Seven Reasons Why JetBlue Is The Best US Domestic Airline

Happy new year everyone, and welcome to the first post of 2019! I just wrapped up a Christmas trip which you will read about very soon. This trip included two flights on JetBlue’s Airbus A320. The reviews will be relatively brief, but both flights reminded me of how great JetBlue’s inflight product is.

Without further ado, let’s get started. Starting with perhaps Jetblue’s most famous advantage…

1. Industry-Leading Legroom

While the average seat pitch on US-based carriers is about 31 inches and can go as low as 28 inches, JetBlue has a staggering 34 inches of legroom on most of their A320s! This plane is the backbone of their fleet, so it is not like this comfort is limited to a small portion of their fleet. The legroom JetBlue offers on this plane in Economy is equal to what most US airlines offer in Economy Plus! Their “Even More Space” section mostly has 37-39 inches of legroom, similar to domestic first class on other airlines!

Even after JetBlue finishes upgrading their aircraft in the next few years, the core seats will still have 32 inches of legroom, which is still better than the vast majority of other airlines in the industry.

2. Plush, Leather Seats

While pretty much all US-based carriers have slimline seats on the majority of their planes, JetBlue still has extremely comfortable and wide leather seats to complement the increased legroom. Note that in the next few years, however, the fleet upgrades will involve installing the same slimline seats on their A320s as on their A321s. For now, though, passengers can enjoy these rare seats across the vast majority of JetBlue’s fleet.

3. Free Live TV Across the Entire Fleet

JetBlue offers free DirectTV entertainment on every plane and behind every seat in their fleet to keep passengers entertained. While most planes have older models, the fleet upgrades will bring in brand new HD screens with even more entertainment options, including on-demand movies!

4. Snooze Kit on Overnight Flights

On all red-eye Eastbound flights, Jetblue provides a special service which includes a mini amenity “Snooze Kit” which includes earplugs and an eye mask, as well as a special snack service and hot towel before landing. This service is in a different league than what is offered on the legacy carriers, and along with #1 and #2 above, ensures that passengers arrive at their destination as well rested as possible.

5. Free, Unlimited Snacks and Drinks

Unlike other airlines that are switching to a buy-on-board model, JetBlue not only offers free canned drinks and bottled water but also offers free, unlimited tasty snacks! There is also an option to upgrade to a more filling snack box for a reasonable price. Very few US airlines offer these things these days, so it is unlikely that someone will go hungry on JetBlue

6. Seamless Airport Experience

Every part of the airport experience that could be controlled by JetBlue was designed in a way to get the passenger to the gate in the most efficient and least stressful way possible. For example, at check-in, rather than having to skip through every single screen at the kiosk with most being useless, the passenger could pick and choose what they needed to do at the kiosk, and save everyone precious time. At the gate, screens provided plenty of useful information such as the standby list, aircraft name, boarding info, and even immediately provided delay info if needed.

7. Incredible Customer Service

All through the Jetblue experience, every person we interacted with including in the airports was eager and genuinely seemed happy to work. On the ground, the agents helped us handle our many bags, and on board, flight attendants served everything professionally and quickly responded to any call buttons that were pressed. On one flight, a flight attendant even made jokes during the safety demonstration! This shows how even though they were professional and efficient, they had a friendly personality as well. This nice customer service has been consistent on pretty much every JetBlue flight I have taken over the years, so it isn’t just a one-off.

JetBlue’s main goal since being founded has been to “bring humanity back to air travel”, and even today, the airline is demonstrating this core belief through the above reasons. This continues to bring me and many other passengers back to the airline over and over again. I am looking forward to more flights with the airline in 2019.

[Featured image by Tony Hisgett from Wikimedia Commons]