JetBlue's last Embraer E190, "My Other Ride Is A JetBlue A320" at the gate after its final revenue flight.
My tribute to JetBlue's Embraer E190s.
Seats on JetBlue's last E190 flight.
Seats on JetBlue's Airbus A220s, which will replace the E190 on most routes.

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IN THE AIR FROM NEW YORK TO BOSTON ― JetBlue flew its last revenue flight with an Embraer E190 on Tuesday. Most casual travelers have probably never even heard of the plane, but according to the airline’s CEO Joanna Geraghty, the retirement marks the end of an era at JetBlue.

“These are our first aircraft that we’ve ever retired, so that has a little bit of emotion in it,” Geraghty told me before Flight 190 took off from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York one last time. “We were the launch customer for it, so we actually brought it online. That comes with a lot of challenges and a lot of very new learnings for everybody, and I’m really proud of what we were able to do with the 190.”

JetBlue was the first airline in the world to bring E190s into its fleet in 2005.

As an airline reporter, I’ve now gotten to cover three airline fleet retirements in my career so far, each of which was special in its own way.

I flew with Delta Air Lines’ last 747 to a storage facility in the Arizona desert – an experience even my non-avgeek friends thought was cool. I also got to fly along with American Airlines' last MD-80, the end of an era for that airline as well, and a fun chance to go down the built-in air stairs in the back.

But weirdly, this E190 flight means more to me than those others.

As a kid, I was afraid of flying. (My parents used to have to dissolve anxiety medication in apple juice to get me on a plane.) But when JetBlue first came on the scene, their promise of DirecTV at every seat gave me the distraction I needed to stop being so nervous in the air. JetBlue was the first airline that I felt excited to fly when I was younger. So, in some ways, the company is why I have the job I have today.

A few years after my first JetBlue flight, I got accepted into Northwestern University’s journalism program and knew that I was truly going to have to put my fear of flying behind me.

Between 2009 and 2013, I flew back and forth from Long Island to Chicagoland at least three times a year, and almost all of those trips were on JetBlue E190s. The E190 was the first plane to make flying feel routine for me, which, as a formerly-anxious flyer, is no small feat.

With just 100 passengers onboard, the E190 always felt cozy, and with only two seats on each side, it never felt cramped, even in the window seat. JetBlue, which marked its brand on comfy leather seats, delivered on that promise on the E190. I also always remember thinking the windows were big and at just the right height for staring out at the sky.

I even had a meet-cute with a fellow Northwestern student sitting next to me on one of those E190 flights, heading home for Thanksgiving break during my freshman year.

To say the E190 means a lot to me might be underselling it. It’s the first plane I’m truly sad to see end its career. But I understand why it’s happening. Times change, and airlines have to evolve.

Here’s what JetBlue officials say is the reason behind the shift, and what passengers can expect from the next generation of aircraft.

Why the E190s are being retired

At the time of their introduction, the E190s were cutting-edge.

"JetBlue passengers will find the EMBRAER 190 provides them with the same high standards of cabin comfort and appeal they are used to on JetBlue, offering a truly seamless experience throughout the JetBlue system,” the airline said in a 2003 press release announcing its aircraft order. “As with JetBlue's A320 fleet, all of the low-cost carrier's new Embraer aircraft will offer DIRECTV satellite programming at every roomy leather seat. The new aircraft will feature 100 seats in an all-coach, two-by-two seating configuration.”

Still, more than 20 years since its initial order, JetBlue officials said the E190’s useful life for the airline has come to an end. After almost two decades in service with the carrier, the company wanted planes that were more fuel efficient, more flexible, and outfitted with the latest amenities that passengers have come to expect.

The E190s were a workhorse of JetBlue’s fleet for almost two decades, but were definitely showing their age by 2025. Their small overhead bins and outdated inflight entertainment system were not meeting modern passengers’ expectations. But even on the final flight, their roomy two-by-two leather seats were comfortable to the end.

“I am proud to operate today’s flight, as it marks a significant evolution of our fleet,” Warren Christie, JetBlue’s chief operating officer, who also captained the final flight, said in a statement. “The E190 was instrumental in our early years and proved to deliver on critical connectivity in short-haul markets, allowing us to grow into new regions, especially in our New York and Boston focus cities. As one of the originating crewmembers to launch the E190 at JetBlue, it is an honor to pilot our final E190 revenue flight.”

Where JetBlue’s E190s are going

JetBlue didn’t officially announce plans for its outgoing E190s during the retirement flight, but many aircraft in the fleet appear to be going to airline leasing corporations, which suggests they will remain in service with other carriers after retrofits.

What to expect from JetBlue’s Airbus A220s

A fleet of up to 100 Airbus A220s will eventually replace the E190s, with 52 already in service according to JetBlue.

The new planes feature updated inflight entertainment systems, bigger overhead bins and a host of other amenities, including at-seat power and larger bathrooms to keep passengers comfortable.

“The 220s are a great customer experience. It feels almost like a widebody experience on a smaller aircraft,” Geraghty said. “Bigger windows, much more light, and we’re bringing a business/first class product next year.”

The A220-300s carry 40 more passengers than the E190s and have a longer range, but are also more fuel efficient, which JetBlue officials said means the airline will have more scheduling and routing flexibility with the next generation of its fleet.

“The A220 continues to unlock new possibilities for route expansion, including for transcontinental markets where the E190 was not equipped for the range needed,” a statement from the airline said.

That may all be true and is something for passengers to look forward to, but I’m still sad to see the E190 go.

The reporter on this story received access from JetBlue. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.

(This story was updated to change or add a photo or video.)

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: JetBlue is retiring this plane. After a two-decade run, I went on its last flight.

Reporting by Zach Wichter, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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