I flew in JetBlue's private 'apartment' for a 6-hour flight. The extra space made business-class travel even better.
Jordan Parker Erb
- I was on JetBlue's inaugural flight from New York City to Edinburgh.
- I spent the six-hour trip in its business class "apartment," called the "Mint Studio."
It's not often you get your own apartment in the sky.
When I joined JetBlue for its inaugural flight to Scotland on May 22, I wasn't expecting to be in its "Mint Studio," a space my flight attendant described as an "apartment New Yorkers would kill for." But when I saw "1F" printed on my boarding pass, I knew I was in for a treat.
The front row of business class, the Mint Studio is JetBlue's most spacious option, with prices from around $4,000. Business Insider paid a press rate of $1,300, including a return flight in the airline's "Even More Space" economy section.
While the "apartment" makes for a comfortable transatlantic flight, it's not something I'd splurge on. Here's what it's like.
As the first seat on the plane, the studio has the most space.
The studio easily offers the most room of any airline I've ever flown.
It's got even more space than the rest of JetBlue's business class seats. There's more leg space than I could ever use — a luxury as the rest of plane seats seemingly continue to shrink.
It comes with a small cabinet to store belongings.
I stowed a few in-flight necessities in the cabinet, which I thought was a nice touch. It also has a mirror, so passengers can do some pre-arrival primping.
The food was the same as in the rest of the cabin.
I've always thought JetBlue's dining options are among the best, and the same applies here. The menu was the same as my flight to Paris last year: A farro salad, Cavatelli pasta, chilled soup, and gelato.
The TV is massive, and the in-flight entertainment options are expansive.
The television in the apartment is 22 inches — five inches larger than the TVs in other business-class seats. Per JetBlue, it's actually the largest screen of any US airlines.
I made good use of the screen: I didn't struggle finding anything to watch, as there were plenty of movies and shows to choose from. It even had a selection of A24 films, some of my favorites.
The studio’s pièce de résistance is its extra seat.
The apartment has a small bench, which apparently you can use to host other passengers, according to the website.
Even if I wasn't traveling solo, I can't see myself wanting to have another person in the little room. I imagine the space would be best used for a parent wanting to watch a movie or hang out with their kid.
The bench adds some extra space to the lie-flat seat.
For me, this was the seat's only real use case, other than having another place to put some of my belongings.
When the seat is fully reclined, the bench adds quite a bit of extra room. The added space is great for anyone who tosses and turns in their sleep, and I ended up being able to sleep for the majority of the flight.
Still, I can’t say it’s much better than its regular Mint seats.
The best part of the seat was the bench, which offered some extra space once the seat was laid flat. Even so, I can't say it's something I'd spend extra money on.
The flight experience is the same: You get the same food, amenities, and entertainment selections as the rest of Mint. I can see the bench coming in useful for parents traveling with kids, but for anyone just wanting to sleep their way over the Atlantic, the rest of business class gets the job done — for less money.
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