Over the past 20 years, JetBlue has become a major player in the U.S. domestic and, more recently, international markets. As the first U.S. carrier to offer free Wi-Fi on all flights to all passengers and with the most legroom in coach on any U.S. airline, JetBlue markets itself as a premium low-cost airline. 

However, in recent years JetBlue has struggled to achieve profitability, cut dozens of routes, struggled with delays and cancellations, and has increased checked baggage fees and prices. The Wall Street Journal has ranked JetBlue as America’s worst airline three years in a row, even lower than Spirit and Frontier. 

On a recent trip to Las Vegas, I flew on JetBlue from the airline’s hub at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City to Las Vegas McCarren International Airport (LAS) to put JetBlue’s transcontinental economy class experience to the test. 

 

Arriving at JFK
 

I arrived at JetBlue’s Terminal 5 around two hours before departure. Terminal 5 has 30 gates and is home to all of JetBlue’s JFK operations, shared with only commuter airline Cape Air. 
 

 

On the day of my flight, it was evident that the summer travel season was in full force. My first stop was at JetBlue’s self-service check-in kiosks to the left of the departure hall, where I printed my boarding pass and bag tag for my one checked bag. JetBlue recently increased the cost of their checked bags from $35 to $40, if purchased more than 24 hours before departure, and $50 if purchased during check-in. After printing my bag tag, I headed to the bag drop area where a JetBlue representative scanned my bag and loaded it onto the conveyor belt. 

 

The security lines at JFK were very crowded, with wait times for general security averaging half an hour. Luckily, I had TSA Pre-check which allowed me to clear security within 15 minutes. 
 

 

Like many airports globally, JFK now uses facial recognition technology instead of physical driver's licenses as a means of identification. Passengers are always welcome to opt out of the facial recognition process for a traditional ID check. 

JetBlue Terminal 5
 

After passing through security, I entered the main hall at the center of Terminal 5. Here, passengers can find numerous restaurants and a large CIBO Express food market where you can pick up snacks, drinks, and some hot food for your flight. 

My flight, JetBlue 1316, was operated by a nine-year-old Airbus A321 registered as N944JT and was waiting at gate 17. 
 

Boarding
 

We began boarding right on time at 9:35 a.m. Since my ticket came with priority boarding, I was allowed to board as a part of group B (JetBlue has boarding groups A through F). When flying JetBlue, it is important to note that overhead bin space for carry-on bags fills up quickly. Passengers who boarded the aircraft at the end of the boarding process were forced to gate-check their luggage to their final destination. 

The Seat
 

JetBlue’s economy class seats on their Airbus A321 aircraft are arranged in a 3-3 configuration. Each standard coach seat has 33 inches of legroom, the most of any U.S. airline. And while the recline on JetBlue’s economy class seats is not groundbreaking, it makes the seat a little more comfortable to catch some shut-eye during your flight. 
 

At the front of the economy cabin, JetBlue offers ‘Even More Space’ seats which boast 38 inches of legroom for an additional fee, usually more than $100. 

In addition, on certain JetBlue aircrafts used for premium routes, including the one I was on, the front of the plane was reserved for the airline’s ‘Mint’ customers, JetBlue’s take on traditional business class. JetBlue offers an alternating 2-2 and 1-1 business class with fully lie-flat beds. Often dubbed as the best U.S. business class, JetBlue’s Mint seats offer additional privacy, space, premium dining, and drinks. 

 

Taxi, Takeoff, and Delays
 

While we pushed back from our gate on time, we faced numerous delays on the taxiway. Due to severe weather systems around the Philadelphia area, our southern departure route from JFK was heavily restricted, with air traffic control only permitting one departure every 10 to 15 minutes. As such, we were parked on the taxiway for about 45 minutes before joining the 18-aircraft-long departure line from runway 04L. 
 

 

The Flight
 

Overall, the climb, cruise, and descent were rather uneventful. About 30 minutes after departure from rainy New York, the cabin crew began the inflight service with meal boxes available for a fee. Next, free soft drinks and alcoholic beverages for purchase were offered. 90 minutes before landing, flight attendants came through the aisle for another full beverage service before we began our descent into Nevada. 

After reaching 10,000 feet, the inflight crew members informed us that the WiFi was available, however about 30 minutes later, the WiFi system had to be reset, which took 20 minutes. The WiFi connection was incredibly spotty throughout the rest of the flight, with the Internet connection appearing and disappearing without warning. 
 

While JetBlue does boast that it offers free WiFi, passengers should still come prepared with pre-downloaded movies and shows and offline work in case the WiFi connection is not strong enough to load webpages. 

 

Entertainment was not hard to come by on my flight. JetBlue offers many different movie and TV options and even offers live Directv. The in-flight entertainment system was a bit outdated. The screen did not respond well to touch, instead responding better to a small control system on the armrest. However, putting the control for the entertainment on the armrest was slightly annoying, as my seat-neighbor would accidentally dim the screen or increase the volume with his arm. The screen was a decent size, about 10 to 11 inches in diameter, but the graphic quality was very grainy. 
 

Approach and Landing
 

Our approach and landing in Las Vegas was nothing less than extraordinary. As we began our initial descent from our cruising altitude of 35,000 feet, I could make out the incredible beauty of the Grand Canyon about a hundred miles to the right of us. 

As we neared the Las Vegas area, our captain informed us that due to the crowded Vegas airspace, we would be passing right over Lake Meade and the Hoover Dam at about 10,000 feet. 
 

We made a final left turn onto the final approach course for runway 19L where views of Downtown Las Vegas and the famous Las Vegas strip were only about a mile to the right of the aircraft as we descended below 1,000 feet. 

 

 

Final Thoughts

After my five-hour flight to Las Vegas onboard JetBlue, I can say that the experience was very average. The seat was comfortable and the legroom was a generous amount. The flight attendants onboard my flight were extremely kind and were always willing to help make my experience as comfortable as possible. However, the on-and-off WiFi and older entertainment screens left a lot to be desired in those areas.

Despite the drawbacks, as the airline attempts to return to profitability after the Department of Justice struck down its Northeast partnership with American Airlines and its merger agreement with low-cost Spirit, JetBlue continues to offer a solid transcontinental experience with the ‘most legroom in coach.’