JetBlue Updates Cabins With New TVs, Improved Wi-Fi and More

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JetBlue might not have the best rewards program in the skies, but its in-flight experience is one of the best as far as domestic travel is concerned, even if you're not flying in JetBlue's awesome business class.

The airline recently announced that there are big changes coming to its economy product. Passengers will still have access to well-known perks like free Wi-Fi, snacks and in-flight television, but added features like new 10-inch HD entertainment screens in the seat back, as well as an updated and improved Wi-Fi system will work to enhance the overall experience.

While the changes won't come to JetBlue's A320 planes until at least 2017, it turns out the airline has already been rolling out the news seats on its A321 product, as I discovered when I happened to fly one one of the brand new planes to Aruba in December. The new screens are quite large and definitely dwarf those of other competitors — American Airlines, for example, has an 8.9-inch screen for economy seats on its A319 (15.4-inch screens for first-class passengers), while Delta has 7-inch or 9-inch screens on many of its aircraft and United has 9-inch monitors on its 757. After more than four hours in the sky, I found this product to be one of the best in-flight experiences I've had in a long time, especially on a shorter flight. The seats were spacious, the screens were wonderful and the plane itself was quite nice.

One of the best parts about this product refresh will be the gate-to-gate internet service. As of right now, JetBlue uses air-to-ground internet, which only works above 10,000 feet thanks to an antenna located at the bottom of the plane. The new system is satellite-based, so the coverage should be much better and passengers will be able connect for much longer during flights — a plus, especially for business travelers.

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Ultimately, JetBlue is still in the early stages of this update, with an anticipated timeframe of early 2017 to 2019 for the complete overhaul of the fleet. Overall, these new features are a welcome change to the flying experience. While some airlines are cutting back on the offerings, JetBlue is improving its in-flight service while also maintaining great perks like free Wi-Fi.

H/T: Condé Nast Traveler