JetBlue’s New First Class Starts Where Mint Doesn’t Fly

JetBlue put its new BlueFirst first-class seats on sale on Thursday, October 15, for flights beginning December 8. The first departures will be Boston to Fort Lauderdale, and the airline says reservations are already open on more than 30 routes, though not on every flight along them. Other routes named at launch include Fort Lauderdale to New York LaGuardia and New York JFK to Liberia, Costa Rica.

The detail that makes the rollout distinctive is where the seats are going. BlueFirst is being added to aircraft that do not offer Mint, JetBlue’s business-class product, which is available on the carrier’s longer flights. In other words, the new cabin is aimed at the shorter and mid-length flying where travelers willing to pay more have not had a premium option on JetBlue before.

JetBlue went through the features of the cabin last month, but coverage of the on-sale announcement did not include fares, seat counts or a complete list of the 30-plus routes. That leaves some practical questions open, including how much of a premium BlueFirst will carry over the existing extra-legroom seats, and how many seats each aircraft will have up front.

For travelers, the takeaway is mostly about timing. Anyone who wants to try the product on opening day can book the December 8 Boston to Fort Lauderdale flights now, and those planning winter trips on the other named routes can check the booking engine to see whether BlueFirst has been loaded for their dates. Pricing will be the real test once it is visible.

Sources: Travel Weekly, Business Travel News