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- JetBlue Mint Studio Review: Is It Worth The Upgrade?
After a fun four days in London, it was time to return to the United States. On the outbound I reviewed JetBlue’s Mint Suite, which is the standard business class seating on the transatlantic A321LR. For the return I flew in JetBlue’s Mint Studio, which is the name of the first row of seats in business class on these planes. Is the JetBlue Mint Studio worth the upgrade cost, though?
I’ll make this review slightly different, since my outbound review was quite detailed. This time around I’ll first talk specifically about my thoughts on the Mint Studio, and then I’ll briefly talk about how the flight as such went.
In this post:
How much does JetBlue charge for the Mint Studio?
JetBlue’s Airbus A321LRs have a total of 24 business class seats — there are two Mint Studios (the first row of seats), and then 22 Mint Suites (the next 11 rows of business class seats).
Mint Studio isn’t a separate class of service, but rather it’s just a premium seating option. You can upgrade to a Mint Studio either during the booking process, or anytime up to departure, subject to availability.
Doing a “dummy” booking on JetBlue’s website right now, it seems that the current upgrade cost is $299 one-way.
However, I booked shortly after JetBlue’s transatlantic flights went on sale, and at the time the upgrade cost was only $129, which is much more reasonable. I’m not surprised to see that the price has increased in the meantime.
JetBlue Mint Studio review
As mentioned above, there are two Mint Studios on JetBlue A321LRs, and they’re the two seats in the first row. The logic for this seat is simple — JetBlue’s A321LRs have herringbone business class seats, so due to the angle of the seats, the first row is going to take up a bit more space. The airline decided to do something a bit special with it, and market it as a separate product.
I flew in 1A, the JetBlue Mint Studio in the first row on the left side. As you can see, the Mint Studio features quite a bit of extra space, as it almost has a couch next to the main part of the seat.
One slightly awkward aspect of the seat is that there’s not really a full armrest where you might typically rest your left arm. That wasn’t an issue, as there was an extra pillow that could be propped up to provide support, and I found it to be quite comfortable.
The Mint Studio feels significantly more spacious than the other seats, and there’s even a second seatbelt so that you can have a guest in the Mint Studio, should you want them to join you for drinks or a meal.
Much like the other Mint seats, the Mint Studio has a door — this door is a bit bigger, as the seating area is larger.
In addition to the standard tray table, there’s also a second tray table along the side of the seat, ideal if you’re dining with someone. Unfortunately it was inoperable for our flight (more on that in a bit).
The Mint Studio also has significantly more storage, which is awesome, since lack of storage is one downside to the new JetBlue business class seats. Along the bulkhead there’s an extra storage compartment.
Then along the back of the seat is another storage compartment.
Then there’s the same laptop compartment that you’ll find at all the other seats, underneath the personal television.
The ottoman, seat controls, and entertainment controller, were all identical to the Mint Suites.
In addition to the same power outlet that the other seats have, there’s also a second outlet, which is a nice touch.
And then there’s also the wireless charging device, which was a bit easier to use in the Mint Studio than in the Mint Suites, due to how it was positioned.
Much like in the Mint Suites, the personal television popped out from the far end of the seat, and was easy to use.
In bed mode, the Mint Studio feels significantly more spacious than the Mint Suite. Even though the surface isn’t totally even, it still feels pretty comfortable, thanks to how well padded the seat is. While the extra space was nice, I have to say that the Mint Suite was also quite spacious in bed mode, and I didn’t at all feel restrained.
I wouldn’t say there were really any huge surprises with the Mint Studio, it was exactly what I was expecting — the seat offers extra storage, an extra power outlet, an extra tray table, and more space.
Disappointing JetBlue Mint Studio issues
Here’s what disappointed me. As I mentioned, on the New York to London flight Ford flew in the Mint Studio, and I flew in the Mint Suite. Ford was in 1A, and had issues with his seat — the second tray table was inoperable, and on top of that the door wouldn’t shut properly.
The crew was incredibly apologetic. In addition to promising that they’d report the issue so that it could be fixed, they proactively issued him a $200 travel credit as compensation.
Fast forward five days to our return flight, which was operated by exactly the same plane… well, the same issue still applied. The tray table was still inoperable, and the door wouldn’t close properly. The crew was also apologetic about this, and also proactively issued me a $200 travel credit as compensation.
I suppose getting replacement parts can take a while, and presumably JetBlue still has some kinks to work out. That being said, it’s a bit disappointing when you fly a product like this shortly after it launches, and have the same problem in both directions.
At least the crew was proactive about offering compensation for this.
Is the JetBlue Mint Studio worth it?
Is it worth upgrading to the JetBlue Mint Studio? Obviously the answer is “it depends.” In my case I paid $129 to upgrade and got a $200 voucher for the issues, so I suppose in my case it was worth it. 😉
That being said, if everything is working as it should, is it worth paying $299 to upgrade to the JetBlue Mint Studio? The upsides of the Mint Studio are obvious (a lot more personal space, the opportunity to dine with someone else, etc.), but I did want to also share a few potential downsides:
- Being in the first row you deal with the most foot traffic, you’re closest to the galley (including the lights, and there’s no curtain), and you’re closest to the bathrooms; I have to give the crew huge credit for not chatting loudly in the galley, so I didn’t find that to be a huge issue
- One other consideration is that in both directions around 10 business class seats were taken, and almost everyone chose to crowd in the first five rows; the last several rows had a single passenger in both directions, so if a flight were that empty I’d choose to sit in the back of the cabin on my own
- There’s absolutely no difference in service between the Mint Studio and the Mint Suite; this is purely about the seat
So yeah, I’m not sure whether there’s an obviously good answer as to whether or not the JetBlue Mint Suite is worth it. At the $299 price tag I think I’d probably skip the Mint Studio next time, and would settle for a Mint Suite. Perhaps I’d be more inclined to book the Mint Studio if traveling with someone, so that we could dine together (assuming the tray table works).
JetBlue Mint London to New York review
How was the JetBlue Mint experience from London to New York? Gone with the wind fabulous, simply put. I’ll share some highlights, but again, check out my New York to London JetBlue Suite review for the most comprehensive look at JetBlue’s transatlantic soft product.
JetBlue departs from Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport. The check-in process was efficient, and we were through security in no time (which was a nice contrast to our immigration experience on arrival).
Much like in New York, JetBlue doesn’t have a lounge for business class passengers in London. Presumably the airline could partner with a lounge, but simply chooses not to. This wasn’t an issue for us — there’s a Plaza Premium Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 2, and we were able to access that with our Amex Platinum cards.
Our flight was departing from gate B46 at 2:05PM, with boarding scheduled to start at 1:20PM. We haded over the B Concourse at around 1PM, as it’s quite a hike.
Isn’t the JetBlue A321LR so cute-looking at Heathrow?!
Boarding started on-time at 1:20PM, and was orderly.
JetBlue B620
London (LHR) – New York (JFK)
Tuesday, August 24
Depart: 2:05PM
Arrive: 5:28PM
Duration: 8hr23min
Aircraft: Airbus A321LR
Seat: 1A (Mint Studio business class)
Taking care of the Mint business class cabin were Cesar, Valerie, and Michael, and much like on the outbound, they were superstars. They couldn’t have been more professional, kind, and personable. With just 10 passengers traveling in Mint, the crew to passenger ratio was excellent.
Waiting at each seat were menus and the typical amenities.
Our 7hr3min flight from London to New York departed on-time, and service began quickly after takeoff. The lunch menu read as follows:
The drink list read as follows:
The service flow was more or less identical to the outbound. I had a dirty martini and some sparkling water to drink. That was served with the tasting trio, which included olives, cashews, and artichokes.
For the main meal, I could once again choose three of the five items on the menu. I selected the following:
- Roasted carrots with yogurt, lemon vinaigrette, and sunflower seeds
- Shrimp curry with potatoes, onions, and crispy rice
- Chicken milanese with baby greens and mustard vinaigrette
That was served with a bread roll, as well as salt, olive oil, and chili oil.
The food was exceptionally good, just as on the outbound. I would have been delighted to be served any of those three dishes in a fancy restaurant. It’s not often you can say that when flying business class on a US airline.
After the main courses were cleared, the dessert trolley was rolled down the aisle, with the choice of vanilla gelato with blackberries and almond crunch, or a cheese plate with english cheddar, stilton, and accompaniments. I asked to try both, and the crew gladly obliged.
What a lovely inflight meal, from the food quality, to the pace, to the awesome service. After lunch I continued working, which was easy to do thanks to JetBlue’s complimentary high speed Wi-Fi. The crew constantly checked on passengers to see if anyone wanted anything.
I ordered an iced cappuccino at roughly the halfway point of the flight, and then a bit later ordered a cup of coffee, both of which were great.
There was also a snack basket, so the crew came through the cabin with that a couple of times to see if anyone wanted anything.
About 75 minutes before landing, the pre-arrival snack was served. The menu read as follows:
Service began with a warm, scented, packaged towel.
For the pre-arrival meal you could select two of three options. I had the panzanella with roasted tomatoes, pickled onions, and parmigiano, and the panini with roasted tomatoes, fontina, and cheddar. They were served with a side of pretzel bread.
The panzanella was tasty, while the panini seemed to me like an odd thing to serve. Don’t get me wrong, it was kind of delicious, but I feel like JetBlue can do something a bit more elevated than just bread with cheese, both in terms of health and flavor? All of the other dishes could have also easily been served in a nice restaurant, while I wouldn’t say that was the case for the panini.
All too soon we were already starting our approach to New York. About 30 minutes before landing the crew distributed thank you cards to all passengers — what a cute touch!
We ended up landing at JFK at 4:40PM, and then it took about 25 minutes for us to get a gate. While our taxi wasn’t long, we had to wait a while for our gate to open up. In the end we still arrived ahead of schedule. We had a checked bag, and unfortunately it ended up taking nearly an hour for that to arrive, so that was a not-great ending to an otherwise awesome transatlantic experience.
Bottom line
JetBlue’s transatlantic Mint experience is phenomenal, from the top notch flight attendants, to the great food & drinks, to the complimentary Wi-Fi and extensive entertainment, to the amenities.
Specific to this flight, I was happy I had the chance to experience the Mint Studio. Unfortunately I didn’t get the full experience, as the door didn’t fully close and the second tray table was broken, so Ford and I couldn’t dine together.
While there are some benefits to the Mint Studio, personally I’m not sure I’d pay to upgrade in the future, especially at the cost of $299. While the extra space is nice, there are also some mild downsides to being in the very front of the cabin.
What do you make of the JetBlue Mint Studio? Would you pay to upgrade to it?
Mint's pods were great, but we won't fly in that cabin again. We were flying for business and our teen was accompanying us in coach. I took a small dessert that I wasn't able to eat (which would've been thrown away) to give to him. The flight attendant saw me and said, extremely abruptly, "Hey - Mint passengers aren't allowed to take food to coach passengers".
No need to talk so rudely, and with all the food waste in the world, a repellant policy.
I would agree. The Mint studio is not worth the price with the added noise and traffic. I think they really missed the boat if they wanted a competitive studio product. I also totally agree about the menu. If you have a dairy allergy and eggs and cheese are out there are rarely enough options. Simply not goid business.
Did anyone tell you that you get Pj's in the Mint Studio Suite? They are...
I would agree. The Mint studio is not worth the price with the added noise and traffic. I think they really missed the boat if they wanted a competitive studio product. I also totally agree about the menu. If you have a dairy allergy and eggs and cheese are out there are rarely enough options. Simply not goid business.
Did anyone tell you that you get Pj's in the Mint Studio Suite? They are cute and you can keep them I am told.
If Jetblue wants to be a leader in the 'suite' market internationally a whole needs to improve. This is not a New York to LAX flight.
Did anyone know both domestically and internationally, Jetblue is now blocking seats for upgrades in the perk program, but I am told by Jetblue CSRs the mosaic member cannot use the upgrade perk until 14 days before. These seats are available for sale and a customer can purchase them if the system doesn't work correctly, which is frequently. It has happened to us and friends the week before which we did not know until after our incident. The rub is that Jetblue holds these seats and if a perk is not utilized to select the seat, Jetblue releases the seat(s) for sale at a hugely inflated price. If you are already in the section and realize this seat popped up at the last minute you can swap, but it is unlikely. We purchased 2a and 2f and we were issued a receipt stating those seats were purchased by us. Jetblue refused to honor it and someone put us in seats without our permission.
We are both stage 4 cancer patients and my companion will be almost three weeks out of major thoracic surgery (unexpected). He would rather crawl to the three remaining Grateful dead shows than miss them. Having someone bang into us just reverberates pain through the body. It is awful. I explained this and still no assistance. There are three other flights that morning with seats available and absolutely no help was offered. Jetblue has really forgot what customer service is. It is a shame. This trip put over $5k in Jetblue's pocket. There just isn't any customer appreciation. They do not take responsibility for there mistakes and this new program documentation contained nothing about them blocking off 15% or more of the Mint seats on each flight for perks. This means the seats offered initially will be offered at higher prices in line with their pricing model which closely resembles dynamic pricing.
Chose wisely fellow travelers. They have not changed the menu, hide policies and are seemingly manipulating seat inventory with these new policies to ensure higher ticket prices. We love the crews, but there is better business flying out there. It is less expensive, offers much better menus that accommodate dietary preference and need without a hassle or ignoring the written and phoned requests to confirm over years, and they have wonderful lounges that welcome you and provide the amenities that should be offered for the price you are paying.
My apologies for the length. The steroids get the best of me after chemo. We will think twice before putting money into Jetblue vacations and tickets again. We flew Turkish business last year. We were reluctant and almost changed airlines, but we bit the bullet and tried it. It was better than so many others. They accommodated every request and actual chefs prepare and serve your food on the plane, The lounges are incredible and they have agreements with partners should the airport not has a lounge specifically for their passengers.
It isn't my norm to put so much out there, but I am so upset and disappointed in Jetblue.
Best wishes all,
L&J
If traveling mint w a companion, which would make communication easier, sitting beside or in front of each other?
We travel from Los Angeles to JFK on Jet Blue Mint every few months. We absolutely love it!! We are both vegan and there is an option on the app to pick special menu and a lot of other options for meals. Most that we have flown on every other seat is single and all the single seats have doors, very private. My partner and I like to fly together…we still enjoy each others company...
We travel from Los Angeles to JFK on Jet Blue Mint every few months. We absolutely love it!! We are both vegan and there is an option on the app to pick special menu and a lot of other options for meals. Most that we have flown on every other seat is single and all the single seats have doors, very private. My partner and I like to fly together…we still enjoy each others company lol MINT has never disappointed us, We are treated so well, everything we could possibly need or want on a flight.
I wouldn't pay a dime to sit in JetBlue mint seats that face away from the window. Purely nauseating. Virgin Atlantic tried this on their dreamliners, and it quickly disappeared after customers vehemently complained. I also don't like sitting on a cramped A321 when I can take a wide body. And sorry, mint is not even compare to something like Polaris. The lack of lounge service alone is enough to keep me away.
VS continue to have herringbone seats on their 787’s and some A330’s. I’d sooner fly JB than United given JB provide exemplary service. You’re lucky if United crew even acknowledge you.
I wouldn't pay a dime to sit in JetBlue men's seats that face away from the window. Purely nauseating. Virgin Atlantic tried this on their dreamliners, and it quickly disappeared after customers vehemently complained. I also don't like sitting on a cramped a321 when I can take a wide body. And sorry, mint is not even compare to something like polaris.
No 220V on the charger?
@Ben - There is something strange happening with the page. When I post a comment, it navigates me to another page.
No.
I very nearly sarcastically offered you to review the door on 1F instead during this very flight!
My real takeaway was I didn’t find the suite to be pragmatic in any sense. If your partner is behind you and the person across the way is trying to not get all up in your business, who might actually sit in that little seat?
During normal times, T2 is spoiled with good lounges. I suspect that issue will correct itself in due time.
Two observations about catering: Do they double cater soft drinks in JFK? I don't think Bubbly is available in the UK. Also, how's the sparkling wine? It's surprising not to see Champagne served alongside what looks to be a great product.
Great review!
It seems if you don't like tomatoes, you're kind of screwed when flying Mint. Countless dishes with tomatoes both on your outbound and inbound flight, Lucky.
Try having a dairy allergy. Eliminates most of those options as well
try being vegan, eliminates every single menu item
Try booking your special meal ahead of time in the app since you’re a corner case, instead of whining about a non-issue?
The lack of storage comment amongst bloggers is always hilarious to me. The average person doesn't have that much shit to store lol. Under the foot rest is where most folks put items. More than enough space in the Suite from what I could see.
A few thoughts based on a past JFK-LAX trip planned for Mint Studio:
1. Not every flight has the Studio on this route, so if your flight is cancelled you are likely back to a regular Mint seat (not even a Suite). We had a cancelled flight, were delayed 24 hours, and only got 1 of our 2 Studio seats back.
2. We also had a maintenance issue on our seat, with the recline...
A few thoughts based on a past JFK-LAX trip planned for Mint Studio:
1. Not every flight has the Studio on this route, so if your flight is cancelled you are likely back to a regular Mint seat (not even a Suite). We had a cancelled flight, were delayed 24 hours, and only got 1 of our 2 Studio seats back.
2. We also had a maintenance issue on our seat, with the recline not working properly. The gate agent had bumped us back to a Suite seat during boarding, but upon checking it out we elected to keep the Studio seat with a recline issue. We were advised to request a refund for the broken seat.
3. Travelling with a lap infant - this seat provides significant additional space for the kiddo (and parent) to sleep comfortably, assuming the seat is working properly. Well worth the $199 charged if in a similar situation.
4. JetBlue refused to rebook on AA biz during mechanical IRROPS despite offering a codeshare on the route. If flying AA, it would presumably be no problem to get endorsed over to JetBlue. They also initially refused to rebook on the first available flight, noting that we had a "discount" Mint ticket and limited fare class availability. After significant pushback, the counter agent relented.
5. I ended up filing a DOT complaint over the issues after 1 month of radio silence from JetBlue after submitting a request for a seat refund. About 3 weeks later, seat fee refunds were received, along with small compensation for failure to meet their own Passenger Bill of Rights on the rebooking. First time I've flown JetBlue and first time I've filed a DOT complaint. Not a good start. lol
Yaaas! I hope B6 is still be here for many years to come. And she will still be fabulous. ;)
What I do not understand is why and how, in front of significant new competition, American doubles down on offering the crappiest possible service, using Covid as an excuse but Covid is clearly not a deterrent on Jet Blue. Service on my LHR-JFK flight last week was bad to the point of seeming intentionally so.
Unless of course, the links between B6 and AA have developed to the point of AA not minding giving up...
What I do not understand is why and how, in front of significant new competition, American doubles down on offering the crappiest possible service, using Covid as an excuse but Covid is clearly not a deterrent on Jet Blue. Service on my LHR-JFK flight last week was bad to the point of seeming intentionally so.
Unless of course, the links between B6 and AA have developed to the point of AA not minding giving up its premium London traffic to B6. What's next? Jet Blue in Oneworld ?
I trust you judgement...but not sure about $299 for a bit of a bench, some extra storage and PJs. Same menu, same service levels....only thing really going for it is served first and you're off the plane first. Perhaps if I was traveling with a companion in Biz behind the bench might be useful for a visit. Don't get me wrong, I'll take F on the 77W on AA in a heartbeat vs. the J...
I trust you judgement...but not sure about $299 for a bit of a bench, some extra storage and PJs. Same menu, same service levels....only thing really going for it is served first and you're off the plane first. Perhaps if I was traveling with a companion in Biz behind the bench might be useful for a visit. Don't get me wrong, I'll take F on the 77W on AA in a heartbeat vs. the J cabin...but at least you get a more functional seat (The window desk is always cool) and (at least pre-covid) there was the extra soup course and typically better wine - plus the cappicinno machine (sadly now gone). Not feeling it on the Jetblue offering, for whatever that's worth.
I assume you skimmed the post, because Ben said:
> At the $299 price tag I think I’d probably skip the Mint Studio next time, and would settle for a Mint Suite. Perhaps I’d be more inclined to book the Mint Studio if traveling with someone, so that we could dine together (assuming the tray table works).
So… it’s not clear what you’re “not sure about” re: his judgment given that he agrees with you.
Great Review Ben! Just one thing is I noticed you made a typo where you said we haded instead of Headed to the other part of T2.
Jetblue really needs to branch out beyond Gelato as their own dessert
Doesn't Mint Studio come with pajamas?
Not having a lounge agreement is a HUGE disadvantage considering all of the other upsides of the B6 product and experience. Should be easy to address with a contract lounge that’s is crying out for revenue right now.
I'm one of those who beg to differ. I rather not have a lounge than to put up with the BS the US3 dishes out, from substandard service, covid related unnecessary cost cutting to everything on a tray covered with plastic and plastic cups to limp and unhealthy dishes that my dog wouldn't put up with, I much rather have it the B6 way.
In JFK yes i would like lounge access, but honestly who in this community does not have a priority pass or amex platinum to get them lounge access. Plus lounge access is awful to what it was 5 years ago so its not a big loss and if you want lounge access so bad just make sure you have the right card.
The problem is there isn't any lounge option at all in JFK T5.