My Verdict.
Since the beginning, JetBlue has touted itself as an airline willing to think outside of the box. Whether that be giving away wifi and in-flight entertainment or the unorthodox boarding process and drinks service. Frankly, JetBlue's willingness to be different has helped create what can only be described as a world-class product.
Earlier this year, JetBlue vice president of customer support Frankie Littleford told me in an interview that the airline sees itself as a "service company that happens to fly airplanes" with its ultimate goal of bringing humanity back to flying.
"I think that everybody wants to be treated great and having our journeys be a little less stressful and more personal, helpful, and simple is what it's all about," Littleford added.
In that regard, Littleford is absolutely correct. And with JetBlue, they've really delivered that experience. For years, I've heard the hype around this airline and didn't quite believe it. Now I see what the fuss is all about. And now, I also regret not flying JetBlue sooner.
The wifi offered more than enough bandwidth for me to work during the flight and even upload high definition images onto Business Insider's content management system.
Soon after takeoff, the cabin crew commenced with snack and beverage service.
The economy class drinks and snack service on board a JetBlue flight is unlike anything I've on a US airline. Most airlines around the world roll trolleys down the aisle with food and drink. Not JetBlue. First, its flight attendants approach each passenger to take individual orders. Then, the drinks and snacks are delivered on trays restaurant style.
JetBlue does offer actually meals on some transcon flights to Los Angeles and San Francisco. However, my flight to Seattle was a snack only affair. The chips, crackers, and soft drinks were unlimited. Cabin crew also walked around to hand out bottles of water.
While I could have used a nice sandwich on such a long flight, as a Business Insider employee this was not my first Cheez-it and soda meal.
The audio plug on my seat actually malfunctioned. Fortunately, I was the only one in my row, so I simply used the audio plug on an adjacent seat. But to others, I probably looked like the weird guy watching the same thing on two different screens.
I went for the DirecTV. After all, my Georgia Bulldogs were playing that night. We trounced Missouri 53-28 on the back of 700 yards of total offense. Go Dawgs!
Each seat is equipped with a 10-inch high definition touch screen featuring numerous entertainment options.
JetBlue's A320/A321s boast six-abreast seating. The airline's slimline seats proved to be supportive and comfortable enough to sustain a five and a half hour flight without complaint. Something I can't say about the seats on several major US legacy airlines.
While JetBlue's A320s have an industry-leading 34 inches of seat pitch in economy, its A321s have either 32 or 33 inches depending on the interior layout. I believe I got the 32-inch variety. It was perfectly sufficient for my needs and the bottle holder was a nice touch.
While most US airlines board in zones, JetBlue boards with passengers in the back of the plane going first. It's similar to the system employed by Virgin Atlantic. I found it to be less frenzied than the zone-based method.
Once past the security checkpoint, I made my way to the heart of terminal 5. It's also home to Aer Lingus, Hawaiian Airlines, and TAP Portugal.
At the terminal, the first thing I encountered was the check-in kiosks.
Passengers are directed to the digital kiosks for check-in or to print out checked baggage tags. Since my boarding pass was stored on my iPhone, all I needed was a baggage tag. The airline had several employees on hand to assist anyone struggling with the kiosks.
With my checked baggage tag applied, I simply walked over to the handful of luggage conveyor belts where another employee scanned my bag and boarding pass using a handheld device. With my bags dropped off, all I had to do was go through the TSA checkpoint and then onto my gate.
Overall, JetBlue's check-in process is simple, efficient, and highly intuitive even for infrequent flyers.