JetBlue launched in Boise this year, but only for a few flights: a Wednesday and Friday redeye from Boise to New York City’s JFK Airport, which returns on Monday night. We decided to enjoy this new flight and spend the weekend in New York City in September 2021.
The upsides of JetBlue
According to JetBlue, Idaho became the 31st state served by the airline with the launch of the flight. The redeye flight from Boise to New York City leaves around 11:30 p.m. and lands around 6:30 a.m. Our plane ended up flying much faster than expected, and we ended up landing around 5 a.m. (just 3.5 hours total for our flight) — giving us even more time to explore the city. We decided to take the train to Brooklyn and enjoy the sunrise on the Brooklyn Bridge.
The flight itself felt incredibly quick, and the planes were very nice (our plane on the way back was much older than the one on the way there, and all the entertainment was very different). There were hundreds of entertainment options, including movies, TV shows, games, and more. Plus, there is WiFi on the plane. Although on our way back my boyfriend was in the middle of a NFL Fantasy Draft, and the WiFi was not good enough to support that — so be prepared in case it will not work for you. There are also power outlets for each seat.
The flight has a number of options, but starts at $99 each way. This price does not allow you to choose your seats, and you cannot check luggage. However, it was a weekend trip for us so we just brought a backpack each anyways.
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We decided to upgrade to the premium seats, because for such a long flight I wanted to make sure we had enough legroom. We got lucky because the flight was not very full (I would guess fewer than half of the seats were full), and we had no third person in our row AND the row next to us was empty. So I moved over and tried to sleep in the row over. It did not work, and we were both exhausted when we got there (we ended up getting into our hotel room early and took a five hour nap — something to think about when you’re planning a short three-day trip).
As we waited for our flight home at the JetBlue terminal in JFK airport, we found a rooftop deck of sorts, which was a nice perk, especially if you are waiting for a while.
The downsides of JetBlue
On the way back on Monday, our flight was late. We were supposed to leave at 6:30 p.m. and land in Boise at 10:16 p.m., but the takeoff time was pushed back a few times. We ended up leaving at around 9:30 p.m. and when we got on the plane, we were told that our original plane had had a mechanical issue and they had to bring in a new plane. This is part of the problem with a plane that only flies once a week — if they need to replace it, they don’t just have another one waiting. After they told us that, I was happy they were taking safety so seriously — but on the other hand, this was something they could have predicted. They offered no communication about the issue until we were actually on the plane, leaving us pretty much in the dark the whole time.
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We ended up landing around 12:30 a.m., which wasn’t terrible, but still exhausting if you have to work the next day.
Another downside was their offerings on the plane. I understand it’s a low-cost carrier, but for a five-hour flight, we were offered a choice between Cheez-Its, a breakfast bar, and a couple other things, plus water, and a few soda options. It would be nice to have a few more food options on board, especially after leaving three hours late.
My thoughts about my first JetBlue flight
The JetBlue flight from Boise to NYC’s JFK airport is well worth it, and makes for a fun weekend in New York City. It’s a nonstop flight both ways, which helps, especially if you have kids or just don’t love flying. The flight is only seasonal, and is officially done for 2021 (its last flights are on Labor Day weekend). JetBlue has not yet announced when it will kick off again in 2022, but hopefully it showed enough popularity for them to bring it back for next year.
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“With new service in Boise we’re once again diversifying the JetBlue route map, advancing our New York focus city strategy and growing our customer base by connecting more people to the places they want to go,” said Andrea Lusso, vice president network planning at JetBlue when they announced the flight. “Boise is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. and our new flights land at the perfect time to meet growing demand with the only nonstop service between Idaho’s capital and the Northeast.”
JetBlue’s arrival is an incredible asset to Boise and we are so lucky they decided to make us their next state. Hopefully their presence only grows in Boise and we can fly JetBlue to a number of different locations.
