Inside Breeze Airways’ swanky Airbus A220 with a whopping 36 first-class recliners
You may have never heard of Breeze Airways before. But after seeing this plane, you might want to add them to your list.
Breeze, one of America's newest startup carriers, first took to the skies in May, with a small fleet of used Embraer 190 family aircraft. The airline is the brainchild of serial airline entrepreneur David Neeleman, who's perhaps best known for launching JetBlue in the U.S.
His latest project, Breeze, is about to enter a massive growth phase, as the airline unveiled its first of 80 new Airbus A220-300s on Tuesday at the planemaker's assembly line in Mobile, Alabama.
While the plane itself is big news for Breeze — it's likely to enter revenue service in 2022 — it's also a show-stopper from a passenger experience perspective: it sports a whopping nine-row first-class cabin with 36 recliners that span nearly half to the plane's fuselage.
36-seat first-class cabin
Once inside, it's immediately clear that this is one of the most premium-heavy cabin configurations in the skies. Domestically, it rivals United's "high-J" Boeing 767-300ER, which features a 16-row Polaris cabin with 46 pods, and American's Airbus A321T — that carrier's high-end transcon workhorse.
There are three other A220 operators in North America. Air Canada and Delta offer a first-class cabin, but both have just 12 recliners on their A220-300s — 24 fewer than Breeze will have.
The third operator, JetBlue, outfits its A220-300 in a 140-seat all-economy configuration.
Breeze selected the Safran Z600 for its first-class recliner. Each row is arranged in a 2-2 configuration, with 39 inches of pitch and 20.5 inches of width.
There's a footrest at each seat, too — a nifty feature that you don't usually see in domestic first-class products.
A large tray table folds out from the center armrest, with a built-in cupholder and tablet stand as well.
Behind each seat is a literature pocket, phone stand and coat hook. You'll find a water bottle storage compartment underneath the forward seats.
Each first-class recliner has access to a universal power outlet, as well as a USB-A and USB-C charging port.
Notably there's no privacy divider between these seats, and some flyers might complain that they also lack in-seat storage. Other than the literature pocket and a small nook between the seats, you'll need to keep you items stowed in your carry-on bags.
There are two manual buttons built into each armrest — one controls the recline, and the other controls the legrest.
As part of the unveiling, Breeze is introducing a third fare bucket, dubbed "Nicest," which includes a first-class seat assignment, additional checked bag and free Wi-Fi.
While you might be on the hook for a $200 (or more) upcharge for domestic first class on the legacy carriers, Breeze will significantly undercut the competition. Neeleman estimates that he'll charge around $25 to $50 extra for the "Nicest" fare — a phenomenal deal for one of these recliners.
Interestingly, there's no cabin divider set up between the biz and coach cabins — and the airline isn't planning to install one, according to Neeleman.
90-seat coach cabin
Right behind Row 9 is where you'll find the 90 coach seats. The first two rows, 10 and 11, are in an extra-legroom configuration with 33 inches of pitch, while the regular coach seats have between 30 and 31 inches of pitch.
The exit row has fixed armrests and generous legroom, but due to the exit door, the windows aren't nearly as large as the others.
The second row of extra legroom seats, Row 11, has 33 inches of pitch, but the windows aren't perfectly aligned for easy shoulder-level viewing.
All coach seats are based on the Safran Z110i model with 18.8 inches of width.
They're lined in leather and have red and yellow accents. A Breeze executive noted that these finishes are just temporary, with new ones being installed in the coming months that will feature another shade of blue.
Coach is arranged in an A220-standard 2-3 configuration, with one fewer middle seat per row than you typically find on larger single-aisle jets.
Each coach seat features both a USB-A and a fast-charging USB-C port.
Additionally, the headrests can be raised and lowered, and the wings can be angled for added comfort.
Amenities
As for amenities, all of Breeze's A220s will feature satellite-based internet connectivity. The airline hasn't yet selected a provider, but expects a decision to be announced in the "coming weeks."
So far, Neeleman has confirmed that there will be a free messaging option, and customers purchasing the "Nicest" fare will be entitled to a complimentary full-flight access pass.
Breeze isn't installing seat-back entertainment, but it will offer streaming options to your mobile device.
There are three lavatories on the Breeze A220, one at the front for first-class flyers, and two at the back for coach passengers.
In addition to the swanky cabin configuration, the A220 has some other flyer-friendly features, including large overhead bins with room for one rollaboard per passenger, oversized windows (measuring 11 inches wide by 16 inches tall), roughly 20-inch wide aisles and snazzy mood lighting.
Bottom line
Breeze's Airbus A220 will soon become the swankiest commercial jet in the domestic skies.
With a massive, 36-seat first-class cabin, nearly half of the plane is outfitted with fancy recliners.
The 90-seat economy cabin looks quite comfortable too, thanks to the leather seats, a favorable 2-3 configuration, larger overhead bins and easy access to power outlets.
Once you see it for yourself, you might be hoping that Breeze and its new A220 lands in your closest airport.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.