As JetBlue gears up for its debut as a two-class airline for the first time, it revealed strong demand for its soon-to-be-launched Mint premium class service.
The carrier’s new Airbus A321s featuring 16 lie-flat seats will begin flying New York JFK to Los Angeles from June 15.
From late October, it will also launch Mint on the San Francisco route.
JetBlue director of product development Jamie Perry said Mint seats are virtually sold out for the first month of service on the JFK-LAX route.
"We think we have a very competitive product and service," Perry said.
"We picked these markets because they are the biggest markets in the country for premium product such as the Mint experience,"
The carrier hopes to woo cost sensitive business travelers at fares the established two-class carriers cannot compete with.
The lead-in price for a Mint seat is as low as $599 one-way, which is over $1,000 cheaper than the average premium class seat on transcontinental routes.
"We think there are customers out there that are not brand loyal," says Perry.
He said the airline had been losing customers on transcontinental routes due to the lack of a premium option or Wi-Fi.
Mint – which JetBlue describes as an experience, not a product – offers a welcome ‘RefreshMint’ drink, amenity kit, a tasting menu, personal audio video on demand and power outlets.
JetBlue plans to configure five A321 aircraft with Mint this year and six more in 2015.
