JetBlue’s New First Class Debuts on Just One of Six Daily Flights

JetBlue’s new domestic first-class cabin, BlueFirst, is now on sale, and its launch is more gradual than the name suggests. It debuts December 8 on Flight 1169 from Boston to Fort Lauderdale, with some New York LaGuardia to Fort Lauderdale flights following within days. Initially it will be on only one of six daily Boston to Fort Lauderdale flights, because planes are being retrofitted a few at a time.

The airline plans 39 routes in stages. December includes Boston, LaGuardia, Buffalo, Liberia and Reagan National flights paired with Fort Lauderdale, while most of the others start between January and April. A majority of the fleet should have the seats by the end of 2027, with the retrofit finishing in 2028.

The cabin is arranged two by two in three or four rows, depending on the aircraft. Seats have 13.3-inch screens with Bluetooth headphone support, five inches of recline and up to seven more inches of legroom than the main cabin, plus dedicated overhead bin space and priority boarding. On flights longer than 899 miles, JetBlue will serve premium dining and drinks, though no ovens are installed, so most meals will be cold.

There are limits worth knowing. BlueFirst passengers cannot use BlueHouse lounges in Boston or New York JFK unless they already have access. Mosaic members get space-available upgrades, and Move to Mint certificates for Mosaic 3 and 4 members will work on BlueFirst. It is JetBlue’s first major premium expansion since Mint on transcontinental flights.

Sources: The Points Guy, TravelPulse