jetBlue Mint is hands down the best way to fly in the United States. From the day that the Mint service was introduced back in 2014, it was a game changer. jetBlue is a smaller carrier, and they obliterated the competition from “the Big 3” domestic carriers with a lie-flat business class seat, and in some cases, suite, for the same price that their competition was charging for economy on the routes Mint was introduced in.
Prices have risen in steadily on the Mint route network, which mostly consists of routes to and from Boston, New York City, Fort Lauderdale, which are all jetBlue’s main hubs, and several West Coast destinations, including Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles and a few others.
My Flight
Since there is no Mint service from Atlanta, I knew I needed to fly to Boston or New York to take my flight to Las Vegas. My first choice was New York, but the JFK – LAS flight was $1,049 one way (similar to Delta, United, and American’s pricing) but the BOS – LAS flight was an incredible $499, less than half of what the other carriers wanted for first class!
I booked my flight with my Platinum Card from American Express, which offers 5X Membership Rewards points on airfare purchased via Amex Travel or directly with the airline. I value Membership Rewards points at roughly 2 cents per point, so I earned a whopping 10% cash back on the purchase of my ticket. Right now, you can apply for the Platinum Card here, and if approved, you can earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $5,000 within 3 months of being approved. You can also apply for any other personal or business Amex card through that same link, and we will both get a bonus if you’re approved!
Important Note: It is possible to get a 75,000 or 100,000 point signup offer for the Platinum Card using the Amex pre-qualified offer site or CardMatch tool, however I have never personally seen the 100,000 point offer.
The Flight
As a Mint passenger, you are the first to board the Airbus A321 aircraft, and as soon as you board, you see what sets Mint apart from other domestic Business/First class experiences. The cabin was spotless, the seats themselves are huge, and 4 of the 16 seats are individual suites with a door that you can open and close on demand for additional privacy. These suites also offer large amounts of extra space, and workspaces which are much more comfortable to use as a table top than the tray tables (which they have as well). I chose Seat 2A, and to say that my seat and suite were roomy is a true understatement. I spent most of the 30 minutes before takeoff exploring all of the storage spaces, power ports, and function of the seats, which recline fully flat (and anything in between), offer adjustable lumbar support, and even have a massage function. They are simply incredible.
My Mistake and The Crew that Saved the Day
I fly more than the average person, and use a seatbelt extender for my own comfort and safety. I verified with jetBlue that even though the seatbelts in Mint are inflatable, you can still use an extender (which just turns off the airbag). Now I have used these extenders dozens of times, and thought they were the most straight-forward part of my flight, but I managed to make mistake that could have ended my Mint adventure before I began. I buckled it backwards and jammed the whole mechanism.
I immediately started to freak out, and flagged down Vanessa, one of two flight attendants dedicated to assisting the 16 passengers. She could tell how embarrassed I was, and after some quick small talk and trying to fix it ourselves, said she would call a mechanic to hop on the plane and fix it. She told me to stay put, and offered to bring me as many drinks as I needed until he got there. I took her up on her offer and enjoyed a few RefreshMints, their signature Vodka Limeade drink. Luckily, the mechanic was nearby and made short work of the jammed seatbelt and we were able to take off without a delay. I give Vanessa a ton of credit, she was sincere, funny, and helped make me laugh throughout the ordeal, and told me I wasn’t “on her list… yet.” She really was funny, we joked around every time she stopped by my seat to check on me, and even showed me the approximately 8,000 different features of my seat, and suite. Colleen was amazing too, they took turns walking the cabin and brought us anything we needed, including some solid in flight headphones, real espresso drinks, and all the snacks and drinks we wanted.
Food and Beverage
The onboard menu is comprised of small plates inspired by Saxone + Parole in New York City. Since my flight was early in the morning, the options were breakfast inspired. I opted for the Nutella Stuffed French Toast, Pineapple with Lime and Sea Salt, Maple Glazed Bacon, and Baked Egg Frittata. The big winner was the french toast and pineapple, which were both bursting with flavor. The egg dish wasn’t particularly flavorful, and I think the bacon was great, but would have been better had it been stuffed in the frittata.
Overall Experience
This was easily the most comfortable I have ever been on a plane. For me, food/beverages, mile earning, and lounge access are important, but seat comfort and the in flight crew are much more important. The amazing seats, combined with the stellar interactions with Coleen and Vanessa made this a flight to remember. I am not sure jetBlue Mint is worth traveling to another city to hop on a flight, but if you’re eager to visit some friends in Boston or New York, it is definitely worth a long weekend. If you want the best business class product in the sky, then jetBlue Mint is the clear choice to make.
Ramblin' Rewards 