A few weeks ago, I traveled from Boston to San Francisco via New York with JetBlue in Economy Class. Before this trip, I flew with Jet Blue in Mint Class on their A321LR. A fantastic business class product which really exceeded my expectations. But this time, I’ve picked the cheapest Coast to Coast JetBlue economy ticket I could find. Will JetBlue economy class also exceed my expectations? Please read my review and find out whether it’s worth it picking JetBlue above flag carriers such as Delta or United.
Saving money with a JFK transfer; a good idea?
The cheapest JetBlue ticket from Boston to San Francisco has me flying via JFK New York. Not a fantastic idea since the weather could be brutal on the East Coast this time of year. However, there was quite a big price difference between this flight and the direct flight. Hence, I decided to take the gamble. The flight from Boston to JFK is with an Embraer E190.
The Embraer E190 has a 2-2 seat configuration and seat pitch is 32 inches in economy. That’s on average 1 inch more than what you’ll get with Delta and United in Economy. JetBlue’s real sweet spot is the A321 plane which offers even more legroom in economy. More on that later.
After boarding, the plane was ready to be pulled back. However, at exactly that moment, the pilot stated that they found an issue with the plane which couldn’t be repaired. Bottomline; everybody had to get out of the plane and they had to find a replacement plane to get us to New York. At that point in time, I truly regretted my decision to transfer at JFK. What was the chance that JetBlue would find a replacement plane in time so I could still make my connection?
But against all odds, JetBlue did manage to very quickly find a replacement plane and with a delay of just over 2 hours we were again ready for departure! I never expected such a quick turn-around and in fact, I almost bought myself a separate ticket with American Airlines from Boston to New York just to be sure I would get to my connection in time. I should have never doubted JetBlue! But next time, I’ll just book the direct flight!
JetBlue A321Neo Economy Class Experience
One of the unique features flying with JetBlue is the free, high-speed internet. Not just in Business Class but in all classes. And the internet is not just for news browsing; it allows for uninterrupted video streaming! Really an amazing feature you’ll get with JetBlue, even on their Embraer E190 planes.
The JetBlue A321 planes have a very generous seat pitch of 33 inch. To compare; with United and Delta on their widebody-planes, you’ll get 31 to 32 inch! You would have to fly Delta Comfort+ or United Economy+ to get the same amount of legroom. And unless you’re a Gold elite member with these airlines, you’ll have to pay extra to get this amount of legroom. Definitely something to take into account when buying your next economy class ticket.
JetBlue also offers an Economy + seat. They call it ‘even more space’. And indeed it is; with these seats you’re getting 37 inch of seat pitch. From coast to coast, the extra you’ll need to pay for these seats is roughly 200 dollar. I think that’s a very good deal for this amount of extra leg space!
Drinks and a small snack is provided and I really like these popchips; they taste great and 50% less fat because not fried! What more do I want?
Conclusion
JetBlue really surprised me these last couple of weeks; a great business class product on their A321LR, and an economy class which provides more legroom and amenities than their direct competitors. On top of that, they are able to cope with plane malfunctions in an effective way. I can only recommend flying with JetBlue!
Please also have a look at my YouTube video reviewing JetBlue Economy Class
