JetBlue has unveiled the second phase of the restyling of its A320 fleet. The cabin includes the widest seats available for an A320 aircraft, custom-designed seatback inflight entertainment (IFE), mobile device pairing capabilities, power sources, and expanded coverage of free Wi-Fi connectivity.
JetBlue’s A320 aircraft, which make up the majority of the airline’s fleet, are being updated for the first time since the airline commenced operations in 2000. A third of JetBlue’s A320 aircraft are scheduled for restyling completion by the end of the year.
“JetBlue rocked the airline industry in 2000 with seatback television and all leather seats. In our first makeover since, this incredible new onboard experience represents what the founders would have done if they were launching JetBlue today,” said Marty George, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, JetBlue. “The new experience brings together technology, entertainment, and comfort with the great service JetBlue customers love so much.”
According to JetBlue, a major focus of the restyling is keeping customers connected throughout their flight, including with new IFE, high-definition seatback televisions, in-seat power outlets with USB ports, and continued free gate-to-gate Fly-Fi high-speed internet with an expanded coverage area. Fly-Fi will now be available throughout the Caribbean and Latin America.
In 2019, JetBlue will outfit its A320 aircraft with the Collins Meridian seat, customised for the airline’s needs and featuring a number of design elements with customer comfort in mind, including: expanded seat width of more than 18 inches, the widest available for the A320; expanded legroom; enhanced cushion comfort; adjustable headrests, a new feature for JetBlue’s A320; contoured seatback design at knee level creating additional living space for every passenger; redesigned seatback stowage options, including an innovative elastic grid to accommodate a variety of items; and two power connections at every seat.
“We are proud to partner with JetBlue on its A320 restyling project by supplying our Meridian Seat,” said Cynthia Muklevicz, Vice President, Account Management, Interiors for Collins Aerospace. “Meridian offers passengers industry-leading comfort and living space through an intense focus on ergonomic design supported by optimisation of the underlying seat structure.”
JetBlue will also build on its IFE offering with Thales AVANT and ViaSat-2 connectivity. With this system, JetBlue will offer customers onboard its restyled A320s expanded entertainment choices, including: 10.1-inch, 1080p high definition screens; more than 100 channels of live television with DVR-like pause and rewind functionality; expanded collection of on demand movies, TV shows and video content, plus new gaming features; destination-specific content; picture-in-picture function; enhanced, 3D flight map offering multiple ways to track time to destination; personal mobile device pairing capabilities for use as a remote or gaming controller; and expanded Fly-Fi connectivity.
Philippe Carette, Chief Executive Officer, Thales InFlyt Experience, explained: “Thales is proud to have been a business partner with JetBlue since the beginning of their IFE evolution. The airline has reimagined the flying experience, and with our custom-designed AVANT IFE solution, we’ve helped JetBlue reimagine their customer experience on the A320 platform. We look forward to collaborating with the airline to create new opportunities that wow their customers with a unique and personalised inflight experience.”
The first phase of JetBlue’s A320 interior cabin restyle began in spring 2018 and modernised the airline’s so-called “classic interiors” with products that matched those found on the airline’s newer A321 aircraft – features such as more modern seats and larger seatback screens.
More than a dozen A320 aircraft have been restyled with these products so far and several more are scheduled for completion in the coming weeks. This spring the restyling will fully transition to the 2019 version of onboard products for all aircraft going forward.
