After a long day in Miami, we stepped onto a JetBlue A321 for our five-hour journey back to Los Angeles in Mint (business class). As always, JetBlue delivered a stellar product with a comfortable seat and excellent service, food, and bedding…there were no surprises on this flight.
JetBlue A321 Mint Review [FLL-LAX]
In considering how to get home, I found no reasonable points options and sky-high premium cabin paid fares…with one exception. If we waited till late in the evening and flew out of Fort Lauderdale instead of Miami, tickets were $859.10 each in Mint.
That’s still high, but this was a special trip so I was willing to splurge more than usual. Even booking several weeks in advance, all the Mint Suites were taken but that was fine: I’d be sitting right next to my son Augustine.
We showed up at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport having already checked in and without any checked baggage, so we just walked past the check-in counters and to our gate.
JetBlue does not have any lounges and there are also no Priority Pass lounges there.
So we just waited at the gate and were informed that our inbound aircraft was delayed and we’d be taking off 30 minutes late.
Finally, boarding was called 9:51 pm, 11 minutes after scheduled departure.
JetBlue 2501
Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) – Los Angeles (LAX)
February 2024
Depart: 9:40 PM
Arrive: 12:45 AM+1
Duration: 06hr, 05min
Distance: 2,343 miles
Aircraft: Airbus A321
Seat: 3D (“Mint” Business Class)
Our aircraft, named “Seize The Mo Mint” (registration N990JL), was delivered in November 2017.
Seats
The “classic” Mint product on most JetBlue A321 aircraft features 16 Thompson Aero Vantage seats arranged in an alternating 2-2, 1-1 pattern (three rows of 2-2, two rows of 1-1). The “suite” seats in rows two and four have doors that shut, three electrical outlets, and are both spacious and private. The bed is 80 inches when fully lie-flat.
Our “regular” seats in rows 1, 3, and 5 are also 22 inches wide and convert into an 80-inch flat bed, but there was only a small partition between seats and no doors.
Not only was the cabin full, but there were personal air vents above each seat.
Augustine was quite impressed.
Waiting on the seat was a menu and wine list, amenity kit, headphones, and bedding pack with pillow and duvet. The Tuft & Needle bedding includes a soft pillow and duvet and Augustine opened his immediately and got cozy.
We slept quite well during the flight.
Food + Drink
Augustine and I enjoyed a Mint Condition cocktail before takeoff (his without alcohol…).
Before takeoff, dinner orders were taken. Meals are always a treat on JetBlue and looking over dinner, I saw five choices, all of which looked nice.
I ordered the lamb shoulder, Cacio e Pepe, and a wedge salad.
Augustine ordered the Chicken Milanese with only salad.
Augustine promptly fell asleep after takeoff…meal service was delayed for about 45 minutes due to turbulence.
The meal began with a bowl of crackers (which sadly seem to have replaced the far superior Marcona almonds drizzled in olive oil). I shifted to club soda to drink.
I woke up Augustine and he sat up for a moment before going back to bed.
Then came the meal.
Delicious as always…
I woke Augustine up again to eat, but he was really out by that point. After sitting up and staring at his food for a moment, he fell back asleep…and I let him sleep.
I may have eaten his chicken…
Both meals were served with vanilla gelato (topped in lemon marmalata and black pepper shortbread). Very nice treat and I did not mind everything being served on one tray at that late hour.
Before landing, chocoloate-covered almonds were offered, which has been the standard pre-arrival offering in Mint for many years.
A bottle of water was present at each seat.
IFE + Wi-Fi
High-speed Wi-Fi is complimentary on JetBlue and worked flawlessly when I used it (at the beginning and end of the flight).
Each seat has a screen with live TV and a limited selection of movies on demand. I began watching Oppenheimer, but since I also quickly fell asleep I did not get very far.
The map was totally off..I wish we had 11 hours onboard to sleep…
Lavatory
Mint passengers have a dedicated lavatory in the front of teh aircraft. It was clean, though contained no extra amenities.
Amenity Kit
JetBlue offers Mint passengers a Tuft & Needle branded amenity kit in a recycled paper envelope. Contents included:
- socks
- earplugs
- eye mask
- facial wipes
- Scentuals peppermint lip gloss
- Elemental Labs electrolyte drink mix (powder)
CONCLUSION
I guess the paradox of the flight as that Augustine just went right to sleep and was too tired to even eat his meal. That’s the beauty of flying business class…but I doubt he would have had any trouble sleeping in economy class.
Still, it was a very fitting end to a wonderful trip together…the sort of trip I hope to repeat many times in the years ahead to new and exciting destinations.
As usual, JetBlue is solid. The IFE system is old, but the service and food onboard was excellent as always and the Mint seat is very comfortable.
If there will be a water leak , it will happen over Louisiana .
It will dry out over Arizona .
Glad you had a great finish to the trip. I am lucky that now for the first time since graduating high school I live in the same time zone as my parents – and not very far from them at that. It has been nice once again traveling with my father. Makes a nice change from normal travel alone for work.
Nice pictures and a well written article.. Just a word of advice; Your son Augustine needs a haircut.. I know you think you’re a cool parent but you aren’t. Teach him how to be a real man, the days of wokeness are behind us, America will soon be a land where only the strong survive, teach your kid to be strong, tough, and how to fight and shoot a gun. The Chinese and Russians are coming. They don’t raise their boys to be girls.
Lol! Thats what I told him weeks ago! When I first started reading this flog I could tell if he was male or female! It needs at bit of a trim at least.
Just what the F, troll? Go live under the jet bridge. You can stay asleep while the rest of us stays woke.
You’re 57 and commenting on a child’s appearance. Get off the internet mama.
Ok boomer
Hilarious.
Didn’t know B6 had this route from FLL to LAX. Would rather take this than DL from FLL or even AA’s flagship product from MIA to LAX.
Would it kill them to hold off on serving the hot plates until you’re done with the cold?
Such a basic change that could really improve the service on such a long flight.
That chicken looked FRESH! How was it?
Do airlines still have those ‘junior pilot’ or whatever pins they used to give out to children?