Quick Take: JetBlue’s Basic Blue was the best-value transatlantic fare out of Dublin for my dates: free Wi-Fi, free alcohol, two meals, 32” pitch, and US pre-clearance before leaving Dublin, meaning you arrive in the US as a domestic passenger. If you don’t mind random seating and no checked bag, it’s excellent value.
- Price: $300 (I had some points to use up so my one-way flight cost $253)
- Free Wi-Fi + alcohol + two meals
- 32” pitch (bigger than most)
- No checked bag, random seat, last boarding
- Verdict: excellent value for light travelers
This story starts with a question that sounds a wee bit ridiculous: Can you comfortably fly seven hours across the Atlantic on a narrowbody aircraft in the cheapest fare bucket available?
The answer, somewhat unexpectedly, is yes. And in a sense, it shouldn’t work this well.
In May 2025, I flew JetBlue’s Basic Blue fare from Dublin to JFK on an Airbus A321 Long Range. Total cost: $300. That made it the cheapest direct option from Dublin to New York on my dates by a comfortable margin. And here’s the thing that’s been rattling around in my head since I landed: it didn’t feel basic at all.
Feature
JetBlue Basic Blue
Aer Lingus / Delta (Typical Economy)
Checked Bag
No
No (Basic) / Yes (Standard)
Seat Pitch
32”
30-31”
Free Alcohol
Yes: beer, wine & spirits
Wine offered with meals
Free Wi-Fi
Yes
No, but paid wi-fi on certain aircraft
Meals Included
Yes (2 services + snacks)
Yes (1-2 services)
Seat Selection
Extra ($9-22)
Extra on Basic fares
Typical Price
$280-350
$350-$500
Pro Tips for Flying Basic Blue
- Don’t check a bag if you can help it. Basic Blue includes a big carry-on and a personal item.
- Boarding last isn’t a punishment. Group F sounds tragic, but by the time you board, the chaos is over.
- Bring your own headphones. JetBlue doesn’t always hand them out, and the seatback jack is still 3.5mm.
- Snacks are free, so take advantage. The pantry is open all flight. If the main meal isn’t thrilling, the crisps will feed you.
- If you want a good seat, check prices again at the airport. Seat fees can drop close to departure.
- Download movies ahead of time. Wi-Fi is free and worked fine for social media, streaming might be harder.
Why I Selected Basic Blue (The Fine Print)
Let’s start with what you’re giving up, because JetBlue wants you to know this is their cheapest fare and you should feel appropriately grateful. There is no checked bag. I travel with hand luggage only, so no big problem. There is no pre-selected seat, but you can pay for one. I didn’t succumb to the presell and got the window seat I wanted by random allocation. You’ll be last to board - Basic Blue is Group F, the 10th of 11 boarding groups. But this is a transatlantic flight with plenty of stowage space, so wander on, put up your bag and sit down. No scrum!
I didn’t fall for any part of the upsell in the fine print, so no add-ons to the basic price.
US Pre-Clearance in Dublin (Why This Route Is Genius)
Before we even get to the plane, there’s a massive advantage to the Dublin-JFK route that doesn’t get talked about enough: US Pre-Clearance (read my full review here).
You clear US immigration and customs in Dublin. The process took me FIVE minutes. This means when you land at JFK, you’re treated as a domestic arrival. No queues. No immigration kiosks. You land, walk through the terminal, and leave.
The Aircraft: An A321 Pretending to Be Bigger
The A321neo seat was surprisingly spacious
The Airbus A321 Long Range is a narrowbody aircraft. That’s technically correct, but it undersells what Airbus has managed to pull off with the Airspace cabin design.
The cabin is laid out in a 3-3 configuration in economy, which is standard for a narrowbody. But the Airspace design, with its larger overhead bins, smarter LED lighting, and improved airflow, makes it feel more spacious than it should. The bins actually swallow roller bags without a wrestling match. The lighting doesn’t make you feel like you’re in a fluorescent-lit waiting room. These are small things that add up over seven hours.
The Seat (JetBlue’s “Most Room in Coach” Claim)
Even Basic Blue passengers get a Snooze Kit
JetBlue claims to offer “the most room in coach” with a 32-inch seat pitch. For comparison, most transatlantic economy seats provide 30-31 inches. Two inches doesn’t sound like much until you’re six hours into a flight and your knees aren’t touching the seat in front of you.
I found the window seat notably shoulder-friendly. There’s something about the curve of the fuselage at a window seat on a narrowbody that can make you feel compressed, but this didn’t. The space felt comparable to premium economy on certain other airlines, which is a strange thing to say about the cheapest ticket.
The headrest was adjustable, though possibly designed for someone shorter than me. It worked well enough.
Power and Entertainment
Every seat has a 10.1-inch HD touchscreen with a solid mix of movies, TV shows, and live TV. I didn’t test the full library exhaustively because I was busy doing other things (like drinking free wine, which we’ll get to), but the selection looked decent. Plus, I prefer the moving map to almost every other option!
More importantly, there’s a USB-A port in the screen and a plug socket below the seat. Power at every seat is the baseline expectation in 2025, and JetBlue clears it.
Wi-Fi is free. Not “free for messaging.” Not “free for the first 30 minutes.” Just free. Full stop. I used it a bit for messaging and to look up start times for my Statue of Liberty tour. It can drop out in really remote over-ocean areas. Final tip: bring your own headphones with a 3.5mm jack.
The Food and Drink (Some Unexpected Extras)
Here’s where JetBlue Basic Blue breaks the transatlantic economy script entirely compared to some other US carriers.
Free beer, wine, and liquor.
Yes, that’s right: JetBlue offers complimentary alcoholic drinks in economy on transatlantic flights. Not just beer and wine. Full spirits. For passengers over 21. This is not standard on a lower cost ticket. Most airlines charge $5-8 per drink in economy. JetBlue just… doesn’t.
I had a glass of white wine. And water. And another glass of wine. Because I could.
The Meals (Free, But Let’s Not Get Carried Away)
JetBlue partners with Dig for the cold meal service. I was offered a pasta salad (which I took) instead of the tofu and nettles option (which I did not take). It came with two side salads. It was… fine. Okay. Not amazing. Not offensive. Edible and sufficient.
There was a second service later in the flight: a small tomato and pesto wrap, served cold. This was pretty rough. Solid. Cold. Not appetising to my palate, at least.
A “substantial” JetBlue wrap!
Snacks from the pantry were available throughout the flight if you wanted them.
Here’s my honest assessment: the meals and snacks were not amazing. But they were included. And when you’re paying so little for a transatlantic flight, “not amazing but free” beats “not amazing and $8 extra” every single time.
Service and Other Details
The crew were efficient and friendly without being overly performative about it. This is JetBlue, not a legacy carrier trying to convince you that flying is glamorous. The service felt… appropriate.
The bathroom was notably capacious for a narrowbody. JetBlue’s signature blue design carried through, which is on-brand to the point of self-parody, but at least it’s consistent.
Arriving in New York: What Now?
Because of US Pre-Clearance in Dublin, arrival at JFK was completely smooth. No immigration queues. No customs delays. You land, you walk, you leave.
If you’re planning a New York trip and flying this route, here’s what I’d suggest for your time in the city:
Where to Stay in New York
Standard comfy room in the Hampton Inn Brooklyn
Flying into New York? Here’s where I stay:
- Manhattan: The Refinery Hotel in Midtown >>
- Brooklyn: Hampton Inn Brooklyn Downtown >>
Search for your New York hotel
What to Do in New York
I take the same tours as I recommend: this is the Statue of Liberty tour in 2025!
If it’s your first time, don’t skip the obvious tourist things like:
- Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
- Empire State Building Observation Deck
- Walk or jog through Central Park
- Brooklyn Bridge & DUMBO Walking Tour
These are obvious for a reason. They work. Don’t skip them trying to be cool! Plus I like museums like the Met and MoMA, but maybe that’s just me 🙂
Who Basic Blue is Best For
- Carry-on only travellers
- Light sleepers / nervous flyers who want a newer cabin
- Budget travelers who still want free Wi-Fi & drinks
- Filmmakers or aviation YouTubers (window seating potential)
Who Should Not Choose Basic Blue
- People who must sit together
- Families with lots of luggage
- Tall travellers who want guaranteed exit row or Even More Space seats
The Bottom Line: Is Basic Blue Worth It?
I paid under $300 for a seven-hour transatlantic flight on a spacious narrowbody with free Wi-Fi, free alcoholic drinks, two free meals, a window seat, and a seamless arrival process in New York.
Let me state that differently: JetBlue’s cheapest economy fare included things that most airlines either don’t offer or charge extra for. The seat was comfortable. The entertainment worked. The crew were fine. The food was edible. None of it was transcendent, but none of it needed to be.
The “basic” label is almost misleading. If you’re willing to skip checked luggage (which I was anyway), board last (which doesn’t matter on a long-haul flight), and accept a randomly assigned seat (which worked out fine), you’re not actually giving up much.
This is probably the best value transatlantic economy option flying out of Dublin right now, if you can find dates that work for you. It won’t revolutionise your life. Which, frankly, is more than I expected.
JetBlue calls it Basic. It didn’t feel Basic. If this is what budget long-haul looks like in 2025, other airlines should start taking notes.
When to Book Basic Blue for the Best Price
- Midweek departures are usually cheapest. Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to price lower than Fridays and Sundays, especially outside school holidays.
- Avoid peak summer if you’re price-sensitive. July and August surge. Late April-June and September-early November are the sweet spot.
- Watch for JetBlue sales. They quietly drop $250-300 one-way fares a few times a year out of Dublin. If you see those prices, grab them. They don’t last.
- Cash + points can beat headline fares. Even a small TrueBlue balance can shave $20-50 off without much effort.
- If you’re flexible, search 3 days either side. JetBlue’s fare calendar will happily show you a cheaper date if you’re willing to nudge your plans.