Background and Booking
For the Fourth of July, a friend and I wanted to have a nice little weekend getaway, and decided to go to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
I found it very cool that JetBlue had Mint service from New York (JFK) to San Juan (SJU), and so a friend and I booked it via Qatar Avios for 26,000 Avios and $5.60. They seem not to have as much access to JetBlue award space now, and we also experienced a lot of technical difficulties on the Qatar website when reserving this flight. Additionally, it seems that the service for JetBlue Mint to Puerto Rico is ending. After October 25th, 2025, I don’t see any scheduled flights with Mint-equipped aircraft from New York (JFK) to San Juan (SJU).
On the other hand, it does seem that United also schedules some flights from Newark (EWR) to San Juan (SJU) with their widebodies that feature Polaris, which is quite cool.
Flight Details
JetBlue Flight 1603
Date of Flight: July 2025
New York (JFK) to San Juan (SJU)
Scheduled Duration: 4 Hours
Status: Delayed (30 minutes late)
Seat/Cabin: 4F
Aircraft: Airbus A321
At the Airport & Boarding
JetBlue utilizes JFK’s Terminal 5, and while there aren’t any lounges at this terminal to access, it’s still a relatively nice terminal with a variety of dining options.
Our inbound plane from Los Angeles was delayed, and so they delayed the flight’s departure time about 15 minutes once we got to the airport. Shortly after, it was delayed again, and a bit of a pet peeve is that they said boarding would start at 8:22, but even at 8:30, people were still getting off the plane.
Preboarding started at our originally scheduled departure time. Doors closed 40 minutes later, and we left the gate 45 minutes late. The pilots let us know that our flight would be a quick 3 hours and 18 minutes in the air, and we took off, 1 hour behind our scheduled time.
The Plane & Seat
The original A321 Mint product features 16 total seats in the cabin. There are 12 lie-flat seats plus four suites spread out over five rows. Rows 1, 3, and 5 have a 2-2 configuration, and rows 2 and 4 contain suites with closing doors in a 1-1 configuration.
The best part is that JetBlue doesn’t charge extra for the seats with closing doors, and the earlier you book, the better chance that someone hasn’t snatched it up yet. These “throne” seats feature extra storage, added privacy, and more space. Currently, rows 2 are blocked for Mosaic members, but row 4 is available for all. Thankfully, both 4A and 4F were available when we booked, so my friend and I reserved those seats.
I have flown on the original A321 Mint product a few times, and have enjoyed most of my flights on it, from Newark to San Diego & Los Angeles to Newark. Additionally, I’ve tried the new Mint Suites once, and really enjoyed it as well, from Los Angeles to New York.
It had been about 3 years since I last flew on the Mint product, but I was happy to see that it was still in relatively good shape, even with the original product.
Throne Seat
The JetBlue Mint “Throne Seat” features a lie-flat seat that is pretty long (6’8″), and offers a suite door that can close for added privacy, which provides the feeling of a nice enclosed space.
Waiting at my seat were Thinksound headphones, an amenity kit, and bedding from Tuft and Needle.
A Caraa-branded amenity kit was provided, which was a snap bag that could be combined with others, which I found interesting. Inside the kit were Tuft & Needle earplugs, socks & eyemask. Additionally, there was mouthwash, and Dr Dennis Gross lotion, lip balm, and exfoliating anti-aging peel pads. A pretty nice kit given the short flight.
The bedding was quite comfortable and featured a plush pillow and a nice duvet.
There was a water bottle waiting at my seat, and the seat had plenty of charging ports. How fitting it was to have a blue water bottle.
In-Flight Entertainment & Wi-Fi
The original Mint product features a 15-inch screen, and there was DIRECTV, movies on demand, and SiriusXM radio. JetBlue offers free Fly-Fi Wi-Fi, and it worked relatively well for the first half of the flight, but was more unreliable in the latter half.
Meal Service
This is where JetBlue Mint shines. JetBlue partnered with NYC-based restaurant Charlie Bird for its meal offering.
After getting settled, the flight attendant came to take drink orders for a welcome beverage. And, for breakfast, you get to choose up to 3 of 4 options, which include:
Plums with pistachios
Smoked Salmon with creme fraiche, capers, everything bagel crostini
Waffle with peach jam and maple
Frittata with cherry tomato, goat cheese and herb salad
Plus, a side of maple bacon was included.
Once airborne, I opted to try the Venetian Spritz, as I normally love their Mint Condition, but wanted to venture into something new. It came accompanied by a croissant, which was nice and fluffy.
For my meal, I opted for the smoked salmon, waffle, and frittata, all of which were delicious. I’m not a huge frittata guy, but it wasn’t too heavy and quite tasty. I think, as far as US carriers go, JetBlue has the best business class food offerings.
And I got a cappuccino, as I remembered how good JetBlue makes them.
As a parting gift, they passed by the Original Goodie cookie from Twins that Cook, and it served as a nice snack at the hotel.
And the short flight went by very quickly, and soon enough we got to San Juan. We got to the gate 30 minutes late, and it was time for a relaxing weekend to begin!
The Verdict
Overall, it was super cool to fly JetBlue Mint to Puerto Rico since it’s a pretty short flight from New York. JetBlue Mint is an amazing product, and the food was spectacular. It’s always a treat to fly Mint for me; you just have to be prepared for some minor delays.
Have you flown JetBlue Mint to Puerto Rico before? How was your experience? Comment below!
Cheers,
Ty
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