Flying JetBlue Mint Studio Business Class A321LR Transatlantic

On Nov 12, 2021

I tried out the new JetBlue Mint Business Class from LA to London via New York, all the way across the Atlantic on a single-aisle Airbus A321.

LA to New York Transcon

My first flight from LA to New York was in the regular JetBlue New Mint Suite. There is no lounge at LAX for Business Class customers.

The seat was facing away from the window and toward the inside of the cabin, so I had to turn my head for the window view. Other than that, the seat privacy from the tall wall divider was good and overall it felt quite spacious.

Boarding was from the front door and the foot traffic problem was the same as it is on all narrowbody aircraft.

Flight time was just under five hours. JetBlue has quite a few flights featuring the new Mint Suite from LA to New York. You need to check the seat map to make sure you’re flying on the right one. The new configuration offers all aisle access, while the previous Mint product only offers aisle access on the aisle or throne seat.

The dining concept was a little different and I could choose three plates and one dessert. The food both looked and tasted phenomenal. I had the cirrus endive salad, Farro salad and chicken Milanese from the menu.

There is a pantry right behind Mint Business Class. The flight attendant told me that it is free to all passengers, including those in Economy.

There was no meal served in Economy, other than snacks.

I was able to relax and sleep for two and half hours before we started our descent into New York. The bedding was comfortable and the bed was long enough for me. No annoying restrictive footwell in this seat configuration.

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New York to London

In New York, there was again no lounge available for Business Class passengers. My transit time was two hours. A document check was performed at the gate, including a check of vaccination records and record locator (PLF) to enter the United Kingdom. The flight was about 70% occupied overall but it was full in Business Class.

The New York to London flight was operated by an A321LR with an auxiliary fuel tank. The pilots explained the details of their narrow-body transatlantic operation. I was allowed to pre-board to take some nice pictures of the fresh cabin.

Flight time to London was six hours 30 minutes, with a tail wind helping along the way. The pilot said the return the flight could go as long as eight hours 40 minutes!

On this flight, I paid an extra $299 for an upgrade to sit in the JetBlue Mint Studio in row 1. It has extra room with an additional buddy seat and table.