After a brief layover from my #2 flight departing from Presque Isle, ME, it’s now time to get ready for the next leg of this journey, which takes me to Nantucket, MA.

Introduction

This blog post is the third in a series of 25 posts documenting my JetBlue experience across 25 individual flights as I pursue the JetBlue 25/25 challenge.

The challenge involves flying to 25 unique JetBlue destinations on JetBlue metal. I’ve decided to make this even more exciting by visiting locations I’ve always wanted to explore, turning it into an Amazing Race-style adventure.

By the end of the challenge, I hope to earn 350K reward miles and 25 years of Mosaic status.

Welcome to Part 3.

Flight Details

Route: Boston, MA (BOS) → Nantucket, MA (ACK)
Aircraft: Embraer 190 (16 years old)
Registration: N306JB
Nickname: “Blue Orleans”
Flight Time: 43 minutes (scheduled)
Status: Ready

Terminal C Guide

For this flight, I had to depart from JetBlue’s home at Terminal C.

Note: See the Terminal A to Terminal C guide [link coming soon here]. The fast route takes around 20 minutes (including security), while the longer route can take upwards of 40+ minutes. (Terminal C Guide Coming Soon)

Check-In Experience

There’s no check-in here–just a layover in Terminal C.

Waiting to Board

I had a little while to board. Almost three whole hours. It was actually two hours and forty-six minutes to be exact. 

Since I stayed up all night writing my first blog post kicking off this challenge and then packing for this flight, I was in desperate need of some shuteye. But no matter how much I tried, I just couldn’t get comfortable.

Instead, all I could think about was that today was going to be Embraer day. That meant from sun up to sundown I would be on no other aircraft than an Embraer 190.

Note: As an FYI, Embraer is a Brazilian aerospace corporation and is the third largest producer of aircraft next to Airbus and Boeing. Fun fact: JetBlue was the launch customer for the E190 back in 2004.

The other aspect that wasn’t ideal here at Boston Logan? The lack of a JetBlue lounge. How do you not have a lounge at one of your busiest airports! There is one under construction but it won’t be ready until 2026.

I highlighted this on the first leg of this challenge, having to use the proletarian Priority Pass lounge. 

While this might not seem like a big deal, I did match into JetBlue’s Mosaic 2—albeit temporarily—as a result of my Delta Platinum status.

However, despite having Mosaic 2 status, I’m just out here bumming it with the rest of civilization and sleeping haphazardly on my new Pioneer Panda backpack—which I’ve been test running on this challenge–trying to get some comfort.

This is one of the few times where I started to understand and appreciate the benefit of Delta’s offering and the strength of their lounges. 

Featured Gear

*Contains affiliate links – I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you

Priority Pass Lounge Review

On the first leg of this journey, I went to the Priority Pass lounge, mainly because I wanted to check it out and since I knew I would already spend 5+ hours at the airport.

This time, even though my flight from PQI arrived near gate C19 (where the Priority Pass lounge is located), I just didn’t think there was value in going there. The effort of walking and checking in just wasn’t worth it.

I still remember their food looking quite horrible and distasteful, especially the salad. That sad, sad, wilted lettuce.

Does its lettuce family know what it died for? I mean, it was crucified for no good reason. I don’t know—it’s almost as if the lettuce itself had sad googly eyes and an upside-down smile. That feeling of neglect. I hear you, buddy. We all feel that way sometimes.

The PTSD and flashbacks of that sad buffet only reinforced my desire to grab some clam chowder for takeaway at Legal Sea Foods, located near TSA.

Mark my words, during one of these JetBlue connections at Boston, I’m bound to grab some food there.

I mean, now, each time I walk past Legal Sea Foods, the thought of making a pit stop gets more and more tempting.

But again, if I’m going to spend money in Nantucket, I might as well save my money, right? After all, have you seen the average room rate in Nantucket? For a nice place? Don’t bother looking; it’s north of $1,000.

Flight Experience

The flight was straightforward from point A to point B. That meant no issues with boarding and an actual, early departure.

The interior, however, left much to be desired. The seats themselves told a different story and had seen better days.

The wilted leather on the seats gave an impression of an old 1990 Lexus sedan—the kind with the tan leather seats that you’d get off Craigslist that show the harsh effects of aging from constant sun and lack of maintenance.

And then there was the issue of cleanliness—crumbs on the floor. Then to the left of the seat, goldfish, and to the right, Cheerios. It’s like a McDonald’s playpen/cereal bowl in the air. And you’re right there in it.

Another thing: The plane was freezing cold. That’s right, cold with a capital C.

The view from the window was amazingly beautiful. You could easily see Provincetown, MA and Cape Cod Bay. It had been a while since I’d driven down that coast, and the view definitely made me want to rekindle some old memories. I always wonder what pilots think, given they can see these amazing views each time they fly.

Eventually, we touched down fast with such a slamming on the brakes that the cabin air filled with the smell of burnt rubber.

One thing to note, as we proceeded to the gate, was the litany of private jets that dotted the runway. It was by far the most private jets I’d seen in one given location–especially at a tiny airport.

Note: In some of the shots, a quick glance at the aircraft tail numbers reveals the island’s deep pocketed clientele. The Gulfstream N824SS belongs to Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. (Bedford, MA), while N651WE is registered to the Bank of Utah Trustee (Salt Lake City, UT). Among the other private jets are a Cessna Citation X+ (N79ZE) owned by Chairman Aviation, and fractional ownership companies including Netjets’ Bombardier Challenger 300 (N730QS) and various PlaneSense aircraft.

Fast forward to our gate arrival at the gray shingle-colored airport, I walked past the baggage claim, which is essentially a garage that opens up where bags are unloaded.

Now, I just had to figure out how the hell to get downtown.

Luckily, Lina–at the attached information desk–was super helpful.

1-Day Nantucket Itinerary

Check back soon for my 1-day Nantucket itinerary.

[the_ad id=”483″]

Challenge Progress Tracker

Tips, Tricks, and Logistics

Challenge Progress Tracker

📊 CHALLENGE STATISTICS

Progress Bar: [███░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 3/25 Flights (12% Complete)

Flights Completed: 3/25
Unique Airports: 3/25
Total Miles Flown: 611 miles
TrueBlue Points Earned: 733 points
Total Delays: 2 hours 33 minutes
On-Time Performance: 66.7%

✅ COMPLETED DESTINATIONS

✓ Presque Isle, ME (PQI) – July 20, 2025

✓ Boston, MA (BOS) – July 24, 2025

✓ Nantucket, MA (ACK) – July 24, 2025

🎯 REMAINING DESTINATIONS (22)

☑ Nantucket (ACK) 

□ Austin (AUS) 

☑ Boston (BOS)

□ Burlington (BTV) 

□ Charleston (CHS) 

□ Denver (DEN) 

□ Fort Lauderdale (FLL) 

□ Hartford (BDL) 

□ White Plains (HPN) 

□ Las Vegas (LAS) 

□ Los Angeles (LAX) 

□ Nashville (BNA) 

□ New Orleans (MSY) 

□ New York JFK (JFK) 

□ Orlando (MCO) 

□ Phoenix (PHX) 

☑ Presque Isle (PQI) 

□ Portland, ME (PWM) 

□ Portland, OR (PDX) 

□ Raleigh-Durham (RDU) 

□ Richmond (RIC)

□ San Diego (SAN) 

□ San Francisco (SFO)

□ Savannah (SAV) 

□ Seattle (SEA) 

□ Tampa (TPA) 

□ Washington DCA (DCA) 

□ West Palm Beach (PBI)

💰 CHALLENGE ECONOMICS

Flight #3 Cost: Layover

Total Spent: $243
Average per Flight: $81

Projected Total Cost: $5,000 ($4447.61)

 

🏆 REWARD MILESTONES

□ 15 Destinations = 150,000 bonus points (12 to go)
□ 20 Destinations = +200,000 bonus points (17 to go)
□ 25 Destinations = 350K bonus points + 25 years Mosaic status (22 to go)

Current Points Balance: 755
Projected Total Points: 350,733 (including bonuses)
Projected Points Value: $4,910 (at 1.4¢/point)

⏰ DEADLINE COUNTDOWN

Days Remaining: 161 days
Challenge Ends: December 31, 2025

✈️ FLIGHT EXPERIENCE SCORES

Flight #3 (BOS→ACK): ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)

• On-Time: ⭐ 
• Service: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Comfort: ⭐⭐⭐
• Airport Experience: ⭐
• Overall: “Chugging Along”

📈 CHALLENGE INSIGHTS

Best Performing Hub: PQI
Worst Performing Hub: PQI

Average Delay: N/A
Most Common Aircraft: Embraer 190 (100%)
Preferred Seat: TBD

🎯 MY JETBLUE 25/25 CHALLENGE

Started: July 20, 2025
Progress: 3/25 destinations
Status: “Moving… slowly”
Follow: @homsontravels #JetBlue2525

Trip Soundtrack

Because every adventure needs a soundtrack, each of my trips comes with a theme song. And for this trip's anthem? Well, it's...

Next Flight Preview

Flight #4: Nantucket (ACK) → Westchester County, NY (HPN)
Aircraft: Embraer 190 (16 years old)
Nickname: “Blue Orleans”
Status: Inbound aircraft was showing on time until Flighty reported delays. The flight ended up being delayed by 2 hours and 12 minutes due to a trickle-down effect from MVY to DCA and then DCA to Nantucket, and then our departure. . 

My hopes for Flight #4:

1. Flight does not get cancelled
2. An uneventful airport experience

Stay tuned for Part 4 of the JetBlue 25/25 Challenge!