Flying Transcon: JetBlue Mint ✈ Mint Suite ✈ Mint Studio

Background: The most unique premium product flying in the United States today is JetBlue Mint, a top product which includes flat-bed seats, some in a 1-1 suite configuration with individual doors, special tapas-style dining with a variety of small plates, and in-flight entertainment. JetBlue Mint disrupted the premium travel market when it was introduced on the typical transcon routes JFK/LAX and JFK/SFO, and other carriers began matching JetBlue's initial discount fares. The product was a success, and JetBlue continues to expand the offering to additional routes. And now they've introduced a new style of Mint on their new A321neo fleet. This new cabin has new 1-1 herringbone-style Mint Suites in Rows 2-8, and then what's being billed as the Mint Studio, 1-1 extra-spacious suites in Row 1.

JetBlue Mint has the distinction of being my favorite domestic flight. I have thoroughly enjoyed my flights in the classic Mint, so I was intrigued by their new Mint offering. 1-1 seating is really nice, and also quite uncommon for a narrowbody plane, especially domestically. In February I had the opportunity to fly LAX-JFK, so I tried to find a good flight in the new JetBlue Mint. At that time I found JetBlue offering about half of the daily LAX-JFK flights with the classic Mint product and half with the new Mint product. With two types of seats in the new Mint, the Suites in Rows 2-8 and the Studios in Row 1, I found the Studios offered for an additional $199. I stuck with the complimentary Suite for my first experience in the new product.

I was looking to also try the Row 1 Mint Studio, but by the time of my flight in October, I found that JetBlue had mostly stopped offering the A321neo on domestic flights. After thoroughly checking all of the domestic Mint routes, I was only able to find the new Mint being offered on flights between BOS and LAX. And then less than a month before my flight, JetBlue reduced the domestic availability even more, leaving it on only one BOS-LAX-BOS rotation per day. Fortunately I was able to make that work with my schedule, booking a JetBlue connection PHL-BOS-LAX and actually achieving a cost savings in the process. Speaking of which, by this point the original low price of JetBlue Mint has become generally quite hard to find. In many cases, Mint now costs substantially more than the competition, or at best, it's comparable to the competition, which itself has also increased in price. It's too bad that the good deals are so much harder to find these days.

Finally back in May I was also able to fly the classic Mint product on the A321. My route was SEA-BOS, a route not offering the new Mint product. I was happy to select JetBlue once more for this flight, to once again experience the classic Mint product, and I was happy to see that the solo suites in the classic Mint are still offered for no additional charge. And this SEA-BOS flight was a redeye overnight flight. As my first redeye transcon flight, I was very interested to see the service on offer.

All in all, I was happy to have had the opportunity to fly my #1 domestic flight, JetBlue Mint, this year, in all three flavors: the new Mint Suites, the new Mint Studios, and the classic Mint. While I still have other carriers to try transcon, Mint remains my top domestic flight. With the unfortunate increase in price recently, though, you might see me in Mint less often, perhaps only for special occasions or on the chance a discounted fare is offered.

Please enjoy the reports, and I look forward to your comments.

LAX-JFK
JetBlue B6 424
Departure: 11:35 (actual 11:32)
Arrival: 20:02 (actual 19:51)
Actual Block Time: 5h19
Actual Flight Time: 4h58
Seat: 7F Mint Suite
Airbus A321neo



I arrived to LAX-T5 and enjoyed an in-person check-in. I got a cardstock boarding pass, and asked the check-in agent to add my American AAdvantage number to the reservation, having only just recently realized that you can now earn AA miles on JetBlue flights. "Enjoy your Mint experience!"

Precheck security had no line. According to the boarding pass, boarding was to begin at 10:50, doors were to close at 11:20, departure was to occur at 11:35, and arrival at 20:02. My plane, N2105J, arrived early on its flight in from JFK, but my gate, 58, was at the end of the concourse, thus affording no aircraft view, a continuation my ever-growing list of such gates lately. N2105J was a new A321neo delivered to JetBlue less than a year prior to my flight.

I was looking forward to an excellent long transcon flight today, and with my last JetBlue Mint experience having taken place about 2.5 years ago, I was hoping that I would still be impressed by the product, to see if it would still continue to be my top domestic flight. Plus I was excited to check out the new Mint Suites.

Boarding began at 10:55 with anyone needing extra time to board, followed by Mint passengers. I was among the first onboard, and very excited to see what they'd done with the new seats.

Mint Suite 7F:







This was a really impressive new cabin. The suites are literally the width of half the cabin, or three economy seats. It was really nicely done, with attractive gray leather seats along with blue tones on the walls, and dark woodgrain tones as well. Settling into my Suite 7F, I noticed that these new seats really had a lot of features. Ahead of me, a very large screen, under which was a storage drawer, and a large footwell with more storage underneath. To my left, the table, currently stowed, a power outlet, headphone jack, remote control, and seat controls, along with ambient light controls and an accent lamp, something I always find to be a nice touch. To my right, a storage cubby, a second power port, and a second headphone jack, as well as a bottle of water, headphone hook and two windows. And I think a wireless phone charger - never seen that on a plane before. Herringbone-style seats are angled away from the windows, but unlike on some airlines, I didn't think it was all that difficult to be able to look out the windows. And there was even a closing door. There was an amenity kit, today's menu, and a large bedding kit marked "Choose your Snooze" which included an extra-long multi-tasking blanket and a cloud-like pillow, along with diagrams depicting how to situate the blanket over yourself depending on your mood or how you're sitting or relaxing. The seat was really well designed overall. The walls of each seat varied in height, but in a way such that I wasn't able to see any other passenger. There was plenty of overhead space, as would be expected for such large and spacious seats. The overheads accommodated rollaboard bags on their sides for even more capacity. The seat was nice and wide, with the walls situated to provide additional space and width; it feelt very roomy.

Screen & Footwell:





Seat Controls:



Menu & Safety Card - final assembly of this airplane was completed in Germany:



My flight attendant stopped by to introduce herself and to ask if I'd like anything to drink before we depart, advising that the cocktails are only available in the air. I chose the sparkling wine of the day, a cava from Spain: AT Roca Classic Spanish sparkling wine, produced by AT Roca in Spain - this high-quality sparkling wine is comparable to the best Champagne and is dry, citrusy, toasty and refreshing. I had also noticed that the menu didn't list the beers; the flight attendant said that was because they rotate them, and today's selections were either Stella Artois or Bud Light. The menu also listed two cocktails and five wines.

As is normal for Mint, the menu listed five small plates to choose from, and you choose three of the five. Today's offerings were chilled frisee citrus salad - with taggiasca olives and Italian vinaigrette; Baby Carrots - with ricotta and puffed rice; Cacio e Pepe - with cavatelli, black pepper, and parmigiano; Chicken Romesco - with almonds, breadcrumbs and mint; and Pork Shoulder - with figs, lardons, and rosemary jus. The menu went on to describe some of the features of the dishes, including defining Romesco - a sauce originating in Catalonia, Spain that contains almonds, roasted red peppers and garlic and lardons - a French culinary term for thick-cut bacon pieces. Finally, the menu also promised a parting gift of chocolate-covered cashews.

My flight attendant returned to take my meal order. I ordered the Salad, the Chicken Romesco, and the Pork Shoulder. To drink, I said I'd like to try both cocktails: the Mint Condition - Bombay Sapphire gin or Tito's vodka, ginger, lime, cucumber, and mint; and the Al Pastor Margarita - corazón tequila blanco, pineapple, chili, and lime.

I started checking out the screen, my first option was to choose English or Spanish, and my second option was to pair my phone to use it as a remote! The screen was very good, with high resolution and picture quality, plus you could swivel and tilt it in multiple directions. There was more content than I could watch in the 4h55 remining flight time being displayed. There had been so much to discover regarding this new seat, menu and screen that I was surprised to find we were already pushing back, early at 11:32. A flight attendant announcement introduced the crew and explained that there were two flight attendants in the Mint cabin and two in core. The load in Mint was quite light, with only 8/16 seats occupied, - including both Row 1 Studios occupied. The captain announced a flight time of 4h55 to New York's John F Kennedy Airport, which was currently 39 degrees under light rain.

The view from 7F:



The taxi felt very odd, being seated at such an angle sharply in towards the aisle. The flight attendants distributed Master & Dynamic headphones and were then asked to be seated for departure. We taxied right to Runway 25R, with no waiting for our takeoff at 11:45. Again, a very odd sensation being seated at this angle; the takeoff didn't push me back into the seat, as is normal when facing forward, rather I was pushed to the side. I guess I'm not used to herringbone-style seats - definitely not domestically, but I also haven't flown them in a while, plus I'm pretty sure these JetBlue suites are angled more towards the aisle than some other similar seats. That same odd sensation continued all through the climb as well.

After takeoff:



After 10,000 ft was reached, the power ports could be used and the screens could be deployed. I decided to watch The Courier with Benedict Cumberbatch. I noticed I had an individual light overhead, plus an individual vent. But contrary to most of my recent flights, it was nice and cool, with no vent needed. I was even cool enough to try out the fancy blanket. I do really always like having the vent though.

Service began, and since I had indicated that I wanted to try both cocktails, I was served both cocktails, along with a welcome snack. I had intended to try one at a time, but I thought now that it would be nice to try both at once. And I can report they were very high-quality cocktails which wouldn't be out of place at a high-end cocktail bar. The Mint Condition was really nice, not too strong on the mint, which I really wouldn't prefer, and also with a touch of cucumber flavor and a cucumber slice garnish. The Al Pastor Margarita was also really good, with a lot going on with the flavor, first tequila of course, but then a smoky chili taste, but without being too spicy, and a lime garnish. And both with paper straws which were just the right height. They were both great, and the little appetizer, the menu didn't specify what it was other than a rotating selection welcome snack, also hit the spot nicely. I was already being reminded why I like JetBlue Mint so much.

Welcome Snack & Cocktails:



The captain announced when we reached our cruising altitude of 35,000 ft with 4h15 remaining; it was still 39 degrees with rain in New York - not nearly as nice as LA. My main meal was served with a warm bread roll, and to go with it, Calabrian chili oil and sea salt flakes.

Meal service:



Wow, that was one of the best airplane meals I've ever had. Both the chicken and the pork were excellent. The chicken was very well-cooked with a great sauce. The pork was also perfectly cooked, with perfect flavor. I liked the salad, too. I was really happy with everything. Dessert was served next: vanilla gelato - with lemon marmalata and black pepper shortbread crumble. Dessert was also really good. I really like the JetBlue Mint offering of three small plates, plus custom cocktails, and a great dessert, it's really a great offering, and unique.

Dessert:



My movie finished with 2h30 to go; we were halfway across the state of Nebraska. My next movie was The King's Speech with Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush.

Halfway there:



With 1h to go, the flight attendant offered a snack of cookies, popcorners or cheez-it's, plus an offer of drinks. Regular readers of my reports might know that as a beer enthusiast, particularly local beer and craft beer, a highlight for me of trying different flights is the opportunity to try different beers in the air. But today I did not find the choices of Stella Artois and Bud Light particularly interesting or appealing, especially when considering the craft cocktails on offer. I asked for one more margarita. This time the flight attendant brought it out, still in the shaker, to pour it at my seat. I hadn't realized the cocktails were hand-made in the galley!

My movie finished with half an hour to go. This flight had gone by very fast. It's a measure of a very good flight for it to not last long enough. There was no longer anything to see outside, flying above northern Pennsylvania now. It had become dark outside.

Our route:



To conclude the flight, my flight attendant came by to each Mint passenger to present the parting gift of chocolate-covered cashews along with a handwritten thank-you note for choosing Mint.

The captain announced that we would be beginning descent soon. New York weather was unfortunately not too great, overcast skies and 37 degrees. Headsets were collected, and then it was time for the cabin prep announcement.

Descending through some snow:



Our landing was at 16:43, and we parked at our gate in JFK-T5 at 16:51 Pacific Time, or 19:51 Eastern Time.

I still really like JetBlue Mint. The new Suites and the classic Suites are all great. Choosing three small plates for the meal, and now the classy cocktails are all really nice. The beer selection had really gone downhill since last time, when multiple craft beers were on offer - I'll have to see what they have next time, and if the selection really does rotate. But the new cocktails made up for that. Overall it was a solid premium flight, and still my favorite domestically.

SEA-JFK
JetBlue B6 264
Departure: 21:33 (actual 23:52)
Arrival: 05:58+1 (actual 08:12+1)
Actual Block Time: 5h20
Actual Flight Time: 4h42
Seat: 2F Classic Mint
Airbus A321



I was happy for a JetBlue Mint flight this evening, and excited to see the service on offer on a short 4.5h overnight flight. I had never taken such an overnight flight domestically before. Honestly I am not one to take such short overnight flights too often, but this JetBlue flight fit my schedule, plus I really like their Mint business class, so I decided I would be interested in trying it overnight. Plus I was happy to again check out the classic Mint seats, since I hadn't flown them in 2.5 years.

My plane tonight was N992JB, an Airbus A321 dating to 2018. The aircraft began the day flying SFO-JFK, which got in early. It was then scheduled to fly JFK-SEA, which unfortunately had a 2h delay. My flight was delayed to 22:34-06:41+1. B6 264 had a poor on-time record, with most flights delayed at least an hour or two, and unfortunately this ended up including my flight. At least JetBlue announced the delay early in the day, so I was able to take advantage of it and go to the airport later than usual, at about 20:25. I was quickly checked in, and issued a nice cardstock boarding pass. I proceeded to Security Checkpoint 4 for Precheck and I was airside by 20:40. I rode the terminal train to the S gates for my gate, S9. The monitors were now showing a departure time of 22:15. I was at the gate by 20:55.

The ground staff were already waiting for my arriving aircraft, which got to the gate at 21:54. My flight time was updated to 22:54-07:01+1. Departing from the next gate was flight B6 498, the redeye to Boston, scheduled to depart at 23:06 and showing as on-time. The aircraft for that flight arrived at 21:59. B6 264, the redeye to JFK, and B6 498, the redeye to BOS, were boarding out of adjacent gates at the same time, making for a chaotic terminal area. BOS and JFK were both being offered only as redeye flights at the time.

Arriving to SEA:





Boarding began at 22:35 with passengers with disabilities or passengers needing additional time for boarding. Next up was the Mint boarding group. I boarded onto my A321 to seat 2F, one of the four solo seats, a flatbed seat with a door.

Classic Mint solo seat 2F:





I found at the seat an amenity kit, headset, bottled water, and bedding - Choose your Snooze.

A flight attendant stopped by each Mint passenger to welcome them aboard, provide tonight's menu, offer a welcome drink, and provide an overview of the seat and service for first-timers. She advised that the Mint Condition cocktail wasn't catered tonight. I asked for the beer selection and was told Stella Artois, Blue Moon, Bud Light and Sam Adams Hazy IPA were available. For my welcome drink I asked for today's sparkling wine - Bodkin Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc from CA: sauvignon whites strike a craving for light, crisp and refreshing - this rare bottle of bubbles is the first of its kind from California. I was happy to be flying JetBlue Mint again, despite the delay and the fact that I was flying it for the first time as a short red-eye.

Welcome Screen:



Legroom & Footwell:



Seat Controls:



Safety Card - final assembly of this airplane was completed in Germany



Overhead Panel:



The classic Mint seat is still a really great seat, especially for a domestic flight, but it would even be at home for international business class. It has great legroom, good seat width, a nice screen, and good storage, with a personal cabinet to my left. Plus three power outlets: one to my left and two to my right. The solo seats have great privacy, even without the door, but the door is a very nice touch. Plus they have three rows of 2-2 seats for people traveling together. And of course they're all flat-bed seats. All in all, a great offering.

I looked through the movie selection on my screen; I was not sure of my plan of action on this flight. Trying to sleep for an hour or two is not much better than no sleep at all, plus I did intend to take advantage of all the service that's on offer, having not flown red-eye Mint before. I decided to try the meal service and watch a movie, then maybe rest my eyes a bit before landing.

My sparkling wine was quickly served as the flight attendant continued welcoming Mint passengers.

Menu & pre-departure beverage:



Settling in, I thought it was so nice to be in this seat sipping sparkling wine. The seat was very comfortable and it was just a high-class experience all around. The captain announced a flight time of 4h40. He was expecting a smooth ride across the country, and apologized for the delay, explaining it was due to residual delays from yesterday on the east coast. He advised we had just finishing up loading the bags.

The boarding door was closed, but we were still waiting for the cargo door to be closed. The safety demo was performed and then finally the cargo door below me was closed. It seemed like we were ready to go, but there was no further action. Finally the captain came on and said he wasn't sure what the hold up was, other than waiting on the ramp crew. I did find it pretty annoying to be sitting there with nothing going on for such a long time when we were already so delayed. But we finally pushed back at 23:52, beating the 23:06 "on-time" flight to Boston. I guess that one was now also at least an hour delayed.

We were second to take off after a United A320, and our takeoff was to the north from 34R at 00:04. After takeoff we were showing a flight time of 4h53, which would put us on the ground in New York around 8AM Eastern. It had been quite an annoying long delay.

My flight attendant asked if I'd like dinner this evening - definitely - and to drink I ordered the Sam Adams Hazy IPA. The second flight attendant came to deliver a second amenity kit. I don't usually bother with the amenity kits, but receiving two got me interested in what's in them. I chose Marry Me with Owen Wilson and Jennifer Lopez as my movie.

My beer was served with a bread stick snack to start service. Samuel Adams Wicked Hazy, a juicy New England IPA - juicy, hazy and full-on wicked, Wicked Hazy New England IPA is bursting with fresh fruit aroma, packing punches of orange, mango and pineapple. It's delightfully drinkable with full flavor and a smooth, silky finish. Crack it open and be prepared - it's wicked delicious! Hazy IPA isn't my go-to style of beer, but I was happy to get something different.

Welcome Snack & Beer:



Dinner consisted of three small plates; on the red-eye you get all three, as opposed to a choice of three out of five for a daytime flight. The offerings were radicchio baby gem salad - with almonds, piave, and date vinaigrette, brodo - with chicken and coriander, and muffaletta panini - with mozzarella, parmigiano, salumi, and olive relish. To go with dinner I ordered a margarita as well - the same one as last time, the Al Pastor Margarita, with its unique smoky chili flavor. Dinner was really good, as is always the case in Mint. I added the Calabrian chili oil to the broth, along with the sea salt. The sandwich was actually quite filling, with good flavor, and I liked the salad, too. Right after the meal was finished, dessert was immediately served - vanilla gelato with roasted pineapple and salted oats. It was really good ice cream, particularly the toppings. And I again enjoyed the margarita; I had even heard it being freshly hand-shaken in the galley. Overall, it was an impressive meal service for a red-eye flight.

Margarita:



Meal service:



Dessert:



After dessert. the overhead lights were switched off, but the blue ceiling mood lighting remained on. The meal service had taken about 1h15. The flight attendants went to hang out in the front galley.

My movie finished with about 2h20 to go; we were now projecting an arrival at about 07:35 Eastern, and we were halfway across South Dakota. I took a restroom break to the restroom behind Mint. All of Mint was lying flat, wearing the eye covers; since the bright blue mood lighting was left on, the cabin was never darkened. All the flight attendants were talking loudly together in the galley. As for me, I wasn't sure there was a point to try to sleep with so little time left in flight, along with the light in the cabin and the noise in the galley, but I decided to lie flat and relax.

Blue ceiling lights left on all night:



Our progress at bedtime:



At about 07:20 Eastern came the cabin prep announcement. I had apparently fallen asleep for over two hours! The bed had been a good size, long enough, perhaps a little constricting in the footwell, but nothing out of the ordinary for this style seat. I don't understand why the intense bright blue ceiling lights stayed on all night, and the flight attendants talking together all nlight in the front galley was also unfortunate. During the night a little breakfast bag containing a packet of granola, a can of cold brew coffee, and a bottle of green juice, had appeared at each seat. And my ears were really messed up from the pressure change of the descent, which had begun while I was still asleep.

Breakfast bag:



Our route:



My view near JFK:



Given the long delay we had experienced on the ground in Seattle, I suppose we might as well have a delay on arrival as well, as I found that we were circling the JFK area for what seemed like 15 to 20 minutes. Landing finally came at 07:46 Eastern, onto 22L then to Terminal 5, Gate 15, which had been switched from Gate 19, which was occupied. First we had to wait for the aircraft at Gate 15 to leave, and then we had to wait for a tug to tow us into the gate. We we finally parked at the gate at 08:12.

I had heard about JetBlue on-time performance issues, but had never before been impacted by them. Well, this time my flight, the last flight of the day, was impacted. But I had enjoyed a great level of service for a short red-eye flight, plus I still like the classic Mint seats a lot. This was actually a pretty nice flight. While the lights should be shut off, and the cabin crew should be quieter, the meal service and arrival breakfast bag are second to none, and I was even able to get a bit of good rest. A transcon red-eye in JetBlue Mint isn't so bad at all.

BOS-LAX
JetBlue B6 187
Departure: 17:15 (actual 17:35)
Arrival: 20:31 (actual 20:24)
Actual Block Time: 5h49
Actual Flight Time: 5h21
Seat: 1F Mint Studio
Airbus A321neo



I was booked on a connecting itinerary today, beginning PHL-BOS on B6 2160, operated by E190 N179JB. We arrived to BOS Gate C12 ten minutes late at 16:31, giving me a 44-min connection, down from the scheduled 54-min, perhaps a risky connection, but it had been the only connection offered, and it ended up working out quite well, especially considering the rainy weather in both PHL and BOS. The scheduled boarding time for BOS-LAX was 16:30, with doors scheduled to close at 17:00, departure at 17:15, and arrival at 20:31 so I hurried over to Gate C7, only to find that boarding had not yet started.

My JetBlue E190, N179JB:



My JetBlue A321neo for BOS-LAX was N2105J, the same A321neo I'd flown before. It's always a fun surprise to repeat a registration number, something which doesn't happen often. The plane had flown in as B6 1926 from LGW-BOS. Pre-boarding began at 16:55 including passengers with disabilities. Then an inaudible announcement was made, and the rest of the plane pushed toward the gate to board, so no boarding order was enforced. I made it onboard early in the mob to my Mint Studio 1F, the two front-row seats being the Mint Studios. I was happy to have made my tight JetBlue connection in Boston and I was now excited to fly JetBlue Mint, my favorite domestic flight, especially this time for my first ride in the Mint Studios.

Mint Studio & Mint Suites behind:



Mint Studio 1F:





I was again taken by the beautiful new Mint cabin, and as for my Studio, I found a very, very large and spacious suite with enough seating area, seatbelts, and tray tables for two. The very large screen was currently stowed for taxi, takeoff, and landing. There were two lamps. A small closet behind the screen, plus a cabinet under the windows marked water bottle and headphone storage, inside of which was a bottle of water (a British bottle of water, I guess since my plane just came in from England). Also to my right under the window, a wireless phone charging pad. To my left, a pretty big shelf, seat controls, magazine pocket, remote control for the screen, and an electrical outlet. There was a second electrical outlet under the screen. Waiting at the seat were two amenity kits, the menu (including a cocktail menu), Master & Dynamic branded headphones, and the Tuft & Needle "Choose your Snooze" kit.

Screen, Closet & Footwell:



Screen, Legroom & Footwell:



Menu & Safety Card - final assembly of this airplane was completed in Germany:



Settling in, the flight attendant arrived to introduce her team and ask if I'd flown this configuration of Mint before. She asked if I was interested in a pre-departure beverage, advising that everything is available on the ground except hot beverages. I asked for champagne, and was offered a mimosa, which I thought was a good idea. She also advised today's beers were Blue Moon, Stella Artois, and Sam Adams Wicked Hazy IPA - the same beers as last time, and the same ones I had seen in the buy-on-board menu on the E190.

The captain apologized for the short delay, and said we were waiting for flight paperwork. He advised a flight time of 5h37, taking a very northerly route to avoid headwinds. We would be flying across three of the five great lakes, the province of Ontario, and Green Bay, Michigan, then turning south toward Los Angeles. Most of the route should be smooth, but due to poor weather coming into the Boston area, the initial climb was expected to be pretty bumpy. Good weather was waiting for us in Los Angeles, where it was currently 70 degrees and perhaps a little overcast. My mimosa was quickly served as everyone else slowly continued to board. The load in Mint ended up at 100%.

Pre-departure beverage and Studio view:



I thought that the Studio was a really nice seat, probably the nicest you can fly domestically, and even one of the top seats flying internationally. 1-1 seating is crazy enough, but the super-large studios are something else. Of course they offer excellent privacy; I couldn't see anyone else, plus there was also the closing door for each seat.

The safety demo was performed and we finally pushed back at 17:35. I say finally, but the short 20-min delay was no bother at all, and anyway, it served to increase the chance that my checked bag made the connection. The cabin lights were dimmed, the ceiling lights turned to blue, and both of my lamps were dimly lit.

Takeoff was from 15R at 17:54. It was again a weird sensation being pushed to the side due to sitting at an angle to the direction of travel. Flight attendants were requested to remain seated due to the initial turbulence. It was around this time that I began to realize my screen wasn't working. It had been off the whole time so far, but now with other passengers deploying their screens for use, I found mine was not only off, but also locked in place. I had received an email the day before the flight apologizing in advance that my Mint seat today would unfortunately have a problem with an inoperable privacy door and offering a voucher for the inconvenience. I wonder if the issue described in that email should have been an inoperable screen, not an inoperable door.

Flight attendants were released, and as usual, one stopped by to ask if she could get me anything from the overhead bin. I took the opportunity to ask about my screen. I always like to have a screen, especially on a long flight like this transcon. She shut my privacy door and went to reset it. Unfortunately the screen did not successfully reset; it displayed loading for a while, but when it was done, it shut back off. That was quite disappointing; indeed the email about the inoperable door was incorrect, it should have been about the screen. I guess this means I would have no inflight map, either.

After takeoff:





The captain announced when we reached our cruising altitude of 32,000 ft. He was expecting an arrival just before 20:30 Pacific. Both flight attendants kept checking on the status of my screen, but unfortunately it was indeed not working. The flight attendants were very apologetic, and advised that I can at least use my phone to connect to the FlyFi free inflight Internet and watch stuff streaming on my phone. The homepage of the service also showed the remaining time inflight, currently 5h30. I decided to enjoy dinner and look for something to watch later.

Dinner orders were taken, and I requested the today's sparkling wine, Empire State Blanc de Blancs from upstate NY: The best sparkling wines in the world come from cold and wet places. Upstate New York is exactly that, so making this delicious bottle of bubbles was a natural for the sommeliers who crafted it. The style mocks Champagne, making a dry wine with flavors of lemon zest and yellow apple. The five offerings for dinner were wedge salad - with lemon buttermilk dressing, croutons, and dill, burrata - with dehydrated taggiasca olives, Tuscan herbs, and crostini, shrimp - with roasted cherry tomatoes, red wine vinaigrette, and basil, chicken cacciatore - with mushroom tomato sauce and rosemary breadcrumbs, and lamb shoulder - with tomato conserva, jus, and potato crumble. I went with the shrimp, chicken, and lamb, and said yes to dessert - vanilla gelato with sweet pepper mostarda and vanilla shortbread. The sparkling wine was served with crispy bread sticks.

Welcome Snack & Sparkling Wine:



When the welcome snack was done, I was offered a drink refill. To go with dinner, I chose the spicy/smoky Al Pastor Margarita.

Meal service:



Margarita:



I still really like JetBlue's meal offer of three small plates. All were excellent. It is really nice to get three excellent small entrees, and then the craft cocktails, too. It's a really good model of meal service, and still unique in the industry. Dinner done, I ordered dessert, and to go with it, the Mint Condition cocktail. This one could be made with either Tito's vodka or Bombay Sapphire gin, and I requested gin. The drink and dessert were both quickly served.

Dessert:



Mint Condition:



Dessert was very interesting due to the pepper sauce, but also very satisfying. Overall it was an excellent Mint dinner service. Service concluded with about 4h to go.

It was time to use my phone to access the inflight entertainment. There was not much available to stream, by which I mean, to stream directly from JetBlue. I guess since this plane has individual screens, the inflight streaming library is reduced. You can also use the WiFi to stream from your subscription streaming apps. My only subscription streaming service is HBO Max, but because I don't watch it on my phone, I don't have its app. I surfed the Internet for a while. I had received an email about the promised voucher, received for my inoperable door (that is, screen). I also got an email confirmation that my checked bag had made the connection onto this flight.

Later, I ordered another Mint Condition, but this time with vodka. If I had to choose, I probably prefer the gin version, but I liked both. I reclined my seat, brought the guest seat legrest up, and the entire studio suite became a huge sleeping surface. That's really unique, and probably the biggest I've seen.

I continued watching random videos on my phone, which did successfully pass the time. Before I knew it, the initial descent was being announced. The parting snack of nuts (Hu chocolate-covered hunks, cashews + vanilla bean) was given out, and headphones were collected. Suite doors were opened for descent.

Landing was at 23:15, and we parked at Gate 55A in LAX T5 at 23:24, that is, 20:24 Pacific. N2105J was now done for the day, with its next flight being scheduled for the next morning, LAX-BOS followed again by BOS-LGW.

Despite a 54-minute connection and rainy weather on the east coast, my bag and I had both made it. I had enjoyed an excellent seat, really luxury and over the top. Perhaps it would be even more worth it with a companion, since two people can sit together during the flight. Then of course there's the excellent food, drinks, and service. The only disappointments this time were the inoperable screen and the lackluster beer selection which is due for a change. But the vouchers for the screen and the availability of free unlimited internet exceeded expectations.

Overall, I guess when it comes down to it, the regular Mint Suites (the ones available for no additional charge) are also really nice, and to be honest, more than good enough. Maybe I'd splurge on the $199 Studio again for a special occasion, but otherwise I think I'll stick with regular Mint seats - either the classic Mint or the new Mint in the standard suite. That being said, I do really like all flavors of Mint, and JetBlue Mint remains my favorite domestic flight.

Previous Flying Transcon trip reports:
Flying Transcon: United P.S. 757-200 JFK-SFO J
Flying Transcon: Virgin America A320 PHL-SFO F
Flying Transcon: Alaska Airlines B737-900ER SEA-PHL F
Flying Transcon: United P.S. Polaris 777-300ER EWR-SFO-EWR J
Flying Transcon: JetBlue Mint A321 BOS-SEA-BOS
Flying Transcon: Alaska Airlines A320 PHL-SFO F
Flying Transcon: United Premium Plus 767-300ER EWR-LAX-EWR
Flying Transcon: United Polaris 767-300ER SFO-EWR in 2022
Flying Transcon: Delta 737-900ER JFK-SEA, domestic F

You did a great job with your trip reports. Me, and my girlfriend may be flying on JetBlue for the first time in January, and I can't wait.

Seems like you must go Mint if flying coast to coast and you care about your well being, a great way to travel it seems. Great pics there, thanks.

Thanks for the post. Meal service on the red eye definitely helluva lot better than the crap on AA.