Silverjet, the all-biz carrier that not too long ago announced Dubai service, just inked a deal to acquire two more Boeing 767s. That'll take the fleet size up to five aircraft and hopefully put an end to its occasional scheduling troubles.
The new planes will of course have all the standard Silverjet** amenities like power outlets, individually served food and drink, lots of in-flight entertainment options and no more than 100 passengers per flight. (In November, about 55 percent of each flight's seats were filled, so there's plenty of space on board.)
With the new aircraft, Silverjet hopes to expand its route network beyond the current Newark-Luton and Luton-Dubai options. In view for the carrier are New Delhi, Johannesburg, Shanghai and Los Angeles. Also a possibility--and we're trying to figure this one out--is the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. Could Silverjet be a fan of Amazing Race?
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had a quiet date night on Saturday in London after arriving at Luton Airport earlier that day. This time, the Super World Travelers are promoting Jolie's turn as Grendel's mom in Robert Zemeckis' "Beowulf"--and maybe we weren't paying attention in English class, but we didn't realize Grendel's mom was so good-looking. Brangelina braved the paparazzi's flashes to enjoy a dinner of Japanese food at Roka.
Most of Luton Airport's business comes not from private-jet fliers, but from budget carriers like easyJet and Ryanair. (The all-business class airline Silverjet operates there, too.) It's even the subject of a reality series in the UK. So the next time someone gives you grief for not flying through Heathrow, tell them, "If it's good enough for Brangelina..."
All business class carrier Silverjet has announced it is adding non-stop service to Dubai, making it the first biz class airline to try a route that doesn't cross the Atlantic. Service will start November 18 with introductory round-trip fares of £999 ($2,000).
Silverjet's London hub is a private terminal at Luton airport, where the airline has connecting flights to Newark, though travelers wanting to go all the way from EWR to DXB will have to endure an 11 hour layover in England.
Once in the air, the Silverjet experience will have a lot in common with the trans-Atlantic route: sleeper beds, lots of entertainment and flexible dining options. The Dubai route will add:
A specially tailored service including a Halal menu, Arabic menus, Qibla service [pointing toward Mecca] and ladies only loo to meet the needs of customers from the United Arab Emirates.
We're guessing there might be a bit less lav action on these flights.
While this ad would probably never fly in the United States, it is currently making the rounds across the pond. The ad offers quite a different view of the airline that was featured in an excellent video tour Susan d'Arcy put together back in February.
Is this really what flying Silverjet is like? Hardly. However, passenger reviews have been steadily getting better this summer, here is what a recent Luton to Newark passenger thought:
SilverJet sets itself apart from its competitors by offering one unique feature. A Private “terminal” at both Newark and Luton. Coupled with a compromise between an old fashioned arm chair business class seat offered by MaxJet and the fully flat bed of EOS, in the form its lie flat 6’3” lie flat-at-an angle seat, this is a good product filling a clear niche between the two more established start ups in this area, with the added fun of being able to take a helicopter transfer from Battersea for an additional charge.
A quick check of FlightStats, shows Silverjet to be on time over 60% this month, with no flight cancellations this week. Obviously, the airline only runs about ten flights a day out of the U.S., so these stats are a bit skewed, but if there is girl on girl action in the lavs do you really care?
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