On transcontinental flights between the East and West Coasts of the United States, major airlines all offer fully lie-flat first-class products. This is especially convenient for passengers on the red-eye flights that often operate from the West Coast to the East Coast. Because of the time difference, flights departing the West at night arrive on the East Coast in the morning, so being able to get a good sleep is definitely valuable. Today, I’m flying JetBlue Mint, the low-cost carrier’s premium cabin, so let’s take a look at what a premium product from a budget airline is really like.
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Tickets
I booked this LAX-BOS red-eye ticket with JetBlue TrueBlue miles, at a one-way price of about 44,000 miles. JetBlue prices its awards based on the actual cash price of the ticket, and it is generally calculated at around 1.4 cent/mile. This ticket cost roughly several hundred dollars, so using miles here is not too worrying in terms of maximizing value, because the value is always about the same.
JetBlue Check-in Experience
At LAX, JetBlue uses Terminal 3, alongside other low-cost carriers. Of course, there are also dedicated check-in counters for JetBlue Mint and Mosaic elite members, with no line at all.
Mint passengers can also check two bags free.
Both JetBlue Mint and Mosaic passengers can use the priority security lane at LAX T3. T3 has always been one of the less efficient terminals at LAX when it comes to security, and the line is usually long, so this perk was actually somewhat valuable and saved me at least 20 minutes in line.
After security, I headed first to the only lounge in LAX T3: Virgin America’s Virgin America LOFT LAX lounge, which we reviewed in this article. You can enter with the Priority Pass Select card provided by certain credit cards.
Boarding
The scheduled departure time for this flight was 21:35, but due to delays on incoming flights, boarding did not begin until 10:30.
Next to the gate was a sign advertising JetBlue’s signature Fly-Fi free onboard WiFi service. I still cannot understand why the only airline in the U.S. that offers completely free WiFi is a low-cost carrier.
Then, this was the panoramic view of the Mint premium cabin.
Mint has two kinds of seats: one type has a single seat on one side, and the other type has two seats; odd-numbered rows have two seats, while even-numbered rows have one. Needless to say, the one-seat "Suite" naturally offers better privacy and space. Unless two people are traveling together, there is little reason to choose the two-seat configuration. On the seat there is a small card signed by the Mint cabin crew member responsible for the cabin.
Not long after I sat down, the flight attendants started serving drinks. Then one flight attendant went around asking each Mint passenger whether they had flown Mint before. After I said no, she walked me through the seat’s features one by one, as well as the meal plan for this flight. Let’s leave that as a teaser for now.
Seat Features and Space
I chose seat 2A, the single-seat option. As you can see from the photos above, the seat is very spacious. Because there is only one seat, there is a lot of extra space on the left side for storing personal items, though be careful: there is a gap beside it, so things could easily fall in.
To the right of the seat are, in order, the seat controls and the personal entertainment system controller. Behind them are a power outlet with USB ports and a bottle of water. This protruding space is actually a storage compartment, with a door that opens from the upper side. Just don’t forget to take everything with you when you get off the plane.
The left side is relatively empty and can hold your personal items. In addition, there are two power outlets with USB ports, for a total of three power outlets and three USB charging ports. That should be enough to meet most people’s charging needs.
Below the TV is the footwell where you place your feet when sleeping.
Takeoff
After another long stretch of delay, the aircraft finally took off. Once we climbed above 10,000 feet, the free Fly-Fi internet was available. The screen in front also reminded you not to forget that you can shop on Amazon.com through JetBlue while on the plane and earn 3x TrueBlue miles per dollar spent.
“Late” Dinner
After takeoff, the only thing to look forward to was eating. Let’s take a look at what’s on the menu.
About half an hour later, the flight attendants came around to start serving the meal.
First came an appetizer: a fried cheese ball. It looked nicely prepared, but perhaps because I’m not used to eating cheese, I thought it tasted so-so.
The default selection was one of each of the three main dishes on the menu. The meal itself was nothing especially amazing.
I also asked for an extra serving of fruit, and the fruit was quite fresh.
The dessert after the meal was organic mango-flavored ice cream from a New York brand.
Lie-flat bed
After eating and drinking my fill, it was time to sleep! I made up the bed myself, and this is what it looked like.
Of course, there was also an amenity kit.
Basically just some toiletries, so you don't have to dig them out of your suitcase yourself.
When I boarded, the flight attendant told me there was a button above the right side of the seat; if I wanted to be woken up for breakfast in the morning, I just needed to press it before going to sleep. No need to worry about sleeping through anything. I was waiting for breakfast, so of course I didn't forget to press the button before bed, and then promptly passed out right after finishing my meal.
Breakfast
After sleeping for less than 4 hours, I was woken by the flight attendant—breakfast was ready.
I finished it in no time and then went back to the eat-then-sleep, sleep-then-eat routine. When I woke up again, it was almost time to land. I noticed a box of cookies on the table, and they looked pretty good.
A few minutes later, we landed at Boston Logan International Airport, parking at JetBlue's hub, Terminal C.
Before I shuffled off the plane, the flight attendant was chatting nearby and sharing how lucky she was, saying that this one flight was all she had to work; after spending the night at the hotel today, she'd fly back to Los Angeles tomorrow and could sleep her way back in Mint too (JetBlue flight attendants have it so good...).
That about wraps up this trip report. JetBlue Mint's service is really quite good, among the best in domestic first class. The flight attendants patrol the cabin frequently to see whether anyone needs anything, and their response is very prompt. Of course, Mint's amenities are also excellent, and it's quite comfortable for sleeping. If you have business to handle the next day, a good night's sleep on board is probably well worth it.