JetBlue is Adding “Mini Mint” First Class to Non-Mint Aircraft

JetBlue is apparently considering adding First Class, or “Mini-Mint” to its fleet of non-Mint equipped aircraft. The New York based carrier currently has Mint Business Class on transatlantic routes to London, Paris, and Amsterdam as well as on premium routes within the United States (like New York to Los Angeles).

Now, the airline is looking to add domestic First Class style recliner seats to its non-Mint aircraft. This is great news for premium passengers, especially those traveling overseas in Mint Business Class. I recently helped some friends book a trip to Norway with JetBlue in Business Class but their flights between Florida and NYC were on non-Mint aircraft meaning they were stuck in Economy. Kinda a buzzkill after getting off a transatlantic Business Class flight.

According to Live and Let’s Fly, these new seats are expected to roll out sometime in 2026. While the airline hasn’t released any official details , it is expected that the airline will use the Collins Aerospace MiQ seat for its domestic First Class offering. This is the same seat you’ll find when flying American’s domestic First Class.

How JetBlue Plans to Add First Class

Live and Let’s Fly has also shared the expected configuration of these new aircraft. JetBlue will reportedly add first class to its Airbus A220, A320, and A321 aircraft. The Embraer E190 is expected to be retired by mid-2025 and therefore won’t get these seats. The planes receiving the “Mini Mint” seats are expected to be configured as follows:

• Airbus A220: 8 First Class and 135 Economy seats (The A220 currently has 140 seats)
• Airbus A320: 12 First Class and 150 Economy seats (The A320 currently has 162 seats)
• Airbus A321ceo: 12 First Class and 186 Economy seats (The A321ceo currently has 200 seats)
• Airbus A321neo: 12 First Class and 188 Economy seats (The A321neo currently has 200 seats)

As you can see from the numbers above, JetBlue won’t be reducing the seat count by any meaningful amount on these planes and will even add seats to the A220 fleet. Unfortunately for Economy passengers, the new First Class seats will come at the expense of seat pitch in the rear of the plane.

JetBlue currently offers 32″ of pitch in economy which is among the best in the country. In fact, when the airline launched as an all-Economy carrier in 2000, its Economy legroom was touted as one of the company’s key differentiators. Now, Economy seat pitch will shrink to 30″ to accommodate the new First Class cabin.

Now, it seems that the companies priorities have shifted. Unlike Southwest, which has been under attack from an activist investor due to its reluctance to change, JetBlue has evolved throughout the years to meet shifting demand. Though Southwest has remained profitable while JetBlue has struggled.

Southwest has continued to operate a single fleet type in an all Economy configuration and primarily flies between destinations in the Continental United States and is famously independent. JetBlue on the other hand has diversified its fleet, started flying transatlantic flights, added Mint business class on transatlantic and select domestic routes, and attempted to partner with American on the Northeast Alliance (which was struck down by a judge).

I’m curious to see how this story unfolds and what other implications this has for the airline. Earlier today, Alaska announced that they were adding more premium seats to their fleet, reflecting the continued increase in demand for more premium options.

Summary

According to Live and Let’s Fly, JetBlue is planning to add a “mini Mint” domestic First Class cabin to all of its non-Mint equipped aircraft beginning in 2026. If this comes to fruition, it will mark the next phase in JetBlue’s transformation from a low-cost carrier to a full service, premium oriented airline. Could JetBlue branded lounges be next?

(Photos courtesy JetBlue)