Like many carriers, JetBlue has been struggling with profitability in recent times. The carrier’s management team is undertaking all kinds of initiatives to cut costs and increase revenue, and for the most part, the changes have been pretty sensible. JetBlue has just announced its latest cost cutting initiative, and I imagine this is one that people won’t be a fan of…
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JetBlue changes transatlantic economy meal service
As of October 1, 2024, JetBlue is eliminating hot meals in economy on transatlantic flights, as flagged by Live and Let’s Fly. JetBlue publishes its menus, and below you can find JetBlue’s new transatlantic economy menus, with “all items served chilled.”
For context, JetBlue launched transatlantic flights in 2021, and for the most part, the carrier offers a pleasant experience, with complimentary Wi-Fi and endless entertainment. The airline has partnered with New York-based restaurant group DIG, to offer some of the best catering you’ll find in economy.
The dining experience has been modeled after the JetBlue Mint dining experience. Rather than just serving set meals, JetBlue has made its meals customizable:
- Passengers have had the option of choosing one of three main courses, each of which is a protein or vegetable that comes with a base
- Passengers have had the option of choosing two of three sides, with two of the options being hot, and one being chilled
Note that some JetBlue transatlantic flights already didn’t have hot meals, but that’s because they were operated by Airbus A321neos, which don’t have ovens in economy. These changes now apply to all aircraft, including Airbus A321LRs.
Obviously this is a cost cutting measure
I think it’s safe to say that this is a cost cutting initiative, though it’s not clear if the catering changes go beyond this, and could impact Mint as well. In recent times, we’ve seen JetBlue eliminate a flight attendant on some transatlantic flights, which has meant that the doors at Mint seats can no longer be used (this is due to FAA requirements requiring extra staffing for planes that have business class suites with doors).
It’s not entirely clear if these changes are being made strictly because the cold meals are cheaper, or also to reduce the flight attendant workload, given reduced staffing.
On the surface, I think it’s safe to say that most people prefer a hot meal to a cold meal. That being said, I don’t necessarily think that has to be the case. If JetBlue can still serve a high quality cold meal, I’d take that any day over the microwave-style hot dinner you get on so many other airlines.
The catch is that if the goal is to cut costs, I have to imagine that the quality of the food is likely being impacted as well, and this isn’t just about whether it’s hot or cold.
JetBlue’s new management team seems to be struggling a bit when it comes to deciding what to do with transatlantic flights. JetBlue’s previous CEO was convinced these flights would be a game changer, but go figure, operating narrow body jets year-round across the Atlantic isn’t easy.
We’ve seen JetBlue greatly reduce its transatlantic flying in winter season, and also defer new aircraft deliveries, so we likely won’t see much growth to this network. For that matter, I can’t really blame JetBlue for looking to cut costs, as it doesn’t seem like the airline is able to command a revenue premium for having a superior soft product.
Bottom line
As of the fourth quarter of 2024, JetBlue is eliminating hot meals in economy on transatlantic flights. JetBlue has probably had the best catering across the Atlantic in economy, so it’s a shame to see the airline changing course there. Going forward, JetBlue will serve cold meals in economy. Hopefully the quality doesn’t suffer too much from this change.
What do you make of JetBlue eliminating hot meals on transatlantic flights?
In all my life, I don't think I've ever heard anyone say: "I'm really craving chicken grain bowl" let alone that tofu thing.
What a joke these meals promise to be.
I AGREE!
Narrow body airplanes and no connecting partners in Europe, it only caters towards point to point travelers to Europe. Passengers starting their journey in Europe don’t know JetBlue and most likely won’t book it.
Their trans-Atlantic project is slowly but surely failing and they trying everything to keep it going. Not sure if cutting hot food will do the trick.
I would rather spend $10 on a snack box. Im with the group that finds this menu very unappealing.
You taste foods differently at altitude (hence so many sauce heavy Chicken offerings. Usually salty but they end up palatable)
What do they serve in Mint when they fly ceo ac?
I still believe they would be better off at less busy airports in Europe. The landing and airport fees at LHR and CDG must be exorbitant compared to GLA, MAN,CGN etc.
The race to the bottom continues with the airlines.
The food items sound delicious! ...as long as the quality is there, and I suspect it will be.
I'm unlikely to fly JetBlue or Y (voluntarily) TATL. Frankly, I think I might be a fan relative to typical Y food.
My expectation for economy meals have been "barely palatable" I guess I'm not really surprised by this. All the more reason to pack something in your carry on and grab Chik-fil-a right before you board.
I’m sure the new meals taste absolutely fine, but this is really uncompetitive.
I flew Virgin in economy in the daytime from LHR-JFK in March, and in 7 hours got an initial drink and snack snack service, then a genuinely delicious hot meal with chicken and leek casserole with mashed potatoes, a really big quinoa salad, bread, butter, cheese and a dessert pot, then about 2 more drinks services, a mid flight ice cream, then...
I’m sure the new meals taste absolutely fine, but this is really uncompetitive.
I flew Virgin in economy in the daytime from LHR-JFK in March, and in 7 hours got an initial drink and snack snack service, then a genuinely delicious hot meal with chicken and leek casserole with mashed potatoes, a really big quinoa salad, bread, butter, cheese and a dessert pot, then about 2 more drinks services, a mid flight ice cream, then afternoon tea with another drink, 2 sandwiches, a hot scone with jam and cream, and a chocolate truffle.
I was blown away by how much you got in 7 hours, let alone the comfort of an A350 and lovely service.
I don’t see how JetBlue come anywhere near competing with that now.
I suspect this is related to their decision to defer A321 deliveries in order to save cash.
They probably launched several new routes thinking they could put new A321XLRs on them and they would have ovens
Now that they are going to use their GTF grounded aircraft as "growth aircraft" when those aircraft return to service in about 2 years (hopefully less) they do not need as many new aircraft and deferred the...
I suspect this is related to their decision to defer A321 deliveries in order to save cash.
They probably launched several new routes thinking they could put new A321XLRs on them and they would have ovens
Now that they are going to use their GTF grounded aircraft as "growth aircraft" when those aircraft return to service in about 2 years (hopefully less) they do not need as many new aircraft and deferred the A321s.
Fewer airplanes w/ ovens - along w/ tighter FA staffing means they needed to have a consistent onboard product - even if might be perceived to be cheaper.
They were always going to be just a niche player to Europe and they can make that work but having a bunch of airplanes configured for hot meals on flights that only make money for 4-6 months per year wasn't a great idea. A few routes can work year round but not many - and those will likely be XLRs. It is easier to say "it will all be cold" and add something warm such as soup or a bread or pastry - though they may or may not even do that.
Chilled cauliflower cheese? I’m out!!!
Sounds like they'll remove the ovens to reduce weight and/or make space for something else. I guess it's not to save on energy, as the amount needed to heat a few meals is just a tiny fraction of the total being used on a long haul flight.
Nevertheless, cold meals can be tasty. Salads are all the rage right now, for example. I'd prefer a cold meal made with proper ingredients based on an inventive...
Sounds like they'll remove the ovens to reduce weight and/or make space for something else. I guess it's not to save on energy, as the amount needed to heat a few meals is just a tiny fraction of the total being used on a long haul flight.
Nevertheless, cold meals can be tasty. Salads are all the rage right now, for example. I'd prefer a cold meal made with proper ingredients based on an inventive recipe very much over some of the downright crap some airlines dare to serve as hot meal. If it's impossible to identify what I'm supposed to find in my bowl, or if 90% of the bowl is filled with a putty like substance that's supposed to be 'mashed potato', then the temperature of said serving is the least of my issues.
I guess it would have been easier to simplify the meal concept, though. It seems like a lot of fuzz to get all those different mains and sides packed, sorted and distributed and I can imagine that so much choice also causes much more leftovers than with a simpler menu. It's a flight in economy, not a dinner experience on a fancy restaurant with wings. Uncomfortable suffering is an integral part of the economy experience.
“We noticed Jetblue has old jets”
“Like really outdated”
“The returning plane had this loud noise in engine during ascension which disappeared only when we reached 30k [feet]… It was scary”
Quoted feedback from a close friend who flies 5-6 times per year (and is very well traveled) for JFK-CUN-JFK 3-weeks’ ago.
The airline also lost their toddler’s stroller, but found it later that day after they arrived home from JFK.
Marty St. George &...
“We noticed Jetblue has old jets”
“Like really outdated”
“The returning plane had this loud noise in engine during ascension which disappeared only when we reached 30k [feet]… It was scary”
Quoted feedback from a close friend who flies 5-6 times per year (and is very well traveled) for JFK-CUN-JFK 3-weeks’ ago.
The airline also lost their toddler’s stroller, but found it later that day after they arrived home from JFK.
Marty St. George & his team still has a long way to go in rehabilitating JetBlue’s so-so PaxEx.
Maybe it's just me, but I still struggle to see how any airline can make money flying narrowbodies on TATL flights, especially if trying to offer lie-flat business class and economy class. Yes, I get the aircraft are fuel efficient, but I have to believe the load percentage to break even is incredibly high given the relatively few number of seats on the aircraft.
It’s because you fail to grasp simple economics.
If the RASM exceeds the CASM for a particular segment, that segment is profitable. Doesn’t need to be on a wide body or carry cargo to necessarily be cash flow positive.
Also, there is an opportunity cost by not offering service to where your customers want to go. Even if it was operating at a loss, the loyalty that could be gained is worth more...
It’s because you fail to grasp simple economics.
If the RASM exceeds the CASM for a particular segment, that segment is profitable. Doesn’t need to be on a wide body or carry cargo to necessarily be cash flow positive.
Also, there is an opportunity cost by not offering service to where your customers want to go. Even if it was operating at a loss, the loyalty that could be gained is worth more than the losses incurred. So does TATL makes boat loads? No probably not, but if it keeps people from booking a segment on DAL, then that might be the play.
On paper, this is a great airline.
In practice….
My last flights were dismal. Ground in plus new dirt on seats, tray tables, carpets and walls. I’m no germaphobe, and see a place for challenging immune systems, but…
I watched a crew member be terriblyrude to a little old lady, yelling hands on hips! The guest wanted help with her bag.
Selection? Training? Supervision?
It was too cheap and tawdry to consider them again.
KThksbuyee
JetBlue is in a tough spot. While people can say they care about the product, ultimately the current airline results suggest it's really a combination of network and hard product that has driven success. UA and DL have a combination of route networks and hard product availability that people seem to preference. Even when I lived in Boston years ago I ended up flying predominantly UA as I valued the star alliance options and international...
JetBlue is in a tough spot. While people can say they care about the product, ultimately the current airline results suggest it's really a combination of network and hard product that has driven success. UA and DL have a combination of route networks and hard product availability that people seem to preference. Even when I lived in Boston years ago I ended up flying predominantly UA as I valued the star alliance options and international flights. Even if Jet Blue had flown their international routes I would have flown UA or AA for places like London - a better meal unfortunately isn't enough to be compelling vs. other benefits of larger carriers much as I will continue to complain about the animal feed that United chooses to serve...
The problem with JetBlue's transatlantic strategy is they're running small planes to massive oversubscribed slot restricted hubs - it's a massive waste of slots. The only way this would have worked is if they could get loads of daily slots at these hubs, and be competitive by frequency which they can't do because they can't get the slots while existing competitors already have loads with which they can provide frequency with wide bodies. I always...
The problem with JetBlue's transatlantic strategy is they're running small planes to massive oversubscribed slot restricted hubs - it's a massive waste of slots. The only way this would have worked is if they could get loads of daily slots at these hubs, and be competitive by frequency which they can't do because they can't get the slots while existing competitors already have loads with which they can provide frequency with wide bodies. I always said they should have focused on long and thin routes that are underserved or have no current transatlantic service - think Edinburgh not London Heathrow, Prague not Amsterdam, Athens not Rome etc. Sadly I think this transatlantic venture will be a write-down, no doubt the cold economy catering is not going to endear themselves especially when people can fly with legacy carriers on the exact same routes which have hot meals on spacious wide-bodies and at similar price.
My guess is that this is more about consistency for crew, passengers, and the catering company.
Reduced staffing onboard means a reduction in choices served. Tail swaps no longer matter in case it goes from a LR to a NEO with no ovens. Catering isn’t trying to prepare 2 different menus.
My best guess is that hot entrees will return when they stop flying the NEO on TATL. Or when they add ovens to the NEO.
Fundamentally, JetBlue is at an economic disadvantage as its narrow-body fleet can't garner revenues from cargo on long-haul flights in the same way that legacy carriers' wide-bodies can. It will be interesting to see how long JetBlue can sustain trans-Atlantic operations. JetBlue's experience should offer lessons learned to AA (given its planned XLR TATL operations).
Interesting, especially considering AA is now serving caviar on some of their biz routes.
That's bad. Can't even get a hot entree?
Unfortunately, JetBlue will face the same fate as Virgin America. I could see an airline like Southwest in some surprising fashion acquiring them to speed up their new identity or some other American carrier will just split everything up and leave the scraps for others to take. They are just cost-cutting too much to the point that it is not sustainable. I see them gone within the next 5-10 years.
Especially with Icahn’s vultures hovering. They should’ve allowed the spirit/jetblue merger. But the big three made sure that wouldn’t happen and now both airlines are on the brink of bankruptcy-spirit more so obviously.
As someone with somewhat picky but by no means the pickiest out there food issues, I'm dying looking at this menu. If I didn't know ahead of time and got on the plane to find these were my only food options I'd probably cry, because they sound disgusting. Airplane food is already bad enough, don't make it worse by removing the heat AND trying to make it fancy, just give us a basic sandwich so...
As someone with somewhat picky but by no means the pickiest out there food issues, I'm dying looking at this menu. If I didn't know ahead of time and got on the plane to find these were my only food options I'd probably cry, because they sound disgusting. Airplane food is already bad enough, don't make it worse by removing the heat AND trying to make it fancy, just give us a basic sandwich so we don't die and let's just get to our destination, stop trying to make economy food part of the experience, it's never going to be at this price point, just make it something the vast majority of us can eat.
The food items sound disgusting if you have the palate of a toddler. The big 3 can't even serve a proper sandwich. How is this worse?
What toddlers do you know crying out for quinoa, lentils, soba or kale?
I would say the vast majority can eat chicken. Cold is just not the preference. DIG does a good job with the food here in NY. It is fresh, healthy and delicious. I had the kale apple salad last week and it was as good as I remember! Any cold entree is also good. Your experience may vary at 35,000 feet.
Sounds like either an opportunity to reduce weight/maintenance on some of the ovens or the ability to provide a consistent product when they sub to other aircraft without ovens
JetBlue should simply drop its TATL route network and shelve plans to add more cities. This always was a vanity project and not a very good one. JetBlue doesn't have a meaningful or relevant slice of the corporate travel wallet, and never has. These routes work in the summer, but not in the winter.
So are they going to remove the ovens from the back galleys in the A321 LR?
So everyone gets the same two sides now, there is no choice like before. I bet this is to accommodate the reduced flight attendant staffing as now there are just two things for people to choose from (the entrees).
I think this is 100% about staffing. They likely eliminated the position that would work the aft galley. Serving all chilled meals means they don’t need an FA to to play musical trays in the galley. I doubt they’ll remove the ovens.
Healthier and still way better than the competition. What does the big 3 serve on it's similar routes?
Again, people choose biz class for schedule and reliability first and amenities after.
I'm probably alone in this thinking, but I think this is a good move.
Regardless of the route or the aircraft, economy passengers will have the same meal experience which I believe is a good thing.
Same. If the meals can be served quicker, passengers can get to sleep or work quicker especially given B6’s many short trans-Atlantic flights
It's been interesting seeing what feels like the entire airline industry (minus Big 3) collectively turn on the lights and panic. Even with the Alaska/Hawaii merger it feels like more consolidation is coming
Amongst who? It would never get approved by the DOJ.
Don't bet on it not being approved. Concessions will be made, but the last thing the US government wants to do is bail out this sorry industry again like it did during the pandemic, which cost taxpayers upwards of $50 billion. More consolidation is on the way for sure and the following airlines are all in play:
Frontier
Spirit
JetBlue
Southwest
Allegiant
JetBlue is going to be acquired by American Airlines, eventually.
@Alonzo I could see American and Alaska eventually merging. And UA absorbing B6, if only in order to regain a foothold at JFK.
More likely that AA would absorb B6. UA controls 65% of the traffic at EWR. No way it would get back into JFK in that size and pass regulatory muster.
Again, you guys talk mergers and the DOJ has shown zero interest in approving anything you guys are speculating in recent memory.
Jetblue will fail before the DOJ allows a merger.
Just experienced this-had booked core/EMS over and used my Mint Certs back (longer flight back) Plane got swapped from A321LR to A321neo-no core ovens. The food was decent but again cold-not what I had booked. Crew was a bit embarrassed to be honest. This is what happens when the vultures like Ichan are allowed near airlines.
The meals still sound good to me. I’ve had some awful meals before. One time I tried kosher on AA, and most of it was still frozen and awful in general. Last time I flew on UA from Azores, the chicken stew thing was not great. I think it all comes down to the vendor. I do hope JetBlue, Spirit and Frontier all survive these trying times. I appreciate the competition and low fares even if I do tend to fly AA or UA most often.
The garlic ginger tofu is tasty and I would be happy to have it again. That said, the absence of a hot meal option is nonetheless disappointing. I strongly prefer the hot options for westbound flights (from Europe) to the new cold options.
lol I read "tasty" as "nasty" and figured, "Well, I supposed I'd take that if the other choices were cold chicken (sheesh) or nothing."