JetBlue is to launch its premium Mint service from Newark Airport. From mid-July, Mint service will be available on flights from Newark to both Los Angeles and San Francisco. As travel begins to pick up again, these new services are part of a swathe of new and resuming flights America's sixth-biggest airline is rolling out.
“Coronavirus has transformed airline route maps, and as we begin to see small signs of recovery, we continue to be flexible with our network plans to respond to demand trends and generate cash in support of our business,” said JetBlue's head of revenue and planning, Scott Laurence.
From July 23, JetBlue will offer its Mint service up to three times a day from Newark across to Los Angeles and up to twice a day across to San Francisco.
JetBlue brings a game-changing product to Newark
Mint service has been a gamechanger in the airline industry, setting a new business class benchmark on single-aisle aircraft. It has also seen legacy airlines operating bigger planes shake up their business class product. Arguably, nowhere is this more apparent than on United States' transcontinental flights. Following JetBlue introducing their Mint service, competitor airlines such as Delta Air Line and United Airlines suddenly began to lift their business class game.
JetBlue has won fans for bringing an international standard business class product to longer domestic routes and proving lie-flat seats are not exclusively the domain of the big twin-aisle aircraft.
JetBlue's lie-flat seats are 6'8" and feature adjustable firmness and a massage function. You'll score pillows and a comforter. As regular JetBlue passengers will know, not all Mint seats are created equal. There are 16 seats in the Mint cabin. The cabin features three rows in a 2-2 configuration and two rows in a 1-1 configuration. If you are traveling solo, the 1-1 rows are clear winners; mini-suites with sliding doors. What's not to like?
Combined with the individual 10" IFE screens, free WiFi, power outlets, proper coffee, and tapas-style dining, Mint is a tiptop product. The new services see JetBlue taking it up to United Airlines and a key United hub. It could be interesting to see United's response.
JetBlue resumes a slew of routes
The Mint services out of Newark are not the only changes JetBlue is making over the next couple of months. The airline is gradually getting back to business. JetBlue is resuming and commencing flying to 30 destinations from July. The airline is concentrating on its focus cities and is pouring a lot of love into Florida.
“We’ve selected routes where customers are showing some interest in travel again.
“These new routes are a win for customers, and we believe they will work especially well for us in this unique environment,” said Mr Laurence.
In July, flights are resuming to Aguadilla, Chicago O'Hare, Dallas Fort Worth, Houston, Martha's Vineyard, Minneapolis-St Paul, Nantucket, Philadelphia, Ponce, Portland, and Providence.
Plus, lots of brand new services
New services include those Mint services out of Newark to both LAX and SFO. In addition, new services are commencing out of Newark to Charleston, Jacksonville, Austin, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Sarasota.
Out of Kennedy, flights are commencing to Dallas Fort Worth, Detroit, Minneapolis–Saint Paul, and St. Thomas. From the slowly-improving LaGuardia, flights are starting to Fort Myers and Tampa.
From Philadelphia, new services will begin to Orlando, Palm Beach, Fort Myers, San Juan, and Tampa.
Florida gets some JetBlue love
There's also plenty of new services out of the JetBlue stronghold of Florida. From Fort Lauderdale, there will be new services to Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Portland. Out of Orlando, you'll soon be able to jet straight across to San Francisco. From Fort Myers, flights are commencing to Cleveland and Providence. Tampa also sees a new direct service to Providence in addition to a new flight to Washington National. Finally, Palm Beach will score new direct JetBlue services to Chicago and Pittsburgh.
After so much gloomy news, it's terrific to see a slew of new and resuming services as airlines start revving up their services again.
These flights, including JetBlue's new Mint service out of Newark, will be on sale from June 19.