JetBlue to bring ‘Junior Mint’ first class to domestic flights in 2026

JetBlue to bring ‘Junior Mint’ first class to domestic flights in 2026


Silhouette of passenger in front of the JetBlue Airbus A321neo aircraft spotted on the apron tarmac docked at the passenger jet bridge from the terminal of Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport AMS EHAM in the Netherlands. 

Nicholas Economou | Nurphoto | Getty Images

JetBlue Airways plans to add domestic first-class seats in 2026 on airplanes that don’t have its top-tier Mint class, the latest initiative to win over higher-paying customers and get back to profitability.

All of JetBlue’s Airbus aircraft without Mint, the airline’s lie-flat seats, will have two or three rows of domestic first-class seats, Marty St. George, JetBlue’s president, said in a note to employees.

“Since launching Mint over a decade ago, we’ve explored the idea of expanding a version of it across the fleet, often playfully calling it ‘mini-Mint’ or ‘junior Mint,'” St. George said. He said Mint “can’t be duplicated on shorter flights,” so the carrier had to come up with a solution for passengers willing to pay for more space on shorter flights.  

“We’re keeping the rest of our ideas under wraps for now while we prepare for a 2026 launch. Let’s keep our competitors guessing,” St. George wrote.

St. George, JetBlue’s former commercial chief, returned to the New York-based airline earlier this year to help new CEO Joanna Geraghty return JetBlue to profitability and cut costs. The airline is focusing more on its core markets in Florida and the Northeast.

JetBlue has been a pioneer in the U.S. airline industry since its first flights almost 25 years ago, adding comforts like seat-back entertainment and a business class that sought to make flying at the front of the plane more affordable for customers compared with large carriers that dominate U.S. air travel.

Read more CNBC airline news

The airline has become more focused on finding ways to increase sales since its bid to acquire Spirit Airlines was blocked by a U.S. judge in January and its partnership with American Airlines in the Northeast was ruled anticompetitive by another judge.

JetBlue is cutting a host new cuts of unprofitable routes, CNBC reported last week. It is also tweaking its European service, announcing a new flight between Boston and Madrid on Tuesday.

The focus on seats that fetch a premium to standard coach has become a focus of the airline industry as many leisure travelers after the pandemic have shown they are willing to shell out more for roomier seats, or other perks like airport lounges.

On Tuesday, Alaska Airlines said it would evaluate its premium seat offerings and upgrade some of its planes following its merger with Hawaiian as part of plans for a global expansion.

JetBlue earlier this year said it will build its first lounges.

Why airlines are investing millions on bigger and fancier seats



Source

Booking Holdings CEO on Q2 results: People are still prioritizing traveling
Travel

Booking Holdings CEO on Q2 results: People are still prioritizing traveling

Glenn Fogel, Booking Holdings CEO, joins ‘Squawk Box’ to discuss the company’s quarterly earnings results, state of travel, weaker travel spending in the U.S., consumer travel demand, impact of AI, and more. Source

Read More
In photos: Evacuations ordered in Japan, Hawaii and Russia after powerful quake triggers tsunami warning
Travel

In photos: Evacuations ordered in Japan, Hawaii and Russia after powerful quake triggers tsunami warning

Evacuations were ordered across the Pacific Ocean after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday. Tsunami waves over 3 meters high were recorded in the Russian Pacific town of Severo-Kurilsk, with some waves reaching up to 5 meters, Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency reported on Wednesday, citing emergency services. […]

Read More
Russia massive earthquake triggers tsunami warnings: Here’s what we know so far
Travel

Russia massive earthquake triggers tsunami warnings: Here’s what we know so far

The earthquake, which struck early Wednesday, triggered evacuation orders in Hawaii and Japan.  Source

Read More