As with low-cost airlines, the new breed of luxury business-only airlines has left the major players not a little concerned. Sheron Crossman looks at the battle ahead Chauffeur-driven to the airport kerbside, bags whisked off by staff, an escorted cruise through security, and within minutes, you're sinking into one of the plushest seats in the sky. No queues, no hassle, no announcements, a seamless glide from ground to clouds. This is the way to fly on business. More akin to a corporate jet, all-Business Class airlines have secured a foothold in the transatlantic market, and are fast changing the shape of business travel. According to estimates from finance experts JP Morgan, specialist airlines – Eos, Silverjet and Maxjet – have snatched a 17% share of the UKUS business class market, and this booming sector has left the dominant players, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, not a little twitchy. As a result, both have announced plans for specialist flights between Europe and the US next year, with BA already asking the US transport department for permission for such a route, and Virgin planning to launch an all-Business Class airline “within the next 12-18 months”. This would initially fly from cities including Paris, Frankfurt, Milan and Zurich non-stop to New York and other destinations, going head-to-head with Eos, Silverjet and Maxjet across the Atlantic. “The new airline, which may also use the Virgin name, will offer better quality than existing all-Business carriers, at the same or lower prices,” says a spokesman. It will face tough competition. Take Silverjet. It operates daily flights between London Luton and New York's Newark airport, with chauffeur-drive to the airport, check-in 30 minutes before departure, use of business facilities at the Silver Lounge, an on-board crew/customer ratio of 1:10, 100 passengers on an aircraft designed for 300, gourmet meals prepared on demand, and a good night's sleep on a 6ft 3in flatbed, plus no announcements and minimum noise. All this comes with a price tag of US$2,038 (£1,019), compared to Virgin's US$3,117 (£1,558) in Premium Economy, US$8,147 (£4,073) in Upper Class from Gatwick, or nearer US$8,108 (£4,054) from Heathrow in BA’s Club World. There’s no doubt one-class carriers have filled a niche. Silverjet reported its aircraft were two-thirds full only four months after the airline’s launch in January this year. Or consider Eos. Named after the Greek goddess of the dawn, it operates four flights a day between London Stansted and New York’s JFK, with only 48 passengers on an aircraft built for 220. Compared with its all-Business rivals, Silverjet and Maxjet, Eos offers the ultimate in luxury business travel. In what is more like First Class than Business, each passenger can spread out in two square metres of space (40% more than in traditional executive cabins) on a 6ft 6in flatbed, while staggered seating allows you to dine alone or face-to-face with a colleague. No elbow-bashing cart-service here. Instead, there's one flight attendant for every eight passengers, and gastronomic delights accompanied by premium wines and champagne are served individually to order. The personal media systems come with the latest entertainment, and when it's time to sleep, recline and dream away on full-size Tempur-pedic pillows and cashmere blankets. On the ground, Eos provides a complimentary car on arrival or departure at Stansted, and its newly opened Club 48 lounge is conveniently located beside the airline's gate. At JFK, passengers share the Emirates' lounge. Since its launch in October 2005, Eos has been winning over business travellers and celebrities alike. Wimbledon champion Venus Williams is just one of the latest converts. “Now I’ve experienced Eos,” she says, “it will be my airline of choice. It lets me eat and sleep on my own schedule." That said, travel budgets need to stretch to around US$5,815 (£2,907) per ticket. But that's still excellent value compared with First Class cabins, and Eos has the added distinction of recording the CAA’s best on-time performance of any airline between New York and London. Plagued with maintenance gremlins, cut-price Maxjet can hardly say the same and was in danger of losing significant corporate business because of its unreliability. But its technical problems may be a thing of the past, as in May this year, the carrier increased its fleet to five Boeing 767-200s, configured with either 102 or 94 seats. Another Boeing 767 is due later this year, giving Maxjet a total of seven aircraft by summer 2008.
American-owned Maxjet averages load factors of 70% on its Stansted-JFK route. It sells itself as “premium service at an affordable price” and is certainly that. At $999 (£499) for a Stansted-JFK round-trip, Maxjet easily undercuts its rivals. The cabin resembles traditional Business Class, but with leather seats offering a 160 degree recline in a 2x2x2 configuration. On board, expect gourmet four-course meals, self-service cappuccino machines, plasma screen TVs and a choice of 100 hours of in-flight entertainment. Full business facilities are on tap in its lounges, including free wi-fi connectivity. Long live the class divide. It’s here to stay.
Who flies where
Eos: Daily flights, London Stansted-New York JFK. From September this year, frequency will be increased to four services on Sundays and Thursdays, making a total of 20 flights a week. Website: www.eosairlines.com L’Avion: flies Sunday-Friday once a day, Paris Orly-New York Newark.Website: www.lavion.com Maxjet: flies Sunday-Friday once a day, London Stansted-New York JFK. A Saturday flight starts on October 20. London Stansted-Washington Dulles: Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday. London Stansted-Las Vegas: Monday, Thursday, Saturday. Sunday flight starts September 2. London Stansted-Los Angeles: Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday. Website: www.maxjet.com Silverjet: daily service between London Luton and New York Newark. Second daily service starts September 20. Website: www.flysilverjet.com
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