JetBlue unveils new small business seat aimed at London flights | Analysis

JetBlue Airways has unveiled new entire-flat enterprise seats ahead of its planned launch of flights to London later on this calendar year.

The New York-based airline states the new seat, equipped by British isles manufacturer Thompson Aero Seating, will at first be deployed in a 16-seat format on a limited amount of flights between JFK and Los Angeles in June.

Providers to London are scheduled to start off throughout third quarter, with a 24-seat format in the airline’s Mint premium area.

Thompson claims the seat is a “fully bespoke” version of its Vantage Solo merchandise, a further advancement of the first seat JetBlue introduced in 2014. That was the 1st complete-flat seat for single-aisle plane, the company notes.

Not like the unique Vantage variation, the new seats are mounted in a herringbone structure, providing each high quality traveller a suite with immediate aisle access, a 17in Thales Avant IFE screen, and a sliding suite door.

The two entrance-row seats – marketed by JetBlue as “Mint Studios” – characteristic extra amenities designed into the monuments that individual the seats from the ahead doorway entry and galley area. This consists of self-services water and snack materials, a 22-inch screen, added fold-down tables and stowage places, and an articulating visitor seat “to build an expansive sleeping or lounging surface” with the folded-down principal seat, Thompson suggests.

Designed in co-procedure with London-centered design and style firm Acumen, the new seat is component of what JetBlue terms the “first total redesign” of its Mint top quality product or service.

“Mint was an plan to make high quality travel across the US considerably less stuffy and more very affordable, and its efficiency has exceeded even our most optimistic anticipations of likely further than New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco,” states JetBlue chief functioning officer Joanna Geraghty.

The item is now accessible on additional than 30 routes nowadays.

Thompson controlling director Neil Taggart describes the seat arrangement as “ground-breaking” for narrowbodies. “From only a 33-inch seat pitch, it provides a entirely horizontal flat bed with direct aisle accessibility for every single seat… presenting an exceptional organization-class seating knowledge typically only the reserve of a widebody cabin,” he states.

As for JetBlue’s extensive-awaited London routes, the provider on 19 January complained to the US Department of Transportation that the British isles governing administration is shielding airlines that have slots at Heathrow and Gatwick airports but are not using them. In spite of this obstacle, JetBlue chief govt Robin Hayes has explained the New York-primarily based provider has a “path” to get started operations at “more than one” London airport.