JetBlue Launches BlueFirst Domestic First Class, Flights From Dec. 8

JetBlue has introduced BlueFirst, a domestic first class cabin that will fly for the first time on Dec. 8. The airline unveiled the product on Wednesday, Nov. 11, according to Condé Nast Traveler, and tickets are already on sale for December travel.

The rollout starts with JetBlue’s daily flight between Boston and Fort Lauderdale. The Fort Lauderdale to New York LaGuardia route is next. For travelers, this means a first class option on the shorter leisure routes where JetBlue has so far sold economy seats only.

How BlueFirst differs from Mint

For most of its 26 years, JetBlue sold only economy seats. The exception is Mint, its lie-flat business class on transcontinental and transatlantic routes such as New York to Los Angeles and London. BlueFirst goes on every other plane in the fleet. Planes with Mint keep Mint, and the two cabins will not share an aircraft.

The new cabin sits in the first three rows and has 12 seats in a two-by-two layout, so there are no middle seats. Each seat is about three inches wider than a standard economy seat, with up to seven extra inches of legroom compared with JetBlue’s regular Main seats. Seats recline five inches. No curtain separates the cabin from the rest of the plane.

The cushions use foam made for JetBlue by mattress maker Tuft & Needle. Stephanie Evans Greene, the airline’s senior vice president of marketing and brand, told the magazine the goal was “premium, but not pretentious.”

Perks on the ground and in the air

• Priority check-in, a faster security lane at more than 30 airports and Group 1 boarding.
• Two free checked bags on most fares. BlueFirst Base, the cheapest of three fare types, includes one checked bag.
• Overhead bins above the cabin reserved for BlueFirst passengers.
• A 13.3-inch seatback screen with Bluetooth for personal earbuds, USB-A and USB-C ports, a power outlet and JetBlue’s free Wi-Fi.
• A blanket and an amenity kit with socks, earbuds, mouthwash and skincare products.

Food and drinks

On flights of 899 miles or more, passengers get a bento-style box with an entrée, a side and a dessert, and the menu changes by route. Kosher, vegan and gluten-free versions are available. The planes have no oven, so the whole meal comes at once and is served cold or at room temperature. A basket of packaged snacks is also offered.

Drinks are ordered from the seatback screen. A feature called Mixologist Mode lets passengers pick a base, such as a spirit, soft drink, coffee or mixer, and add up to four items in total. The crew brings the ingredients to a pop-out tray, and passengers mix the drink themselves, with a limit of two drinks per order. Wine, coffee and tea are served too.

What it means for travelers booking now

BlueFirst will not be on every JetBlue flight for some time. Just over a dozen planes will have the cabin by the end of this year, and the rest of the fleet without Mint will follow through 2027, Condé Nast Traveler reported. The cabin is planned for more than 30 routes. Flights from New York JFK to Cancún, Liberia and San Juan start getting the new seats in January.

Even on routes with BlueFirst, a given flight may not have it. That depends on whether a fitted plane is assigned, and JetBlue says the cabin may only be available on select flights or dates. Airlines can also swap aircraft at short notice for maintenance or equipment needs, so a flight booked with BlueFirst could end up on a plane without it.

Source: Condé Nast Traveler