JetBlue’s “Even More Space” product offers industry-leading legroom for economy class. This A321 review covers my journey from Palm Beach to Los Angeles.
JetBlue A321 “Even More Space” Economy Class Review
I chose not to fly Mint on the return…that was tough, especially for a flight blocked at over 6.5 hours, but wanted to give JetBlue’s “Even More Space” economy class seats a review. The base ticket was $123 and the upgrade to extra legroom was $116.
Not only was my flight to LAX the inaugural Palm Beach to Los Angeles flight, but it was also the inaugural Mint flight out of PBI. Consequently, a celebration occurred at the gate before the flight with balloons and a ribbon cutting.
Boarding commenced on time and took less than 20 minutes. It would not be a full flight and I found myself with a whole row to myself in the second row of Even More Space.
B6 2009
West Palm Beach (PBI) – Los Angeles (LAX)
Friday, November 20
Depart: 05:22PM
Arrive: 08:58PM [07:30PM actual]
Duration: 6hr,36min
Aircraft: Airbus A321
Seat: 7D (“Even More Space” Economy Class)
Despite being on the of last to board, I saw that the “Even More Space” cabin was virtually empty. Meanwhile, the main cabin was busier, though JetBlue is still blocking all middle seats onboard through the end of the month.
Seats
The selling point of these seats is the extra legroom. Row seven has 37″ inches of seat pitch, four inches more than the already-generous seat pitch of 33″ throughout the cabin. Row six, the emergency exit row, has even more legroom.
Here’s some pictures I took of the cabin during my outbound flight to West Palm Beach:
It may have been psychological due to the extra legroom, but I also felt the leather seats had more padding and were comfortable for extended sitting. It would be a productive flight of work and the ability to stretch my legs without getting up aided that productivity.
Power outlets are located under the seat (one per seat…not two for three)…that’s another selling point once flights fill up again.
Food + Drink
During the pandemic, JetBlue offers a modified service in economy class. Soft drinks, juice, and water plus complimentary snacks are available during the flight, as is a “SavorUp” tapas-style snack box and a “PickMeUp” cheese plate for purchase.
One of my favorite parts of the JetBlue flying experience is the TERRA Sweets & Blues chips. Sadly, this flight only had a selection of PopCorners popcorn chips, Cheez-It crackers, and Goodie Girl Cookies homestyle chocolate chip cookies (all were tasty, though). Flight attendants came by at toward the start fo the flight and again about 90 minutes before landing.
I ordered the cheese plate for $9…totally not worth it. This is a $3 cheese plate that JetBlue should not charge more than $6 for. The cheese was good, but portion size small.
While coffee, tea, and alcohol are free flowing in MINT class, no hot beverages or alcohol are available in economy class.
During the pandemic, JetBlue’s self-serve snacks and drinks are not available from the forward galley.
Service
Service was very friendly…it’s not just a Mint thing. Flight attendants smiled and were proactive. At one point in the flight, a FA came by to collect trash, noticed my water bottle was empty, and proactively brought me another one. It was such a nice touch.
By the way, if you get cold blankets and pillows are available for purchase for $6 each. I got cold…
Wi-Fi + IFE
JetBlue’s IFE system includes complimentary movies, live TV, and SiriusXM satellite radio.
There’s also complimentary internet at decent speeds for 40,000 feet:
Lavatory
Two lavatories are located in the rear of the cabin and one in the front, which is also used by Mint customers. I used the mid-cabin lavatory, which I found to be clean (and far more spacious than the atrocious mid-cabin lavatories on the Boeing 737 MAX).
Is It Worthwhile?
Having a whole row to myself and the room to stretch my legs was worth the extra cost. Would it be if the flight was totally empty in the back? No. How about if the flight was full? Yes, as I value productivity at more than $19/hour ($116/6).
Schedule Padding
This is a new service, but JetBlue has really schedule padded. The flight took five hours instead of the projected 6.5 hours, meaning we pulled into the gate at LAX almost 90 minutes early. Thankfully, there was an open gate!
CONCLUSION
JetBlue’s economy class product is nothing special in terms of onboard service, but it was great to be able to stretch out in an “Even More Space” seat and enjoy speedy and complimentary wi-fi onboard. Flight attendants were also kind. I would not hesitate to fly JetBlue economy class again and upgrade. Hopefully next time the TERRA Sweets & Blues will be back!
Hopefully this lasts longer than the AA PBI to LAX flight did a few years ago. It’s nice not having to drive to MIA when I need to go out west.
Matt, this was the best showing and description of the non-Mint aspects of JetBlue’s A321 Mint plane I have ever seen.
I worry constantly about seat choice for my tall kid, always place him in the Extra Space seats, and always wonder if the seat I have chosen was the best choice.
These pics are simply an eyefull, just what I needed, and stunning.
Thank you so much!
Question, do you recall if the window seat in row 7 was more narrow than the other seats in the row? Perspective and depth being tricky, I get the sense they may be. Your thoughts?
Thanks again.
Hi there, thanks for your kind words. I have to be honest: I simply don’t remember. But after your flight, please do let us know here.
Hi, Matt.
My tall son (college) flew, seated at the window in 8F, and said all the seats in the row seemed to be of equal width, though the underseat space for his feet, under 7F, was a bit more narrow than one might expect. (A long piece of moulding runs the length of the bottom of the wall, impinging a bit on the foot space in this row of the Even More Space cabin.)
I would have loved to include a pic but his pics would never have had the clean, considered composition you feature on your site.
Thanks for your insight. Appreciate the warning about 7F.
I appreciate your pictures and review! We have a trip planned from CA to NY in June 2023, and we’re taking our (then) 1 year-old son. I booked three seats in row 1 of the “even more space block,” but I’m re-thinking our seat selection for a few reasons. 1). The arm rests don’t appear to go up in the first row, which would make breastfeeding extremely difficult. 2). I believe the tv screens are an arm attachment that comes from under the seat vs. the back of the head of the seat in front of you, and this would be super annoying while trying to hold a baby – I anticipate the screen and arm would constantly be in the way. 3). I’m thinking that the proximity to the bathroom is actually a serious con because of the constant light and noise – especially sharing a wall with the bathroom. 4). I’m afraid passengers will inevitably encroach into our space as they step aside for bathroom or flight attendant traffic.
All good thoughts. Indeed, I would move a row or two back.
The seats on these planes were extremely uncomfortable. I’d rather sit in a nyc subway seat for 4 hours.
33″ is “generous” legroom? Well, I guess it is if you’re 4’8.