Silhouettes of passengers in front of a JetBlue Airbus A321neo aircraft spotted on the apron tarmac moored on the jetliner bridge from the terminal at Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport AMS EHAM in the Netherlands.
Nicholas Economou | Null Photo | Getty Images
jet blue airlines plans to add domestic first class seats in 2026 to aircraft without the top-of-the-line Mint class, the latest effort to attract high-paying customers and return to profitability.
JetBlue President Marty St. George said in a memo to employees that all Airbus planes not equipped with JetBlue’s Mint lie-flat seats will have two or three rows of first-class seats on domestic flights. He said that.
“Since we launched Mint over a decade ago, we’ve toyed with the idea of extending that version across our fleet, often playfully calling it ‘mini-mint’ or ‘junior mint.’ ” St. George said. He said airlines needed to come up with a solution for passengers willing to pay for more space on short flights because mints “cannot be replicated on short flights.”
“We’ll keep the rest of our ideas secret for now as we prepare for a 2026 launch. We’ll let our competitors speculate,” St. George wrote.
Former JetBlue sales manager St. George 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, and has postponed operations of some Airbus aircraft.
The company announced in July that it expects its efforts to generate an additional $800 million to $900 million in preinterest and tax profits over the next three years.
JetBlue has been a pioneer in the U.S. airline industry since its first flight nearly 25 years ago, offering seatback entertainment, free Wi-Fi, and front-of-the-plane flight options that make flying more affordable for customers. We have added the comfort that we were aiming for, such as business class. Compared to the major airlines that dominate US air travel.
The airline has become more focused on finding ways to increase sales since pursuing an acquisition. spirit airlines That partnership was blocked by a U.S. judge in January. american airlines Another judge in the Northeast ruled it anticompetitive.
JetBlue Airways is making new cuts to unprofitable routes, CNBC reported last week. The airline is also making adjustments to its European flights, announcing new flights between Boston and Madrid on Tuesday.
Adding better seats at premium prices to standard coaches as many leisure travelers post-pandemic indicate they are willing to pay more for perks like wider seats and airport lounges. has become the focus of the aviation industry.
on tuesday, alaska airlines announced it will evaluate its premium seating offering and upgrade some of its aircraft following its merger with Hawaiian as part of its global expansion plans.
JetBlue announced earlier this year that it would build its first lounge.
