JetBlue thinks there may be some skiers willing to pay for its ultimate Mint business class experience.
New York-based carrier announced This week, the airline will begin flying a Mint-equipped Airbus A321 to Bozeman, Montana, on a limited schedule from February 14, 2025, to March 30, 2025.
The airline will provide business class on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays on flights to and from Boston and New York during peak ski season in Montana.
Flights will operate on a daytime schedule, departing from the Northeast in the mid-morning and arriving in Bozeman in the early afternoon. The planes will then return to the East Coast in the late afternoon and arrive in Boston and New York around 9 p.m.
In addition to the special Mint service, the airline will fly regular economy jets from Boston and New York to Bozeman during this time. 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 available for purchase now, and one-way fares start at around $900.
JetBlue said it will add Mint service to Bozeman to “meet the evolving needs of our customers by providing superior travel options with an enhanced flying experience.”
Back when Mint was introduced in 2014, JetBlue limited its business class experience to a few key routes. It was originally designed for premium transcontinental flights from New York and Boston to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
But as the airline added more Mint-equipped jets to its fleet over the years, it also rolled out Mint service to a number of other premium transcontinental markets, such as Seattle and San Diego. JetBlue also flies Mint planes to select Caribbean destinations during peak holiday seasons and on weekends when it doesn’t need to operate as many transcontinental frequencies. (Business travel typically slows during these times.)
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Mint is also a premium class seat that JetBlue offers on its transatlantic flights to Europe launched in 2021. The airline has two Mint products: the original product launched in 2014 and flies primarily on domestic and short-haul routes, and Newer products Launched in 2021 to expand into the European market.
However, today JetBlue has scaled back its expansion in Europe — at least during the winter, when transatlantic demand typically drops — to refocus its network on profitable routes.
During this time, JetBlue could send some of its business-class-equipped planes to hangars on less profitable routes or look for other routes with enough premium demand to fill a 16-seat cabin.
JetBlue seems to think it has found one of the latter with Bozeman, the gateway to the famous Big Sky ski resort and the nearby, luxurious Yellowstone Club for wealthy skiers. Bozeman is also the gateway to Yellowstone National Park, but that national park is not as crowded in the winter.
Bozeman joins other new cities recently announced by Mint, including Phoenix; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Vancouver, British Columbia.
All of these moves come as JetBlue doubles down on its JetForward strategy to return to profitability. The airline is adjusting its network to focus on leisure and VFR (visiting friends and relatives) demand from key cities in the Northeast.
JetBlue’s original Mint product (which flies to Bozeman) is arranged in a 2-2, 1-1 alternating configuration. Travelers enjoy lie-flat beds, restaurant-quality dining, amenities from Tuft and Needle and more.
Mint was previously considered the best domestic business class product, but the seats are definitely starting to show their age. The airline has yet to announce renovation The program is for these 10-year-old cabins, but may soon be available as the airline prepares to launch a more expansive premium cabin experience.
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