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JetBlue’s Mint is the New York-headquartered airline’s signature business class service — without the premium price tag typically associated with business class on other carriers.

First launched on transcontinental U.S. routes, in 2022 Mint connected the East Coast with the Pacific Northwest in both style and comfort.

Initially operated with standard Airbus narrow-body aircraft, the route offered free Wi-Fi, complimentary snacks and drinks, and more legroom in economy than many competitors.

Rather than connecting through another U.S. hub or flying with limited premium options, Mint Classic’s daily nonstop flights from YVR to JFK offer 80-inch lie-flat beds, premium dining, and an elevated travel experience without sacrificing convenience. This makes heading to New York an appealing choice for those seeking a comfortable transcontinental journey.

Each JetBlue plane is outfitted with colourful livery including a unique tailfin pattern: On the A321, it’s a Cubist-inspired prism to reflect the many facets of the brand’s fleet. Speaking of colour, the airline has a name for each aircraft (ours was The LiMint Does Not Exist), JetBlue’s 200th aircraft).

Cabin Layout

The Mint Classic cabin on this route is laid out to maximize comfort and access in a 2-2 configuration with four solo aisle seats scattered in between the cabin’s first five rows.

16 lie-flat seats convert into beds to allow for comfortable rest on a roughly six-hour flight across North America. Some Mint longer-haul flights even include two mini studios in the front row with sliding doors for added privacy.

Dining

Mint’s dining menu varies by both route and season, with meals curated by notable partners together with a selection of wines and cocktails.

The menu includes various small plates, excellent cocktails like the Mint Condition (ALB Vodka or Bombay Sapphire Gin, ginger, lime, cucumber and mint), and a self-serve snack pantry (available to all passengers).

On this flight, we were able to select three plates out of four choices: Butternut squash with ricotta in a red wine vinaigrette, Cavatelli with roasted eggplant, feta, chili oil and parmigiano, Chicken Marsala with mushrooms, Pork shoulder with figs and rosemary, plus a bowl of yummy vanilla gelato for dessert, topped with caramelized apples and oat crumble.

[Mint (Under One) Condition]

The mocktail version, Mint (Under One) Condition, is ideal for a refreshing sip (with seltzer filling in for the booze).

Their international wine list includes a Scarpetta Sparkling Ribolla from Northeastern Italy, Brij Wines Chardonnay from the California Coast, and several other choices, curated by Parcelle, the New York City-based hospitality group behind Parcelle Chinatown, the Dimes Square wine shop and bar, and an online retail business with an uptown wine shop.

JetBlue’s partnership with Manhattan industry leaders such as Charlie Bird and iconic cocktail lounge Please Don’t Tell add a local flavour to flexible onboard meals. There’s even a custom playlist to keep you entertained!

Special meals can be ordered 24 hours in advance.

Transatlantic Shut-Eye Service® flights departing after 8:30pm and flights within the U.S. departing after 8pm feature a specially curated Savor & Sleep™ evening meal so you can dine and drift off to sleep sooner.

Shortly before landing, a flight attendant passes by with a basket of snacks from the pantry (more on that below).

Entertainment

Onboard entertainment in Mint includes generous 10.1” touchscreens and a good selection of on-demand movies, live TV, and 100+ channels of DIRECTV.

Free high-speed Wi-Fi is available to stay connected or to stream entertainment on personal devices throughout the flight, though I did notice that once we were close to the Montana/Canadian border, I wasn’t able to connect via my iPad as we were apparently outside of the wifi coverage area. A few moments later however, I was successful.

USB and 110v power outlets can be found at every Mint seat (and in every Core row).

Comfort

When I arrived at my seat, I found a Thinksound noise-cancelling headphone, comfortable Tuft and Needle bedding and memory foam pillow, and a Caraa amenity kit. Tuft and Needle also provides the leather seating in Mint class.

A small metal holder fits a bottle of water, with a tiny, three-setting reading light close by.

There’s several seating modes to select from: Take Off/landing, relax, bed, and leg rest raising and lowering. Both pillow and bedding are comfortable. Once I went to lie-flat mode, I noticed that my window seat armrest was in the way, so I needed to position my left arm to clear that hard surface.

For shorter-length flights in business class, I tend to prefer just reclining to about 80% of lie-flat mode, and doing that on Mint allowed for a comfortable rest.

Amenities

JetBlue’s amenity kit is a small pouch designed by New York City-based luxury sports brand Caraa, filled with travel essentials including wellness products by Dr. Dennis Gross. Noticeably absent is a toothbrush kit (though there is a mouthwash in there).

The pouch can be snapped to another to keep several travel items together.

The self-self pantry, located about halfway down the A321, is stocked with soda, water, and small packs of cookies, granola bars, and plantain chips, available throughout the flight.

Service, Priority Check-in and Boarding

Traveling between New York and Vancouver is long enough that a lie-flat seat and enhanced service make a big difference — especially compared with many international economy or even premium economy offerings.

Lastly, one of the less visible but impactful perks of Mint is the streamlined airport experience. Mint passengers can enjoy priority check-in, expedited security screening where available, priority boarding, and priority baggage handling. These touches reduce stress before and after the flight, which made my trip run a lot smoother.

EvenMore

On my outbound flight, I sat in JetBlue’s premium economy section, EvenMore. Located in the first five rows behind Mint class, these seats offer extra legroom with dedicated overhead bins above to avoid carry-on competition during boarding.

Early boarding and sitting closer to the front are also great perks should your budget not allow for Mint seats. While the airline is noted for providing a self-serve snack and beverage pantry (located between EvenMore and Mint cabin sections) to all passengers during the flight, I did hear the sound of those small pantry doors clicking open and closed during the night, so I’d recommend sitting in one of the last EvenMore rows if you’re trying to catch some shut-eye.

At the start of the flight, a small bag of cookies is handed out to EvenMore passengers. Another perk of this upgraded section includes three premium alcoholic drinks per flight.

Priority security at over 30 airports is automatically included at no extra charge.

[A bakery-quality cookie – and a thank you – is given out to Mint passengers upon arrival]

Getting an EvenMore seat is a simple matter of purchasing a Blue fare ticket and then selecting an extra legroom seat. If you’re a Mosaic (Mint’s highest flight loyalty tier) member, this is a complimentary upgrade.

I was upgraded to JetBlue’s EvenMore and Classic Mint for the purpose of this feature. Opinions, as always, remain my own. Top image courtesy of JetBlue.