Review: JetBlue Even More Space Seat A220 (BOS-ATL)
JetBlue has always been an elusive airline for me. I've never lived in a major hub, however I have lived where there was one or two daily flights from the airport. I never really thought of them as anything more than a half-way low-cost airline that tries to have a premium product on long flights while offering affordable bare fares on short flights.
Booking
My entire booking on the airline was not something I mean to ever being doing and was originally a positioning flight for a flight that I ended up cancelling. With no real reason to fly jetBlue, my credit sat until it was about to expire. And I turned it into a quick weekend getaway to Boston.
Check-in
The airline really shines with their dedicated check-in terminal at Boston. There are a massive amount of self check-in kiosks along with self bag tagging areas. The only point you would ever talk to an agent, which there are not a lot staffed, is if you need special assistance.
Thankfully, everything is pretty self-explanatory, and there is even a "fast track" lane for jetBlue elite flyers as well as those who have purchased Mint or Even More Space seats.
The Seat
As with the Airbus seats, they are remarkably similiar. There is ample leg room and there is dedicated overhead bin space. One thing to note on these airplanes is that it isn't in a 3-3 configuration, instead it's in a 2-3 configuration. This may bode well for couples.
The seats on the left side are the more desirable seats and will go more quickly. They are perfect for couples and with the large windows and IFE screens, they're the hot item on the airplane.
While still decent on the legroom, if you happen to end up on the right side of the airplane. You'll have a middle seat partner who will be fighting for the arm rest. It's also interesting to note there is a media box under the center seats which obstructs foot space for the center passenger.
But what makes up for it, is that each passenger has a fully dedicated universal plug with a USB-C jack.
Service
I can say that this crew was miles better than the previous crew I had on the inbound flight to Boston. They were welcoming and attentive to the passengers, and more active in the aisles during the flight. They even offered a second service before landing, which the inbound flight crew did not offer on the similar length flight.
One thing I did find lacking still was the time between takeoff and first drinks service. The flight was smooth, and we had no forecasted turbulence along the flight, however it took just about 45 minutes after takeoff for the crew to start with the drinks service and a lagging behind of snack service.
I did enjoy that I got a full can of soda, rather than just a cup full of mostly ice. That is one improvement that I give, even over mainline carriers. For a flight of significant length, I'm not sure why that's not the norm.
Final Thoughts
I can say for a fact, the ride on the A220 was much better than an A320. The larger windows made gazing down at the earth during the evening a real treat, and the comfort of the quieter engines, lower cabin noise, and somewhat more comfortable seat was worth it.
Besides flying on their Mint product, I would choose an A220 over the other Airbus aircraft in their fleet without a thought in the world. And I believe, just like many other airlines, the quality of flight attendant you get is variable from flight to flight. I can say the captain was very apologetic over the short delay we had, and we made up most of the delay in the air. Ground staff was decent, and maybe a little abrupt, but that could just be the Boston demeanor.