JetBlue made a big splash a few years ago when it announced new MINT suites with doors on its A321neo and A321LR aircraft for its new international flights.
Previously, the airline offered MINT class on the A321ceo, with 4 MINT suites with doors and 12 MINT seats on domestic routes. With the new plane deliveries, it would have 3 plane types with MINT class.
The FAA requires 1 flight attendant for every 50 passengers, but when doors are used, they require an additional flight attendant to verify that the doors are open during takeoff and landing.
That requirement was waived for the A321ceo, as there are only 4 doors in MINT class. That plane has 4 flight attendants for the 143 economy seats, 12 MINT seats, and 4 MINT suites with doors.
However, the FAA refused to offer a waiver for the A321neo and A321LR.
JetBlue’s A321LR has 114 economy seats and 24 MINT suites with doors, which means it needs 3 flight attendants, and 1 extra for the doors. JetBlue has been staffing these flights with 4 flight attendants. These planes operate the airline’s premium transatlantic flights.
JetBlue’s A321neo has 144 economy seats and 16 MINT suites with doors, which means it needs 4 flight attendants, and 1 extra for the doors. JetBlue has been staffing these flights with 5 flight attendants. These planes operate the airline’s lower yield transatlantic flights as well as some transcontinental routes.
But JetBlue is in cost-cutting mode and as of mid-August, JetBlue will stop MINT doors from operating on the A321neo. This will allow the airline to staff the flights with 4 flight attendants.
No need to stand clear of the closing doors on the A321neo…they’ll soon be locked in the open position.
It will save the airline some cash, but it’s also an incredible fail on JetBlue’s part. The MINT suites aren’t ideal as they are angled away from the window and into the aisle, but the doors make up for that by adding privacy so that you’re not facing everyone walking down the aisle. The loss of an operational door makes this a really subpar experience.
If people book away from JetBlue due to that, it will cost a lot more than an additional flight attendant.
- The A321neo operates on routes such as:
- Boston-Dublin
- Boston-London/LGW
- JFK-Dublin
- Boston-Los Angeles (Also operated by A321ceo)
- Boston-San Francisco (Also operated by A321ceo)
- JFK-Los Angeles (Also operated by A321ceo)
- JFK-San Francisco (Also operated by A321ceo)
For the time being at least, the airline will continue to offer operational doors on the A321LR with an extra flight attendant, which serves its flagship transatlantic routes like Amsterdam, London/LHR, and Paris.
What do you think of this change? Will JetBlue relent and hire another flight attendant for the A321neo? Or will they eventually cut staffing and disable the doors on the A321LR?
HT: Seth Miller
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11 Comments On "JetBlue Descending: MINT Suite Doors Will Soon Be Disabled On The A321neo"
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no one will care about the doors , however if the service due to 1 less attendant becomes bad. it will create Larger issues
If the seats were reserve herringbone and facing the window, I’d agree. But with the seats facing the aisle, the doors are what make the seats decent.
I don’t understand.. It seems like the only reason they’re locking the doors is because it would require additional staff during takeoff and landing. Why can’t they just configure the doors to be locked open during takeoff/landing and unlocked for the remainder of the flight?
Because that requires an attendant to verify compliance. They aren’t automatic doors that can be controlled together.
Why not add a controller door system, should be way cheaper then hiring new employees
Would have to be certified by the FAA. No simple task.
Unions
I was just on the jfk London/Paris flights in Mint. Since the door is only so high, anyone walking by can see right in anyway and make eye co tact so it’s not like the door adds that much. Overall better off if the seats were angled to the window instead of the door
@EE — I haven’t seen the JetBlue doors, but I’ve seen doors in biz class on other airlines. Every one of them was low and offered basically zero additional privacy. I assume the low doors are a safety thing. I’ve also only ever seen one passenger close their door — probably because doing so is basically pointless. I frankly don’t understand the concept: I guess doors “sounds” fancy and private, and the concept is good enough.
It’s not for total privacy, but if you’re laying down, you see a door instead of an aisle with people looking in.
Qsuites are actually quite private