Background:
I wanted to visit Martha’s Vineyard with a friend for a weekend, and the lowest-priced flights were on JetBlue. Adding to the fact that I get elite perks on JetBlue with my American AAdvantage Gold status, it was a no-brainer to fly JetBlue as the flight times were reasonable as well. We would fly from New York LaGuardia to Martha’s Vineyard on Friday morning, and back to New York Kennedy on Sunday. I was excited that I was able to try the JetBlue Even More Space E190 seat, as I had never flown on this product before. I’ve only flown on the JetBlue E190 in a normal economy seat back in 2009 from New York to Boston. Talk about over a decade ago!
American Airlines Elite Status Benefits:
Since I am currently American AAdvantage Gold, I get elite benefits on JetBlue as well. As a Gold, one gets priority check-in at the Mosaic line, priority security, and priority boarding with Mosaic. Additionally, 1 free checked bags is included, 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.
With a federal judge striking down JetBlue’s and American’s Northeast Alliance, I hope they can still keep the reciprocal elite benefits, like how American has it with Alaska.
Check-In:
For this route, if I wanted to reserve an Even More Space Seat in advance, I saw the price fluctuate from $24-$28 to reserve from the timing of my booking, up until before check-in. I logged on right at T-24 to check in, and I was able to select an Even More Space seat for free with my American Gold Status. Additionally, it allowed me to select one for my friend too. While not really necessary to have on such a short flight, it is still nice to have!
Aircraft:
The JetBlue Embraer 190 (E190) Classic has 100 seats in a 2-2 configuration. The JetBlue Even More Space E190 extra legroom seats are located in rows 1, 12, 13, and 14. Rows 1 and 12 offer 38 inches of legroom while rows 13 and 14 offer 39 inches which is very generous. But, it’s known for being outdated, and JetBlue plans on retiring the planes by mid-2025 and replacing them with the A220. I recently flew on a newer JetBlue A320 Restyled and the interiors of the plane looked much different.
I really like the Embraer E-jet family and have flown on them numerous times. I love how they are a comfortable ride, and don’t have middle seats!
Flight Details:
New York (LGA) to Martha’s Vineyard (MVY)
Plane: Blissfully Blue
Status: On Time
Martha’s Vineyard (MVY) to New York (JFK)
Plane: Sincerely Blue
Status: Delayed (1 Hour)
Takeoff Points: JetBlue Even More Space E190 Classic
Pros:
- Great legroom at 38-39 inches of pitch for “Even More Space” Seats
- Very plush and comfortable seats.
- Free fast Fly-Fi Wi-Fi on my first flight.
Cons:
- The plane is quite old, first aircraft paint was already chipping off.
- Inconsistent service, the first flight had a beverage and snack service, while the second flight did not.
- Fly-Fi Wi-Fi was not working on my inbound flight.
New York (LGA) to Martha’s Vineyard (MVY):
At the Airport:
For my outbound flight, the TSA PreCheck line at LaGuardia (LGA) on a Friday morning at 9 am had no line and I was past security in less than 5 minutes. However, my friend who doesn’t have PreCheck, took about 20 minutes to clear security. I had a quick visit at the Centurion Lounge LGA, then headed to my gate which was only a short walk away. Terminal B at LGA is really quite nice. LaGuardia really has come a long way from the olden days!
Boarding:
We finished boarding relatively quickly, about 25 minutes before our scheduled departure, but we were waiting for some connecting passengers. My friend and I were the first passengers to board with the JetBlue Mosaic and American Airlines Elites. So, I got a picture of an empty plane!
The captain announced that it would be a quick 35 minutes in the air. The boarding door closed 10 minutes prior to our scheduled departure. There was a decent runway line, so we took off 20 minutes after our scheduled departure.
The Seat: JetBlue Even More Space E190 Row 1
Row 1 is a designated “Even More Space” seat, and this is a bulkhead seat. One thing to note is that your tray table will be in the armrest, and there is no under-seat storage if you like to keep your backpack or purse with you. The seats were quite plush, and they actually looked like domestic first class on some airlines!
The IFE system was special back in the day. JetBlue became the first airline to offer all passengers personalized in-flight entertainment. Now it is dated, but it still offered live DIRECTV, SiriusXM, and had 3 pre-loaded movies on the tiny 5.6-inch seatback screen.
I was pleasantly surprised there was a snack and beverage service for such a short flight. They offered two choices of snacks, Pretzel Mini Braids or a Granola Bar. And, water and sodas for drinks.
Be aware the E190 does not have in-seat power to charge your electronic devices. JetBlue also reminded me in an email before my flight to charge up before getting on the plane which was helpful. We landed 12 minutes early and quickly deplaned. Since there are no jetbridges at MVY, we got to take a ramp off the plane and I noticed that the plane could use a paint job!
Martha’s Vineyard (MVY) to New York (JFK):
Delay Notification:
When I woke up the morning of the flight, I got an email saying our flight would be delayed an hour due to our inbound plane being delayed. I appreciated the update.
At the Airport:
Martha’s Vineyard Airport is very small and only has one security line. There’s a specific line for TSA Pre but it feeds into the main line. You get a card after you scan your boarding pass so that the TSA officers know you have PreCheck and won’t make you take off your shoes. Due to our flight’s delay, the security line was quite long as it intersected with the other JetBlue flight to LaGuardia and a Delta flight. The PreCheck line was a bit faster but it took about 25 minutes to get through, while the normal line took about 35 minutes to get through. Everyone in the line was saying “It’s normally never this long”, but due to the delay and the start of the summer season, it was for such a small airport.
Although there’s really nothing at the airport but an outside tent + snack shop after passing security, I suggest you try getting to the airport a little early especially if you’re flying during the peak summer season. Pre-security, there is a restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch. The outdoor gate area was uncomfortable, to say the least, due to the crowds. Minus the fact that I was panicking in the security line as our flight already started boarding while we were in line, I was happy we didn’t have to stay in the gate area long. We ended up boarding with the basic economy passengers.
The Seat: JetBlue Even More Space E190 Row 13
The thing I like about Row 13 is that there is under seat storage for backpacks. But, you’re towards the middle of the plane, and disembarking from the aircraft takes longer than Row 1. So, it’s really up to your personal preference. Also, Row’s 13 and 14 do have an extra inch of legroom compared to Row’s 1 and 12.
For those curious, here is how the Row 12 Exit Row Seat looks.
Shortly after the boarding door closed, the flight crew informed us that it should be a 35-minute flight to New York Kennedy (JFK). After we left the gate, we had to wait on the runway for some rerouting instructions and we eventually took off 30 minutes after.
On this flight, the flight attendant announced that there would not be a beverage or snack service due to the short flight time. This differed from my inbound flight, which was a bummer, but understandable.
Missing/Broken Features:
Wi-Fi was unavailable on this flight which was also disappointing and I received an email in the morning from JetBlue saying that it was an outage for this specific aircraft we were on. I appreciated the heads up.
Additionally, the IFE screen was missing features from my inbound flight. There weren’t any SiriusXM channels, map function, or pre-loaded movies. But, I could still watch DIRECTV.
We ended up getting to our gate at JFK 1 hour late, which wasn’t too bad but could be annoying for those with connecting flights.
The Verdict:
Overall, the JetBlue Even More Space E190 Classic seating is quite enjoyable in a time of slimline seats and stuffing as many passengers on a plane as you can. Despite the seats looking outdated, the Even More Space seats are actually really comfortable and the legroom is excellent. For short hops, if you don’t mind an outdated seat back screen that might only show some TV channels and Wi-Fi possibly not working, I would recommend JetBlue’s E190s.
Have you been on a JetBlue Even More Space E190 Classic flight before? How was your experience? Comment below!
Happy travels,
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!
