I flew to Paris in JetBlue's 'Mint' business class, where each passenger gets their own private suit

• On June 29, JetBlue debuted its first-ever flight from New York City to Paris.
• I got to experience its inaugural flight in Mint, JetBlue's take on business class.
• Lie-flat seats, noise-canceling headphones, and gourmet meals made the trip feel ultra-luxurious.

Last month, JetBlue launched its first-ever route from New York City to Paris — and I joined the airline on the inaugural flight in Mint, its playful take on business class. 

While JetBlue already has a flight to London, which debuted in 2021, the new service is the airline's first step into continental Europe. Running from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Charles de Gaulle Airport, the roughly seven-hour red-eye lands passengers in the City of Light at 6:55 a.m.

As it stands, seats in Mint start at $1,899. 

From gourmet meals made in partnership with popular New York City restaurants to high-tech gadgets, here's what it's like to fly Mint on the brand-new transatlantic route.

Insider paid a press rate of $1,300, one way in Mint and returning in economy.

The Mint experience started before I boarded the plane, with access to priority security.

I've never had TSA PreCheck or priority boarding, so I strolled into JFK with an air of excitement and exclusivity. But as I got to security and saw the state of the lines, my big-boss energy faded quickly.

JetBlue's inaugural Paris flight coincided with one of the worst air travel weeks of the year, which meant JFK was especially packed — including the priority security line. 

While it was still probably quicker than the regular process, what I expected to be a breeze through security was still a roughly 30-minute wait in a long line of frustrated priority passengers. 

The priority access continued at the gate, where Mint passengers are amongst the first to board.

Following pre-boarding for passengers who need extra time, like families or people with disabilities, Mint guests are the first group to board. 

Since I'm used to being in one of the last boarding groups, lining up early felt like a rare privilege.

On the plane, despite the buzz of passengers' excitement, the atmosphere felt calm and peaceful.

The lights were dimmed, creating a relaxing vibe in the cabin. Even as people bustled about, chatting and taking photos, it still felt tranquil.

It was only 5 p.m., but the mood lighting helped make me feel ready to fall asleep on the red-eye flight. 

Each Mint passenger gets their own "private suite," the star of which is a lie-flat seat.

The suites have a sliding door, which creates a feeling of privacy despite being inside a metal tube filled with dozens of other passengers. 

The suite was so spacious that the TV felt impossibly far away.

The area was larger than I expected — if I was sitting upright, I'd have to lean forward to reach the TV on the other side of the suite. 

The distance wasn't terribly inconvenient, however; the TV could be pulled out from its place on the wall, and you could connect your phone as a remote, or use the one provided, so you don't have to continuously get up to control the screen.

After settling in, Mint passengers were offered a glass of champagne.

While I gladly accepted the bubbly, the flight attendants offered water as a non-alcoholic option. 

Waiting for us at our seats were little bags of toiletries for the trip.

The pouch included a toothbrush and toothpaste, which came in handy for maintaining hygiene while on the flight. It also came with earplugs and a sleeping mask. 

Beneath the seat, we also got a cozy pair of slippers to wear.

The other goodies we received were unlike anything I've ever seen on an airplane — including high-tech headphones.

Master & Dynamic, a New York City-based audio company, created the over-ear headphones specifically for JetBlue's Mint experience. 

The headphones are a version of its popular MH40 product, which according to the company's website, retails at about $300. While I didn't use them much throughout the flight, they fit comfortably and felt like a good-quality pair of headphones. 

Passengers don't get to keep the headphones; they're picked up at the end of the trip.

We also got a Bluetooth audio transmitter.

One of the most exciting trinkets offered in Mint was the AirFly Pro, a Bluetooth audio transmitter. 

You can watch in-flight entertainment without wires by plugging the little device into the plane's headphone jack and connecting it to your wireless earbuds — like AirPods, for example. 

Unlike the high-tech Master & Dynamic headphones, passengers got to keep the nifty AirFly Pro.

After fussing over all the goodies, it was time to pick out my meal — which was entirely customizable.

Mint passengers had several "small plates" to choose from: chicken, pasta, chilled pea soup, and farro salad, as well as a cheese plate or vanilla gelato for after dinner. 

Guests can select three small plates, so I chose the pea soup, pasta, and farro salad. For dessert, I chose the vanilla gelato. Passengers also have the option to have dinner brought out in several courses, like at an upscale restaurant, or they can go the "express" route and have all the dishes brought out at once. 

Eager to settle into my lie-flat seat and fall asleep, I asked to have my plates brought out simultaneously. 

What arrived was the most gourmet airplane food I'd ever seen.

The quality and amount of food JetBlue offers is unlike anything I've ever experienced. Curated through a partnership with New York City-based Delicious Hospitality Group, each dish was fresh and flavorful.

Despite being on a plane, the meal tasted like it could have come directly from one of DHG's popular Manhattan restaurants.

The small plates had tasty and unique ingredients — the chilled pea soup was topped with puffed wild rice and mint oil; The farro salad came with roasted tomatoes and pistachios; The cavatelli pasta was served with "Sicilian tomato sauce;" And the vanilla gelato had a drizzle of blackberry preserves on top.

Without question, the food was one of the best parts of the Mint experience.

After the meal, I set up my "bed," which was more comfortable with a nice blanket and pillow.

JetBlue's bedding comes from Tuft & Needle, a mattress company based out of Arizona. As I turned my seat into a bed, I was surprised by how nice the blanket and pillow were. 

The pillow was a nice balance between squishy and firm, and the blanket was big enough to keep me covered through the night. The blanket and pillow fabric was softer than many of the blankets offered on other flights. 

Once we landed, the flight attendants requested that we leave the used bedding on our seats.

I was surprised that I didn't feel cramped during the night.

For a 5'7" woman, the Mint suite felt like the perfect size. I could spread out relatively well and didn't feel squished in the lie-flat seat. 

My feet didn't quite hit the end of the bed, and there was plenty of room between my head and the wall. Anyone taller than me, though, might feel more cramped than I did.

For breakfast, I was served a croissant, a can of La Colombe Coffee, and a bottle of orange juice.

Because I slept through breakfast service, I was given a to-go bag of goodies to take on the road.

Had I been awake to be served breakfast, I could have chosen from watermelon, coconut yogurt, and an asparagus frittata — which I think would have been as good as the meal prior. 

One thing I didn't care for was the window placement: it was nearly impossible to see out of.

The suite's structure is such that the window is slightly behind the seat, making it challenging to look out of. I love looking out at the view during my flight, so having to crane my neck to see was one of the more disappointing experiences of the flight.  

All in all, though, my experience in JetBlue's Mint cabin was far and above anything I've ever experienced.

My first time in business class did not disappoint — and I'll be saving up my money for the next time I can fly Mint.

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