JetBlue 'Shuttle' DCA -> BOS x 2
Jul 9, 2014, 5:46 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: MIA
Programs: AA EXP (AC), DL G (SC), Bonvoy LTP, & IHG AMB
Posts: 1,798
JetBlue 'Shuttle' DCA -> BOS x 2
Hello Flyertalk!
Thanks much for the positive feed-back on my first trip report. I guess my verdict was a bit controversial, but it is but one man's opinion.
This report covers the JetBlue experience. Since moving to DC, I've been flying back to Boston each week-end. Personally, I find the District to be very trying and despite the numerous offerings the city has, I find it to be a *very* Southern place.
Anyways, as many shuttle flyers know, DC airports present a wealth of offerings when it comes to air service between Boston and the District. If you're willing to 'schlep' out to Dulles, you can fly UA to BOS; however, if you're flying out of DCA, your non-stop service is via JetBlue or USAirways. Yes, I realize that US is AA, but the flight crews and planes are US an so, frankly, is the service. I can't recall when Delta stopped flying between BOS and DCA, but now all searches of delta.com yield options via LGA, CVG or DTW. Yes, DTW!
After years of UA patronage, I was looking for options and several friends in Boston recommended I try Jetblue. For service between DCA and BOS, there's ten flights a day with majority clustered around the morning and evening rush. Not exactly US' hourly service, but it works. Moreover, JetBlue flies almost all of the flights with Embraers. So, you get a two and two seating with a television for half the price you would pay for the same configuration on US.
This report will cover two outbound flights from DCA:
27 June
B6 No. 790
Seat: 2D
Depart: 1655
Arrive: 1832
Aircraft: A-320
Friday arrived and it was time to head to DCA. Fortunately, this Friday was very light, so I was able to get out of the office a bit early and catch the earlier flight. B6 790 is unique because it is an Airbus flight.
One of the great things about living down-town is the fact that an uber/taxi takes no more than 20 minutes (traffic dependent of course!) or you can metro right to the airport.
If you're flying on JetBlue though, be warned: JetBlue operates out of Terminal A. I've heard that they're planning to enhance the shopping/dinning options at the terminal, but at present, it's pretty miserable in there. Thus, the goal is to get to the airport as close to boarding time as possible.
B6 Check-in Area - Well maintained and the agents are very friendly
Our A320 for to-day's service. Couldn't catch the plane's name.
As I wrote, post-security, there's one bar and it's always crowded. The service tends to be very slow and the seating is so cramped that it feels almost muggy in the space.
After a quick visit, boarding was announced. B6 boards by row, with the exception being first boarding privileges to Mosaic True Blue members and 'Even More Speed' customers. If you purchase an 'Extra Space' seat on flight, presently 'Even More Speed' is included in the package. This also extends to security lines in that you may use a priority line. That being said, I love PreCheck. I've gotten so accustomed to it that I actually forgot my iPad the one time it was closed. I was able to get it back (thank you TSA!). Still, the fact that PreCheck closes at Terminal A at DCA at 1900 is annoying, especially given the fact that there are multiple flights departing after that time.
Boarding was called at 1625 almost exactly. Numerous announcements were made that the flight was completely full and that customers are reminded to adhere to the baggage restrictions.
Row 2, the plane would be completely full.
Leg-room in Extra Space. I'm almost six feet tall, and you can see that I have plenty of room. The Extra Space really is EXTRA space. Moreover, the seats themselves are still pretty well padded and comfortable. For an hour flight, seat comfort is probably a 4 out 5. Boarding was quickly completed. I guess people were in a hurry to get back to Boston
One of the service elements that I really appreciate about JetBlue is that the pilots almost always exit the flight deck and make the welcome aboard announcement. Personally, I think it's a nice touch and it makes the airline a lot more friendly.
Safety Demonstration by an enthusiastic flight crew member. The crew was MCO based.
36 or so odd channels of Direct Tv sets JetBlue apart as it's offered on all flights. After a long week, it's nice to plug in the head-phones and watch some television.
Love it Or List it on HGTV - Go Hillary!
Another appealing part of the DCA experience is quick taxi time and swift departure. Unlike, say LHR or ORD, where you can taxi forever, DCA gets you in and out.
I would have posted more pictures for this flight, but there wasn't much more to post. The service was limited to soda and water, which runs contrary to Jeblue's service standards as posted on the web-site. If you have time to sell ear-buds in flight, you should have time to swipe a credit for drink services.
Still, we arrived early and it was time to start the week-end. Sorry, no pictures of the return.
3 July
B6 No. 590
Seat: 1A
Depart: 1430
Arrive: 1600
Aircraft: E-190
Less than a week later, it was time for Fourth of July! The Fourth is truly one of my favorite holidays. It's the hight of summer and everyone is in good spirits for the week-end. Unfortunately, this year's celebration was threatened by the first hurricane of the season. News reports suggested that the weather would be pretty terrible, so I decided to pack my week-end bag and bring it with me to the office. Since it was the week-end, most of the staff were either taking a vacation day or at least a half day and there was little expectation to 'stick it out' until the sun-set. I was originally booked on my usual flight, flight 890 at 1800, but a waiver was granted so I snagged a seat on the earlier flight, FREE OF CHARGE. Still, B6 has some web-site functionality issues. The site will not allow you to change seats from one Extra Space seat to another if you've already paid for the service. It's refunded when you call in.
Still, I was excited to catch an early flight, knowing that the later flights would likely be delayed. Moreover, since we would be driving to Portland, Maine; at least we would arrive at a decent hour.
Boarding was called late since the flight arrived late.
Seat 1A
The embraers are a great plane to fly on. JetBlue keeps the planes well maintained and what's not to like about generous over-head bins and two by two seating.
The legroom on 1A is pretty generous, but not as much as in the rows 12, 13 and 14 seats. The problem with those seats is that you forego prompt exit from the aircraft. Oh, how I wish row 2 was also extra space.
Our Captain wishing everyone a happy Fourth
Seat control
JetBlue's 'In-Flight' Magazine featuring new Mint Service
In-flight menu
Route Map
So, according to the commercial on the map, Mosaic members are entitled to a free drink for July and August. I'll have to wait until mid-August to qualify, since I only started flying with JetBlue in late May. Even so, it would be nice if this were a permanent perk.
Quick taxi and we were off!
In-flight services started quickly. The flight crew was so enthusiastic, she cut right to the chase: 'So gents, what are we drinking?'
Finally, Jetblue has decided to get rid of the swill they used to serve. I forget what it was, Trinity Oaks maybe?, but it was worse than Carlo Rossi's rejected vintages.
NYC!!!
Flight was very comfortable, with only a few bumps departing from DCA. Cloud coverage was pretty extensive, but it's always so great to see NYC from the plane. You can still feel the energy of the city, even at 28K feet.
No Blue Chips
Direct TV
About twenty minutes prior to landing, the seat-belt signs were re-ignited and it was time to land.
Traffic wasn't bad heading up to Maine at all, considering the holiday week-end and the fact that we were leaving Boston at 1530. For those who haven't been to 'Vacation-land', you should go. Portland is an amazing little city. People are very friendly and it's hard to beat when it comes to sea-food. It's also a great jumping off point for day trips to places like Freeport, Rockport, Cape Elizabeth and Kennebunkport.
Lobster Rolls -Bite Into Maine, Cape Elizabeth- the best!
Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse
For hotel chain-loyalists, SPG, Hyatt, Marriott and Hilton are all well-represented in Portland. My personal choice is the Westin, but the Residence Inn is also very nice. I haven't stayed at the Hyatt Place. Portland is small enough that it's easily walkable and it's not over-priced by any stretch.
Thoughts on B6:
Jetblue offers a consistent and comfortable product. They don't seem like a true low cost carrier because you pick your seat in advance and you do get one bag checked for free. The flight crews and the ground staff at DCA and BOS have always been friendly, professional and enthusiastic. Still, if you're booking within a week or two of travel, especially between DC and Boston, you're likely to pay a premium for flights.
JetBlue's loyalty program is also generous. You get points for everything. If you buy an extra-space seat, you get 200 points. If you fly with your pet, you get 300 points. On the other hand, it takes forever for points to post to your account. For flight credit, it's at least a week and for 'extras' is often almost two weeks. I can't say why there's a lag time.
I'll probably start splitting my flights between US and B6 to keep status with AA, but the JetBlue experience is a pleasant alternative, especially if you're flying out of BOS, JFK and to a lesser extent, DCA.
Thanks for your time and I hope you enjoyed sharing in the shuttle flights which I'm certain many are all to familiar with.
Thanks much for the positive feed-back on my first trip report. I guess my verdict was a bit controversial, but it is but one man's opinion.
This report covers the JetBlue experience. Since moving to DC, I've been flying back to Boston each week-end. Personally, I find the District to be very trying and despite the numerous offerings the city has, I find it to be a *very* Southern place.
Anyways, as many shuttle flyers know, DC airports present a wealth of offerings when it comes to air service between Boston and the District. If you're willing to 'schlep' out to Dulles, you can fly UA to BOS; however, if you're flying out of DCA, your non-stop service is via JetBlue or USAirways. Yes, I realize that US is AA, but the flight crews and planes are US an so, frankly, is the service. I can't recall when Delta stopped flying between BOS and DCA, but now all searches of delta.com yield options via LGA, CVG or DTW. Yes, DTW!
After years of UA patronage, I was looking for options and several friends in Boston recommended I try Jetblue. For service between DCA and BOS, there's ten flights a day with majority clustered around the morning and evening rush. Not exactly US' hourly service, but it works. Moreover, JetBlue flies almost all of the flights with Embraers. So, you get a two and two seating with a television for half the price you would pay for the same configuration on US.
This report will cover two outbound flights from DCA:
27 June
B6 No. 790
Seat: 2D
Depart: 1655
Arrive: 1832
Aircraft: A-320
Friday arrived and it was time to head to DCA. Fortunately, this Friday was very light, so I was able to get out of the office a bit early and catch the earlier flight. B6 790 is unique because it is an Airbus flight.
One of the great things about living down-town is the fact that an uber/taxi takes no more than 20 minutes (traffic dependent of course!) or you can metro right to the airport.
If you're flying on JetBlue though, be warned: JetBlue operates out of Terminal A. I've heard that they're planning to enhance the shopping/dinning options at the terminal, but at present, it's pretty miserable in there. Thus, the goal is to get to the airport as close to boarding time as possible.
B6 Check-in Area - Well maintained and the agents are very friendly
Our A320 for to-day's service. Couldn't catch the plane's name.
As I wrote, post-security, there's one bar and it's always crowded. The service tends to be very slow and the seating is so cramped that it feels almost muggy in the space.
After a quick visit, boarding was announced. B6 boards by row, with the exception being first boarding privileges to Mosaic True Blue members and 'Even More Speed' customers. If you purchase an 'Extra Space' seat on flight, presently 'Even More Speed' is included in the package. This also extends to security lines in that you may use a priority line. That being said, I love PreCheck. I've gotten so accustomed to it that I actually forgot my iPad the one time it was closed. I was able to get it back (thank you TSA!). Still, the fact that PreCheck closes at Terminal A at DCA at 1900 is annoying, especially given the fact that there are multiple flights departing after that time.
Boarding was called at 1625 almost exactly. Numerous announcements were made that the flight was completely full and that customers are reminded to adhere to the baggage restrictions.
Row 2, the plane would be completely full.
Leg-room in Extra Space. I'm almost six feet tall, and you can see that I have plenty of room. The Extra Space really is EXTRA space. Moreover, the seats themselves are still pretty well padded and comfortable. For an hour flight, seat comfort is probably a 4 out 5. Boarding was quickly completed. I guess people were in a hurry to get back to Boston
One of the service elements that I really appreciate about JetBlue is that the pilots almost always exit the flight deck and make the welcome aboard announcement. Personally, I think it's a nice touch and it makes the airline a lot more friendly.
Safety Demonstration by an enthusiastic flight crew member. The crew was MCO based.
36 or so odd channels of Direct Tv sets JetBlue apart as it's offered on all flights. After a long week, it's nice to plug in the head-phones and watch some television.
Love it Or List it on HGTV - Go Hillary!
Another appealing part of the DCA experience is quick taxi time and swift departure. Unlike, say LHR or ORD, where you can taxi forever, DCA gets you in and out.
I would have posted more pictures for this flight, but there wasn't much more to post. The service was limited to soda and water, which runs contrary to Jeblue's service standards as posted on the web-site. If you have time to sell ear-buds in flight, you should have time to swipe a credit for drink services.
Still, we arrived early and it was time to start the week-end. Sorry, no pictures of the return.
3 July
B6 No. 590
Seat: 1A
Depart: 1430
Arrive: 1600
Aircraft: E-190
Less than a week later, it was time for Fourth of July! The Fourth is truly one of my favorite holidays. It's the hight of summer and everyone is in good spirits for the week-end. Unfortunately, this year's celebration was threatened by the first hurricane of the season. News reports suggested that the weather would be pretty terrible, so I decided to pack my week-end bag and bring it with me to the office. Since it was the week-end, most of the staff were either taking a vacation day or at least a half day and there was little expectation to 'stick it out' until the sun-set. I was originally booked on my usual flight, flight 890 at 1800, but a waiver was granted so I snagged a seat on the earlier flight, FREE OF CHARGE. Still, B6 has some web-site functionality issues. The site will not allow you to change seats from one Extra Space seat to another if you've already paid for the service. It's refunded when you call in.
Still, I was excited to catch an early flight, knowing that the later flights would likely be delayed. Moreover, since we would be driving to Portland, Maine; at least we would arrive at a decent hour.
Boarding was called late since the flight arrived late.
Seat 1A
The embraers are a great plane to fly on. JetBlue keeps the planes well maintained and what's not to like about generous over-head bins and two by two seating.
The legroom on 1A is pretty generous, but not as much as in the rows 12, 13 and 14 seats. The problem with those seats is that you forego prompt exit from the aircraft. Oh, how I wish row 2 was also extra space.
Our Captain wishing everyone a happy Fourth
Seat control
JetBlue's 'In-Flight' Magazine featuring new Mint Service
In-flight menu
Route Map
So, according to the commercial on the map, Mosaic members are entitled to a free drink for July and August. I'll have to wait until mid-August to qualify, since I only started flying with JetBlue in late May. Even so, it would be nice if this were a permanent perk.
Quick taxi and we were off!
In-flight services started quickly. The flight crew was so enthusiastic, she cut right to the chase: 'So gents, what are we drinking?'
Finally, Jetblue has decided to get rid of the swill they used to serve. I forget what it was, Trinity Oaks maybe?, but it was worse than Carlo Rossi's rejected vintages.
NYC!!!
Flight was very comfortable, with only a few bumps departing from DCA. Cloud coverage was pretty extensive, but it's always so great to see NYC from the plane. You can still feel the energy of the city, even at 28K feet.
No Blue Chips
Direct TV
About twenty minutes prior to landing, the seat-belt signs were re-ignited and it was time to land.
Traffic wasn't bad heading up to Maine at all, considering the holiday week-end and the fact that we were leaving Boston at 1530. For those who haven't been to 'Vacation-land', you should go. Portland is an amazing little city. People are very friendly and it's hard to beat when it comes to sea-food. It's also a great jumping off point for day trips to places like Freeport, Rockport, Cape Elizabeth and Kennebunkport.
Lobster Rolls -Bite Into Maine, Cape Elizabeth- the best!
Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse
For hotel chain-loyalists, SPG, Hyatt, Marriott and Hilton are all well-represented in Portland. My personal choice is the Westin, but the Residence Inn is also very nice. I haven't stayed at the Hyatt Place. Portland is small enough that it's easily walkable and it's not over-priced by any stretch.
Thoughts on B6:
Jetblue offers a consistent and comfortable product. They don't seem like a true low cost carrier because you pick your seat in advance and you do get one bag checked for free. The flight crews and the ground staff at DCA and BOS have always been friendly, professional and enthusiastic. Still, if you're booking within a week or two of travel, especially between DC and Boston, you're likely to pay a premium for flights.
JetBlue's loyalty program is also generous. You get points for everything. If you buy an extra-space seat, you get 200 points. If you fly with your pet, you get 300 points. On the other hand, it takes forever for points to post to your account. For flight credit, it's at least a week and for 'extras' is often almost two weeks. I can't say why there's a lag time.
I'll probably start splitting my flights between US and B6 to keep status with AA, but the JetBlue experience is a pleasant alternative, especially if you're flying out of BOS, JFK and to a lesser extent, DCA.
Thanks for your time and I hope you enjoyed sharing in the shuttle flights which I'm certain many are all to familiar with.
Jul 9, 2014, 7:19 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt Ist-iest, Stariott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 12,980
It's sad when a "LCC" has a better inflight snacks and drinks list than a full line carrier.
Thanks for the report. I've never flown jetBlue and living in Houston its generally not a convenient carrier, but I'll try it some day.
Thanks for the report. I've never flown jetBlue and living in Houston its generally not a convenient carrier, but I'll try it some day.