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Odds of getting JetBlue's updated A320s are ever more in your favor

Zach Wichter
Articles
Zach Wichter covers the aviation industry for TPG. He previously worked for The New York Times.
Nov. 22, 2019
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2 min read
JetBlue A320 Retrofit ZH
Odds of getting JetBlue's updated A320s are ever more in your favor
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JetBlue customers hoping for a flight on one of the carrier's Airbus A320s with a "restyled" cabin interior have ever-improving odds as the calendar flips into 2020.

The carrier is in the midst of an overhaul to all 130 of its A320 aircraft. The aircraft makes up the bulk of JetBlue's fleet, but some of its A320 cabins haven't been updated since the airline first began flying nearly 20 years ago.

The overhaul of the A320s is now well under way, with about 40 already updated. The airline slowed the cabin upgrades earlier this year to help keep them in service as JetBlue grappled with delays in deliveries from Airbus of new A321neo jets.

Even with the slowdown, however, JetBlue said in July that it hoped to have 10 more refurbishments finished by the end of the year, and that pace seems to be holding.

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"We've restyled 40 A320s and continue to target approximately 50 aircraft by the end of 2019," JetBlue CFO said during the company's most recent earnings call last month.

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In total, JetBlue expects all 130 A320s to have updated cabins by the end of next year.

TPG's Zach Honig got a preview of the latest interior update earlier this year, concluding they are generally an improvement from the previous version.

Among the highlights: an updated seatback entertainment system, including USB power points, and universal outlets in every row. There are some lowlights, too: the airline is installing more seats, slightly reducing legroom, though Zach found that the seats' having a slimmer profile meant the changes aren't that noticeable. Yet, JetBlue still has a greater average pitch — or measure of distance between rows — than the other U.S. carriers.

According to SeatGuru, A320s with the new configuration have 27 rows, as opposed to 25 in the old layout — so if you're flying an A320 with two extra rows of seats, you'll likely be treated to a refreshed interior.

Related: Where to Sit When Flying JetBlue’s Retrofitted Airbus A320