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Tags: All Business Class Carriers / OpenSkies / L'Avion / British Airways / Open Skies / → All Tags

OpenSkies Trying To Reassure Passengers Via Blog

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]

Tags: Adventures of Link / OpenSkies / Ryanair / Barack Obama / John McCain / → All Tags

Election Eve

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]

Tags: Flight Reviews / OpenSkies / Open Skies / All Business Class Carriers / British Airways / → All Tags

First-Person Flight Reviews: OpenSkies Is More Than Lounge Showers

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:

more ›

Tags: All Business Class Carriers / OpenSkies / L'Avion / British Airways / Open Skies / JFK / AMS / New Routes / → All Tags

OpenSkies Travel: New Seats, New Routes

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]

Tags: All Business Class Carriers / OpenSkies / L'Avion / British Airways / Open Skies / JFK / ORY / EWR / → All Tags

Unshakable Faith Travel: British Airways Buys L'Avion

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]

Tags: Flight Reviews / British Airways / New Routes / OpenSkies / Open Skies / JFK / ORY / → All Tags

First-Person Flight Reviews: OpenSkies Starts Service

The new carrier OpenSkies successfully began its New York to Paris (ORY) route on June 19, and so far things are going smoothly. The airline seeks to battle increasing operating costs with its unique model of pricey business class seats with a limited economy cabin. Says British Airways CEO Willie Walsh:

While the economic climate has worsened in recent months, we believe that OpenSkies can compete effectively. It has a low cost base and support from British Airways in key areas such as sales and marketing. This differentiates it from some new airlines that have failed recently which were operating in isolation.

First hand trip reports from the inaugural flights have been slow to roll in. But Ben from the One Mile at a Time blog was on that first flight and offers some great pictures and experiences of the Prem+ cabin:

The seat was much wider, at least around the shoulders, which made it easy to get comfortable. I also found the leather to be non-sticky and easy to find a comfortable position in, which is a big plus. Each seat included a very stylish OpenSkies pillow and comfortable blanket. Overall I can't find one thing to fault the seats for, and would find them easy to sleep in.

Have your own trip report to share? Send it our way.

Related Stories:
· OpenSkies to Paris, Part One [One Mile at a Time]
· OpenSkies coverage [Jaunted]

Tags: British Airways / New Routes / OpenSkies / Open Skies / JFK / ORY / → All Tags

OpenSkies Starts JFK-Paris Service June 19

What fuel prices? British Airways is launching its spin-off carrier OpenSkies on June 19, and fares in the airline's "Prem+" cabin are starting as low as $720 one-way between Paris (ORY) and JFK.

We found a round-trip booking in June for $1,553 all-in, which isn't bad considering cattle class on OpenSkies for the same dates we searched is $1,250. (L'Avion is doing Newark-ORY on those dates for $2,280.)

The Prem+ cabin gets you 52 inch seat pitch, a 140 degree recline and two power plugs per seat. Not that regular economy is bad: With only 30 seats, your chances of sharing the cabin with a screaming infant are drastically reduced.

If you wanna sit in business class, the same dates will cost you $3,662. But you'll kick it with fully flat beds, more leg room than you need and a la carte dining.

Related Stories:
· OpenSkies [Official Site]
· OpenSkies coverage [Jaunted]

Tags: British Airways / New Routes / OpenSkies / Open Skies / → All Tags

Adventures of Link: The Open Skies Welcome OpenSkies

Now that all the American carriers are jumping to provide across-the-pond service, British Airways has finally unveiled its secret Project Lauren. The new name for the new airline-within-an-airline? OpenSkies.

Besides the unfortunately clunky moniker, the outfit promises spacious service from Brussels and Paris to New York. With only 82 seats in three classes, it won't be a direct competitor to L'Avion nor will it be the same as Delta's new JFK-Paris service, which runs like a normal flight. Expect more details to emerge as we get closer to the wheels-up date later this year.

Related Stories:
· Open Skies Beget OpenSkies [Airline Biz Blog]
· New British Airways Unit Formed [WSJ]
· BA to Launch Open Skies Airline [AFP, via Google]
· BA Launches EU-US Flights [UK Times]
· British Airways coverage [Jaunted]