I’ve written several times over the past year about how I think it makes sense for JetBlue to introduce a first class product throughout its fleet. While the airline is known for its excellent Mint business class experience, that’s only available on select premium routes.
JetBlue operates in all kinds of premium markets, so you’d think there would be demand for a premium product throughout the fleet. Well, there’s finally an exciting update on that front.
In this post:
JetBlue may introduce “Mini Mint” first class
Live and Let’s Fly claims that JetBlue will be introducing a new premium cabin on all planes that don’t currently have Mint, which will be known as Mini Mint. The plan is for this to be introduced as of 2026.
JetBlue reportedly plans to select the Collins Aerospace MiQ seat for this new product, which is a standard product that you’ll find on many airlines. For example, it’s the same seat you’ll find in American’s domestic first class.
We don’t have many more details as of now, so it remains to be seen what kind of a soft product the airline would offer in Mini Mint. JetBlue is great with food and drinks in Mint, so hopefully that general concept also expands to this product.
How JetBlue would reconfigure planes
Live and Let’s Fly also shares the seat count that we’ll potentially see on these planes once reconfigured:
- JetBlue Airbus A220s would feature 143 seats, including eight first class seats and 135 economy class seats; these planes currently have 140 seats
- JetBlue Airbus A320s would feature 162 seats, including 12 first class seats and 150 economy class seats; these planes currently have 162 seats
- JetBlue Airbus A321ceos would feature 198 seats, including 12 first class seats and 186 economy class seats; these planes currently have 200 seats
- JetBlue Airbus A321neos would feature 200 seats, including 12 first class seats and 188 economy class seats; these planes currently have 200 seats
As you can see, JetBlue plans to introduce this product in a ridiculously efficient way. How is that possible? Well, JetBlue would eliminate its industry leading seat pitch in economy. Currently, JetBlue has 32″ of pitch in economy, while the airline would reduce seat pitch to 30″. Meanwhile Mini Mint would have 36-37″ of pitch, while Even More Space (JetBlue’s extra legroom economy) would have 35″ of pitch.
Apparently JetBlue’s plan is to first reconfigure the oldest A320s, and then work toward reconfiguring newer aircraft
This is absolutely the right move for JetBlue
Of course reducing legroom in economy is something passengers won’t like, but this is honestly a no-brainer for JetBlue:
- JetBlue isn’t able to command a revenue premium for offering a far superior economy experience to most competitors, with more legroom, personal televisions, free Wi-Fi, and more.
- The airline might as well instead invest in creating products that people are willing to pay for, including a first class cabin
- JetBlue is losing money, and needs to do something to turn its business around
Even bigger picture, I’ve talked in the past about why I think this concept makes sense:
- The demand for premium products is strong, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon
- JetBlue operates in lots of premium markets while not offering a first class product; for example, there’s huge demand for this between New York and Florida, which is a big market for JetBlue
- This would help boost JetBlue’s long haul Mint sales as well, since people could book itineraries that are in premium cabins the entire way
- This could help JetBlue increase engagement in its loyalty program, and that’s a big potential source of revenue
Bottom line
JetBlue is reportedly planning on introducing a “Mini Mint” product in 2026, which will essentially be a domestic first class experience. The plan is for this to be installed across JetBlue’s fleet of planes that don’t currently have a Mint cabin.
The airline intends to do this very efficiently, by reducing seat pitch in economy from 32″ to 30″. While no one likes legroom being reduced in economy, the reality is that JetBlue is losing money, and people aren’t consistently willing to pay a premium for a better “standard” economy experience. I can’t wait to learn more details about this product, as it’s a smart move.
What do you make of JetBlue’s plans for a Mini Mint product?
until they fix their operational issues and stop bringing up the rear when it comes to on-time performance, the new fancy product won’t mean a ton. it will just mean you get to be pissed about your missed connection from a nicer seat.
Basically this product would be introducing a domestic first class on flights that do not have it. Actually on some of their longer routes I would argue that they could have premium economy.
It's about time
While a F product is nice, B6 still needs to work on its operational reliability They still struggle with ontime performance and cancelations compared to the Big 4. If you can't do the basics (get customers safely to their destination ontime and not lose their bags), the other parts don't make a big difference.
They should have called in Minty or Mintish.
Will B6 add more economy seats to planes that already have Mint? If not, those planes might still have 32" pitch in coach.
The article states that this only applies to planes w/out Mint.
I love the idea of premium first class but believe it or not…. I hate those pop-up trays because they don’t leave a lot of room between you and the tray. I would certainly prefer the drop-down any day.
Their reduced points value for premium seat redemption is still a GARBAGE policy.
This will be what I'll refer to the next time people complain about airlines making seats tighter and tighter: The truth is consumers have voted and they're not willing to pay a premium for a more comfortable economy seat.
I must be very old. I remember in the 80's (or was it the 90's?), when TWA tried to generate a premium in Y class by adding more leg room in the entire Y cabin...didn't work for TW, they scrapped the layout and went back to their regular config...sadly, one of the many trials and failures TW made (they did make a few good tries, but it was too little, too late)...and many other airlines have made the same effort in years past...
Why do US-based airlines continue to call what is in reality a BUSINESS CLASS product “First Class” ? They are fooling no one. But good move for JB, regardless of what they call it !
As someone who likes flying Jetblue, this makes me sad. I really value seat pitch in an economy seat (which makes ULCCs not much of an option). But I understand the move.
There's probably more to this re: standardizing the experience for building relationships with Oneworld. They had the Northeast Alliance and probably will eventually do some type of arrangement with AA. They now have that limited partnership with BA and have a good...
As someone who likes flying Jetblue, this makes me sad. I really value seat pitch in an economy seat (which makes ULCCs not much of an option). But I understand the move.
There's probably more to this re: standardizing the experience for building relationships with Oneworld. They had the Northeast Alliance and probably will eventually do some type of arrangement with AA. They now have that limited partnership with BA and have a good relationship with Qatar. Being able to provide domestic/Caribbean connections for business class passengers is probably part of that strategy.
Would the American market ever accept European style first class? Maybe if Jetblue could hard block a few rows of middle seats, include a meal and other soft benefits like early boarding and extra points. Essentially all the perks of domestic first class without changing the plane drastically. Benefit would slightly better capacity on the plan overall
A bit disappointing for B6. This seems like a "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" scenario for them with the legacies. I'd expect something a bit more innovative from them instead of this boring, albeit industry predictable, change. Like others have said, the first class product is much more than just the seats, and they don't have the lounges and other premium amenities to compete with legacy premium products domestically. Then again, seems like...
A bit disappointing for B6. This seems like a "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" scenario for them with the legacies. I'd expect something a bit more innovative from them instead of this boring, albeit industry predictable, change. Like others have said, the first class product is much more than just the seats, and they don't have the lounges and other premium amenities to compete with legacy premium products domestically. Then again, seems like most innovation (except Mint) went out the door when Neeleman left.
A new premium concept, such as slightly more legroom and elevated service and other enhancements - something unique that's enticing to leisure travelers that are willing to spend more on a better experience, but not the premiums that other legacy first class demands. I think B6 can do much, much better in this space instead of "following the lead".
Well they have we have 2 years until 2026 so hopefully they will backtrack on reducing economy pitch hopefully?
They won't be adding ovens to these aircraft, so catering will all be cold items.
Slc-jfk would be incredible. Delta has way too much pricing power on that route with very high demand.
Thanks for the update. I am thinking that they might have seen Spirits financial information on revenue from their Big Front Seats. With every avenue open for making more money this may be one that make sense. Great move forJet Blue to level up to DAL at BOS and JFK.
This is where the industry is headed. A first class product, a semi better version of steerage and steerage. A glimpse of what ocean liner transportation was like in the early 20th century.
It makes sense for them. But they advertise "most legroom in coach" non-stop, and that will no longer be true, which isn't great. That said, not having a business class on most of their planes is the reason I've avoided them for business travel before, so I get it and this would probably make me pick them more for business travel but less for leisure.
For a small premium, you can buy an Even More Space economy seat if you want the leg room in coach.
Said this at Mathews blog and while B6 left a lot of money on the table by refusing to add first class, 30" kills any incentive for economy pax to choose them over competitors.
Was it inevitable? Yes, but disappointing
B6 thinks that it will succeed by becoming just like a legacy carrier which will provide the ability to sell some of those seats for a higher price but also offer the "promise" of upgrades for some elites as the legacies do. Problem is they don't have the strength of the legacy credit card agreements and don't have lounges which are also part of the premium revenue formula. Still, it is a start.
The fact...
B6 thinks that it will succeed by becoming just like a legacy carrier which will provide the ability to sell some of those seats for a higher price but also offer the "promise" of upgrades for some elites as the legacies do. Problem is they don't have the strength of the legacy credit card agreements and don't have lounges which are also part of the premium revenue formula. Still, it is a start.
The fact that B6 will have more seats on the same aircraft compared to some legacies shows that the standard coach/economy passenger will lose any incentive to choose B6 on top of the product changes that have been made.
Will be interesting to watch esp. given the competitive situation in B6' key markets.
@ Tim Dunn -- Sure, but how many people were previously paying a premium to fly JetBlue over Delta or United? Not many, I imagine...
Ben, it's worth noting that accoridng to DoT fare data, B6 routinely pulls in fares FAR lower than competitors.
I personally blame this on the poor operation and lack of a good FFP/CCs. They did great before 2020 when these weren't as big as an issue.
@ A220HubandSpoke -- For sure, and I also think that having a first class product will greatly help the airline when it comes to credit card revenue and loyalty. After all, this could be a major motivator for actually being loyal to the airline, and spending on a JetBlue credit card.
I agree with A220 below.
B6 doesn't get a fare premium to DL and the reason is likely B6' operation which significantly trails DL, its largest competitor.
B6 mgmt knows that the operation is a mess and hurts their revenue performance so they are fixing it.
As for the comparison below to the product, this will put them on par in coach with DL without lounges IF they can get on-time. The comparison...
I agree with A220 below.
B6 doesn't get a fare premium to DL and the reason is likely B6' operation which significantly trails DL, its largest competitor.
B6 mgmt knows that the operation is a mess and hurts their revenue performance so they are fixing it.
As for the comparison below to the product, this will put them on par in coach with DL without lounges IF they can get on-time. The comparison to AA is not near as valid but also highlights that B6 appears to be setting a course of independence or at least being on par or better than AA other than lounges and a larger credit card and in-house global network.
"The fact that B6 will have more seats on the same aircraft compared to some legacies hows that the standard coach/economy passenger will lose any incentive to choose B6"
More seats because they're installing 1-2 fewer rows of F than the legacies do on those aircraft.
The coach experience on B6 would still be equal or better in all aspects when compared to a legacy like AA. 2 inches more pitch in the...
"The fact that B6 will have more seats on the same aircraft compared to some legacies hows that the standard coach/economy passenger will lose any incentive to choose B6"
More seats because they're installing 1-2 fewer rows of F than the legacies do on those aircraft.
The coach experience on B6 would still be equal or better in all aspects when compared to a legacy like AA. 2 inches more pitch in the extra leg room seats. Same pitch in regular economy. Add free wifi and IFE and it's easily a better product than AA despite more seats.
Tim just sounds scared because B6 competes in JFK/BOS. With UA right behind DL now, he's afraid competitors will catch up and surpass Delta.
Given that B6' international aspirations are clearly not working as well as they thought and this whole project will take a couple years to roll out, the chances of any movement between DL and B6 are slim in the next couple years. DL is already well larger than B6 in BOS and NYC.
And DL will also be growing and changing. We don't know the details but DL is going to use its profits to...
Given that B6' international aspirations are clearly not working as well as they thought and this whole project will take a couple years to roll out, the chances of any movement between DL and B6 are slim in the next couple years. DL is already well larger than B6 in BOS and NYC.
And DL will also be growing and changing. We don't know the details but DL is going to use its profits to grow. The mystery 7/22 email could well involve a significant expansion to warmer destinations
Terrible move of making the product worse.
It didn't work for AA it certainly won't work for them
@ James S -- I mean, it does work though for Delta and United, both of which have 30" as their standard economy pitch. The carrier's current business model just isn't working...
As long as they keep the tvs and free wifi, they'll be on par with delta in back, I think. I think they need to add more premium seats. Alaska is adding more first class seats. 12 on an a321 won't be enough. They'll need to do another retrofit shortly, so they should just plan ahead. Also, any word on on how many of the Y seats will be Y+?
@ Sean -- No updates yet on how many Even More Space seats there will be, but I imagine the airline wants to roughly maintain that footprint. Yeah, to be honest, I'm also surprised the airline isn't going for a bigger premium cabin, especially given that it largely operates out of premium markets.
I think they are keeping 12 in first fleetwide the same, so when you run into downgauge scenarios, you do not inconvenience the premium passenger.
The business model was working before they previously decreased pitch, added baggage fees, and took away the features that made them unique. That strategy clearly backfired. Doubling down on turning into a legacy airline without the network or reliability of one means they have no niche.
That shows that you don't know history.
Back in 2000, AA made the largest move on expanding economy class legroom that any US airline had done in the post-Deregulation era.
They removed more than 7,000 mainline economy seats (more than 6% of their total capacity) systemwide, in exchange for a fare increase that was less than $5......
.......and they LOST THEIR SHIRTS over it. DL/UA/CO/NW/US simply...
That shows that you don't know history.
Back in 2000, AA made the largest move on expanding economy class legroom that any US airline had done in the post-Deregulation era.
They removed more than 7,000 mainline economy seats (more than 6% of their total capacity) systemwide, in exchange for a fare increase that was less than $5......
.......and they LOST THEIR SHIRTS over it. DL/UA/CO/NW/US simply maintained their fares.
AA is like it is, because they got burned arguably first and hardest, on the idea of expanding coach for passengers systemwide.
I remember they days of "more room throughout coach".
great maybe i can get more then a bag of cheese itz on my 7 hour flight to GYE...
Will First Class be put on the up coming A321 XLR?
@ Ivan -- A321XLRs are getting a proper Mint product, similar to what the airline has on all A321LRs and some A321neos. This new product is intended for non-long haul flights.
Ok yeah the Transatlantic A321's seat configuration stays the same.
So they're following Spirit and Frontier's lead in making flying miserable? That's going to end well.
Jetblue has the best domestic product by a mile but they might not even be around in 2026.
This would undoubtedly be a good thing for premium customers, but when flying economy, I would be inclined to book away from JetBlue. While you're probably right that the increased legroom isn't getting JetBlue a revenue premium, it is a factor in choosing JetBlue.
If the legroom were the same, I would rather fly Delta out of JFK terminal 4 because terminal 4 has excellent lounges available to credit card holders. Neither JetBlue nor...
This would undoubtedly be a good thing for premium customers, but when flying economy, I would be inclined to book away from JetBlue. While you're probably right that the increased legroom isn't getting JetBlue a revenue premium, it is a factor in choosing JetBlue.
If the legroom were the same, I would rather fly Delta out of JFK terminal 4 because terminal 4 has excellent lounges available to credit card holders. Neither JetBlue nor Delta has a compelling frequent flyer program, so the lounge access would put Delta over the top.
My thought, too. They're following legacy carriers and losing their own strength at the same time.
What will be their advantage over other legacy carriers in coach class? Do they have any better route network than others? Lounges? FFP? On-time performance?
Also, 37" pitch for domestic first class doesn't sound any better than DL or UA. Their soft product might be better, but it wouldn't be enough to justify their disadvantages.
@ Grogg -- I hear you, of course JetBlue had a significantly better product and some people were willing to pay a premium for that. But that's a small percentage of passengers. Certainly not many people were paying a premium to fly JetBlue over Delta, for example.
I guess the bigger question is, what's JetBlue's best option otherwise? Not add first class? Or add first class but keep industry leading economy seat pitch?
What...
@ Grogg -- I hear you, of course JetBlue had a significantly better product and some people were willing to pay a premium for that. But that's a small percentage of passengers. Certainly not many people were paying a premium to fly JetBlue over Delta, for example.
I guess the bigger question is, what's JetBlue's best option otherwise? Not add first class? Or add first class but keep industry leading economy seat pitch?
What we've learned in recent years is that airlines do best when they offer passengers buy up opportunities to better products. The average traveler isn't willing to pay more for a better experience, but some people are willing to "upgrade" to a better product, whether it's extra legroom economy or first class.
The short answer is that I don't know. It's possible that the revenue gains from adding first class could offset revenue losses elsewhere, in which case it would make sense.
But based on the rumored announcement and S_LEE's comments, which I agree with, I don't see JetBlue being a better value than Delta in either economy or first for NYC flyers if the price is the same. JetBlue doesn't have fortress hubs, and I...
The short answer is that I don't know. It's possible that the revenue gains from adding first class could offset revenue losses elsewhere, in which case it would make sense.
But based on the rumored announcement and S_LEE's comments, which I agree with, I don't see JetBlue being a better value than Delta in either economy or first for NYC flyers if the price is the same. JetBlue doesn't have fortress hubs, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a significant number of JetBlue's current customers fly with other airlines more frequently.
Given the current industry overcapacity, I think there is a case for keeping 32-inch seat pitch and adding first class.
Jetblue JFK Terminal 5 has no lounges, but it does have a nice post-security outdoor waiting area ('Wooftop lounge') and a BeRelax.
So, B6 has moved from LCC to Legacy status.
The soft items (food, beverage, service) in 1st need to be just a bit better than the other legacy carriers to pull in the crowd paying the premium. Also, this type of customer wants frequency between city pairs.
B6 cannot just rely on the East Coast and Caribbean for all its revenue. Maybe if they had implemented this earlier, the retreat from LAX could...
So, B6 has moved from LCC to Legacy status.
The soft items (food, beverage, service) in 1st need to be just a bit better than the other legacy carriers to pull in the crowd paying the premium. Also, this type of customer wants frequency between city pairs.
B6 cannot just rely on the East Coast and Caribbean for all its revenue. Maybe if they had implemented this earlier, the retreat from LAX could have been avoided. I still believe there's gold to be minted in Los Angeles.
Colloquialisms aside, there can (by definition) never be a "new" Legacy carrier.
This is the sort of thing Southwest needs to do for Business Select.
To really attract the high-fare paying passengers, they need to invest in a lounge network. Without this, they are just targeting the premium leisure market - which is something but they are still leaving money on the table.