JetBlue’s new domestic first class, BlueFirst, can be booked starting this October 15 across more than 30 routes, with introductory fares from US$249 each way. The commercial debut will be on December 8, with a flight between Boston Logan International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, and a few days later the cabin will be added to specific flights between Fort Lauderdale and LaGuardia, in New York.
The choice of the first route carries symbolic weight for the company: Fort Lauderdale was its first destination and, along with Boston, is one of its main focus cities. The promotional fares are US$299 on Boston–Fort Lauderdale, US$249 on LaGuardia–Fort Lauderdale and US$299 on the JFK to Liberia leg, in Costa Rica, but they can only be purchased until October 16, for travel through February 10, 2027 and with blackout dates during the year-end holidays.
A rollout with a strong regional presence
In December, BlueFirst will be available from Fort Lauderdale to Boston, Buffalo, Liberia (Costa Rica), LaGuardia and Washington. January will add, among others, the routes from Fort Lauderdale to Aruba, Cartagena, San José (Costa Rica) and San Juan, and from JFK to Cancún, Liberia and San Juan.
In February, Fort Lauderdale–Cancún, Fort Lauderdale–Santo Domingo, JFK–Aruba and JFK–Providenciales will be added, while in March Fort Lauderdale–Medellín will arrive. For April, the rollout will be concentrated on Boston, with flights to Cancún, Denver, Orlando and San Juan, among other destinations.
The airline clarified that those months correspond to the first flights scheduled today with reconfigured aircraft, and that the cabin could be offered only on some dates, even intermittently, since aircraft assignment is subject to change.
Three rows on the A320 and four on the A321
BlueFirst was unveiled on September 1 and will be installed on aircraft that do not feature Mint, the lie-flat seat cabin JetBlue uses on longer flights. The company will install 12 seats in three rows on the Airbus A220-300 and A320, and 16 in four rows on the A321. With a 2-2 configuration, the seats offer five inches of recline, up to seven inches more legroom than Main class and 13.3-inch screens with Bluetooth connectivity.
On flights of 1,146 km or more (899 miles), a meal with a main course, side and dessert will be served, while on the rest there will be snacks. Passengers will also get Group 1 boarding, dedicated overhead bin space and priority access to security checkpoints at more than 30 airports.
There are three fare options. BlueFirst includes two checked bags, free seat selection and free changes; BlueFirst Flex adds refunds to the original form of payment and same-day changes, while BlueFirst Base, the most affordable, includes one bag and enables seat selection only 24 hours before the flight.
For members of the TrueBlue program, the Move to Mint certificates will be renamed Premium Upgrade Certificates and may be redeemed on both Mint and BlueFirst. At launch, Mosaic members with eligible fares will also receive complimentary upgrades, subject to availability.
The new product is one of the centerpieces of JetForward, the plan with which the airline is seeking to return to profitability after six consecutive years of losses. “This is just the beginning,” said Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue’s CEO, who anticipated that, as it is added to more aircraft, the cabin “will be available on more routes and markets across our network.”