JetBlue's BlueFirst goes on sale: domestic first class on 30-plus routes from December 8

JetBlue's new domestic first class is now for sale. The airline said on October 15 that BlueFirst can be booked on select flights across more than 30 routes, with the first paying flight set for December 8 from Boston to Fort Lauderdale.

For years, JetBlue sold two very different products. Mint, its lie-flat business class, flew on long and premium routes. Everywhere else, the best seat was an Even More Space seat in the main cabin. BlueFirst fills the gap between them. It goes on the part of the fleet that has no Mint cabin, which is most of the airline's short and medium routes.

What the seat and service include

JetBlue describes BlueFirst as a two-by-two cabin. The airline says each seat has five inches of recline and up to seven more inches of legroom than a standard Main seat. There is a 13.3-inch seatback screen with Bluetooth, so travelers can pair their own headphones.

Food depends on distance. On flights of 899 miles or more, JetBlue says BlueFirst customers get a full meal with an entrée, a side and a dessert. Snacks come on every flight. The drinks list includes wines picked by a sommelier, specialty coffee and premium teas, and orders can be placed from the seatback screen.

On the ground, BlueFirst comes with Group 1 boarding, set-aside overhead bin space, priority check-in and bag handling. JetBlue also says BlueFirst customers get expedited security lanes at more than 30 participating airports.

Three fares, three sets of rules

Like most airlines now, JetBlue is selling the cabin in tiers.

• BlueFirst includes two checked bags, free seat selection at booking and no change or cancellation fees.
• BlueFirst Flex adds refunds to the original form of payment if you cancel before departure, plus free same-day switches and standby.
• BlueFirst Base is the cheapest. It has one checked bag, free seat selection only in the 24 hours before departure, and fees for changes and cancellations.

The Base fare is the one to read closely. It looks like first class from the aisle, but its rules are closer to a discounted main-cabin ticket.

Introductory prices end fast

JetBlue is pushing the launch with one-way fares from $249. The examples it gives are $249 between LaGuardia and Fort Lauderdale, $299 between Boston and Fort Lauderdale, and $299 from JFK to Liberia, Costa Rica. These fares are limited and must be booked by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on October 16. Blackout dates vary by route.

Where BlueFirst flies first

December starts with Fort Lauderdale flights to Boston, Buffalo, Liberia, LaGuardia and Washington, D.C. JetBlue says the cabin will reach select Fort Lauderdale–LaGuardia flights within days of the Boston launch.

January brings the biggest wave. It includes Boston to Austin and Houston; Fort Lauderdale to Aruba, Austin, Cartagena, Charlotte, Nashville, San José and San Juan; JFK to Cancún, Liberia and San Juan; and LaGuardia to Orlando and West Palm Beach.

February adds routes such as Fort Lauderdale to Dallas-Fort Worth, New Orleans, Hartford and Santo Domingo, and JFK to Aruba, Fort Myers and Providenciales. March brings Medellín and Westchester County flights. April adds a batch of Boston routes, including Denver, Orlando, Tampa and San Juan.

JetBlue calls these the earliest scheduled BlueFirst flights, and it warns that schedules and aircraft can change. If you are booking for a specific trip, check the seat map before paying for the upgrade.

What it means for lounge access

This is the question many premium flyers will ask, and the answer is narrower than you might hope. The release does not say that a BlueFirst ticket on its own opens the door to JetBlue's BlueHouse lounges. Today those lounges are at JFK and Boston, and JetBlue's rules give free entry to Mint and Mint Flex customers.

What the release does say is that TrueBlue Mosaic 4 members and eligible JetBlue Premier Card holders keep their complimentary BlueHouse access when they book BlueFirst Base. In other words, the cheapest first-class fare does not take away a lounge benefit those travelers already had. Our story on the Boston BlueHouse opening covers the current entry rules in more detail.

That matters most at the airline's biggest BlueFirst airport. Fort Lauderdale has no BlueHouse, so BlueFirst travelers starting there will need a card lounge or a paid option instead. At LaGuardia, JetBlue flies from Terminal B, where card and paid lounges are the main choices.

Upgrades for TrueBlue members

There is a loyalty change too. JetBlue says Move to Mint certificates become Premium Upgrade Certificates, which can be used for Mint or BlueFirst. Eligible Mosaic members will also get free, space-available upgrades to BlueFirst at launch.

How it compares

BlueFirst puts JetBlue closer to what Delta, United and American sell on domestic flights. Those airlines have offered recliner-style first class for decades. JetBlue's pitch is price, and its CEO, Joanna Geraghty, framed the cabin as a more accessible version of first class.

For travelers, the real test will be how often the seats are on sale at a modest premium over Even More Space. If the gap stays small, BlueFirst could become the default choice on Florida and Caribbean trips. JetBlue's Fort Lauderdale–Cali launch the same day shows how much the airline is building around that airport.