[PHOTOS] JetBlue’s A220 Design Capitalizes on Long-Haul Comfort Features
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JetBlue has unveiled the design of its new Airbus A220-300, which promises customers an elevated passenger experience traditionally associated with long-haul flights on wide-body aircraft.
JetBlue’s first A220 was delivered to the airline’s home at John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 5 in New York on December 31, 2020, and is the first of 70 the carrier has on order.
“With the A220, we’ve taken a state-of-the-art aircraft and added our award-winning touch to bring to life an experience only JetBlue could dream up,” said Jayne O’Brien, head of Marketing and Loyalty, JetBlue. “We look forward to welcoming customers on board our newest aircraft, with incredible onboard comfort, one-of-a-kind design elements, and unparalleled entertainment and connectivity.”
Among many passenger-pleasing features are roomy 18.6-inch wide Meridian seats from Collins Aerospace, finished with vegan Ultraleather fabric in soothing shades of blue with tangerine highlights. Laid out in a 3-2 configuration, the seats are embedded with Thales AVANT 10.1-inch, 1080P high-definition in-flight entertainment (IFE) screens and feature in-seat power with AC, USB-A and USB-C ports.
Each of the 140 seats – including six rows of “Even More Space” seating – are equipped with enhanced cushions for comfort, a contoured seatback design at knee level to boost legroom, and adjustable headrests. They also offer passengers room to nest, with compartmentalized mesh seatback pockets for water bottles and personal items.
The airline’s commitment to keeping passengers connected at altitude continues, with JetBlue’s A220s becoming the first of the type to be equipped with Viasat’s in-flight connectivity to power its free high-speed Fly-Fi service. Additionally, passengers can enjoy 30 channels of DIRECTV on their seatback screens, with DVR-like pause and rewind functionality, full seasons of shows, hundreds of movies, and premium content from HBO and SHOWTIME.
Other IFE features include a picture-in-picture function, an enhanced 3D flight map offering multiple ways to track the time to destination, and personal handheld device pairing capabilities to allow passengers to use their devices as a remote for the IFE screen or as a gaming controller.
JetBlue has enhanced the A220’s already ultra-modern design, playing up standard features by introducing larger windows and higher-capacity overhead bins. It has custom-programmed LED mood lighting with varying lighting scenarios that change with the time of day or phase of flight. Galley partitions also were re-designed to improve privacy near crew workspaces, and the aircraft’s three lavatories feature subway tile pattern details and gender-neutral signage. The front and rear wall panels incorporate a Morse code dots and dashes decorative pattern.
The A220’s favorable operating economics support JetBlue’s long-term strategy to ensure a well-managed, low-cost business model that is resilient to current market conditions. The aircraft’s Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines also support JetBlue’s environmental sustainability goals, offering double-digit fuel and carbon emissions improvements versus its Embraer 190 aircraft. JetBlue has announced plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across all operations by 2040.
JetBlue plans to fly the A220 in a mix of existing and new routes and markets. The first will enter scheduled service in mid-June between Boston and Fort Lauderdale. New markets will be evaluated in the future as more A220 aircraft join JetBlue’s fleet.