Spring’s finally arrived. And what a busy spring it’s already been. 

As you can see from the photo above, we’ve already wheeled one of the two L’Avion 757s into the hangar and made it part of the OpenSkies family by repainting it with the updated OpenSkies livery that mixes in tones of L’Avion’s signature purple. Flatbed seats are being added over the next couple months and we’re also installing the Archos inflight entertainment system. That means over 50 hours of movies, TV, music and games. 

What else are we up to?  As part of our integration with L’Avion, we’re changing a few things. BIZ is now Biz Bed and PREM+ has been renamed Biz Seat. So why the new names Biz Bed and Biz Seat? To better convey the fact that, no matter the cabin, you’ll experience business class excellence. We also want to keep things lively, so we’re introducing new dishes to our chef-inspired menu—always made from the freshest ingredients. And of course there’s the great wine selection, always poured from a real bottle. 

What isn’t changing is the exceptional comfort, attention to service, and personal touch—and unbeatable value—you’ve come to expect from us. That means loyal L’Avion flyers like Jerome Pineau have no reason to worry.  

I’ve been asked about the uniforms, and yes, updated uniforms are part of the integration. Everyone will be suited up by September, but in the meantime, you may see L’Avion and OpenSkies crew members in their current uniforms working together on a flight.  No matter the uniform, though, everyone will have an OpenSkies nametag—and everyone is committed to providing you memorable business class experience. 

We’re looking forward to expanding the family—and I’m looking forward to hearing what you think of our integration. 

Dale

With the economy as it is, we plan to hold steady right there—so no new additions to the fleet and no new routes for now. Not for a lack of wanting to add aircraft and destinations, but we believe it’s only the smart thing to do in this tough financial climate.

Recently, British Airways announced a sale of its remaining 757s. Since OpenSkies is built around the 757 configuration, it’s natural to think that British Airways has lost confidence in our viability. Cranky Flier poses this point very directly. We can’t blame him or others for the speculation, but it simply isn’t the case. BA’s decision to sell the 757s has nothing to do with OpenSkies’ strength as a business.

If the British Airways planes aren’t in the air generating revenue, now is the time to sell them to the highest bidder and get them off the balance sheets. And this is OK by us. We have assessed the market for 757s and believe that there are plenty available with the proper configuration when we decide to grow in the future.

I believe our little airline is ripe for opportunity, especially in this market. OpenSkies offers the kind of value that other airlines can’t: A premium flying experience without prohibitive costs.

I hope you agree. And even if you don’t, please tell us why by commenting on this post.

Dale

Deatra and Connor posed some questions (and a couple suggestions) about adding new routes.

We’ve no plans as of right now for new routes. The economic conditions are a big reason why we’re not expanding routes in the near term. We’re keeping our focus on what we’ve got, doing the most with our current routes, and completing the integration of L’Avion. But we always have an eye toward the future and closely consider expansion opportunities when they come up.

The flight range of our Boeing 757s also plays a role when reviewing possible new routes. Ideal for connecting the US East coast to Western Europe, some longer routes just aren’t feasible with our current fleet. And as I mentioned in an earlier post, I’ll definitely share the news when new routes are decided on.

We had a couple different takes on our point-to-point (direct flight) structure from Doron and Henry.

I touched on this a bit in a post a few month backs, but it’s definitely worth going over again. One of the big benefits about being strictly a point-to-point carrier is that it frees us from the intricacies and cost of connecting flights and transferring luggage—which means savings for you. It also means Henry gets to visit NYC for the first time! We look forward to seeing you in May—and reading about your trip on your blog.

That leads us right into George’s question as to whether we’re planning on joining the OneWorld Alliance.

We’re not. Joining OneWorld would add operational complications and costs—something we strive to avoid. But we are partner airlines in British Airways Executive Club (as is L’Avion), so you can earn Executive Club miles when you fly.

As for George’s other question—how many additional B757s is British Airways going to transfer to us—the answer is none. BA has decided to sell the remainder of their fleet (sorry Luke, we aren’t the unnamed airline who bought them!). That said, the fleet we have perfectly fits needs.

We had a question regarding our in-flight entertainment system from Ann. While she thought the Archos 705 personal players is a great add-on, she commented on the battery life of the unit and wanted to know if we are considering installing standard in seat entertainment systems.

We aren’t planning on installing standard in-seat entertainment system. It’d also be a significant investment to make the change, and we’re out to provide good value—and keeping cost down is a big part of that. As for the battery life, the Archos system can always be recharged from the in-seat power supply.

The economy—and how it’s affecting us—is another question frequently asked. Loric says, “It terrifies me to think the airline I departed on might go out of business and leave me stuck in Europe on a student budget.”

We have every intention of being around for a long time. And we’re taking every measure necessary—including keeping costs down—to ensure it. Like all airlines (all companies for that matter), this economy is a challenge. But I truly believe we are the perfect airline for these times—real value and exceptional comfort. And having the strength of the BA family definitely helps.

You’ve all posted great comments, questions, and suggestions. I really enjoy reading through them—and getting a chance to answer them directly. So keep writing. I’ll keep reading.

Dale

I’m pleased to soon be working with Marc Rochet, CEO of L’Avion, and his airline’s entire team. They’ve instilled a sound business model, culture of excellence, and desire to provide a unique flying experience. Their traits match ours. And we already have a history with them with our codeshare agreement.

But what’s this mean to you? It means that L’Avion’s two 757s and its experienced crew will become part of the OpenSkies family. It means more of the OpenSkies experience and BA Executive Club privileges. It means more
flights, an expanded schedule, and an additional New York area destination—Newark International Airport.

It means that we’ll be able to combine the best of both airlines, adding even more opportunities to be innovative. It means providing you with a flying experience like no other.

The deal itself isn’t finalized yet. Once it is, though, we’ll have loads of work to do to join the premium parts of each airline. It definitely won’t all happen overnight! But I can say that all of us are excited about welcoming L’Avion to the OpenSkies family.

Check back soon for updates.

Dale

Kind of like what we are doing here. Every OpenSkies team member is demonstrating extraordinary commitment and spirit to get our airline off the ground, particularly when it comes to fulfilling regulatory requirements. We’re currently conducting training flights to ensure that our pilots and operating procedures meet the highest standards. In fact take a look at this photo, courtesy of a local planespotter, the first of our plane flying!

We also have our proving flights, which is just one of the steps—an important one!—in obtaining approval to fly and satisfying all of the European Aviation Safety Authority requirements. A Flight Operations Inspector from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) observes the proving flight to verify that we’re following the procedures laid out in the operations manuals we submitted. If you just look at the mountain of manuals our guys produced you would stand back and say “holy cow!”

It may be a lot of preparation, but this is serious stuff and we cannot run before we walk, so it’s a step at a time to ensure your 6+ hour event with us is a success.

Dale

PS: Once everything’s approved and ready to go, I’ll be able to answers questions like Stephen’s about when our first official flight takes off and Jake’s about when flights can be booked.

Some of you, like Simon and Interested Traveller have asked about the planes themselves and the seating configuration. How are they going to be different? For starters, we’re removing the plane’s current 180 seats to make way for our new Biz, Prem+, and Economy class seats. We’re also working with Boeing to get sign-off from them on our new 82-seat configuration with more interior room for each guest.

The seats aren’t the only things we’re replacing—we’re adding new carpet, stylish interior décor, and refurbishing the overhead luggage bins. As our guest, you’ll definitely note the attention to detail we’ve paid.

But the makeover isn’t just in the interior. The plane itself is having a full engineering overhaul and a “C” check—which is an in-depth examination of every aspect of the plane’s airframe, engines, electronics, and functions—all done by British Airways Engineering at Heathrow.

What else are we doing? Adding winglets! Aside from giving the plane a really stylish look, the winglets will increase the fuel efficiency up to 5% (which is right in line with our mission to eliminate waste).

And once the plane meets our high criteria, we’ll dress it in the OpenSkies look and colors with a fresh new paint job—and we plan to share pictures of our plane as soon as we can.

As you can tell, I’m really excited about our first plane. I hope you share my enthusiasm—and I’ll update you with more news as it happens.

Dale

There’s been a lot of thought and care put into our interiors and in-flight service. The planes lend themselves to a warm, welcoming experience, and each cabin—whether it’s business, premium, or economy class (more on the cabins in future posts!)—is designed for true comfort. With no more than 30 passengers per cabin, the crew takes great care of each passenger. (The phrase “spoil our passengers” actually came to mind.) And to Sam, I completely agree—legroom is important. There’s plenty of space for everyone.

We also know the importance of being conscious about the environment, and we’re constantly working to lessen our impact. A good example of this is the fact that we’ve reconfigured the planes to include winglets that increase fuel efficiency up to 5%. And through learning and adjusting our practices, we’re minimizing waste.

With our 757’s we intend to match the best of both worlds: personalized service and efficient operations.

Dale