Delta vs. JetBlue from JFK to LAX (Economy)
 

Was looking to fly to LA in the winter for a few days. Delta and JetBlue cost pretty much the same for the Economy seats for my dates.
- The differences are aircraft (767 JFK->LAX and a330-300 LAX->JFK on Delta, a321 on Jetblue)
- Free meal (Delta)
- Free WiFi (JetBlue)
- A bit more leg room in JetBlue
- Wide-body aircraft (Delta)
- Both have pretty nice seat-back entertainment

Which one would you choose and why?

well, you are asking this question in Jetblue forum, so most would probably say JetBlue here.

For me, the free meal is not a big deal since airplane food for economy class i generally pretty low quality. I'm okay with the snack box and then having a real meal when I'm on the ground. The free and consistenly high speed wifi is pretty important to me and so is the satellite TV, so JetBlue wins hands down in there. And the seat on A321 is a lot roomier and wider than the seat on B767. Being a widebody is not a plus to me when the seat is not wide.

High-speed wifi makes B6 the winner for me, otherwise they are about the same product-wise for me. Delta also usually wins with IRROPs in most situations but B6 flies JFK->LAX more than almost anyone else so there's always another TCON to hop on in my experience.

If the price is the same, I choose B6. In the past I'd have been loyal up to about 30-40 bucks in fare difference but these days I'd jump to DL. I would avoid everyone else though. UA is awful, AA is worse unless you're in the front of the plane.

JetBlue. Free good WiFi, better seats with better storage, onboard snack bar, and better terminals on both ends in JFK and LAX. Small bonus points for JetBlue giving out eye masks and ear plugs on a red-eyes, having drinkable coffee, and refreshing towels on landing.

If you plan on buying meals on board, considering having the JetBlue card as the 50% in-flight discount is a nice perk.

No, it isn't. Seat width dimensions are available to comply with the Federal Customer Commitment obligations established in the early 00s.

Delta coach seat width, international config 767-300ERs (That's the config for JFK-LAX): 18.1 inches

JetBlue A321, Mint config: 18 inches

Personally I don't care about the free wifi when flying in Y (bigger deal when in Mint, which is leagues ahead of the competition).

In economy, Delta is a cut above IMO. I like the 2-3/4-2 seating in Y on the A330 and 767. Perfect when flying with a companion. Delta also has a better lounge situation at LAX. If you have priority pass you can use the Virgin lounge in the morning (located in the delta terminal). If you're gunning for status then all the better.

That's interesting. I generally find Airbus seats to be more roomier. But that's just me. Even if they are the same width, mint seats still have more pitch in both Y and Y+.

In general, I don't understand what is the big deal with widebody when comfort is based on the amount of space per seat. I can't imagine 6 a row A320 be less comfortable than 10 a row 777.

Another vote for Delta here. The entertainment system is miles ahead from Jetblue's and although high-speed wifi is not free, you do get free messaging. In terms of operations, while the transcon B6 operations are decent, DL has dramatically decreased IRROPS in the last years and and the service recovery from DL great.

Have you flown the new system on the A321 or just the old one?

Yes, I have, and based on my experience I made the comment.

Oh, I found the updated B6 system to match the DL system I flew with recently. No better but definitely at the same level.

why would you still need entertainment system when you can watch any movie you want with the high speed wifi on B6 flight? One you are locked in to just the tv shows and movies they have in their system and the other one you can watch anything in your Netflix, prime or hulu account or youtube.

EK has probably the greatest collection of TV and movie shows on their IFE and I run out of things to watch after a R/T trip from JFK->DXB->SIN. There is unlimited content on satellite TV and free high speed wifi.

Flown both, so here's my take:

1. Check-in and boarding: Some may not care, but DL boarding is a mess. I know B76 boarding is not perfect, but it seems a lot more organized.
2. Seats: B6, as they have at least 32" of legroom, whereas DL is 30-31". The little bit makes a difference.
3. Entertainment: DL seems to have better entertainment options than B6.
4. Wi-Fi: B6 because it's free.
5. Food: Eh, it's a toss up. The "free" meal on DL is nothing to write home about. I bring food. However, I will say B6 is more free-flowing with the drinks and snacks. DL seems more like "once we come around, that's it".