The American airline JetBlue might not be that well known this side of the pond, having only started flying to London just three years ago. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s new, starting life as a ‘premium low-cost airline’ in the US over twenty years ago, combining great customer service and an innovative onboard product.
It’s something I have wanted to try for a long time, and last week I got the opportunity with our friends at Jetset – for a weekend in Boston and New York, over St Patrick’s Day weekend, which also marked the day they started their service to Dublin.
If you haven’t travelled from Heathrow’s Terminal 2, it’s a dream. It is the same style as Terminal 5, but smaller. Upon arrival, JetBlue’s small bank of check-in desks is right in front of you – and I mean right in front, and not more than around 10 paces.
JetBlue Check-In
With only two flights in the morning, one to New York and one to Boston, each carrying less than 150 passengers, you won’t have a problem with queuing, it took no more than a few minutes. With Mint (and even more space) you get the fast track option to go through security – and believe me it was fast! In the Plaza Premium lounge from check-in in less than 5 minutes.
What’s even better when travelling with JetBlue, given they use smaller aircraft, they are able to use gates connected to the main terminal, so not more than a couple of minutes walk across the concourse. It was quite possibly the easiest I have seen at such a large airport.
We were able to pre-board, which isn’t such a big problem given there are so few people onboard, and there’s plenty of space to store your luggage. If you’re travelling in Mint like I was, you basically get a whole overhead bin to yourself!
There is so much to love about the experience. You’re able to choose your menu via the large touchscreen monitor when you sit down. As we had an early morning flight = that included the choice of breakfast and a light lunch before landing. There are also snacks available throughout the flight – including a very decent cup of tea! That is very rare on a long-haul flight, and strangely something I have noticed only on American carriers.
JetBlue Touchscreen
The seat is quite similar to what you would find on British Airways’ new Club Suite (albeit possibly a bit smaller) or Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class. However, you’re paying just a fraction of what they charge. A proper lie-flat bed, noise cancelling headphones, a sliding privacy door and the amenities you would expect of any familiar business-class product. It’s really easy to order your meal/s – as soon as you sit in your seat there is a prompt to order your specific choice – so there’s no wandering around the cabin like on a traditional airline.
Enjoying JetBlue Mint
Something you also notice that makes a difference is the people. The crew were really amazing, you get a personalised menu when you board, and they are always there if you need or want something – but done in a very friendly and personable fashion. This isn’t your standard cabin crew, for an airline which doesn’t conform to the norms.
If there is anything I could say, that a 7-hour flight isn’t long enough to enjoy it, you really want it to be longer – and never has a long haul flight gone so quickly. What really made it though was the incredibly fast wifi – I can’t tell you how good it is, but if you want to stream, play Spotify or something it won’t just work, it will be top-notch.
