JetBlue has started selling seats in BlueFirst, its first proper domestic first-class cabin. The first flight to feature it is Flight 1169 from Boston Logan to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood on 8 December, with New York LaGuardia-Fort Lauderdale flights following within days.

The rollout works differently from most airline launches. Cabins are being fitted as aircraft cycle through retrofit shops and return to service, so a route can officially 'have' BlueFirst while only some of its daily flights actually do. On day one, just one of six daily Boston-Fort Lauderdale nonstops will carry the new cabin. JetBlue has listed 39 routes in total, expanding from Florida and the Northeast in December to Austin, Houston, Nashville, Denver, Cancun, San Juan, Aruba, Cartagena, Santo Domingo, Turks and Caicos and more through April. The airline says a majority of its fleet will have BlueFirst by the end of 2027, with the full retrofit finished by 2028.

The cabin itself: three or four rows in a 2-2 layout, 13.3-inch seatback screens with Bluetooth headphone pairing, five inches of recline, and up to seven inches more legroom than main cabin. Passengers on flights over 899 miles get premium dining and drinks plus priority boarding with dedicated overhead bin space. One catch worth knowing: there are no ovens being installed, so most meals will be cold — think bento-style boxes with sesame noodles or sweet and savoury crepes rather than a hot steak. And BlueFirst doesn't include access to JetBlue's BlueHouse lounges in Boston or New York JFK unless you have entry via a credit card or a pass.

Frequent flyers get a piece of the action too. Mosaic elites will be eligible for space-available upgrades, presumably clearing by tier like at the big US carriers, with details still to come. Mosaic 3 and 4 members can use their 'Move to Mint' certificates on BlueFirst at variable redemption rates. As with other airlines, only certain fares qualify — cheapest 'Base' tickets will likely be excluded.

Why it matters: this is JetBlue's biggest premium expansion since Mint launched on transcontinental routes over a decade ago, and it puts a legit first-class option on leisure-heavy routes to Florida and the Caribbean where premium seats have been thin on the ground. If you're flying JetBlue this winter or spring, it's worth checking whether your specific flight — not just your route — has the cabin before paying for an upgrade.