JetBlue To Bring ‘Junior Mint’ First-Class Travel to Domestic Routes in 2026

JetBlue is continuing to up the ante when it comes to its travel, announcing its introduction of the “junior Mint” first-class travel program to domestic flights beginning in 2026.

According to CNBC, the “junior Mint” class isn’t the same as the top-tier Mint class. According to a memo sent to staff, JetBlue President Marty St. George stated that all of the airline’s Airbus planes that do not have Mint, the airline’s lie-flat seats, will have two or three rows of domestic first-class seats.

“Since launching Mint over a decade ago, we’ve explored the idea of expanding a version of it across the fleet, often playfully calling it ‘mini-Mint’ or ‘junior Mint,’” St. George said while teasing that he wasn’t willing to divulge all the details about the program quite yet.

“We’re keeping the rest of our ideas under wraps for now while we prepare for a 2026 launch. Let’s keep our competitors guessing,” he said.

Since a U.S. judge halted the airline’s proposal to buy Spirit Airlines in January and another judge declared its Northeast alliance with American Airlines anticompetitive, the airline has shifted its attention to strategies to boost sales.

JetBlue Introduced New European Routes

The airline continues to prove that it’s a formidable competitor in the travel industry.

Late last month, after three years of rapid expansion across the Atlantic, the airline altered its strategy and now operates fewer winter flights to Paris and London Gatwick (LGW). Instead, it has rerouted its Airbus aircraft with Mints to more well-liked tourist destinations including San Juan, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. Despite this setback, executives have also hinted at adding at least one European destination in 2024.

President Marty St. George confirmed the airline’s interest in further European expansion while pointing out that future growth will be more measured during his remarks at an aviation conference in Dallas last month. Similar sentiments were voiced earlier this year by CEO Joanna Geraghty, who described the approach as “opportunistic.”

In the summer of 2025, JetBlue will resume seasonal service to Edinburgh (EDI) and Dublin (DUB). In 2024, these routes were first made available. The airline’s transatlantic network currently includes year-round service to London, Paris, and Amsterdam in addition to these destinations.