JetBlue considers adding airport lounges for Mint business class

JetBlue does business class differently.

You won't find a traditional three-course meal, nor will you receive a standard amenity kit in JetBlue's well-regarded Mint product. Instead, you'll enjoy tapas-style fare from NYC's Delicious Hospitality Group, and you'll be gifted an amenity pack of trendy products from brands curated by Wanderfuel.

You also won't spot any mesh curtains separating the Mint cabin from the standard coach, or "core" seats, as the airline prefers to call the economy cabin.

Mint is JetBlue's take on business class, and it's grown in popularity in recent years, especially after the launch of a revamped suites and studio product and the beginning of transatlantic service to London last year.

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While JetBlue's Mint may be the best business-class experience offered by a U.S.-based carrier, it's certainly missing one key element of the traditional biz experience: lounge access.

JetBlue doesn't operate any lounges, nor does it partner with any airlines to offer frequent flyers and business-class customers an escape from the hustle and bustle of the terminal.

But that might change in the coming years. The New York-based airline is currently hiring a senior analyst for lounge product and strategy development, according to a recent job posting that was first spotted by Ben Schlappig.

In the job description, JetBlue notes that this candidate will "partner with internal stakeholders to define the product vision, strategy framework and roadmap for the lounge experience."

Of course, hiring a new senior analyst doesn't at all mean that JetBlue will move forward with opening a lounge, but at indicated that the carrier is at least considering doing so.

For its part, JetBlue shared that "we continue to evaluate lounges but remain primarily focused on competing in the air with our transatlantic service. This is one step in that process."

That said, it'll be interesting to see whether JetBlue moves forward with building out a network of lounges. The airline has promised future transatlantic growth, and it's possible that JetBlue is feeling the competitive pressure to add a lounge offering to match the incumbents.

However, JetBlue's business-class fares have historically been much more reasonable than those of the legacy carriers, so not having access to a lounge is likely factored into the fare.

If JetBlue were to open a lounge — which would require finding appropriate real estate in its big focus cities in New York and Boston — the airline would be on the hook for build-out costs, rent and staffing expenses, at the very least. This would likely translate to higher fares.

Until last year, JetBlue has only operated Mint on premium transcon routes, as well as on select services to the Caribbean. These domestic and short-haul international travelers likely didn't miss lounge access, but that could definitely be something on the wish list for those traveling on transatlantic missions to Europe.

Many business travelers prefer to eat dinner in the lounge and then head straight to sleep once the plane passes through 10,000 on the way to Europe.

Without a lounge, these flyers need to eat before arriving at the airport (or at an airport restaurant) or forgo precious sleep while waiting for service in the air.

JetBlue has a history of disrupting the premium-cabin market, so this will be interesting to follow. Perhaps the airline will come up with an innovative solution to airport lounges.

Maybe it could partner with a sit-down restaurant at JFK and Boston and offer flyers reserved seating and a complimentary three-course meal before flying to Europe, similar to how Priority Pass has teamed up with airport concessionaires.

Either way, the solution is likely years away — and with the proposed Spirit acquisition, JetBlue may never have the bandwidth or resources to dedicate to opening a network of lounges.