This blog is very much in line with our philosophy of trying new things, innovating, and having fun doing it. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your posts! And I only wish the demands of making this airline fly didn’t limit my ability to respond. I will answer as much as I can as often as I can, and will bring in experts for answers that require more detail.

That said, here are some quick answers to a few of the topics you raised.

Routes: Your requests for destinations in Glasgow, Boston, Torino, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Madrid, etc. have been noted. (John, I hear you about Hawaii!) Believe me, we’d love to fly to all of them. For now, Paris and Brussels to New York is what we’re aiming for to start. With success, we will explore expansion into other EU cities.

Pricing: Given the regulatory process both in Europe and the US, I’m not able disclose any details until we have been given approval to do so. Our plan is to offer superior value for the money. As soon as we can say something, we will!

OneWorld: Many of you have asked, and the answer is we will not be part of the OneWorld alliance. OneWorld is global, and our focus is city-to-city. However, OpenSkies customers will earn Executive Club miles and will receive most of the same benefits as flying any OneWorld airline.

Name: Some of you agree with Felix, “Love the idea, but the name is cheesy.” Thanks for your candor. We believe the name is a metaphor for bringing a new openness to our industry. And, much like our collective imagination, the sky has no limits. Hence, OpenSkies. Additionally, we chose to keep the BA tailfin. We’re proud of our association with this esteemed brand and plan to implement BA excellence in what we do every day.

Also… Andy wants to know if we will have “an enhanced food offering.” Steve is curious about carbon offsets. Justin wants more detail on our Premium Economy offering. Please check back with us as we tackle these topics in the weeks to come.

Keep writing. I’ll keep reading.

Dale

We intend to take our very first flight from New York to either Paris or Brussels in June of this year. We couldn’t be more elated. Witnessing this idea slowly become reality has been a thrilling journey.

As a British Airways enterprise, this truly is history in the making. Open Skies is the moniker for the new agreement between the United States and European Union liberalising aviation. We are now able to fly freely to and from the United States to virtually any destination in the EU—the skies have literally opened over the Atlantic.

Our plan is to operate six aircraft by the end of 2009, originating in the New York area and flying to a range of destinations throughout Europe. The planes will be efficient and proven 757s with a redesigned, traveller-friendly cabin configured in 3 classes: business, premium economy, and economy.

The business class cabin will have 24 seats that convert into 6’ flat beds. And when we say flat, we mean completely horizontal. This makes OpenSkies one of the only airlines in the market offering this feature. We will also offer 28 premium economy seats with a 52” seat pitch. This is also unique, redefining the premium economy class. Plus the comfortable 30 economy seats mean no more than 82 passengers will be on any given aircraft. It’s all part of our vision for a more personal flying experience.

But beyond the specs, I’d like to say that OpenSkies is dedicated to elevated customer care. We will take the lead from British Airways and try new, inventive ways to improve service at all levels. We’d also like for you to tell us your thoughts, your ideas, and—once we take off— tell us how we’re doing. You can start right here with this blog.

Cheers for now,

Dale Moss
Managing Director