In the quarterly conf. call, David gave an update on the new 150-seat config:
-JetBlue did an indepth analysis and found this was the right thing to do. Even on a flight that would have sold 156 seats out of 156 seats (100% LF), it came down to them not being able to reach a figure attractive enough to actually keep those 6 seats on. As discussed, the reduction in overall weight, fuel savings, one less crewmember, etc. on the cost side all add up to nice savings over time...on the revenue side, the worst case is a break-even scenario.
-He stressed that new programs will be rolled out in the near future for higher paying customers. I'm thinking that most of these seats will be held for higher-paying customers and TrueBlue members/AMEX card holders. I don't see jetBlue charging more for these seats as an option in general...that would go against jetBlue's current and past philosophy. However, even if you're sitting in the back...34" is industry leading and nothing to complain about...heck, it's equal to some first class cabins!
-To date, 75 of the 95 A320 aircraft in the fleet have been retrofitted. The entire project is expected to be finished by mid-February, AHEAD OF SCHEDULE! I must say I was surprised to hear the quick progress...but it's great news!
-44% of jetBlue's seats will have the new 36" seat pitch. I'm not sure if this figure includes the E190...either way, the E190 is comfortable and has its 2x2 seating benefit with plenty of comfortable pitch. Also, keep in mind it is used mostly on shorter routes.
Originally Posted by
precision80
my seatmap just changed to the new config. currently im in 9. is that good or bad? Its right in front of the exit row and im curious to know if they recline as normal seats do.
dinosims, thanks for the link, i still dont see where it is on the site though, i must be blind!!
You're in a great seat...ALL seats on jetBlue reclined. I heard something a few months ago that the FAA implemented new exit row requirements, saying that the WINDOW SEAT ONLY will NOT recline at all. The middle and aisle will recline once over 10,000 ft. and the FA releases the lock. I'm not sure how true this is, maybe jetBlueFA can confirm.
I noticed a few things about the seat maps...
-my flights on 2/16 and 2/19 have 26 rows (old config)
-my flights on 3/2, 3/3, 3/9, 3/11 and April have 25 rows (new config)
-the numbers on the left of the maps are off by a row or 2...just a glitch, I'll write in to jetBlue's Speak Up section to let web people know to fix the issue
-not sure if it's a glitch or not, but rows 1-3 are no longer blocked for airport-only assignment and CAN BE pre-assigned