Ugh. I’ve spent the last 6 1/2 minutes staring at my screen trying to figure out how to start this JetBlue A320 Even More Space review. I can’t figure out how to do it without sounding like I’ve got a total man crush on this big little airline from New York.
If I come right out and tell you it was one of the most comfortable economy flights I’ve had a long time, you might think I was being paid to say that (and I’m not).
If I tell you that the onboard amenities (mood lighting, in-flight entertainment, snack service, etc.) are industry-leading, you might tell me that I need to get out more and try your favorite airline.
In an effort to come across as neutral as possible, let me just say this: the $10 cheese and crackers from the menu sucks harder than a mid 40’s divorced mom of 3 locked in a room with Brad Pitt.
B6529 Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL) – San Diego, CA (SAN) Sunday, December 31, 2023 Aircraft: A320-232 Registration: N558JB Duration: 5 hours 12 minutes Seat: 3F (Even More Space)
JetBlue A320 (N558JB) side view illustration by NorebboStock.com.Our route from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego today as B6529.
My full review of the JetBlue A320 Even More Space seat from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego
As a reminder, the Even More Space seat is essentially a regular economy class seat (which you can read more about in my JetBlue A320 Core seat review) with a few extra inches of leg room. Also included are perks such as early boarding and expedited security at select airports.
Arrival at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
My first indication of the Even More Space seat experience not being that special is the fact that there is no dedicated check in queue for it. You’ll have to use the same kiosks that the Core (economy) seat passengers have to use. If mingling with the masses such as this repulses you, you’re probably flying the wrong airline.
You’re darn right I’m ready to jet. Welcome to Terminal 3 at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport!
There’s really not all that much to do inside T3 at FLL. I killed some time checking out the Escape Lounge (thanks to my Amex Platinum Card), which was a total lifesaver considering how busy and chaotic the individual concourses were.
Apparently I’m not the only one ready to jet this evening. Concourse E here in Terminal 3 (where the JetBlue gates are) is just a little bit nuts.Hmm. This is either an ad for sleep apnea treatment, or a memorial for passengers who have succumbed to the chaos of Concourse E. It works either way.Gate E4 (the place where I will hopefully be escaping from the chaos – and the chances of ending up on that memorial wall – this evening).The little A320 that could (at least I hope it can). N558JB will have a not so easy job of pushing straight into strong winter headwinds all the way across the country to San Diego this evening!
The boarding process for flight number 529 to San Diego
Boarding group A FTW! Being able to board in the very first group (after families with small children of course) is a pretty nice perk of holding an Even More Space ticket. It’s the highest class of seat on these JetBlue A320s. Everyone else will have to wait.
FLL SAN E4 A 3E (boarding pass speak for “you goin’ to San Diego, yo”).Two things to note about this pic: First, Even More Space passengers get to board with Group A. Second, dad looks a little dejected for having to drag around his daughter’s owl backpack, doesn’t he? Somebody pour that man a drink!Props to JetBlue for getting the boarding process started exactly on time (despite the chaos back in the terminal). Flying is so much more relaxing when the airline you’re flying is ready to jet just as much as you are.404 JetBlue Mint not found. In other words, this is an all-economy configuration from front to back. And if you’re wondering why you’re not seeing any ‘blue’ yet, just you wait…
The seats
The good news about the Even More Space seats on the A320 is that the leg room is phenomenal. The bad news is that they’re not nearly as feature rich as the seats you saw in my JetBlue A321neo economy review. I like the large video screens, but not the awkward placement of the power outlets.
Row 3 of the Even More Space seats here on the JetBlue A320. Not gonna lie – that’s even more space than I was expecting!Even though I’m trying my damnedest to show you the seat in this pic, 100% of my attention is focused on that glorious leg room. It’s a lot like talking to a woman with large breasts and trying really hard not to look right at them.Even More Space confirmed. Still looking (and thinking) about large breasts though.Fun fact assumption: the Even More Space seats have orange stitching in the headrests. Core / economy seat passengers will be jealous AF of you as they walk by. Maybe.What what *you* put in this pocket? Knowing my tendency to accidentally leave things behind on airplanes, I’m keeping my sh*t out of this one.“Oh neat! It’s a remote control for the entertainment system built into the armrest!” – Yours truly (before I realized how easy it is to inadvertently change the channel – at the most epic moment of whatever it is that I’m watching – by gently grazing an elbow across it).I’ll tell you more about the entertainment system later in the review, but for now, all you need to know is that the video screens are large and vibrant. And no, I have no idea WTF the credit card reader is for either. Hello 1990s?RIP to your spine (and sanity) as you attempt to plug-in to the electrical outlets and USB-A ports located beneath (and between) the seats. I do appreciate their existence though.Thanks to the kind lady in seat 3B for demonstrating the stretch required to reach the video screens in these Even More Space seats. Hence the controversial decision to put remote controls on the armrests I guess.Gaze deep into my eyes, and you will see a man regretting his decision to choose other airlines over JetBlue all these years. I had no idea!Me: “It’s a shame they weren’t brave enough to go all in with blue mood lighting.”JetBlue: “Hold my beer…”
The departure out of FLL
The sun had just set by the time we pushed off the gate, but it was still a visually stimulating departure – to say the least. The deep blue mood lighting (combined with the beauty of the twilight) had me in a pretty good mood. Not only that, the seat next to me had remained vacant. Life was pretty good at that very moment.
Whoa! The JetBLUE name name is making a whole lot more sense now, you know?Mother Nature: “Hold MY beer, you silly mofos…”Between the mood lighting, the sunset, and the views, it’s a miracle I didn’t have an aneurysm from all the excitement this evening.Yup. Watching JetBlue and Mother Nature duking it out to see who could be the sexiest was pure magic indeed.
Food and drinks
Normally there’s enough time between the departure and the beginning of the snack service that I can squeeze in a review the in-flight entertainment. Such was not the case tonight, as they brought the snack carts down the aisle even as we were still climbing to cruising altitude.
Nonalcoholic drinks and a light snack are complementary in the JetBlue Even More Space seat. Also available is a full menu of food for purchase items – some of which look decently substantial.
The menu for this evening’s flight. Is it even necessary for me to tell you what I’m going to have?You’re damn right I chose the Number 3. It’s a fairly weak a** attempt at a fruit and cheese platter IMHO, but… I can’t resist me a fruit and cheese platter.Thinner than a mid 1990’s coked-out supermodel.Perhaps a more politically correct way of describing this is to say that it is by far the most delicate presentation of cheese and crackers that you’ll ever see.Oh, and it’s a good thing that they provide free snacks as well, because there’s no way those cheese and crackers will keep me satisfied all the way to San Diego tonight.The cheese and crackers may be slightly anorexic, but at least they were kind enough to provide full-size (16 ounce) cans of soda. The Pepsi-powered caffeine buzz is gonna be epic.Alrighty then! I’ve got my cheese and crackers, some soda pop, and a robust in-flight entertainment system about to play Tom and Jerry on repeat. What more could a grown man ask for?Still waiting on that caffeine buzz…
In-flight entertainment
The large video screens are nice! However, I’ve never been a huge fan of the JetBlue in-flight entertainment system UI. Of course the selection of movies and TV shows is excellent. The extensive listing of live TV channels (via DIRECTV) is very much appreciated. I just don’t like how they split screen ads with content much of the time.
Wanna watch live TV? They got that. Wanna watch a classic movie instead? They got that too. Unfortunately, they ain’t got any useful guide data at this very moment.Wanna know what else they got?Live ATC!They also got a crap load of ads (which means that watching the map channel is essentially watching the ads channel).By the way, I never figured out how to disable the armrest remote control. They ain’t got a way for you to do that unfortunately.
Seat comfort
In my opinion, the Even More Space seat is perfect for these long westbound transcontinental flights. The seat itself leaves much to be desired, but the extra leg room helps so much when you’re 3 1/2 hours into the flight and you start getting fidgety.
You (the reader of this review): “Hey Scott, how comfortable are the seats?” Me (the guy who actually lived it): “They’re freaking blue!”If only the seat recline was intense as the mood lighting (and as generous as the leg room). Oh well. You can’t win ’em all.Seat recline, part deux. You know the mood lighting is intense when you have to wait until they turn the cabin lights on (during preparation for landing) to get a better picture of how far the seats lay back.Back to the regularly scheduled mood lighting. If you’re curious, I’m dreaming about my next flight on JetBlue (which will probably happen sooner rather than later considering how comfy this is).If the mood they were going for was “you’re feeling sleeeeepy,” they totally nailed it. This is very calming!Props to JetBlue for resisting the urge to put black light levels of mood lighting here in the lavatory. I mean, as much fun as it might be to see my junk glow neon blue, I understand the importance of being able to see what you’re doing in here in vivid detail.
The descent and arrival into San Diego
29 minutes early?! C’mon, man! Why is it that my best flights always end up arriving so dang early? It’s not like that was a totally luxurious experience or anything, but I will admit that I was feeling pretty darn comfortable as we initiated the descent into San Diego.
20 minutes to go!“Glowing blue orb streaks across Southern California…” At least that’s what it seemed like from my vantage point of seat 3F.Welcome to San Diego!To be honest, I wasn’t all that anxious to get off this airplane. In other words, yeah, even after all that, I’m still ready to jet.I will admit that it probably doesn’t look like I’m all that ready considering how fast I’m unbuckling my seatbelt here. Maybe I was a little upset that the flight was over?And then, in an instant, that glorious mood lighting was gone. A pretty clear indication that, whether I like it or not, there will be no more jetting this evening.That was fun! And a decently comfortable as well. Am I going to have to bump JetBlue to a higher position in my list of the best domestic airlines?If they can get the anorexic cheese and crackers situation sorted, there’s no telling how high I’m willing to go….
Pros and cons of the Even More Space experience on the JetBlue A320
Testing out this extra legroom seat on a long 5 hour flight from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego was the ultimate way to experience it IMHO. Spending that amount of time in any economy class seat is going to be uncomfortable (no matter how good the leg room is), but I’m happy to report that I quite enjoyed this. It was worth every penny to pay for the upgrade over a standard Core seat.
