JFK-LAX
jetBlue 1123
A321
7:30p-10:47p (sked)
11:15p-1:50a +1 (actual)
August 10, 2016
Mint Suite 4A
Dinner
Well, it's not as bad as United's every-but-the-kitchen-sink pre-boarding... but after handicapped and those with children under 2, Mint was invited to board. Of course, getting to the door thru all the gate lice was another story. Gate lice, B6 style.
More emotional support animals. Uh-huh.
A nice looking cabin and especially the 4 suites, 2A, 2F, 4A and 4F.
OK IFE with lots of DirecTV channels but a limited selection of movies that are not on demand but simply cycle in a loop.
Open bar PDB but I went with the mojito-like honey infused limeade with Grey Goose vodka and mint.
Delicious.
This month's menu. Yo, Air Canada. Some airlines change menu every month, not every decade.
Nice wine list, with two really good reds. $25 to $30 a bottle, about three times the price of AA First rot gut. And 90-92 ratings. ^
We pushed at a little after 10p and then suffered through the hour plus JFK taxi conga line.
Finally, around 11:15p we were wheels up and on our way to LAX.
As like most, a pretty dopey amenity kit.
Shortly after take-off, Kimberly stopped by to take our orders. Yes, I would like my G&T before dinner.
Showtime! But a dopey paper placemat?? What's the point?
Interesting presentation with my three choices side-by-side.
A paper napkin? Seriously?
Bread was stone cold with the tilted table tray letting my olive oil run all over the plate.
OK, all in all, a little cheap. But, the wonderful Saxon+Parole food made up for all of other quirks and deficiencies.
The Asian pear salad was excellent, with baby mustard greens, blue cheese, candied hazelnuts and grape vinaigrette.
The Chicken & dumplings was sensational, with herb velouté, asparagus, sugar snap peas, carrots and turnips. Wow.
But the sleeper was the Bison Meal Loaf. What a great flavor combination with blueberry quinoa, roasted beets and zinfandel BBQ sauce.
The Turley Zin was excellent, but the Wind Gap Soif was a real wow. What a concept, drinkable wines on a domestic flight.
While the fruit and artisan ice cream was not decadent, it was refreshing.
After dinner, I reclined my seat to full flat and slept like a baby for more than 3 hours only to awake on descent. LA on a partly cloudy night. Since it was nearly 2am and well after the west bound landing curfew, we headed over the Pacific and turned back to land on runway 12L.
A final parting gift, cookies and cake from Brooklyn's Mah Zeh Dahr Bakery. Mrs. SFO777 enjoyed the cake the next morning.
We arrived at 1:50am, some three hours late, at the third world like Terminal 3. Wow, except for the new TBIT, LAX is a bad airport at best... but T3 is the absolute dregs of LAX.
I really enjoyed the jetBlue experience, but only once I boarded the flight. If I could time my arrival at JFK to T-30, breeze thru PreCheck and go right to the gate and board, it would be a perfect travel experience. But, B6s complete lack of and ignorance of premium ground services is a big negative. Nevertheless, I'd likely ignore the deficiencies, suck it up and fly jetBlue Mint again, as the inflight product is superior to the competition including AA's three class First.