JetBlue offers elevated economy PaxEx on A321neoLR across the pond

It sounds odd, but I feel as if I have grown up alongside JetBlue. I was a kid when the airline first introduced live TV. I was there when it first introduced Fly-Fi-branded free Wi-Fi. I was there when it introduced its Mint premium product. And now, finally, I’ve had a chance to experience the most grown up version of JetBlue — transatlantic flying.

Launching service across the Atlantic for the first time in summer 2021, JetBlue entered one of the most fiercely competitive markets in the world. While the airline doesn’t have any widebody aircraft in its fleet, it did what it does best and incrementally improved nearly everything about its Core economy class experience.

While most airline passengers couldn’t tell the difference between a narrowbody and widebody aircraft, some members of the #AvGeek community have jumped to negative conclusions about flying economy across the ocean on an Airbus A321neoLR. On a recent JetBlue roundtrip between New York JFK and Amsterdam, I got to decide for myself.

JetBlue offers 32 inches of pitch in Core, which is more than any other airline over the Atlantic, and is a point that JetBlue likes to emphasize often. At 18-plus inches wide, its seats are also as wide or wider than many of its widebody competitors.

The Collins Aerospace Meridian seats aboard JetBlue’s A321neoLR are seemingly no different than what it offers on the rest of its fleet.

JetBlue was the launch customer of Airbus’ full Airspace interior, announced way back in 2017. The ceiling panel lighting is certainly a nice touch.

But it’s the massive overhead bins that really stand out. Bin space isn’t exactly an issue on an A321 that only holds 138 passengers, but it certainly helps.

While many airlines use the seatback screen only as an entertainment device, JetBlue really embraces it as a critical element of its brand experience. When passengers first interact with the screen, they’re asked to confirm their identity (or skip this step) and are immediately prompted to customize their inflight meal.

I was skeptical when JetBlue first launched its partnership with New York-based Dig, featuring a customizable menu going well beyond the typical “chicken or pasta” options that are so common.

But the experience of ordering the food, a mandatory step upon first interaction with the entertainment system, was surprisingly easy and fast. Available beverages and snacks are also displayed, but cannot be ordered on the screen.

Flight attendants serve meals from the front and rear of the cabin, meeting up in the middle right where I was seated. I was a bit nervous that my choices would be unavailable by the time they got to my row, but thankfully that was not an issue.

A tablet perched on the galley cart displays what each passenger has ordered, and the flight attendants simply assemble the items onto a tray. The process seemed no slower than a traditional service, maybe even slightly faster.

On the way to Amsterdam I opted for the meatballs & tomato farro main dish, with brussels sprouts and mac & cheese sides. Each piece of the meal is served in a reusable plastic dish with a lid, reducing the overall waste of the meal service.

I can say without a doubt that this was the best meal I have been served in economy by any airline anywhere in the world! The meal was both delicious and filling, two features rarely present together in economy.

Even the ice cream sandwich dessert was great. A pre-arrival breakfast service was offered, but I was still full from the dinner so I skipped it. It’s clear that JetBlue put a lot of effort into perfecting its longhaul meal service and that effort has paid off.

The meal out of Amsterdam was less impressive, however. The main chicken and rice dish could have had a bit more chicken, and the cauliflower Cacio e pepe was no match for the mac & cheese from the prior flight.

The pre-arrival snack was a small pizza in a box that I have been served on a number of other airlines.

The rest of the experience was what has become, more or less, the standard JetBlue experience. The entertainment system was loaded with plenty of movies and some full TV series.

The full suite of live TV channels has been narrowed, however, to five options commonly found on many other longhaul aircraft. I learned about a judge’s decision to block the carrier’s merger with Spirit, whilst I was in-flight.

The free Viasat Ka-band satellite-powered inflight connectivity worked well enough, though I did encounter a number of periods where connectivity had dropped out. The USB-C, USB-A and AC power outlets were a very welcome addition.

I will concede that there are some negative aspects to such a long flight on a narrowbody aircraft. With just two lavatories in the rear of the aircraft for economy passengers, a line often developed during busy times and there was no spare space for people to wait without blocking the aisle. This seemed to be the only noticeable drawback, however, and certainly also occurs on widebody aircraft. Even after ten hours on board the aircraft, I wasn’t clawing at the sidewalls to get off.

Would I book JetBlue across the Atlantic again? Absolutely. JetBlue definitely sought to create an elevated economy experience.

In some ways, JetBlue’s transatlantic service is above what Delta did just prior to Covid, a service that the US major hasn’t yet bolstered in a meaningful way post-pandemic.