was extremely helpful! Looking forward to flying Mint. Your review answered all of my questions and provided great detail. Thanks so much!