lesamuel

Welcome to my first trip report! This is the return flight review, but an introduction and other reviews of my trip on the ground are on their way shortly.

JetBlue 415
New York (JFK) – San Francisco (SFO)
Tuesday, December 2
Depart: 4:30PM
Arrive: 7:40PM
Aircraft: A321 Transcon
Seat: 4A (Mint – Suite)

We arrived at JFK at around 2:45 for our 4:30 departure. The skies did not look friendly for flying this afternoon and we later discovered over 110 flights were delayed/cancelled from JFK. JetBlue flies out of JFK Terminal 5 along with Aer Lingus.


JFK Airport Singapore A380


JFK Airport Emirates A380

Check-in was smooth and helpful, though security was not. TSA-Precheck is one of the greatest trusted-traveller programs ever invented, but JFK’s T5 TSA does the worst job of making the screening process faster. The security lines, including those for JetBlue’s “Even More Speed”, which comes with Mint, are lackluster and poorly organized. Each two lines eventually merge into one, defeating the purpose of quick screening procedures. Our flight was leaving out of Gate 22, and it was a very short walk from security.


JetBlue A321 Transcon Plane

Oh, JetBlue. I could see someone losing their boarding pass very easily, because it is designed plainly and could be mistaken for another document.


JetBlue Mint Boarding Pass

Our inbound aircraft arrived at around 3:45 and we started boarding at around 4. The boarding process was well organized and the gate agents kept it civilized, starting with Mint and disabled customers, before continuing with Even More Space, and eventually coach.

I booked in advance, so I not only grabbed a ticket for $599, but I also snagged one of the “suite” seats. JetBlue’s Mint cabin has two types of seats, alternating by row. There are 2-2 rows and 1-1 rows with super-private seats (featuring closing doors!) My first impressions of the suite were “is this JetBlue?!” The suites have tons of storage, and instead of just armrests, all the extra space on either sides can be used to rest your arms, as is the norm with staggered seats.


JetBlue A321 Mint “Suite”

The seat had tons of storage, with stretchy pockets for water bottles and a phone as well as a huge storage compartment.


JetBlue Mint Storage

The seats are Vantage style staggered, and the suites are an unbeatable transcon product for $599. Upon boarding, the flight attendant and purser came through the cabin offering an “introduction” to Mint, regarding seat controls, food ordering, and the entertainment system. They then asked about pre-departure drinks, and I selected their signature mocktail (or cocktail), a mint-infused lemonade, which was balanced and not too sweet for my tastes.

Blankets had been waiting at our seats along with a pillow, as well as a note from the crew. Before departure, the crew asked to stow the blankets unless we wanted to use them during taxi and takeoff. It started to get dark and we had a long taxi (over 45 minutes), so I played with the seat controls in the meantime.


JetBlue Seat Controls

JetBlue’s seats offer firmness and massage settings, and it is air tanks that feed into the seat to make them firm, and make a distinct noise when adjusting your seat’s firmness. The firmness adjust was nice, but I could only tell that it was working when I made the seat more firm. When I adjusted the seat to “soft” I felt like even though I could tell there was an opening open for the air to escape, it felt like I was sitting on a half-filled Ziplock bag. It just felt odd. The massage feature is a great concept, and worked fine, along with the lumbar adjustment, but on my seat, 4A, the massage function would turn itself on every fifteen minutes or so throughout the flight, which was annoying and kept me from sleep.

After takeoff from runway 4L, the crew came through the cabin and took meal orders. JetBlue partners with Saxon and Parole, a New York restaurant, and their menu offers an amouse bouche, five “small” plates to choose from, and dessert. The first two main dishes on the menu are served cold, and they ask you to choose three. The menu changes monthly, and on this flight, I had the green goddess salad with feta, avocado and green beans, as well as a Black Angus burger, and the chicken potpie. An amouse bouche was served, which was vegetable chips and a chilled herbed dip.


JetBlue Mint Menu

While I waited for my meal to be made, I chose to browse the entertainment selection, which was just absolute garbage. First of all, the movies are looping “movie channels” instead of on demand entertainment, which belongs with LOT on a 767 instead of on a newly delivered A321 in 2014. However, the DirecTV feature works well, and looks great on the large screen that JetBlue offers.


JetBlue IFE Screen

I decided to watch some entertainment that I had loaded onto my iPad.

The meal service felt slow and it took a while for the tray to be served. On top of that, JetBlue doesn’t use carts to bring the meals to passengers, but rather serves them individually, which takes much longer. Two out of three of the dishes were simple and tasteful, though unmemorable. I enjoyed the green goddess salad and chicken potpie, but the Black Angus burger was greasy and was overheated.


JetBlue Mint Dinner Service
(From left to right
Black Angus Burger, Chicken Pot Pie, and Green Goddess Salad


JetBlue Mint Dessert Service: Fresh fruit and ice cream

I finished the meal off with some fresh fruit, Bluemarble Peppermint Ice Cream and (another) Mint-infused Limeade.

The fruit was super ripe, sweet, and juicy. It paired well with the creamy, minty (no pun intended) ice cream and left me wanting both of more.

The meal was delicious and wasn’t overcomplicated. Meal service was done approximately 90 minutes after takeoff. One thing to keep in mind while selecting the suite seat: the tray table blocks the exit of the seat, so you either have to lift up the meal tray and tray table before leaving your seat.

I needed to use the restroom, so I left my seat and took a look around the cabin before waiting for the bathroom. The twosomes of seats have limited storage space, and from what I saw, the foot cubbies were the same size as the single seats, which cannot be said about other airlines’ staggered seats. The suite seats are simply the best in privacy and storage space, and I would do anything in my power to select another one again. The restrooms are “no frills”, but then again I wasn’t expecting much. Another thing to note about Mint: there is no (zero!) curtains between coach and Mint as well as Mint and the galley.

Afterward, I decided to watch MasterChef Junior live on DirecTV, and then decided to take a nap. I reclined into fully flat position and closed my suite door. When the door is closed and the seat is in the bed position, I could see no one pass by. A general note on the sight lines: JetBlue did a great job with the privacy on the individual seats. With the exception of boarding, when the seat’s felt like a stage, the side walls and plastic partitions come up high around the seat. However, the same cannot be said for the double seats. The door is super nifty and increases the privacy of the seat by a lot. The blanket was super comfy and warm, in fact so comfy, I asked the flight attendant if I could keep it, considering it was a new blanket, and she (quietly) said yes. The pillow wasn’t as magical, but was still super soft and made me feel like I was in my own bed. I slept for a solid three hours, which was very relaxing and probably the best rested I’ve felt on a transcon.


JetBlue Mint Seat in Bed Position

When I woke up from my nap, I had a pounding headache (go figure I drink no water and eat a ton of food the day I fly), and the crew was quick and gave me some aspirin. I punched the flight attendant call button to order a cappuccino, which was hyped a lot by JetBlue in their initial public release of Mint, but the flight attendant said that the cappuccino machine hadn’t yet been installed on this A321, which I found odd. Instead I had water and some more fruit, which was delicious as always. I kept my seat in fully flat position, and watched TV shows on my iPad. Due to headwinds, our flight was longer than expected, according to FlightAware, our flight clocked in at 7 hours 7 minutes; an hour longer than the flight was blocked at.

Before landing, small boxes from Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery are passed out, each containing a cookie and brownie. Although it would have been better heated up (like AA and UA do it), at this point in the evening, (I got back home at 12am, which was 3am NY time) it didn't matter much to me.


JetBlue Mint Mah Ze Dahr Bakery Cookie and Brownie

Overall, the service felt similar to the Cathay Pacific approach, where the flight attendant stay in the galley most all of the time between meal services, but when I did interact with them, the service was warm, kind, and accommodating. It felt very personalized, although at times the service felt “cold.”


Cathay Pacific 777-300ER at SFO

We touched down at SFO more than an hour late, and we had a turbulent descent, but a smooth landing. JetBlue flies out of SFO’s international terminal and so at around nine pm there were some plane spotter delights.


SFO International Terminal “G” Concourse

Overall, this flight was simply unbeatable for $599. The food was tasty, service was friendly, and the seat in unrivaled in privacy.

One thing worth noting: JetBlue has no elite status upgrades to Mint, and when I inquired the gate agents about upgrades, they said that in order to be upgraded, a passenger, no matter what status, would have to pay the difference on their ticket between the price they bought and the price of the Mint tickets being sold at the moment. Mint tickets sold close to departure run up to $1100 one way, so if someone bought a $250 coach ticket, an upgrade would be less economical close to departure than simply buying a discounted Mint ticket ahead of time for $599.

JetBlue’s concept of Mint has taken then from the “discount” airline status up to almost the quality that legacy airlines offer consistently. The price is unbeatable, and I can’t wait to fly Mint again.

offerendum

Thanks! Really an interesting option and the price is great

Carfield

Thank you for the trip report!

I agree with you regarding the mis-management of the TSA Pre-Check line at JFK T-5. However, when I brought it up at twitter, TSA Pre-Check people told me that that was the only way that they could maintain the program. They claim that giving freebies are not that bad and they still manage the goal of TSA pre passenger getting through security within 15 minutes. JetBlue just puts the blame on TSA for poor planning. I still believe that TSA Pre-Check should only be available for people, who paid for it.

Carfield

PV_Premier

Thanks for the report. We'll be giving this a go on an eastbound redeye at some point I'm sure. I agree at $599 for a flat seat, it's well worth it. 7:07 is a brutally long flight time for that route! wow!

lelokister

It's funny that the TSA say that that's the only way to maintain the program, because here at SFO (where I'm based) there are separate lines for premium passengers, TSA-pre, CLEAR, and they never merge.

Ber2dca

7 hours for a transcon, it's less than that for the average flight to the East Coast from Ireland. Yikes.

lesamuel

Black Friday combined with the plentiful cheap morning flight availability on the day after Thanksgiving is a trap.

So, after eating Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings, and downing an espresso (or two), I was feeling spectacular and ready for some Black Friday shopping. We left my hotel at 11:30 pm, ready to hit up Macy’s for a new suit. We drove down to Friendship Heights in Bethesda and walked into the three-floor clothing store/dungeon that is Macy’s. It was crawling with people, and much like the UAE, early morning is rush hour for these people.

After some successful shopping and a new suit later, we were back at my hotel at about 12:30 am. I decided to check into our flight tomorrow, thinking that we had the 9:00 am flight to BDL (Hartford), only to discover it was in fact at 7:00 am. We had no car to get to DCA, so that left the Metro, which takes about an hour from Bethesda, compounded with the fact of security and room for error, we were looking at getting up at 5:30 am. FML.

Five hours of (terrible) sleep later, we hit the road for DCA with three bags, two tickets, and no sleep. The car entrance to the Bethesda Metro station is confusing because the Bethesda metro station is also a station shared with bus services. For all those travelling through the Bethesda station, go down the (temporary) concourse until you reach the escalators, which from there it becomes a normal Metro station. The Metro is by far the cheapest method of transport to DCA, (as a car would have to go through the city or around, which both result in high cab fares), and the tickets are only $5.60 (including the farecard charge) at peak hours, which is from 6:30 am – 9:30 am, as well as later, after-work times. The ride took about 40 minutes, and the lack of people in the cars made it a relatively more enjoyable ride than otherwise, and we got to DCA around 7:20 am.

DCA is integrated with the Metro stop, and it is less than five minutes before you enter the terminal. Security at DCA is at each terminal, and at least at the JetBlue terminal, where we were flying out of, there is a terrible selection of food and drink. Not even a Starbucks. If you are flying out of the JetBlue terminal at DCA, I recommend getting food or supplies before entering the airside gate areas.


Washington DCA JetBlue Terminal Sunrise

A JetBlue E-190, which had seating in a 2-2 pattern, operated our flight and the seat width was surprisingly better than a plane of comparable size, like a 737. The seat was comfortable, and even though there was a small screen on the seatback, I kept my eyes glued to the window. Unlike other Embraer regional jets, this one had full size overhead bins and fit our standard-size carry ons. The flight was short and uneventful, and we landed at Hartford 40 minutes early. A funny thing to notice about this flight: JetBlue blocks it at 1 hour 32 minutes, but per FlightAware the all-time average time of the flight is around 50 minutes. Bradley International isn’t a great airport, but for this regional jump, it was just fine. Our friends picked us up, and the trip of a lifetime was about to begin.

HLT1904

That is definitely a good option for trans-con flight.

lesamuel

For my final lunch in New York City with a friend, we decided to go to Bouley. Bouley is one of the finest restaurants in New York City, and is in TriBeCa. It is a modern take of classic French cuisine, and David Bouley is the chef.

I was going to JFK after lunch, had checked out of our hotel, and the restaurant was accommodating of my luggage, which they checked in the coat check. We had the first lunch reservation of the day, at 11:30. When we arrived, the restaurant seemed mostly empty, but towards the end of the lunch service, it was packed. One note: jackets are required for men, which is something to consider when dressing for the restaurant.

Before entering the restaurant, there is a small anteroom filled with the potent smell of incense. The room was furnished with lush blue velvet chairs and couches. The actual dining room itself is warmly lit and is a small, intimate space. The seating in the restaurant is plush, from the benches, to the chairs. We were seated, and immediately offered a menu and wine list. We had agreed on ordering the five-course-tasting menu ahead of time, but even with that option, there are several options to choose for each course.

Before I delve into the food itself, I’ll talk about the service. Our table was served by at least three people, and the service was incredibly proactive and friendly. Our main waiter was at the table more than once per course, and not only explained the dishes, but also made small talk about food and dining. My water glass was never empty and I never ate a course not knowing what it was. (Although, embarrassingly, some of the dishes I will cover now, I mostly forgot the description of them.)

Before we were each served our tasting menu, two different amouse bouches were given to each of us.

The first of which was a type of chip with a truffle cream and black salt. It was crisp, but the truffle flavor lingered in my mouth a little too long.


Amouse Bouche

The second was a roasted tomato, eggplant, and goat cheese terrine. The creaminess from the cheese, meatiness of the eggplant, and acidity of the tomato all perfectly complemented each other.


Amouse Bouche

I ordered the Balik Salmon, Caviar, and Apple Foam appetizer. The saltiness from the caviar paired well with the acidity and sweetness of the foam.


Appetizer

My friend ordered the Salmon Roe, Salmon, and Apple Blinis.


Appetizer

At this point they brought the bread cart out, which was devastating, because I wanted to try all of them with my food! I had the brioche, which was airy and eggy, and the outside was pleasantly crisp.


Bread Cart

I then had the Rainbow Trout with Fava Bean-Seafood Broth. The fish was crisp, and the fresh broth made me feel like it was springtime.


2nd course

My friend ordered the Dungeness Crab Porcini Flan. It was aromatic and it wafted over to me and smelled tasty.


2nd course

I then had the Slow Braised Kobe Beef Cheeks with Blue Kale Gnocchi, which was fabulous. The meat could have been eaten with a spoon and was well seasoned.


Main course

My friend had the Foie Gras with Apples and Pears, which I got to try, which was simply spectacular. Only makes me wish foie was legal in CA.


Main course

Then we had the “pre-dessert”/palate cleanser. I had the passionfruit/coconut ice cream over pineapple granite and coconut foam, which was fresh and acidic.


Palate cleanser

My friend had the Santa Barbara strawberries and almond ice cream, which he said was light and aromatic.


Palate cleanser

For dessert, we both had the Valhrona Chocolate Souffle with Coffee Cloud and Chocolate Mousse Ice Cream.


Dessert

At this point, the waiter overhead I came to New York for my birthday, and brought even more food. It was a Meyer Lemon Tart with Lavender Ice Cream and Sesame Brittle. I only had a couple bites, because I was so full I could barely waddle to the door, but it was delicious and fresh.


Birthday tart

Then the waiter brought petit fours out, which both of us pecked at while we talked. The chocolates and candies were made in-house and showed a great attention to detail.


Petit fours

After the meal, I took an Uber to JFK, where I boarded my JetBlue flight (and ate more food… yay?).

Bottom line:

This meal was simply fantastic. The food showed attention to detail and could only have come from one of the best chefs in New York City. The lunch tasting menu (five courses) is currently only $55, which is a steal, especially for the quality of the food served. Disclaimer: the foie gras, as shown in this review, is a $30 supplement.

I can’t wait to eat here again when I return to New York!

aeroman380

Always been curious about MINT and great report! I am still curious for pictures of how the 1 and 2 seat are staggered. I have flown YYZ to AMS for 6.5 hours!!

lesamuel

While I don't have any pictures, the best way I can describe it is this: The foot compartment for the 1 seats is under the armrests for the 2 seats, and vice versa. Some people find the legroom in the single seats to be more constrained than the twosomes, although I did not.

kyee

"My friend had the Foie Gras with Apples and Pears, which I got to try, which was simply spectacular. Only makes me wish foie was legal in CA. "

That looked delicious. And foie gras is once again legal in my home state of California, as of a few months ago.

icycoldice

what a great trip report, makes me want to go and sample Mint's offerings.

BTW aren't you the MasterChef Junior Finalist?

pitz

Fabulous.

lucky9876coins

Awesome trip report, thanks for sharing! Will have to try Mint at some point!