The year was 2000, the airport New York’s JFK.
“We’re going to bring humanity back to air travel,” said JetBlue CEO David Neeleman, as his new airline prepared to operate its very first flight. While the airline industry has changed dramatically over the interceding 14 years, the message at JetBlue has remained constant, and so has the product.
JetBlue launched with promising new planes, an all-economy configuration with roomy leather seats, and a state-of-the-art LiveTV entertainment system. Unique amenities combined with lower fares, helped JetBlue win over the hearts (and wallets) of picky New Yorkers. The carrier expanded rapidly, quickly becoming a real threat to other airlines in the post-September 11th world.
Imitators like Song and Ted sprang up along way, but they were quickly squashed by JetBlue and other low cost competition. With the gradual recovery of the global economy, however, the competition on transcontinental routes has seen a resurgence, and competition has never been more fierce.
Launched in 2007, Virgin America introduced its sleek new product, signaling the first real threat to JetBlue on the coast-to-coast routes. Since then, Delta began offering BusinessElite flat beds. United recently finished refurbishing its “Premium Service” 757 fleet. Lastly, American just finished taking delivery of a dedicated sub-fleet of Airbus A321s, the only with three-class service.
In only a few year’s time, the competition had all leapfrogged JetBlue, leaving it as the sole carrier flying coast-to-coast without a lucrative premium cabin. That changes this week, as it prepares to welcome the first passengers into its new Mint cabin.
Mint is a radical departure for JetBlue – the airline has never offered premium seating on its aircraft aside from rows with extra legroom. The Mint cabin contains 16 fully-flat seats, four of which are considered “suites,” complete with a closing privacy door. “Get in big time, or get out. JetBlue has chosen to be in in a major way,” said CEO Dave Barger at the product reveal in 2013, and that is exactly what they have done.
The attention to detail during Mint’s design process comes through with flying colors in real life. From the carefully placed dual power outlets, to the accented stitching in the leather, JetBlue did more than just select a generic premium seat off the line. The airline has created something they think will resonate with passengers, and they may just have succeeded.
Upon entering the Airbus A321 for the first time, it is immediately clear that this is JetBlue 2.0. The new LiveTV system boasts over 100 channels on larger screens than the previous generation, power outlets in each row throughout the aircraft, and a mid-cabin marketplace with free snacks and drinks. The new LiveTV system even pipes in air traffic control audio, much like United’s “Channel 9.” Although the screens are not touch capable at the moment, the software to enable that functionality is coming soon.
The in-flight meal, something JetBlue has never done before, has a menu of several “delish dishes” in the MInt cabin, where passengers select three of five fresh dishes. The meals are designed by Saxon + Parole, and can compete with the best in-flight meals in the sky.
The economy cabin on the Mint A321s has seen its seat pitch reduced from 34 inches to 33″, but the new seats provide copious amounts of room around the knee. There is also a newly designed seat back pocket, complete with a separate section for JetBlue materials, and even a cup holder. The new “core” product will be rolled out to the A320 fleet next year, with the first prototype aircraft due out the end of this year.
The Mint A321 is also one of the first in the JetBlue fleet with the FlyFi WiFi system. The new broadband system was slated to exit a beta period in June, but JetBlue’s Director of Product Development, Jamie Perry, now says the beta period will be extended at least another three to six months. Perry says JetBlue has become the airline “know for the free TV and now the free WiFi.” He acknowledges that the airline must monetize the service at some point, and is looking at potential ad-sponsored models.
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