JetBlue has decided to disable the privacy doors on its business class suites of their A321neos, revert to having just 4 flight attendants on board. This decision aligns the staffing levels across all Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft in the JetBlue fleet. The implementation of this change is expected to take place by mid-August. According to aviation analyst Seth Miller, this move could be a result of potential changes in leadership if corporate raider Carl Icahn takes control of the airline. This decision poses a risk to the premium experience offered by JetBlue’s business class cabins.
Adding privacy doors to business class seats has become a common practice in the airline industry to create a more luxurious experience for passengers. Qatar Airways was the first to introduce this feature, followed by Delta, British Airways, Air France, KLM, and other airlines. However, US carriers need approval from the government to install doors on these seats due to safety regulations prohibiting doors inside aircraft cabins. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has stated that the extra workload of ensuring these doors are properly positioned during taxi, takeoff, and landing requires airlines to increase the number of cabin crew members beyond the minimum requirement of 1 flight attendant per 50 seats.
In March, JetBlue decided to add an additional crew member to its flights to comply with the FAA’s regulations. This change affected the A321neo and A321LR aircraft, requiring more flight attendants to be onboard. However, JetBlue has now opted to disable
