As the world rebounds from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, Cayman Islands-based Cayman Airways has announced the intentions to fly nonstop from the Cayman capital of Grand Cayman to LAX located on the west coast of the United States. This is a notable accomplishment as the route will be the only nonstop flight from the U.S. West Coast to the Cayman Islands.
The furthest flights west in the United States from the Caribbean currently are Nassau in the Bahamas to Denver, which is served by United seasonally, and Denver to Grand Cayman which is flown by Cayman Airways.
Many airlines have tried service from the Caribbean to the West Coast but none lasted, the most recent attempt was Alaska Airlines and their short-lived LAX-Havana, Cuba flight which ended in January of 2018 after less than a year of service.
The 737 MAX has been a benefit to the Cayman fleet and it helped the carrier launch their two longest routes from the carrier’s island home to Denver and now Los Angeles.
A Cayman Airways 737-300 in Grand Cayman (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Justin Sinanan)
The start date for the new service to LAX will be Nov. 5, 2022, but it is still unknown what the frequency of the route will be. Denver is served once per week by the carrier.
Cayman Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan did have something to say about the new route in a press briefing that was posted on Cayman news website Cayman Compass; “While the flight itself might not bring much profitability for the national flag carrier, the knock-on financial implications on the stayover tourism industry made it extremely worthwhile.” This will be the carrier’s big feather in its cap as the only airline operating regular West Coast to Caribbean service.
Editor’s Note: This article will be updated as more information becomes available on the new route.
Joey has always been interested in planes for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Central New York during the early 2000s when US Airways Express turboprops ruled the skies. Being from a non-aviation family made it harder for him to be around planes and would only spend about three hours a month at the airport. He was so excited when he could drive by himself, the first thing he did with his driver's license was get ice cream and go plane spotting for the entire day. He graduated from Western Michigan University in 2022 with a B.S. in Aviation Management & Operations and a Minor in Business, and currently works for a major airline in his hometown.
Emirates Provides Certainty to European Passengers in Uncertain Times
An Emirates A380 at LAX (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Emirates Airlines has provided certainty to its customers ahead of the European summer holidays. The Dubai-based carrier issued a statement on Thursday advising that the airline “has been co-ordinating with its ground handling partners at airports around the world, ensuring they are up-to-date with operational requirements and are prepared to support smooth passenger movement.”
The airline announced that it is scheduled to operate 24,000 passenger flights to and from 129 airports in July and August. Confidence to key European markets was given in the release given the chaotic scenes witnessed in recent weeks at a number of airports impacted by last-minute and strategic cancellations by both airlines and airport authorities.
Emirates advised that the Airbus A380 would be deployed to over 30 cities in its network including Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Rome, Paris, Madrid, Manchester, Milan, Vienna, and Zurich. The airline’s service to London Stansted would also be reinstated at the beginning of next month.
With airlines around the world struggling to match operational integrity with the capacity offered to the market, Emirates’ decision to provide reassurance to travelers is to be welcomed. This extends to their hub airport in Dubai with the airline confirming they have ‘worked closely with other stakeholders at Dubai Airport to support its flight schedule and services, provisioning additional resources to ensure efficient operations at the hub, including for transiting passengers.’
Emirates’ announcement comes ahead of a U.K. government deadline to airlines on Friday to confirm schedules ahead of the U.K. school holidays. The government issued an airport slot amnesty and a 22-point plan to address the continuing challenges faced by the aviation industry. The amnesty would allow airlines to not operate flights into constrained airports without fear of losing the slots at the next scheduled period.
Part of the U.K. government’s plans is to support the aviation industry to recruit, retain and train staff through a project called ‘Generation Aviation.’Along with a number of industry and third-party collaborations the government has also ‘changed the law so the industry has more flexibility to train staff and allow them to deploy staff quickly and flexibly while maintaining security standards.’ Funding has also been made available to support the initiatives and to assist commercial airports and ground operators with fixed costs.
As a result of the government ultimatum, British Airways confirmed the cancellation of 10,300 flights until October. The airline stated: “The whole aviation industry continues to face significant challenges and we’re completely focused on building resilience into our operation to give customers the certainty they deserve.” BBC News reported that this brings to 30,000 the number of BA-cancelled flights since April.
John has always had a passion for aviation and through a career with Air New Zealand has gained a strong understanding of aviation operations and the strategic nature of the industry. During his career with the airline, John held multiple leadership roles and was involved in projects such as the introduction of both the 777-200 and -300 type aircraft and the development of the IFE for the 777-300. He was also part of a small team who created and published the internal communications magazines for Air New Zealand’s pilots, cabin crew and ground staff balancing a mix of corporate and social content.
John is educated to postgraduate level achieving a masters degree with Distinction in Airline and Airport Management. John has held the positions of course director of an undergraduate commercial pilot training programme at a leading London university. In addition he is contracted as an external instructor for IATA (International Air Transport Association) and has been a member of the Heathrow Community Fund’s ‘Communities for Tomorrow’ panel.
Demo Flight Gone Horribly Wrong: The 2012 Mount Salak Sukhoi Superjet Crash
An SSJ-100 in a flight test facility (Photo: A.Katranzhi, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)
In Indonesia, a Sukhoi SSJ100 crashed after disobeying an instrument warning.
All 37 occupants and eight crew members were killed when a Russian-built Sukhoi Superjet 100 crashed into Mount Salak in Indonesia on May 9, 2012, when it was conducting a demonstration tour of Asia.
In 2001, Sukhoi determined the demand for a regional airliner with a range of between 3,000 and 4,500 kilometers by studying the Russian aviation market. Sukhoi predicted that 800 of the aircraft may be sold. 200 to 300 would be sent to airlines from Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Tour in Asia
In 2012, Sukhoi already had orders for the SSJ100 from Aeroflot, Malév, and Armavia, but it wanted to know whether airlines in Asia would be interested in the aircraft. As is customary for aircraft manufacturers seeking overseas consumers, the company chose to travel Asia with the aircraft.
The aircraft made a good demonstration in Kazakhstan before heading to Pakistan, but a leak in one of its engines prevented it from taking prospective customers on a test flight. Another SSJ100 was sent to Indonesia to continue the tour while the plane was flown back to Moscow.
Several representatives of Indonesian airlines boarded the aircraft, which departed from Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport (HLP) at about 14:00 local time. The pilots asked for permission to descend from 3,000m to 1,800m at 14:26. (10,000 ft to 6,000 ft). After receiving clearance to lower its height, the aircraft requested permission to orbit to the right two minutes later. This was the final time the plane and air traffic control spoke, and it was also approved.
The Pilots Disregarded EGPWS Alerts
The andesitic stratovolcano Mount Salak, which is 2,100 meters (7,524 feet) tall and last erupted in 1938, was located close to the aircraft. The crew was informed by the aircraft’s Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) shortly after the aircraft made a right turn with the warning “Terrain Ahead, Pull Up.” The pilots were alerted of the necessity to maneuver the aircraft in order to avoid crashing a moment later by the sound of a second warning, “Avoid Terrain.”
The pilots disabled the EGPWS because they thought it was broken rather than paying attention to the alert. The aircraft’s warning system sounded a few seconds later with the message “Gear Not Down” to indicate that the aircraft was approaching the ground but had not yet lowered its landing gear. The captain disengaged the autopilot and slightly raised the nose, but it was too little too late as the plane slammed into the mountain.
Its investigation
On Dec. 18, 2012, the final crash investigation report was made public. It found that the aircraft’s terrain warning system had been operational and had alerted the pilots to the hazard. However, the pilots disabled the system because they mistakenly thought it was broken, despite the fact that the surrounding area was obscured by a heavy cloud cover.
A conversation that was going on in the flight deck contributed to the accident. The investigators also learned that the pilots of the plane were unfamiliar with the region’s rough terrain and were operating without the necessary charts.
Putu Deny Wijaya was always an aviation enthusiast by heart, growing up in Indonesia where air transport is very vital. His first love is The Queen of The Skies, serving the trunk routes between Jakarta and Denpasar. He brought along this passion with him throughout college by conducting his bachelor study abroad in the Netherlands for the purpose of experiencing a nonstop 14-hour long-haul flight. For Putu the sky's the limit when talking about aviation. He hopes that he would be able to combine his passion for aviation and knowledge of finance at the same time.
A Ryanair 737 taxiing in London. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Ryanair, Europe’s largest low-cost airline, announced this week that it will return to Belfast International Airport (BFS), Northern Ireland. According to the company, it will offer twelve routes from the airport from March 2023. In total, it plans to operate around 115 flights a week to and from the airport.
The Belfast-based company’s fleet will consist of two aircraft. The establishment of the new hub will require an investment of 200 million and will create “over 60 highly paid aviation jobs” directly, according to Ryanair. In addition, the opening would contribute to the creation of more than 650 indirect jobs.
“We are delighted to have reached a long-term agreement with Belfast International’s management, which will underpin future Ryanair growth at the Airport over the coming years,” said Jason McGuinness, the company’s Director of Commercial.
In addition, the company said that in order to consolidate the recovery of aviation in the United Kingdom, “the government needs to immediately support airlines» by «scrapping the aviation tax (APD) entirely for all flights.”
This U.K. tax applies to commercial passenger air transport operations departing from the United Kingdom or the Isle of Man using aircraft with an authorized take-off weight of more than 5.7 tonnes or aircraft with more than twenty passenger seats.
In October 2021, the British administration introduced a 50% reduction in the tax for flights between U.K. airports. The new amount will apply from April 2023, in a bid to boost regional connectivity. However, Ryanair says it is “simply insufficient.”
This story was originally published by Agustin Miguens on Aviacionline in syndication with AirlineGeeks.
AirlineGeeks.com was founded in February 2013 as a one-person blog in Washington D.C. Since then, we’ve grown to have 25+ active team members scattered across the globe. We are all here for the same reason: we love deep-diving into the fascinating realm of the airline industry.
A Virgin Atlantic 787-9 departing London Heathrow. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
On Wednesday Virgin Atlantic announced that it will continue its transatlantic expansion with a new nonstop service from its London Heathrow (LHR) hub to Tampa, Florida (TPA). Service to The Sunshine State will begin on November 3, 2022, just in time to capture the winter demand.
The carrier will initially operate the city pair four times weekly, quickly increasing frequency to daily service three and a half weeks later on November 28.
Virgin Atlantic Flight 129 will take off from Heathrow at 1:25 P.M. and arrive in Tampa at 6:35 P.M. the same day for a total 10-hour and 10-minute block time.
The return flight, VS130 will depart Tampa at 8:50 P.M. and arrive in London at 10:15 A.M. the following day for a total block of 8 hours and 25 minutes.
VS129 LHR-TPA 1:25 P.M. – 6:35 P.M.
VS130 TPA-LHR 8:50 P.M. – 10:15 A.M.+1
Tickets go on sale later this month on July 13 with Return Economy fares starting at £436 per person or $520, Premium from £937 per person or $1,117 and Upper Class from £2,256 per person or $2,690.
The announcement makes the London-based carrier the only airline directly connecting the Tampa Bay region with London’s hub airport, London Heathrow. The route’s closest competitor is British Airways, offering nonstop service between London Gatwick and Tampa four times weekly. In 2019, before the impact of Covid-19 on the travel industry, Department of Transportation data shows British Airways served 165,224 travelers between the two cities.
Why Tampa?
Tampa continues to see unprecedented growth within the Tampa Bay Region. Over three years, between 2018 and 2021. Tampa has seen a 4.2 percent growth in population and draws in five million people within the Tampa Bay, St Pete and Clearwater areas. The region is also the third fastest-growing US metro area for entrepreneurs in 2021, making the area a prime candidate to capture those business travelers.
“Florida is very much a firm favorite for our customers ever since our first flight to Miami back in 1986. With the popular theme parks and the stunning beaches of St Pete and Clearwater within easy reach, we know it’s an area our customers will love to explore” stated Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic. “The region has a booming economy with high profile businesses moving to the area and many budding entrepreneurs registering start-ups in the city. We look forward to forging new relationships within the Tampa Bay community and cannot wait to welcome existing and new customers, flying them safely to explore this exciting region.”
The carrier will offer more than 190,000 seats each year to and from the city of Tampa, Florida’s third-largest city.
Tampa will complement Virgin Atlantic’s already served Florida routes of Miami and Orlando, which offer daily service to and from Heathrow. The carrier will operate its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on the new route. Configured with a 258-seat layout, the aircraft includes 192 Economy seats, 35 Premium and 31 Upper-Class seats
Chase Hagl grew up in Twin Falls, Idaho. His love and passion for Aviation landed him in Orem, Utah where he obtained a B.S. in Aviation Management with a minor in Business Management from Utah Valley University. Chase currently works as a flight attendant in Charleston, SC and is also the primary Inflight ASAP ERC representative for startup airline, Breeze Airways. His experience in the aviation industry spans back four years, working in areas including agriculture application, customer service, maintenance, and flight ops. In his free time, Chase enjoys road biking, astronomy, and flying.
A Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Turkish national flag carrier Turkish Airlines announced that it will be reinstating regularly scheduled passenger flights to several destinations in Saudi Arabia following the country’s decision to lift strict COVID-19 travel restrictions.
According to a statement issued by the airline on July 4, 2022, Turkish Airlines will resume flights from Turkey to four major cities in Saudi Arabia including Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Medina. The flight resumption follows the government of Saudia Arabia’s decision to remove Turkey from its ‘red’ list of countries.
“The flights to Saudi Arabia have resumed to pre-pandemic conditions and Saudi citizens can travel to or transit through Turkey again,” the statement said.
“With the resumption of Tourist, Turkish Airlines passengers with connecting flights in Istanbul Airport with 6-24 hours between their flights will have the option to discover İstanbul and its cultural and historical wonders,” Turkey’s largest airline noted.
The airline also announced that passengers would be able to fly to Turkey “without a PCR test or vaccination card and masks are not mandatory in the aircraft.”
Saudia Already Flies to Istanbul
Saudi Arabia lifted all COVID-19 air travel restrictions on June 4, 2022, a decision that allowed its citizens and travelers to fly to Turkey, India Ethiopia, and Vietnam, countries banned from the air travel network due to high COVID-19 infection rates, without further restriction.
Saudia, formerly known as Saudi Arabian Airlines, launched flights from Madinah to Istanbul Airport and Jeddah to Istanbul following a two-year pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Flight SV257 from Jeddah to Istanbul resumed service on May 7, 2022, with the first flight operated by A330-300 Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.
The route was suspended in March 2020 when the pandemic spread around the world. It was reactivated in October 2020 as a cargo-only service but then suspended again at the end of August 2021.
Saudia said it would also fly to Istanbul from Madinah and Riyadh.
Flights from Jeddah and Medina are now scheduled to operate every day, while trips from Riyadh are to be held on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, according to Turkish media Hürriyet Daily News.
The carrier’s resumption of passenger flights to Turkey comes in the wake of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Saudi Arabia in late April 2022 in which he pledged then to “reactivate a great economic potential” of cooperation between the two countries, which have had a sour relationship since the Arab Spring in 2011 due to their conflicting political interests in the region.
LCC rival Flynas continues to serve Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen from Jeddah and Riyadh while Pegasus Airlines also operates from Sabiha Gökcen to Jeddah and Riyadh.
Victor Shalton's love for aviation can be traced to when he was 11-years-old. As a seasoned aviation writer, he takes pride in providing the best aviation coverage around the globe and is passionate about advancing his skills in the aviation space. In addition, he loves travelling, writing, arts and while his speaking engagements have taken him around the world, he is proud to call Nairobi home.
A Japan Airlines 787-9 departing. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Japan Airlines is looking to modernize its fleet and subscribe to more fuel-efficient aircraft, according to Bloomberg.
The airline owns 45 Boeing 737 aircraft with a median age of 12.5 years old and looks to replace them with Boeing 737 MAXs or Airbus A320Neos. It is expected to be a contract of 30 to 50 narrow-body aircraft. Boeing and Airbus have declined to comment on the potential order.
“Upgrade to fuel-efficient aircraft and for short-haul fleet replacement we are considering the early introduction of new small and medium-sized aircraft,” the airline said in a statement and didn’t provide further information.
It comes after the airline has revealed the intention of replacing its aging Boeing 767 and Embraer SA regional aircraft. Earlier, Japan Airlines announced its plan of subscribing to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner or Airbus A321 to replace its fleet of Boeing 767, Airbus A220 and Embraer E2 models for regional aircraft. However, the airline hasn’t made the decision at the moment.
“We have got a fairly large 787 fleet, so whether it is an A321 that could then be used quite well within Asia as well, we really haven’t looked at the full decision,” Ross Leggett, Deputy Senior Vice President route marketing, international relations and alliances of the airline, said.
The airline currently owns a fleet of 31 Boeing 767s, 18 Embraer E170s, 14 Embraer E190s and 49 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
After being hit hard by the Covid-19, Japan Airlines is seeing a silver lining. According to Leggett, the domestic capacity had reached 100 percent of pre-pandemic levels in May, and the travel demand was about 85 to 95 percent of 2019.
Borders Reopen
Japan has gradually reopened its border, paving the way for the recovery of international travel. After two years of suspension, flight operations between Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and Seoul, South Korea’s Gimpo International Airport have resumed. The route was suspended since the pandemic began. Japan Airlines will join All Nippon Airways, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines to operate a total of 16 flights a week.
“The Gimpo-Haneda route bears a significant symbol of bilateral exchanges. The flight resumption is expected to serve as a chance to revitalize exchanges.” Korea’s Land Minister Hee-Ryong Won said. Compared to Tokyo’s Narita Airport and Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea, Haneda and Gimpo are closer to downtown.
Japan Airlines will also enhance its route from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport to Singapore to a daily operation next month. In the meantime, the airline strengthens its codeshare joint business partnership with Malaysia Airlines. In August, Malaysia Airlines will operate a twice-weekly service from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. Malaysia Airlines will operate its Airbus A330-300 on this new route. Travelers are expected to benefit from a seamless connection between Japan and Malaysia.
An SAS A320 in Oslo.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
SAS — Scandinavia’s largest airline — now stares directly in the face of collapse, following disputes over wages with its pilot union on Monday. Talks came to a halt, initiating a strike that is likely to cause havoc in the European skies for the coming months. According to the airline, roughly 50 percent of its scheduled flights will need to be canceled, as around 1,000 of the airline’s pilots in Sweden, Norway and Denmark will go on strike.
“We deeply regret that our customers are affected by this strike, leading to delays and canceled flights. We know all our passengers have been longing for this summer holiday and have booked travels for themselves and their loved ones. SAS employees are working hard to help our customers that have been affected by this unfortunate situation,” Anko van der Werff, President & CEO of SAS, said in a press release. “A strike at this point is devastating for SAS and puts the company’s future together with the jobs of thousands of colleagues at stake. The decision to go on strike now demonstrates reckless behavior from the pilots’ unions and a shockingly low understanding of the critical situation that SAS is in.”
Financial Woes Continue
Anko van der Werff is certainly right when it comes to SAS’s financial situation. The carrier is in deep trouble and needs large amounts of cash that it says are necessary to improve its outlook. The airline is partly owned by the government of Sweden and Denmark. The Norwegian government sold its stake in SAS in 2018 though they are still creditors and said they are open to converting the debt to equity.
SAS’s struggles have prompted it to search for opportunities to convert debt to equity. SAS said in February that it would need to raise 9.5 billion Swedish Kronas ($946 million) in order to stay afloat and convert at least 20 billion Swedish Kronas of debt into equity.
The SAS pilot union was reportedly upset over SAS’s plans to hire pilots from its Connect and Link subsidiaries, instead of hiring back pilots who were furloughed when the pandemic sent the industry to a standstill. SAS says flights from SAS Link and SAS Connect will not be impacted by the strike though this represents a small portion of the carrier’s operations.
The effects of SAS canceling around 50 percent of its flights are sure to be felt throughout Europe — particularly with the busy summer season ahead. Airlines within the Star Alliance network will also feel the impact when it comes to connection options for passengers and codeshares.
It remains unclear as to when the SAS and the pilots union will re-engage in talks.
Ezra Gollan is a student, photographer and aviation enthusiast based in New York, New York. He has spent over half a decade around New York City’s airports as a photographer.
China’s Big Three Airlines Place $37 Billion Order for 300 Airbus Jets
On Friday, Air China, China Southern, and China Eastern, placed a massive order for Airbus A320neo series jets. Total order mounted to 292 confirmed orders worth $37 billion, including 96 orders from Air China, 96 orders from China Southern, and 100 orders from China Eastern. The ordered jets will deliver from 2023 to 2027. The massive order is a significant sign of the market recovery of the Chinese aviation market. Boeing expressed its disappointment amid the announced orders.
After the market closed on July 1, China Southern released the statement first to announce its 96 orders of the Airbus A320neo. The jet will be used for China Southern and its subsidiaries. The order will add 13% more capacity to the current China Southern fleet.
Air China released its statement shortly after China Southern’s release. Air China Group will order 96 of the same type of aircraft from Airbus, among which, 64 will be assigned to Air China, and 32 will be assigned to Shenzhen Airlines and its subsidiaries. Shenzhen Airlines is a subsidiary of Air China based in the southern tech hub of China.
Lastly, China Eastern announced its order of 100 Airbus A320neo jets. The statement mentioned that the 100 Airbus A320s will enable the carrier to continue expanding its network during the recovery from the pandemic, and will also upgrade the carrier’s fleet with newer, more efficient aircrafs.
In the statements released by those carriers, the detailed mixes of Airbus A319/A320/A321 are not confirmed. Local aviation communities are looking forward to having the latest Airbus A321XLR joining the Chinese fleet.
As of the moment this article is published, the orders are yet to be approved by the boards of the three carriers and authorities. However, carriers releasing the statements at the same time sends a signal of high confidence to obtain the necessary approvals in time.
“These new orders demonstrate the strong confidence in Airbus from our customers. It is also a solid endorsement from our airline customers in China of the performance, quality, fuel efficiency, and sustainability of the world’s leading family of single-aisle aircraft,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International in the statement released by Airbus.
Boeing, on the other hand, expressed its disappointment in this announcement, and attribute its failure to compete with Airbus to geopolitical differences. The long-term opponent of Airbus said it’s going to “continue urging a productive dialogue between the U.S. and China governments.” Boeing’s 737MAX series jet, the competitor of Airbus A320neo, is still grounded in China, and Boeing has invested major efforts to have the jets fly again in China.
The Airbus A320neo is acclaimed by passengers and carriers around the globe. The successful jet has earned more than 8.000 orders so far, and its latest A321XLR recently made its first flight.
Recently, as the Covid-19 pandemic is phasing out, Chinese authorities have significantly loosened the restrictions on domestic travel. Restrictions for international travel are also reduced, and new flights are introduced between China and Europe, and the Middle East. The government has signaled that more international flights will resume in the coming months.
Only a short moments after the announcement of reducing pandemic control restrictions, the search for flights and trains increased by over 200%, according to a popular travel booking site. Traveling demand for the public is still high, and further reducing the restriction is expected to further release additional demands from travelers and tourists. The massive demands represent a positive outlook of the future of the Chinese aviation market by the capital.
Lei is from Inner Mongolia, China, and now lives in Guangzhou. He grew up in an aviation family, where his passion began. During his time at Penn State University, he studied Industrial Engineering specializing in operations research, and he graduated with an honor’s thesis on airport gate assignment optimization. Now, he is a Purchasing Manager with Procter & Gamble. In his free time, he enjoys flying, reading, and wandering around the city.
Trip Report: JetBlue Raises the Bar for Transcontinental Flying
Onboard JetBlue's A321LR featuring the new Mint suite. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
Since its commercial debut in 2014 between New York City and Los Angeles, JetBlue Mint has set the bar high for the domestic premium flying experience. The airline’s unique business class service proved to be a big success and was quickly expanded past the flagship transcontinental route, with cities across the country and in the Caribbean receiving the business class product as well.
As JetBlue set its sights on expanding across the Atlantic, the airline introduced an all-new Mint seat in February 2021 ahead of its first London flight. Development of the new seat took over five years of internal research and development. The final result was a unique seat that you can’t find onboard any other airline.
Following the delivery of the airline’s first Airbus A321LR, N4048J, the new seat began flying on the same route the original Mint debuted on seven years earlier. Today, the new Mint product can regularly be found on domestic flights between New York and Los Angeles and onboard all flights from New York and Boston to London.
I experienced the new Mint Suite during a recent transcontinental trip from New York to Los Angeles to understand how the seat is changing the competitive landscape of one of America’s most lucrative domestic routes.
Departing From JetBlue’s Home at T5
My travels began at JetBlue’s home in JFK’s Terminal five. The 26-gate terminal also conveniently houses several JetBlue partner airlines including Aer Lingus, Hawaiian Airlines, and Cape Air. The check-in area features many self-service kiosks which allow passengers to perform various steps of the check-in process on their own including bag tagging, ultimately simplifying the bag drop process. There is also a dedicated check-in area for Mint passengers flying from T5.
Arriving at T5, JetBlue’s home at JFK. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
Overview of the JetBlue check-in area at JFK’s T5. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
I didn’t have any bags to check and went straight to the security checkpoint. While T5 doesn’t have a Clear lane, there was a TSA PreCheck lane. Clearing security was a breeze and I was soon on my way to gate 27 for the departure.
Inside JetBlue’s T5 which features 30 gates. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
A Juice Bar with power outlets next to gate 27. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
Unlike other airlines flying transcontinental flights, JetBlue does not offer any lounge access for its premium passengers. Aer Lingus is currently the only airline that has a lounge within T5. The gate area, however, offered plenty of power outlets and fantastic views of the ramp.
The A321LR, N4058J, flying me to Los Angeles. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
The flight was delayed 1.5 hours due to a technical issue with the brand new A321LR. Despite the delay, the airport staff adequately communicated with passengers and regularly announced updates on the flight’s status.
Onboard “Mint, Mint, Wink, Wink”
Once on board, I had a glimpse of the beautiful new Airspace cabin by Airbus. With larger overhead bins and mood lighting throughout, the space felt modern and elegant.
While the Mint cabin looks great in photos, it looks even better in person. Our aircraft, N4058J, featured 22 Mint Suites and 2 Mint Studios. The Studio seats are located in the first row of the aircraft and feature additional space and a seat to dine with a companion. The A321LR features 24 total Mint seats and is primarily used on flights to London. The domestic A321neo will feature a smaller cabin up front with just 14 Mint Suites and 2 Studios.
Onboard JetBlue’s A321LR featuring the new Mint suite. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
The passenger view of the Mint suite while seated. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
Once settled in, the flight attendant stopped by each seat to introduce herself, note that this flight would be carbon neutral, and offer a tour of the seat. This was a nice gesture, and as a first-time Mint flier, I appreciated learning about the versatile functions of the new seat.
As boarding continued, the same flight attendant came by once more to offer a pre-departure drink, with the choice of champagne, mimosa and sparkling water. She also dropped off the menu for today’s flight. The menu also has a barcode that can be scanned to learn more about the physical Mint seat and the airline’s various inflight service partners such as Tuft & Needle, Wanderfuel, and Master & Dynamic.
As we made our way to the runway, the purser also stopped by each Mint passenger’s seat to introduce herself and welcome us on board. By 1:50 p.m. we were speeding down JFK’s runway 31L and on our way.
In-flight Features
Once airborne, a flight attendant came around with amenity kits for each Mint passenger. JetBlue has partnered with Wanderfuel, a health and wellness-focused travel product kit provider. Wanderfuel has curated four unique amenity kits for the airline, and I received the “Flow” kit which is handed out on lunch and dinner flights.
JetBlue’s “Flow” amenity kit is offered on lunch and dinner flights. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
The kit included a vitamin gummy pack, face mist, vegan hand cream, hydration pack, socks and moisturizing wipe. There was even a small handout with information about each product and recommendations for which stage of the flight to use each product to arrive “refreshed.”
Each Mint passenger was also given a Master & Dynamic headset to use throughout the flight. The headphones were comfortable and offered adequate sound quality.
JetBlue’s Mint Suite offers a 17-inch screen and a Master & Dynamic headset. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
JetBlue has installed an 18-inch seat-back screen in each Mint Suite. The system offered a diverse selection of entertainment options with over 200 movies and tv shows available. The aircraft also offers free wifi for all passengers and Live TV. Passengers can also pair their phone with the TV screen to use it as a remote.
In addition to fast wifi, the Mint seat also had multiple power outlets and USB ports to stay charged up while in flight. The seat also had one wireless charging dock for compatible devices.
Each Mint seat features a wireless charging station. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
Laptop and phone storage unit. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
There were also multiple storage compartments throughout the suite and a dedicated space to store a laptop and phone.
Each seat also had an A/C vent and reading light. This vent is a huge plus for passengers traveling on longer flights to be able to semi-control the climate of the suite.
JetBlue Mint Suite Passenger Service Unit. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
Despite being on board a narrow-body aircraft, the airline has done a fantastic job utilizing every single inch of space within the suite. When seated, the suite feels very spacious. In fact, the seat felt roomier than other business class seats that can be found flying between New York and London. And on the domestic front, this is the most innovative seat flying between New York and Los Angeles.
Delicious Dining at 35,000 Feet
Once airborne, the three flight attendants working the Mint cabin immediately began the lunch service. The meal began with a drink service and some Italian breadsticks to snack on. About 45 minutes later, my food was delivered.
Inflight drink and snack prior to the lunch service. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
JetBlue has partnered with NYC-based Delicious Hospitality Group (DHG) to curate its various Mint menus. The menu onboard my flight was made in partnership with Pasquale Jones, a well-known NYC restaurant that is owned and operated by DHG.
JetBlue Mint Westbound Lunch menu designed by Pasquale Jones. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
The menu features five interesting small plates, two cold and three hot. Passengers can choose their three favorite plates to enjoy. The menu also includes a Spotify QR code with a playlist curated for the inflight meal. This was a unique touch and I enjoyed discovering some new artists while eating.
JetBlue Mint Lunch service featuring three plates and dessert. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
I went with the Radicchio Salad, Pork Shoulder, and Lasagne. When considering that I was dining at 35,000 feet, I was very impressed with the quality and creativity of the meal. Despite being advertised as small plates, the portions were more than adequate. The vanilla gelato marked a sweet ending to an already fantastic meal service.
Transcontinental Snooze
Following lunch, the cabin lights were dimmed and I decided to take a nap to test out the new seat in the 76-inch lie flat position. JetBlue offers snooze kits with earplugs and eye shades for Mint customers, but none were catered on today’s flight.
The airline has partnered with Tuft & Needle for its inflight bedding. The blanket was very comfortable, as was the memory-foam pillow. The airline also worked with Tuft & Needle to build a comfortable foam mattress within the actual Mint seat. When in the lie-flat position, the bed felt cozy and spacious.
The Mint Suite in the lieflat position. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
Spacious and cozy bed in-flight. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
Each seat also has a door. With the door shut, the suite offered ample privacy from the rest of the cabin, perfect for a snooze.
I ended up sleeping for over two hours, so I’d mark this as a very successful test of the Mint bed’s comfort. I woke up just under 30 minutes prior to our landing in Los Angeles. The flight attendant working my section of the cabin stopped by to offer me a bag of chocolate-covered nuts and a hand-written thank you letter.
Until We Mint Again
The purser also stopped by each Mint suite one final time to thank each customer for flying JetBlue and to ensure we had a great experience on board. Before I knew it, we had touched down in Los Angeles and we were on our way to the gate. Time flies when you’re having a great time, and this JetBlue flight was no exception.
Beautiful inflight views while cruising over California. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
Going into this flight, I knew that JetBlue had built a unique business class seat, but the service that came with it was what truly set the entire Mint experience apart from other airlines. The flight attendants offered attentive service throughout the entire trip and the often-overlooked soft product was as refined as the physical seat itself. Despite only being a domestic flight, I arrived in Los Angeles feeling as if I had just come off an international business class flight. As JetBlue expands its footprint and takes delivery of more Mint-equipped jets, I look forward to one day flying this product on a flight to Europe.
Mateen has been interested in aviation from a very young age. He loves learning about different aspects of the industry. Mateen has been an editor for the website since early 2017. Most recently, Mateen is additionally the website’s overall strategist. In addition to writing for AirlineGeeks, Mateen is a sophomore at the University of Texas studying Human Dimensions of Organizations. You can also find him on Instagram (@Plane.Photos) where he enjoys sharing his aviation photography with thousands of people on a daily basis.
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