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’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

I can’t think of a better way to launch our new airline then by linking two of the world’s business and cultural capitals together. So no matter what type of business you’re in, we’ll get you there rested and ready for that meeting—or for that fantastic cuisine, museum exhibit, or stroll along the Seine.

We also plan to be the first airline to have 180° flatbeds in business class between Paris and New York. But no matter which of our classes you fly, a fresh approach to personalized service and premium comfort are part of the experience.

Dale

I’ve been in the airline business for 30+ years, and yet I still get excited when an in-flight experience makes me say “Finally, someone gets it!” That’s the feeling we’re out to create by providing a premium product at a great price. What’s that mean? For starters:

- A well traveled team that’s dedicated to getting the little things right for each passenger
- Business class 180 degree lie-flat seats
- All passengers get their wine poured from a proper bottle, not tiny individual bottles (less waste!)
- More of an “a la carte” meal service instead of the standard shrink-wrapped offerings
- Personal AVOD entertainment units with 50+ hours of programming

And since we’re starting small, we’re able to quickly adapt, evolve, and continually improve the customer experience. So whether you’re on a flight, at the gate, or just surfing our upcoming website, you’re going to see how we’re not like everybody else. (Thank you Mr. Davies.)

Are we going to change the world? Not quite. But we are out to change a small but important part of it. So tell us your “Finally, someone gets it!” moments—we’d love to learn from your experiences.

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