Dear Reader,
I thank you for your patience after a several month hiatus due to my wedding (and all the fun planning that goes along with that!) This reasonable traveler recently took to the skies again and I wanted to share two vastly different experiences on a recent work trip to Europe. Specifically, I flew to London- Gatwick in JetBlue Mint class and returned home from Lithuania (Vilnius to Stockholm then Stockholm to Newark) on SAS Business Pro. Below, I’ll review the Mint experience and in a second post I’ll share how it went with SAS—you may be surprised!
First up was my JetBlue Mint experience from JFK to London Gatwick. JetBlue first announced plans to fly to London in 2019 but due to the COVID pandemic, the inaugural flight was delayed until August 2021. Now JetBlue has regular flights from JFK and Boston into Heathrow and Gatwick.
Our flight #43, was scheduled to depart JFK on September 27, 2022 at 7:32 pm and arrive to Gatwick the following day at 7:55 am. The one downside to the Mint experience, JetBlue does not have a passenger lounge at JFK, or at any airport for that matter (although there are rumors this may change in the future). Fortunately, TSA precheck was almost empty and the gate was fairly quiet with ample seating. With all of the recent stories in the news about how busy travel has become, it felt strangely quiet and calm at JFK. After waiting patiently at the gate area for about an hour, boarding started right on time at 6:47 pm.
JetBlue currently uses a brand new A321LR for this route which has 22 Mint “suites” in a 1-1 configuration and two Mint “studios” in row 1 that have extra space if you wanted a guest to join you for a meal (I guess that’s a thing?). The suite is very spacious with all the bells and whistles you would imagine for business class on a long haul flight. Some of my favorite amenities included a wireless charging station for my phone and a wire rack near the outlet so my cords would be organized. The tv screen was very large and could angle toward you for better viewing.
Shortly after I took my seat, a welcome drink choice of champagne, champagne with elderflower, or water was offered. I thought the elderflower added a nice touch and I was finally able to relax for the long journey ahead. After the doors closed and the safety briefing was introduced, we pushed back from the gate at 7:26 pm and were airborne at 7:45 p.m.
I have to say the amenity kit was very basic and something you might find in economy, but it included the “usual things” and I found the eye mask to be comfortable. JetBlue also provides slippers, if that’s your thing.
JetBlue has some of the best food offerings on any airline but particularly in the United States, and their Mint experience lives up to that reputation. While I would typically enjoy a longer experience and a few courses during the meal, due to the short flight and the need for passengers to sleep, everything was served on one tray. The only issue with this, was my ice cream was almost melted by the time I got to dessert (I know, poor me!). For dinner, you were offered a choice of four small plates and you could choose up to three. And to sacrifice myself for the blog, I asked to try all four and they happily obliged. I’d say the chicken milanese was my least favorite, but it could be due to the fact that it wasn’t very hot by the time I finished the soup, salad, and pasta—all of which were very tasty. Had this meal been served in courses, the chicken could have been much better.
After a delicious meal and a below average viewing of Top Gun Maverick (don’t judge), I tried to get some shut eye, knowing it would be a long working day in London.
The seat slides down into a full flat bed and you are provided a nice blanket and pillow. I’d say the cabin temperate was very comfortable for sleeping; unfortunately for me, I can’t really sleep on planes, so it was a best effort to try and do so.
After what seemed like a very short time, the flight attendants were back in the aisle ready to serve breakfast to anyone who had requested one. One of the nice things about this flight, was for those who wished to maximize their sleep, they offered a “get to snoozing altitude sooner” option for dinner and a “breakfast to go” option for breakfast. The breakfast was excellent and I only asked for two of the three options this time. I also appreciate that JetBlue serves Dunkin’ coffee on all of its flights. They also offered espresso, americano or cappuccino (hot or iced).
We were treated to a nice sunrise over Ireland and landed in London about 50 minutes ahead of schedule due to favorable tail winds. And since the UK has implemented facial recognition scanners on arrival for American citizens, customs was a breeze and took no time at all.
I had bought tickets to ride the Gatwick Express into the city, but unfortunately, just missed the train and had to hop on a Great Northern Railways train to London Victoria (a faster trip vs. waiting for the next Express).
While I have not flown a previous business class to London (not since US Airways many years ago!), I would be hard pressed to find a better business class experience from the US. JetBlue does a great job giving passengers the opportunity to rest on this flight given their “express” meal options and a very comfortable lie-flat seat, pillow and blankets. The service was friendly and efficient I would highly recommend flying JetBlue Mint to to anyone looking for an elevated experience.
(Fun fact: I flew this very same flight in July, but in economy, and one of these days I will get around to reviewing that experience so you can compare.)
PS- I hope to catch up on several reviews from my summer travels, including flights on JetBlue, SAS, and Norse Atlantic airways, and hotel stays in Copenhagen, Stockholm, and stops in Norway. Stay tuned!