This is the new JetBlue Mint business class seat that will carry passengers to London later this year. After years of development the carrier unveiled its Mint 2.0 cabin with a unique all-aisle access, flat bed option for travelers on the A321LR fleet. The new A321LR is expected to begin transatlantic service for the carrier in Q3 of this year.
We put our heart into this redesign of Mint and were inspired by our original vision of offering customers an exceptional experience at a lower fare – which is what JetBlue is all about.
– Joanna Geraghty, president and chief operating officer
A SOLO Suite for Everyone
As with the initial Mint offering, JetBlue is once again the launch customer for a Thompson Aero seating offering. The VantageSOLO seat delivers an optimal layout in the premium cabin of a single-aisle plane. Every passenger gets a mini-suite with a door. PaxEx.Aero has been reporting this as the likely seating option for these planes since April 2019.
And, thanks to the removal of the exit doors just in front of the wing, the Mint cabin will be larger. JetBlue will offer 24 flying beds for its A321LR configuration (slightly more than the 22 anticipated last week).
Special Studio Suites at the Front
The design of the seats also leave significant additional space for the first row on board. JetBlue took advantage of this to create the Mint Studio product, conceptualized by FactoryDesign before being sold to Thompson and styled for JetBlue in partnership with Acumen and AIM Altitude.
These two seats offer more space in the suite, including a small ottoman area where a second passenger can sit during cruise. That seat joins the flat bed area in sleep mode, offering more space for Studio travelers. With that additional room the carrier claims the largest business class bed flying of any US airline.
The Mint Studio also adds a larger IFE screen and additional storage. And, in a nod to the “golden age of flying” the company also confirms that passengers in the Mint Studio will have playing cards as part of their amenities.
The company anticipates selling the Mint Studio seats at a premium but did not specify if they would be a separate fare class or just a premium seat assignment fee.
Design touches galore
JetBlue’s new A321LR and the low density A321neo configurations will both feature these seats on board, though the A321neo will only fly with 16 suites. But the updated cabin design is about more than just the Vantage Solo seats.
These newest planes feature design elements from the Airspace by Airbus concept, more commonly seen on the manufacturer’s newer twin-aisle planes. Some elements, such as larger overhead bins, are already flying on other A321neo planes but the newer JetBlue deliveries will combine many of these elements into a unified design offering.
Down to the smallest details, such as the flannel-lined dividers and seating fabrics from Tapis Corporation (similar to those on the A220 introduced last month), JetBlue wants the entire travel experience to include “thoughtful, residential-inspired design.”
Big screens, big pipes for In-flight Entertainment and Connectivity
As with the other new JetBlue planes the A321LR and new Mint-configured A321neo aircraft included the updated Thales AVANT in-flight entertainment system on board. Regular Mint customers will have a 17″ screen in their suites while the Mint Studio upgrades that to a 22″ offering.
Everyone on board will also continue to have access to the company’s Fly-Fi in-flight connectivity solution. Powered by Viasat Aviation, the Fly-Fi kit offers fast, free connectivity from nose-to-tail.
The seats also include wireless charging capabilities, an integrated phone ledge for multitasking, and easy-to-reach in-seat power.
More about JetBlue’s plans for London and beyond:
- JetBlue’s initial London play: Stansted and Gatwick
- JetBlue makes its London plans official
- JetBlue’s A321LR plans: Coming soon(ish)!
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The one thing I haven’t seen anyone mention yet is the size of that front lav – is it just me, or is it ridiculously large for a narrowbody? I think that wall between the lav door and door 1L is part of it, as it doesn’t seem to be a closet space there.
My best guess is that it is just the way it it rendered in the fly-through. There’s another angle later in the video where it looks tiny. I assume it’ll be regular size. Or maybe slightly larger to support passengers with reduced mobility, but those requirements aren’t in play yet AFAIK.
Do we have a guess on the total seat count, for both the 24 and 16 configs?
I’ve reported 160 on the LR/24 config. Not sure about the 16 setup.