Blue Plus Even More Space” has a 35 inch seat pitch–3 inches more than Blue–and includes priority boarding, one checked bag, and expedited TSA. The upgrade was $52 when I purchased it. From the outside, the A220-300 looks smaller than it actually is. Inside, JetBlue’s 2-3 seating and 32 inch /35 inch (Blue+) seat pitch can accommodate up to 140 passengers.
Preflight Sightseeing
Before the flight I visited the Delta Air Lines Flight Heritage Museum just outside the airport. It’s a 10-minute, $10 Uber or Lyft ride from the airport. The Lyft address database incorrectly co-located the Museum with nearby Delta headquarters. Coming from the airport, the museum is a bit beyond the headquarters entrance. At the museum I was greeted by the outside exhibits comprising a stunning DC-7B, a 747-400, MD-88 and 757.
These outside exhibits can be examined for free while the museum charges $15 per person for the inside portion, with discounts for seniors and small children. Inside highlights included a working Boeing 737–200 simulator (requires separate fee), a vast collection of models representing the airlines that Delta absorbed over the years, and their current Sky Team partners.
The 767-200 is the famous “The Spirit of Delta” which was purchased by the employees during the economic challenges of the early1980s. After the museum I went to the Kimpton Overland hotel to investigate its observation deck restaurant for lunch and some plane spotting. Unfortunately the hotel’s restaurants close from 2 PM to 5 PM; I got there at 2:20 and wasn’t willing to wait until 5. On to the airport…
Flight Review
- Atlanta – Boston
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Terminal E to Boston Logan Airport Terminal C
- 4 July 2023
- JetBlue flight 1096 Airbus A220–300
- Airplane name: Rob Dewar (N3008J)
- Fare type: Blue Plus, economy. Seat 4A
Atlanta Airport
A free, hotel shuttle ride later and I was deposited at the main terminal, Terminal T, where I tracked down lunch in the pre-security area, which is modern and quite spectacular.
The Blue Plus fare included expedited TSA, which was farther away than the standard TSA checkpoint. Being mid afternoon, there was no line TSA line so I skipped expedited.
Expedited TSA is an incentive to go with the Plus upgrade.
It’s hard to justify spending the extra money on Blue Plus based extra leg room when the standard Blue fare is quite roomy at 32 inches. Offering expedited TSA is an incentive to go with the Plus upgrade, especially if your flight is during a busy time. Plus seats are up front of course, making for quicker deplaning too. I didn’t see any moving sidewalks in Terminal T or Terminal E, where I would later end up. If you’re not in the hiking mood, I recommend a ride to your gate on one of the courtesy carts. As luck would have it, my gate had a table next to the window overlooking the ramp for some great plane spotting. I connected my iPhone to YouTube for an impromptu live stream. You can see it on the Planeviz YouTube channel under the Live tab.
After an hour or so we were informed that the departure gate had been changed to E34. That gate was on a Delta concourse and quite a distance from JetBlue’s usual Atlanta location in Terminal T. I took the plane train to Terminal E which had a lively food court including a piano player.
Naturally E34 was the last gate in Concourse E. Along the way to it I passed this gorgeous A350-900. This aircraft was being prepped for its Atlanta – Johannesburg, SA flight. At 14+ hours eastbound, it is one of the top 20 longest flights in the world as of 2023.
The gate handling my flight had no window facing the ramp, thus preventing a photo of our return A220. At about 9:20 PM–an hour and a half late–we boarded JetBlue 1096. I was seated in 4A with a nice view of the ramp and some distant fireworks on this July 4 night. We taxied to the runway, passing the colorfully illuminated Atlanta tower and took off for Boston.
Even More Space
JetBlue’s A220s have 140 economy class seats at Basic Blue, Blue, and Blue Plus fare levels. As noted earlier, Blue Plus pitch is 35 inches, plenty for my 5’9″ frame and my backpack. The Blue economy section behind looked nearly full. There were a few empty seats in the Plus section and I had no seat mate. The Plus product is called “Even More Space.”
The inflight entertainment system is impressive with its big screen, vast movie selection, satellite powered live broadcasts, and free WiFi. The movies and shows are arranged similarly to common streaming service presentation, including a kids section. There is a USB-A port on the screen’s bezel below the power icon and a USB-C and power port on the seat support below.
WiFi Access: Be sure to turn off any ad-blocker you may be using before going through the WiFi connection process; watching an ad is required to activate the free WiFi. The A220’s five abreast seating arrangement and nighttime ambiance made for a comfortable flight. Being a late flight, and somewhat quick at 2 hours, we were offered a beverage and pretzels.
Enroute
Toward the end of the flight we passed over Philadelphia and New York City for some spectacular air to ground views.
Finally, we had low ceilings and poor visibility in Boston for a foggy nighttime landing. We exited runway 4R onto 33R after some very aggressive breaking. Check out the 4K trip report video. No music or commentary. If you watch it on YouTube you can go to the specific timestamps that interests you. Thanks for joining me!
JetBlue initially ordered 60 Airbus A220-300s in July 2018, later increasing it to 100 in February 20223. The airline chose the A220 for its fuel efficiency, range, comfort and operating costs. The A220 will replace JetBlue’s older Embraer E190s and enable network expansion.
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