This Week I’m Flying jetBlue Mint Class
UPDATE #2: Grandma cancelled on me so I’ll be flying jetBlue Mint Class solo. Darn….
(Images: USAToday, jetBlue Airways, GCMap)
This December, it will be two years since I last flew in jetBlue’s Mint Class. Back then, I failed to really dive into particulars and my writing skills didn’t make for a very enjoyable and thorough trip report. Not only did I fail to go into detail, a lot has changed since my red-eye from Los Angeles to New York-JFK. jetBlue has launched a plethora of new Mint routes from its northeastern hubs, New York-JFK and Boston. These routes include New York to the Caribbean and Boston to San Francisco. In addition to new routes, jetBlue has updated its Birchbox amenity kits, added additional catering options, and introduced headphones for Mint Class passengers.
Following my birthday, I knew it was the right time to revisit Mint Class (and blow all of my birthday money). Last night I booked Washington DC (DCA) to San Francisco with a stop in Boston. Boston to San Francisco will be flown in Mint Class. I select one of the Mint Suites (seat 2F) and I’ve decided to cover part of this trip in full 360-degree Virtual Reality.
So far, this trip is looking to be one for the ages.
The Itinerary
STL-DCA-BOS-SFO-PHX-STL (GCmap)
I’ll be departing Tuesday morning from Lambert-St. Louis International. From St. Louis I’ll travel to Washington-DCA. Tuesday night I’ll be laying over at a nearby SPG property. Wednesday morning I’ll wake up around 4:30am, head to DCA, and then take off for Boston. Once in Boston, I have a very short layover and then it’s off to San Francisco in my own personal suite.
From San Francisco, it’s a less than glamorous commute home via Phoenix. I’ll arrive nice and late Wednesday night and on Thursday….back to work!
Unfortunately, there are a few close connections. For example, I only have 48 minutes to make my connection in Boston, though, it shouldn’t be that much of an issue as I have two backup flights in case my flight out of DCA is delayed.
Yeah, it’s not a perfect itinerary but it’ll do.
Overall
I’m two days out until my first of five flights and I couldn’t be more anxious to get going. I can’t wait to try out what I remember to be one of the best premium experiences I’ve ever had in my life. jetBlue’s Mint Class is a truly revolutionary product for the transcon market. Not only was jetBlue the first U.S. carrier to introduce a seat with a retractable door, they also introduced premium class fares that are actually reasonable for the average traveler. Combined with unrivaled customer service and a great premium class product, I can’t stress enough how close jetBlue gets to matching (if not beating) American and Delta on transcon routes, and at half the price.
There’s still some prep work that needs to be completed over the next two days. I’ve got to purchase the 360-VR camera, I have to book some return flights, pack my bags, and outline the rest of the trip report. I’d love some feedback from readers; what do you want to see? If you have any suggestions or tips for this trip reports, feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email at unaccompaniedflyer@gmail.com
