JetBlue's BlueFirst domestic first class takes off December 8 - no middle seats

Celebrity & Entertainment journalist
A JetBlue A220-300 aircraft departing Boston airport
JetBlue A220-300 departing Boston Wikimedia Commons / CC0

JetBlue is getting a first class. On November 11 the airline introduced BlueFirst, a new domestic first-class cabin that takes off December 8 on the daily Boston to Fort Lauderdale route, with Fort Lauderdale to New York LaGuardia close behind. The section fills the first three rows with 12 seats arranged two-by-two, so nobody gets stuck in a middle seat.

The seat is about three inches wider than JetBlue's regular Main seat and comes with up to seven extra inches of legroom and a five-inch recline. The cushion uses Tuft & Needle's T&N Flex foam - yes, the mattress company - and the headrest has wings that fold in to cradle your head. True to JetBlue's un-stuffy reputation, there is no curtain separating BlueFirst from the rest of the plane. "Premium, but not pretentious," is how Stephanie Evans Greene, the airline's senior vice president of marketing and brand, puts it.

What's actually included

Every seat has a 13.3-inch screen with Bluetooth, USB-A and USB-C ports, an outlet, and free Wi-Fi, plus reserved overhead bin space. Passengers get a blanket and an amenity kit with socks, earbuds, mouthwash, and OSEA Malibu skincare. Perks start before boarding, too: priority check-in, a faster security lane at more than 30 airports, Group 1 boarding, and two free checked bags on most fares. Even BlueFirst Base, the cheapest of the three, includes one checked bag.

Meals arrive as bento-style boxes on flights of 899 miles or more, with options like a pastrami sandwich, sesame noodles with crispy wontons, or hazelnut-ricotta crepes at breakfast. There is no oven on board, so everything is served cold or at room temperature, but a premium snack basket softens that - think Swedish candy from Sockerbit and Cape Cod chips. Drinks get the real show: Mixologist Mode on the seatback screen lets you build your own cocktail, adding up to four items from the full menu, served in glassware from Fable.

BlueFirst is a recliner, not the lie-flat Mint business class, and the two will never share a plane. Mint keeps its transcontinental and transatlantic routes, while BlueFirst lands on the shorter leisure flying JetBlue is known for. Tickets are on sale now for December travel, with more than 30 routes added through 2026 and JFK to Cancun, Liberia, and San Juan coming in January. The retrofit should wrap up by the end of 2027, but until then it is worth checking your specific flight - not every departure will have the new cabin right away.

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