JetBlue Economy Class Pittsburgh–Fort Lauderdale

On a recent trip to the Dominican Republic, I flew JetBlue for the first time. With affordable flights out of Pittsburgh, the airline was an easy option for this trip and I was glad to experience it firsthand.

Flights between Pittsburgh (PIT) and Punta Cana (PUJ) experience a layover in Fort Lauderdale (FLL), generally only a few hours in length (though my return flight was delayed, leading to upwards of five hours in Fort Lauderdale’s sparse Terminal 4).

My initial impression of JetBlue while checking in at the airport was not a good one. The check-in kiosks were not working, but only after you finished inputting your details only to receive an error message. After waiting in line, I was assisted by a friendly member of the ground crew, who seemed not at all surprised the kiosks were not in working order.

However, after going through security, the situation improved greatly. The boarding process was quick and painless and I was delighted to see the Airbus A320 was outfitted with spacious seats — much better than other domestic airlines I’ve flown recently. The 32–33 inches of legroom and 18-inch seat width was appreciated, even on the relatively short flight.

The in-flight crew wasn’t necessarily perky (but then I’m not either on an early morning flight), so I sat back and enjoyed the complimentary in-flight amenities. On the A320s, passengers enjoy 36 channels on DirectTV, a nice option after exhausting my downloaded Amazon Prime content.

I didn’t expect the large difference the free snacks and beverages would make. I often skip the in-flight snack, as I’m never thoroughly impressed by the offerings, but it was nice to enjoy the selection of name-brand items the attendants brought around, including Cheez-Its, pretzels, popcorn chips, chocolate chip cookies and potato chips. Beyond the snacks, the alcoholic beverages were reasonably priced at $7–9.

We landed in Fort Lauderdale ahead of schedule and I was happy to report that JetBlue, though the on-the-ground experience wasn’t perfect, delivers one of the most enjoyable in-flight economy experiences thanks to its amenities and spacious economy seats.