JetBlue may be giving up one of its biggest advantages (JBLU)

pulse

May 3, 2018 2:46 PM

JetBlue is updating its fleet of Airbus A320s with brand new interiors and tech. Starting in 2019, its A320 economy seats will lose two inches of seat pitch, but gain one inch of legroom.

The new JetBlue interior will feature wider seats, larger entertainment screens, and revamped mood lighting.
Economy class seat pitch falls from 34 inches to 32 inches.

JetBlue's fleet of Airbus A320 jets is getting a brand new interior. On Wednesday, the New York-based boutique carrier unveiled the all-new cabin design for its workhorse Airbus jet in nearly 20 years.

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But for travelers, the new Airbus interior is going to be both a blessing and a curse.

With the sleek new seats and bigger TV screens will also come a few sacrifices. For many, that will mean the loss of two inches in seat pitch. Seat pitch is the amount of room between two rows of seats. While that may not sound like much in the grand scheme of things, it's a big deal for airline passengers.

In its current layout, the airline's Airbus A320 fleet has 34 inches in economy or Core seats in JetBlue parlance. This makes the JetBlue A320 the roomiest economy class seat anywhere in the US. After the redesign, that figure drops to 32 inches. This allows JetBlue fit about a dozen more seats in the plane.

Here it is! The JetBlue Airbus A320.

In 2018, planes updated during Phase one will get LED mood lighting and new overhead bins.

The Phase update also features a 10.1-inch HD touchscreen, 100 channels of live TV, and a large selection of on-demand programming.

The seats updated during 2018 get adjustable headrests, a dedicated water bottle holder, and in-seat power supply.

Starting in 2019, Phase two will see the addition of next-generation seats that deliver an extra inch legroom. According to JetBlue, they are the widest economy seats in the industry at 18.4 inches.

The Phase two seats will also water bottle holders and mesh storage units in addition to the traditional seatback pocket. The power plugs have also been moved to face the passenger.

Phase two planes also get a suite of new tech goodies. This includes a 10.1-inch HD touchscreen with picture-in-picture capability running an Android-based operating system. The system offers expanded TV, movie, and audio options as well as destination-specific content. Passengers will also be able to use their smart devices as a remote control.

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