If you’re looking to get away this month, how about Paris? The only downer is that you’ll have to settle for business class—we know—that does sound like roughing it.

All-business-class carrier OpenSkies is pulling out of the Washington, DC area at the end of October, so that means they’re selling the last available seats for quite a deal. You’ll have to fly this month, and you’ll need to go between Washington-Dulles and Paris-Orly. However, if you can swing the dates and the destinations there might be flights available for as low as $750 roundtrip—and that includes taxes! ]]> kjb 2011-10-10T09:30:15-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/9/8/14217/75650
Inside an OpenSkies cabin

Here's a bit of news you don't hear every day: OpenSkies, the British Airways-owned all-business class airline that flies between the US and France, is offering a money-back guarantee on their flights. To put it simply, if you don't enjoy the service the OpenSkies flight experience, then you can request a refund for your ticket price, which is usually at least $1500 round-trip.

The deal, announced today via the AP and Facebook, is called "Try OpenSkies, Love Everything or Pay Nothing." To take advantage of it, you've got to book and fly a round-trip with them from Newark or DC-Dulles to one of their three French destinations—Paris, Lyon, Nantes—by November 30, 2010. Then you've got to have a horrible flight, and who wants that to happen? ]]> JetSetCD 2010-09-08T14:40:11-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/11/12/103410/05

Last all business class carrier standing OpenSkies seems to be in an unenviable position. Its competitors have all gone bust, business travel budgets are shrinking and its acquisition of L'Avion seems to have been, shall we say, ill-timed. So the airline took to its official blog to remind everyone that, yes, times are tough, but you should still book flights with us!

We are in a fortunate position to have the strong support of an airline that has seen global economic dips and flips before: British Airways. But even though we fall under the umbrella of BA, we are still responsible for making careful and prudent decisions to ensure a superior experience. ...

[We] want to make careful, prudent, sensible decisions moving forward, moving up the items we need now, and de-emphasizing the items that can wait.

Unsurprisingly, a commenter went ahead and asked the obvious: If I buy a ticket for May 2009, what are the odds my flight will actually operate? OpenSkies' answer? Haven't seen one yet!

Related Stories:
· Navigating the Ups and Downs [OpenSkies Blog]
· First-Person Flight Reviews: OpenSkies Is More Than Lounge Showers [Jaunted]

[Photo: Wikimedia]]]> pbb 2008-11-12T10:34:10-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/11/3/162014/912

Well, America, the big vote is tomorrow. In fact, we thought today would be so full of breathless electoral predictions, there wouldn't be a sliver of travel news worth talking about.

Instead, there was all sorts of craziness, from bipartisan support for massive earthworks celebrating presidential aspirants to Ryanair's insistence that we'll be flying transatlantic for $13 (plus tax, natch) by 2009.

If the rumor mill can be trusted, that seems like the only price that can lead to success: The all biz class upstart OpenSkies might be having some money trouble of its own.

Related Stories:
· Transatlantic Flights for $13 Coming Soon [BT]
· Mega-Sized Barack Obama Portrait in Sand [FP]
· Previously: Mega-Sized Sarah Palin in Corn Field [Jaunted]
· Possible Internal OpenSkies Memo about the Global Recession [Airliners.net]
· British Airways Staff Also Abusing Passengers on Facebook [Travel Weekly UK]

[Photo: Voz Over]]]> pbb 2008-11-03T17:00:06-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/10/20/71814/791

OpenSkies started flying between New York and Amsterdam last week, after deciding earlier this summer to remove all its economy seats.

So now that it's a verifiable all-business-class carrier, what's it like? Blogger Will Allen was on a recent flight--but seemed more interested in the shower situation on the ground than the in-flight service:

One hour later my cell phone buzzed, and I received my answer: No showers in the OpenSkies Amsterdam lounge. However, they hastened to add, public showers are available free of charge at Schiphol, so long as one brings one's own towel and soap.

But business travel obsessive Joe Brancatelli has more scoop:]]> kjb 2008-10-22T16:30:49-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/30/125541/727

OpenSkies, the premium transatlantic airline launched by British Airways, recently announced it would start Amsterdam-New York service. But the bigger news from the airline is that it's about to rip out all its economy class seats.

Yep, now that Eos, MaxJet and Silverjet have left the market, OpenSkies is going all business class, removing the 30-passenger economy cabin and filling the space with 12 "Prem+" seats with 52 inches of pitch and 140-degree recline. With the existing premium seats and first class, the carrier's one 757 will only carry 64 passengers at a time.

Why the change? The managing director of the carrier, Dale Moss, told Cranky Flier Brett Snyder that those economy seats were "a distraction." Seems he'd rather focus on new destinations instead: Boston and Washington are candidates for future service, as are Barcelona, Brussels and Milan.

Related Stories:
· OpenSkies to Add Amsterdam Flights [Airline Biz Blog]
· OpenSkies' Earth-Shaking Announcement [The Cranky Flier]
· All Business Class Carriers coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Wikimedia]]]> pbb 2008-07-30T13:00:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/2/132540/9383

L'Avion, the last independent transatlantic all business class carrier, just got bought up by British Airways. The backer of the new premium airline OpenSkies directly competed with L'Avion for Paris to New York passengers--until today.

The deal cost BA €68 million ($108 million), though L'Avion had €33 million in cash in the bank. More importantly than eliminating the competition and getting two 757s, OpenSkies will also get L'Avion's landing slots at ORY.

We have two big questions. First, where will the newly-expanded OpenSkies fly? L'Avion served Newark, while the BA offshoot lands at JFK. A company press release mentions "up to three daily flights between Paris Orly and the New York area." The second question: Will OpenSkies make a dime off this deal?

Related Stories:
· British Airways Buys L'Avion to Expand OpenSkies [Bloomberg UK]
· All Business Class Carriers coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Mohsan]]]> pbb 2008-07-02T13:35:09-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/