Background:
I booked a JetBlue flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to New York (JFK) and ended up in the Even More Space Seats. I booked a standard “Core” fare with a normal seat, but thanks to my American Airlines elite status, I was able to move up to an Even More Space seat for free 24 hours before my flight.
American Airlines Elite Status Benefits:
Since I am currently American AAdvantage Platinum, I get elite benefits on JetBlue as well. As a Platinum, one gets priority check-in at the Mosaic line, priority security, and priority boarding with Mosaic. Additionally, 2 free checked bags are included, priority bag delivery, and a status mileage bonus. Above all, my favorite perk is the complimentary Even More Space Seats at check-in. You can see the full benefits based on each AAdvantage level here.
Flight Details:
JetBlue Airways Flight 624
Los Angeles (LAX) to New York (JFK)
Cabin: Even More Space
Aircraft: Airbus A321
Seat: 9C
Getting the Even More Space Seats at Online Check-In:
At booking, starting prices for the Even More Space (rows 6-10 and exit rows 18-19) cost $130 for a middle seat and $134 for a window or aisle. If you book the JetBlue Even More Space Seats, you get Early Boarding, and Priority Security if it’s available at your airport. The priority security would only be helpful if you don’t have TSA Precheck or Clear.
When check-in opened at T-24 hours before my flight, the Even More Space seats were available to select for free. On my flight, a lot of Even More Space seats were left, so I chose an aisle seat 9C, and the whole row was empty at the time. I had my fingers crossed that I would have the middle seat open!
On the day of the flight, I had no bags to check, so off to TSA and a visit to the AMEX Centurion Lounge at LAX before the flight.
Boarding and The Plane:
Interestingly, boarding for American Airlines Elites occurs with Mint (Business Class) passengers and JetBlue Mosaic Members altogether. So, I was on the plane rather early! On the way to my seat, we passed by the Mint cabin, which I have flown on a few occasions. You can check out my trip last year in Mint here if you’d like.
The A321 that operated my flight was the A321 Classic with Mint and our plane had a cool name: The Royal TreatMint. I’ve flown on this specific configuration in economy back in 2019 and had an enjoyable experience in the standard Economy (Core) Seats.
I arrived at my “Even More Space” seat in row 9 and got settled in. While the cabin felt modern and still new as the plane is only about 6 years old, it didn’t feel as updated as the A320 Restyled I flew on to Fort Lauderdale last month. But, sometimes newer isn’t always better.
The first thing I noticed was how roomy the legroom was. It definitely felt more spacious than the A320 Restyled I flew on, and sure enough, it was. The A320 Restyled features 35 inches of pitch, but the A321 Classic with Mint featured 37 inches of pitch in the Even More Space Seats. A whole extra 2 inches! And if you want an exit row seat, you can even get up to 41 inches of pitch on the A321 Classic with Mint. Also, the seat cushions were more comfortable in this “Classic” configuration. Thus I learned that sometimes newer isn’t always better.
In terms of the competition, Delta, United, and American all offer 35 inches of pitch in their respective extra legroom seats that serve this route. So, JetBlue offers 2 extra inches of pitch.
The seatback pocket also includes a water bottle holder, which is a nice touch.
If you’re not in the Even More Space Seats, don’t fret. JetBlue offers solid legroom in their standard Core Class (Economy) as well. The Core seats on the A321 Classic with Mint offer 32 inches of pitch.
The only thing that was better on the newer JetBlue A320 Restyled plane was the seatback TV. On this older aircraft, the 10.1” seatback touchscreen TV was a bit less clear. But, it was still responsive and there were movies, SiriusXM, DIRECTV, and tv shows. If you didn’t want to use the touchscreen, there is a remote on your armrest.
Beneath your seat, there are also in-seat USB and 110v power outlets for charging your devices.
Wi-Fi:
A major plus is that JetBlue offers free high-speed Wi-Fi called Fly-Fi on all of their flights. It is great, and there are no device limitations. The service by ViaSat was pretty solid, and I only faced some outages when flying over Colorado, but other than that it was great! Especially coming off an American transcon that was charging $29 for the flight, this was a very welcome feature.
The Flight + Cabin Service:
The captain announced that our time in the air would only be 4 hours and 33 minutes and that we should arrive early in New York. When the cabin doors closed, I noticed that no one was sitting next to me. It was my lucky day, I got the row to myself!
Shortly after takeoff, they began the cabin service. First, they came around for in-flight purchases. There were the EatUp Cafe items ($12-$14) and snack boxes for $9. Also, pillows and earbuds were also available for $6 and a blanket for $7.
After the in-flight purchases cart went through, the complimentary beverage and snack service commenced. Pepsi products were complimentary, and snack choices included 88 Acres Seed Bars, Cheez-It Crackers, Chifles Plantain Chips, Goodie Girl Cookies, and Simply Stellar Vegan Pretzels.
I really enjoyed their array of snacks, and my favorites were the plantain chips and pretzel braids.
About 3.5 hours into the flight, the flight attendants came with a water service which was nice.
Lavatories and the Pantry:
There is 1 lavatory in the front of the economy cabin, and 2 in the rear. Since I was towards the front of the aircraft, I only used the forward lavatory and it was sufficiently clean. One thing is that I do wish they installed automatic sinks.
A cool feature on this JetBlue plane is that in front of the row 6 seats across from the lavatory, there is the “Pantry”. Here, you can grab snacks and drinks pretty much anytime throughout the flight. It’s nice to have, so you don’t have to flag down a flight attendant when you’re hungry. Especially on transcontinental flights that don’t serve meals, particularly when flying from east to west on those 6.5-hour hops, the Pantry can be a great asset to have.
Due to favorable weather and headwinds, we were able to arrive at the gate 30 minutes early in New York which was nice.
The Verdict:
Overall, I had a solid experience on the JetBlue Even More Space seats aboard the A321 Classic with Mint. Positives included the industry-leading legroom, solid snack selection with Pantry, and free Wi-Fi. Honestly probably the best transcontinental option in extra-legroom economy seats.
Have you been on the JetBlue Even More Space Seats aboard the A321 Class with Mint? How was your experience?
Cheers,
Ty
Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
