March 26, 2008
OpenSkies aims to fly JFK-de Gaulle in 'early summer'
OpenSkies, the new premium-class British Airways spin-off, is on track to start service between New York's JFK and Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airports early this summer, Dale Moss the airline's managing director today told NewYorkology in an interview.
“We are hopeful for June” he said.
 If all pending applications are approved, OpenSkies would fly one flight a day, seven days a week in between New York and Paris, adding other European cities and possibly additional U.S. eastern seaboard locations, he said.
Brussels is among the cities that could get the second route.
OpenSkies' first plane – now in the hangar – is a retrofitted British Airways plane that’s been in service for about 10 or 11 years, Moss said. His blog details the retrofitting, including removing the 180 existing seats and replacing them with only 82, adding winglets that "will increase the fuel efficiency up to 5%," and refurbishing the overhead luggage bins.
The second OpenSkies plane would hit the hangar in August with hopes it would go into service in October, though Moss could not say whether that would be used for additional NYC-Paris service or for a new route.
Without talking dollar amounts, Moss said OpenSkies will look to meet the prices of its competitors, but with better amenities. For the Paris route, Open Skies would offer the only flat-bed between the two cities, plus business-class seats with 52-inch seat pitch. Primarily they’re looking at the corporate travel market, but a certain type of leisure traveler will find appeal in OpenSkies’ economy section, which only has 30 seats. When there are fewer people on the whole plane, “there’s a different feel. And it’s delightful,’ he said.
Among the competitors is business-class only L'Avion, which has just added a second plane and plans to add more flights this summer. When the company celebrated its one-year anniversary in January, it said it had flown more than 34,000 passengers between Orly and Newark airports. (L'Avion's current winter deal to Paris from JFK is priced from $1,359.)
OpenSkies also faces hurdles from the British AirLine Pilots Association, which has launched an OpenSkies campaign website. Their main issue: British Airways is launching a new airline called OpenSkies. A very exciting new venture, one that will exploit the upside of ‘deregulation’ (routes being opened to non-national carriers) by flying out of European hubs across to the United States.
It should be a good news story, but it is not turning out that way. British Airways don’t want these British Airways planes to be flown by British Airways Pilots. They want to outsource these jobs. Moss declined to comment on the pilot situation.
As for an OpenSkies website for the airline itself, currently it's only a blog, (and a January press release on the main BA website.) But a full web presence will appear as they get more of the required approvals to start flying, Moss said. The soonest tickets could go on sale would be late spring, he said.
OpenSkies miles will count toward BA’s executive club miles and code sharing with BA, Moss said.
Moss acknowledged the economic slowdown presents "a dark set of clouds that’s out there,” but noted the small size of the airline sets the bar differently. “We only need about 80 people a night to make it a good night.”
Image source: OpenSkies blog, Biz class seat.
Earlier: All-business airlines plan NYC expansions - NY Times
British Airways overhauls Club World for better sleep
L'Avion starts 'low-cost, high-frills' to Paris on Dec. 27
March 26, 2008 12:03 PM in Arrivology
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