JetBlue brings Mint to Montana in rare move for this business-class product
JetBlue thinks there might be some skiers who are willing to splurge on its top-notch Mint business-class experience.
The New York-based carrier announced this week that it would start flying its Mint-equipped Airbus A321 to Bozeman, Montana, on a limited run from Feb. 14, 2025, to March 30, 2025.
The airline will offer its business-class cabin on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays on flights to and from Boston and New York during the peak Montana ski season.
Flights will operate with a daytime schedule, departing the Northeast midmorning and arriving in Bozeman in the early afternoon. The plane will then return to the East Coast later in the afternoon and arrive around 9 p.m. back in Boston and New York.
In addition to the special Mint service, the airline will fly its regular all-economy jets from Boston and New York to Bozeman during this period. All-economy service from Boston will operate on Mondays and Wednesdays, while economy flights from New York will operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Mint tickets are already available for purchase, and one-way fares start at around $900.
JetBlue says that it's adding Mint service to Bozeman to "meet the evolving needs of its customers by offering superior travel options with an elevated in-flight experience."
Back when Mint was introduced in 2014, JetBlue kept its business-class experience limited to a few key bread-and-butter routes. It was originally designed for premium transcontinental flights from New York and Boston to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
But as the airline has added more Mint-equipped jets to its fleet over the years, the carrier has also deployed Mint service to a few other premium-heavy transcontinental markets, such as Seatte and San Diego. JetBlue also flies Mint planes to select Caribbean destinations during peak holiday periods and on weekends when it doesn't need to operate as many frequencies on transcon routes. (Business travel usually slows down during these periods.)
Mint is also the premium cabin that JetBlue offers on its transatlantic flights to Europe that debuted in 2021. The airline has two Mint products: the original one that launched in 2014 and primarily flies on domestic and short-haul routes, and a newer product that debuted in 2021 for its European expansion.
These days, however, JetBlue has been scaling back its European expansion — at least, during the winter season, when transatlantic demand typically falls — to refocus its network on profitable routes.
During this time, JetBlue could send some of its business-class-equipped planes to the hangar on less profitable routes, or it could look for other routes with enough premium demand to fill a 16-seat cabin.
JetBlue seems to think it's found one of the latter with Bozeman, the gateway to the famed Big Sky ski resort and the nearby luxe private Yellowstone Club for deep-pocketed skiers. Bozeman is also the gateway to Yellowstone National Park, but the national park doesn't get too crowded during the winter.
Bozeman joins other new Mint cities announced recently, including Phoenix; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Vancouver, British Columbia.
All these moves come as JetBlue doubles down on its JetForward strategy to return to profitability. The airline is tweaking its network to focus on leisure and VFR (visiting friends and relatives) traffic from its Northeast focus cities.
JetBlue's original Mint product (the one flying to Bozeman) is arranged in an alternating 2-2, 1-1 configuration. Travelers enjoy lie-flat beds, a restaurant-quality dining experience, amenities from Tuft and Needle and much more.
Mint has historically been considered the best domestic business-class product, but the seats are definitely starting to show their age. The airline hasn't yet announced a retrofit program for these 10-year-old cabins, but one might be coming soon as the airline gears up to possibly launch a more extensive premium cabin experience.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
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 $6,000 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.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.