You know how most premium airline products tend to get worse over time? It’s annoying. However, I recently flew from New York (JFK) to San Diego in JetBlue Mint, and I’m happy to report that it’s every bit as awesome as it was 11 years ago. Maybe even better.
As a reminder, Mint is JetBlue’s premium seating product. They only offer it on a handful of select routes.
The seats are spacious. The food is nothing short of incredible. And the drinks? They are as creatively named as they are delicious. It’s basically the kind of experience you can admit to having a crush on (without feeling weird about it). Like, a bad crush.
B61189 New York, NY (JFK) – San Diego, CA Tuesday, January 23, 2024 Aircraft: A321-231 Registration: N993JE Duration: 5 hours 41 minutes Seat: 4A (Mint)
JetBlue A321 side view illustration by NorebboStock.com.Our very crooked route from New York to San Diego this evening as B61189.
My full review of the JetBlue Mint experience from New York (JFK) to San Diego
Wait! Those of you who are looking for a full review of the JetBlue Mint Suites (their international business class product) are in the wrong place. What you’re about to read is my review of their domestic business/first class product (which, confusingly enough, is also called Mint).
Arrival at Terminal 5 at the John F Kennedy International Airport
Never in all my years of traveling have I walked into T5 at JFK and seen it so empty. Not only was it extremely weird, it was refreshingly satisfying. It took less than five minutes to get from the front door, through security, and into the terminal. Hell yeah.
Welcome to Terminal 5 at the John F. Kennedy International Airport! Why exactly this place so dang empty? Is there a zombie apocalypse (or equivalent) going on that I’m not yet aware of?This right here is the hub of T5 (which is especially convenient considering that T5 is the hub for JetBlue).How in the world did an airline with such an awesome premium seating option end up with a hub in one of the blandest airport terminals in the US?Wait. I take that back. I quite like the “warp speed” carpet pattern.Gate 14 (the one aaalllllllll the way at the end) is where this flight to San Diego will be departing from this afternoon. I can almost see the Pennsylvania border from here.“Fly like you Mint it” (N993JE) is the A321 assigned to San Diego duty this evening. You just know it’s gonna be a good flight when you see a “Do & Co” catering truck attached to the side of the airplane.
The boarding process for B61189 to San Diego
They kicked off the boarding process exactly on time – but that just wasn’t soon enough for for some folks. The gate agent wasn’t even finished making the announcement for pre-boarding when a handful of younger able-bodied individuals strolled up to the gate attempting to board. With a flight time of nearly 6 hours, let’s just say that I wasn’t as tempted to test the patience of that stern-looking gate agent.
Interesting. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a “doors close” time listed on a boarding pass before. It’s about damn time. #rimshotNow that’s a sturdy looking jet bridge! Just as long as there’s a Mint-configured A321 connected to the end of it, I don’t really care what it looks like.First things first, they hit you over the head with a subtle reminder about which airline you’re flying today. Thanks guys!Assuming you survived the first hit, they go for the KO with a stunning presentation of the Mint cabin drenched in deep blue mood lighting. Oh baby.
The seats
I’ve flown Mint on the A321 four times prior to this flight. Still, after all that experience, it was still very exciting to see these seats again. There are five rows of mint seats on the A321. Rows 1, 3, and 5 are arranged in a 2-2 configuration. Rows 2 and 4 are arranged in a very spacious 1-1 configuration. I can’t recommend those individual seats highly enough.
We meet again, old friend. This is seat 4A – one of them single seats frequent JetBlue flyers refer to as “the MF Throne.”Waiting on every seat is a blanket, pillow, amenity kit, and the dinner menu. All this for a domestic flight? Good lawd!These seats are 11 years old at this point, but you’d never guess just by looking at them. Unless you’re a super nerdy AvGeek who lives and breathes airline news of course. But you know what I mean.The “throne” thing kinda makes sense, doesn’t it? This is exactly why I named JetBlue Mint as the best domestic first class in the US!Hey now! It’s a fold – not an erection. That said, if there was any first / business class seat that could do that to me, this is certainly the one.The best thing (by far) about these single seats is the retractable door. Looks like the guy over there in 4D has already had about enough of our bull****.A seat control panel that will rival any of the best Japanese toilets. I think I’m gonna have a good time on the way to San Diego this evening.I’ve sat in international business class seats that weren’t this good. From the bottled water and the adjustable lamp to all that glorious storage space…the erection (if it actually happened) was totally justified.I’m kind of surprised that a 110V power outlet (and several USB-A ports) is all they give us. Not that I’ve ever had a need for a 220V outlet on an airplane before, but you never know.They sure as hell didn’t skimp on the blankets and pillows though. It’s like they’re daring me to be uncomfortable on this flight or something.Oh. The amenity kit? Further proof that, after all these years, JetBlue is still refusing to cut any corners with the Mint experience.Even their cocktail menu is as impressive as it was when they first introduced Mint back in 2013. The best part? They highly encourage pre-departure drinks. It’s like they get an affiliate commission for it or something.I’m gonna go with a “Mint Condition” (with gin) shortly after takeoff. Until then, this seat is stimulation enough I think.There are no shoulder belts in these seats, but the lap belt is airbag equipped (and could blow at any moment). Maybe I should’ve went with a pre-departure Mint Condition after all…
The departure out of JFK
When you’re sitting in a seat as nice as this, you tend not to notice the departure process. At least not in great detail. Thankfully I was conscious enough to take pictures of our taxi out to the runway. As you’ll see in the following pics, it was more interesting inside the plane.
Lol at the next guy who pulls up to this jet bridge after a long flight and thinks “Thank God for gate 14! At least I won’t have to walk a long way to baggage claim.” How gate 14 ended up being at the very far end of T5 I’ll never know.You know the seat is good when you’re still discovering pockets and cubbyholes during the taxi out of the runway.One last check of the new Memoji before takeoff!I was seated on the wrong side of the aircraft to see anything interesting during liftoff, but Mama Nature came through for me nicely just as we punched through the clouds. She’s the best.
In-flight entertainment
Those of you who read my JetBlue A320 Even More Space review will find the following bit of information to be somewhat familiar. Not only are the video screens nearly the exact same size, the user interface is 100% identical. It’s the same selection of live TV, movies, music, and TV shows. Podcasts too!
This is the main menu for the flight entertainment system. The fact that they include the name of the aircraft under the welcome message already makes this one of the best in-flight entertainment systems I’ve ever used. It’s the little things!Would it be a true JetBlue experience without the Live TV? Probably not (even though I’m not going to watch any of this).Fear not! They also have SiriusXM radio, movies, podcasts, and a flight tracker / map thingy. The best part? You can combine these experiences. Map + 80s on 8 FTMFW.Possibly the only thing showing its age in this entire seat (besides me) is the remote control for the in-flight entertainment. This was probably hot s**t back in 2013.These thinksound noise canceling headphones, on the other hand, are hot s**t even by today’s standards. They sound great!
One of the other things that I really like about JetBlue is the fact that Wi-Fi is not only free, but very fast. I say again: why can’t all airlines be like this?
FYI, Fly-Fi wi-Fi is why I fly high with jetBlue. At least one of the reasons at least.Leave me alone!
The food
The food in JetBlue Mint is far superior to any food you will be served on any other airline in the US. Not only on domestic flights, but international as well. It’s that good.
You’ll be presented with five entrée choices. You get to pick three, along with a dessert. Portions are large, and the quality is excellent. The food in JetBlue is consistently better than the food I’ve eaten in many other international business class products.
The Mint Condition (with gin). A very bold move for a guy who normally drinks water (or Diet Coke) on airplanes.I have no idea what the hack these things little nuggets of deliciousness are, but they paired excellently with the buzz I was feeling from the minty liquor.Here’s a quick look at the menu before we dig in. This is a high resolution pic, so click on it, salivate if you must, and good luck picking just three items.Chicken *and* steak? I’ve basically just told you that I’ve got a thing for protein without actually telling you that I’ve got a thing for protein.Technically, it’s a flat iron steak with broccoli rabe and citrus breadcrumbs. Truthfully, it may have been the best steak I’ve ever eaten on an airplane.This is the roasted chicken with porcini mushrooms and a chestnut crumble. Not quite as decadent as the steak, but certainly delicious enough to make me think nice thoughts about the person who prepared it (likely in some back alley kitchen – probably in the Bronx).I don’t know how they did it, but the steak was as tender as could be. What is this? 1974? The only other time that I’ve seen steak look this good on an airplane is in vintage airline advertisements.Finally, to cap off the dinner service, I went with the vanilla gelato with caramelized bananas and almond honey granola. Might as add a sugar high to the alcohol buzz, right?Was it good? Of course it was. Then again, I’ve always been a big fan of McDonald’s hot fudge sundae, so I’m probably not the best guy to voice an opinion on this.
Testing out the lie flat seat
Honestly, I’ve got nothing to criticize about the seats when converted into a lie flat position. Sure, maybe it’s a bit narrow. Yeah, the foot well is a little tight. But you know what? Having a door that shuts out the world (combined with the high-quality blankets and pillows) makes this one of my favorite lie flat seats in the history of the airline industry.
Now this is nice! It’s not the most spacious lie flat seat that I’ve ever experienced, but the fact that I can do this solo (without having to rub shoulders with complete strangers) makes it a really good time.This is what you’ll see as you struggle to fend off the post-meal acid reflux before falling asleep. Pretty nice isn’t it?It’s probably best to leave your clown shoes at home. The footwell is a little small.
The descent (and arrival) into San Diego
I probably don’t even need to tell you how fast those six hours flew by. It was quick. More importantly, every minute of it was spectacular. Well, maybe not the bathroom part.
The most disappointing thing about the lavatory is the lack of deep blue mood lighting. What a letdown.FYI, the pre-landing snack was keto, organic, AND paleo. That’s nuts!There it is. I can now say “yes” if anyone ever asks me if I’ve seen the Coronado Bridge bathed in deep blue mood lighting.Welcome to San Diego!
We touched down on Runway 27 one minute ahead of schedule. How unfortunate. I mean, of all the times that I’ve experienced a horribly tardy arrival, why couldn’t it have been today? I’ll take nearly any excuse to sit in a seat like this for as long as I can.
Enjoy this ambience while it lasts, because……the captain has now turned off the mood lighting button. Actually, it was probably the lead flight attendant. F that guy.One last look at the beautifully staggered seat configuration as I make my way off this airplane. Basically, you’d be a fool to choose any other airline if JetBlue Mint is an option on the route that you are flying.Please disregard the speed at which I am in the process of deplaning. I swear to God (cross my heart and hope to die) that I was sad about this experience coming to an end.*sigh*
Pros and cons of the JetBlue A321 Mint experience
Every time somebody asks me about which airline to fly in the US for the best first class experience, I always tell them JetBlue. Always. That’s surprising to a lot of people. I mean, they’re not exactly the first airline most people think of as being luxurious and opulent. The fact of the matter is that Mint is as good as it gets. Period.
Pros
The single seats (rows 2 and 4) are some of the most private airline seats in the US.
After all these years, the seats still look (and function) like new. They’ve been very well-maintained.
Food quality is every bit as good (and often better) than what you’ll get in international business class on some of the world’s best airlines.
Cons
The in-flight entertainment UI is somewhat dated.
Those of you with large feet are likely to find the footwell cramped when the seat is in a lie flat position.
Scott, I just flew LAX-BOS-LAX on JetBlue. Not Mint, but their ‘Even More Legroom’ seats were great (at least lengthwise if not side-to-side as they are still 3 abreast). Also appreciate the free and very fast Wi-Fi. I did not care for the food purchase options in coach though. Seems like it’s frozen sandwiches or random carbohydrate boxes.
Yeah, the Even More Space seats are pretty good on JetBlue. I recently did that from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego – it was a pretty nice transcontinental economy experience. I especially liked how often the cabin crew came by with free snacks.
Don’t even get me started on the cheese and crackers (from the food for purchase menu) though. It’s by far the worst “fruit and cheese platter” of any US airline at the moment. Alaska Airlines definitely doesn’t have anything to worry about lol.
Talk about the contrast between this flight and that Delta Business Class abomination you flew back in 2021! If I’m hungry and I look at the selection of food you got to eat in Jet Blue Mint, it looks really good. It seriously looks tempting. On the other hand, that flight on Delta in which you said “unfortunately, due to the flight being delayed for so long, they didn’t have any meals to load for this segment to JFK. All we got were snack boxes filled with junk food,” still makes me upset for you. I would have been livid if I had been on that flight, and would have followed up with a letter to Delta’s CEO and their CFO. 5.5 hours in business class and a box of snacks after a long delay!!?? You were far too kind to them in your review.
Anyway, it was great to see the conclusion of your epic journey to Rome and back. Hopefully you have more international travel planned this year. Those flights are always the most interesting…and generally put our domestic carriers to shame.
Thanks man! Yeah, JetBlue is still the king when comes to transcon first / business class here in the US. And you’re right about that Delta flight – it was a disaster on so many levels haha.
Speaking of which, I don’t believe they are offering premium / Delta One Service between San Diego and JFK at this moment. I’m a little surprised by that, but not all that disappointed. At least we still have JetBlue.
I never thought I’d finish all the reviews for this trip! It was a grind for sure, but I’m glad to have it behind me. And yes – I already have two international trips planned for the rest of the year, so there’s more good stuff coming…
JNSD
Scott, I just flew LAX-BOS-LAX on JetBlue. Not Mint, but their ‘Even More Legroom’ seats were great (at least lengthwise if not side-to-side as they are still 3 abreast). Also appreciate the free and very fast Wi-Fi. I did not care for the food purchase options in coach though. Seems like it’s frozen sandwiches or random carbohydrate boxes.
Scott (SANspotter)
Yeah, the Even More Space seats are pretty good on JetBlue. I recently did that from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego – it was a pretty nice transcontinental economy experience. I especially liked how often the cabin crew came by with free snacks.
Don’t even get me started on the cheese and crackers (from the food for purchase menu) though. It’s by far the worst “fruit and cheese platter” of any US airline at the moment. Alaska Airlines definitely doesn’t have anything to worry about lol.
JCC
Talk about the contrast between this flight and that Delta Business Class abomination you flew back in 2021! If I’m hungry and I look at the selection of food you got to eat in Jet Blue Mint, it looks really good. It seriously looks tempting. On the other hand, that flight on Delta in which you said “unfortunately, due to the flight being delayed for so long, they didn’t have any meals to load for this segment to JFK. All we got were snack boxes filled with junk food,” still makes me upset for you. I would have been livid if I had been on that flight, and would have followed up with a letter to Delta’s CEO and their CFO. 5.5 hours in business class and a box of snacks after a long delay!!?? You were far too kind to them in your review.
Anyway, it was great to see the conclusion of your epic journey to Rome and back. Hopefully you have more international travel planned this year. Those flights are always the most interesting…and generally put our domestic carriers to shame.
Scott (SANspotter)
Thanks man! Yeah, JetBlue is still the king when comes to transcon first / business class here in the US. And you’re right about that Delta flight – it was a disaster on so many levels haha.
Speaking of which, I don’t believe they are offering premium / Delta One Service between San Diego and JFK at this moment. I’m a little surprised by that, but not all that disappointed. At least we still have JetBlue.
I never thought I’d finish all the reviews for this trip! It was a grind for sure, but I’m glad to have it behind me. And yes – I already have two international trips planned for the rest of the year, so there’s more good stuff coming…