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

The good news is OpenSkies.

When we launched last spring with the full support of British Airways, our mission was to bring something unique to the marketplace. OpenSkies is built on the idea of providing exceptional comfort and service at a great price. That’s exactly what we’ve been doing. We use our resources wisely. And by carefully expanding one route at a time, we’re able to stick to our principle of providing you value. That’s a big deal, especially now that travel budgets are tightening.

Travelers hesitant to pay the high price of flying international business class don’t have to give up flatbed seats or amenities just to save money. OpenSkies BIZ is a great option. And for around the same price as a full fare flight in economy on a competing airline, you can fly PREM+, where you’ll enjoy business class comfort for a lot less money.

There is one thing we can’t offer you that other airlines can—a middle seat. None of the 64 seats in our newly reconfigured planes—24 BIZ and 40 PREM+—are middle ones, which is great news for people like me who hate getting trapped between two other passengers.

So if you’re reevaluating your travel expenses, keep us in mind. Great value and exception service—OpenSkies is an airline whose time has come.

If you have an idea on how we can improve, or something you’d like to see us start doing, post your thoughts in our comment section. Your questions and suggestions are important to us.

Dale

I have to say that I’m really excited about our new route. And what better way to celebrate a fantastic new route than with a fantastic deal.

For four days only, from September 9 through September 12, 2008, a round trip BIZ ticket from New York to Amsterdam is only $1609*, all taxes included. And a round trip PREM+ ticket is only $1158*, all taxes included. Talk about a great deal.

So how did we come up with $1609*?  Besides being a great price for a roundtrip BIZ ticket, 1609 is significant for another reason. Let’s see if you know.

Is it:

A. The number of miles between New York City and Amsterdam.

B. The year Henry Hudson explored the New York waterways.

C. The number of paintings in the Van Gogh Museum.

If you guessed B, you’re right! Henry Hudson was hired by the Dutch East India Trading Company in 1609 to explore the New York waterways in hopes of finding a passage to Asia.

I know I mentioned it in an earlier post, but it’s worth saying again—our flights to Amsterdam will feature our new duel cabin reconfiguration. We’re expanding PREM+ from 28 to 40 seats—which means more opportunity to enjoy business class comfort without the business class cost.

So why not plan to have Thanksgiving in New York City, or enjoy a cozy Christmas in Amsterdam? And why not tell your friends and family about this deal.  With prices like these, it’s hard to find a reason not to go.

But don’t wait too long to book. This offer is only good from September 9 through 12, 2008. (But we always have some great offers.  Check out our offers page of other deals we have.)

As they say in Amsterdam, Gauw tot ziens! (See you soon!)

Dale

Well, that’s exactly what we did!

We invited Randy Peterson, the founder of FlyerTalk.com, and 20 members of the frequent flier community to join us on our inaugural New York-Paris flight and enjoy the OpenSkies experience first-hand. These are the type of fliers we had in mind when we launched OpenSkies—globetrotters who really know the ins and outs of flying.

(photo courtesy of Brian Cohen @ The Gate)

As those of you following this blog know, we’ve worked hard at creating an exceptional experience in all our cabins. Brian Cohen noticed. He reports: “I had the filet of beef for dinner, which was very good. The flight attendants offered great service.” And Jared Blank of Online Travel Review has this to say: “All of us were blown away by the value of the Prem+ product. Seriously, it is a steal for what you get. I cannot overstate how much better it is to fly with so few people on board – the whole process (even if you were in economy) is so laid back and leisurely, without the insanity of boarding 250 other people.” And GBA of Flyertalk.com filed this trip report and even took photos!

I’m pleased that all of Flyertalk.com’s frequent fliers had such a great flight! And speaking of frequent fliers, if you’re a member of BA’s Executive Club you can earn and redeem BA miles on OpenSkies flights. If you aren’t already a member, I’d recommend signing up now.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the experience and we’re looking forward to more of Flyertalkers’ upcoming Trip Reports. And just like your comments on this blog, we’ll take all suggestions to heart. We’re always looking for ways to improve your experience—we don’t expect to be perfect right out of the gate, but we certainly hope to make a few new friends.

I want to personally thank the Flyertalk.com folks for joining us. As I’ve said before, we’re committed to continually improving and making your flight memorable—for all the right reasons!

Dale

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

I’ve said it so often that it’s become my mantra: We’re out to do things differently. How? Well, for starters, we have a new name for our Business Class—we’re calling it Biz. Now you might be saying, “Big deal, Dale. You changed the name!” It’s a small thing, I know. But if I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that the small things matter. They add up to something big.

So what else? Well, we’ll have 180° flat bed seats, not the “sliders” you find on most flights between continental Europe and New York. That means that you’ll arrive at your destination rested, refreshed, and ready to tackle the day.

Plush, comfortable, fully flat bed seats are vital, but a great flight is more than just that—it’s about the overall experience. We’re different there, too. The Biz cabin will have only 24 seats, meaning the high attendant-to-guest ratio will ensure personalized service. And you’ll also get an IFE AVOD—which is just a tech-y way for saying you’ll have your own entertainment system with over fifty hours of on-demand programming.

We’re also out to change the meaning of “airline food.” First off, we’re expanding beyond the standard “chicken or beef” option to bring more fresh, healthy, a la carte selections. Add to that a great choice of wines and a service style that is modeled from a fine dining restaurant.

The personalized attention isn’t just found on the planes—it’s at the terminals, too. Dedicated Biz check-in will speed you on your way and private lounges will round out the exceptional OpenSkies experience.

What makes an exceptional business class experience for you? I’d love to know.

Dale