diburning

The thing is... They put the slimline seats in the A321. They will be using these same seats in the A320s. People haven't really complained about the A321 seats much. ~33 inches of pitch with a slimline seat will feel like ~34 inches, which is the current standard on the A320s anyway. At least JetBlue is using slimlines with cushions that have actual padding, unlike United who opted for the nearly-cushionless plastic seats.

The Even More Space seats will retain their 36-38 inches of pitch, so it just helps to drive revenue by getting people to purchase them, just like how other airlines have Economy Plus/Comfort.

I DON'T think that it is a coincidence that this announcement came a week after Virgin America went public. If JetBlue isn't performing, then investors will dump their stock and invest in their competitor. In adding the bag fee and tightening the legroom, it puts them on a level to offer a similar product as their main competitor, Virgin America.

octr202

"Wall Street Above All."

I wish the corporate communications people had been as forward thinking as it seems like the front line employees have been this year. My travels this year have given me the feeling that many of them knew rough times were ahead. Not that the last several years haven't seen lots of friendly customer service, but it's felt like it's been ramped up several notches this year. Sad when you get the feeling like the folks in the trenches are trying so hard, and getting sold out from HQ.

BearX220

Investors can hold more than one airline at a time -- you don't have to pick one. And B6 was a better play than VX for investors -- more history, more consistent profitability, better outlook -- before this news.

What Virgin America has not done, though, is go out and whack its customer base across the nose to suck up to Wall Street.

sbm12

Correct. JetBlue actually says that customers like the A321 seats more than the A320 seats. My guess is that the preference is tied to the TV screen more than the seat. And there is going to be an inch less pitch on the A320 v the A321s.

I believe that the galley/lav adjustments are a bigger issue. It will also mean more crowded overhead bins which is rarely a good thing; 10% more people using the same space is usually a challenge which does not fare well for those people.

bmg42000

I wonder what would happen if you had free checked luggage and then charged for carryon's. It would make the boarding process a lot quicker I would think.

luxtrvlwrks

I have found that people are willing to pay more for a Jetblue flight versus an equivalent option on another carrier, because of the "free" inclusions. They can use the checked bag, extra legroom, snacks, and TV to justify the higher cost, because it is hard to give a specific value to the latter three items. Plus, I think many people also like the all-inclusive concept in general.

I just flew BOS-SJU-BOS and the return was my first experience on one of the new A320's. I found the seats to be incredibly uncomfortable. I was in an EMS row, but the extra legroom could not make up for the seat.

Erin

sbm12

The new A320 seats are not going in until 2016. Were you on the A321 (extra galley/exit doors towards the front, longer at the back) or just on an A320 which you didn't particularly enjoy??

bmg42000

Last year I flew on one of the A320's (it had power on the EMS seats) and the seats themselves seemed different but I liked them.

luxtrvlwrks

Not the new new seats. Just new(er). This is the description from Seat Guru:

"All of JetBlue's new A320 aircraft have a redesigned interior, including all-leather Recaro seats, 10 percent more overhead bin space and LED cabin lighting. The seats offer improved cushion comfort and knee space as a result of a thinner seat profile and thinner armrests. The new sidewall structure adds space to the cabin and increases shoulder space at the window seats. All middle seats now have an underseat entertainment equipment box, which limits foot and storage space."

I found the contour/shape of the seat to be odd, especially the headrest, and the "thinner seat profile" did not provide "improved cushion comfort".

Not the end of the world, but I did notice it on a four hour flight. Service was excellent though.

Erin

alphaod

I'm disappointed.

Looks like I won't be liking B6 as much as I always did with all these devaluations.

I would always tell people how good B6 is, but I guess that's changing.

The main reason I flew them was the good seats. If that's changing there is no reason to stay.

I have *A and OW status, so I can get checked bags on other airlines if needed.

This is very disappointing.

FLIHGH

Me too. I didn't know if they were new seats or if it was just the fact that it was a brand new 320 but they were comfortable. The outlets were definitely a plus, too.

diburning

I like the new TV screens on the newer A320s. Larger, the colors are more crisp, and the clarity is better.