BA launches luxury service to environmentalists' ire

Just as all-business class airlines such as Eos and Silverjet fold in the face of economic gloom and rocketing fuel prices, BA is moving to fill the gap with its new OpenSkies service, which offers more affluent travellers the chance to hop across the Atlantic in roomy luxury.

Launching today, OpenSkies, a BA subsidiary, will run daily services between Paris’ Orly airport and JFK airport in New York, transporting a maximum of 82 passengers at a time on a spacious Boeing 757 -  a plane which normally carries 180.

The service will operate with 24 passengers in business class, where their seats will convert into fully-flat beds, while the premium-plus passengers will enjoy extra legroom.
The economy section too is far from your average cattle class, consist of just 30 seats,

Now, most of us would probably admit that given the chance – and an overflowing wallet – we’d opt to recline in champagne-swilling opulence rather than spend six hours jammed in between two overweight Texans with our knees in our eye sockets. I have nothing against business class per se, but I have to wonder what is so wrong with the current arrangement of a few premium seats compensated for by a larger economy section.

BA has not conducted an environmental assessment of the service, I was informed this morning, but I have been assured that “the airline is mindful of its carbon footprint in the same way that the BA mainline operation is.” Hmm.

To be fair BA has made an attempt to improve the efficiency of the planes, installing “winglets” to reduce fuel burn by 4 per cent. But given that the B757 will be operating at less than 50 per cent capacity, it’s a somewhat token effort.

BA chief executive Willie Walsh is confident that the new airline will succeed where others have failed. He said: “While the economic climate has worsened in recent months, we believe that OpenSkies can compete effectively. It has a low cost base and support from BA in key areas such as sales and marketing. This differentiates it from some new airlines that have failed recently, which were operating in isolation without the backing of an established carrier.”

The airline has said that a second Boeing 757 was scheduled to join OpenSkies’ fleet later this year and the new subsidiary would have six aircraft by the end of 2009. Other European destinations being considered for the airline include Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt and Milan.

One way fares on the Paris-JFK route will be $554 (£284) in economy while premium-plus will be $720 (£369) and business class $1,746(£895).

OpenSkies may only be the beginning of BA’s foray into luxury flights. Next year Mr Walsh, who described the airline as a “test-bed for new customer services”, is to launch a twice-daily business-only service from London City to JFK, with just 32 passengers aboard an A318.

Unsurprisingly, environmental groups are none too happy about the new service. Richard Dyer, Friends of the Earth’s Aviation campaigner said:

“Low seating density means passengers flying BA’s open skies will have double the carbon footprint of passengers using conventional services. If BA wants its green claims to be taken seriously it should concentrate on cutting its contribution to climate change rather than increasing it.”

He took issue with OpenSkies’ carbon offsetting service, noting that BA had not so far been successful in encouraging many passengers to take it up. Many carbon-offsetting projects were highly suspect anyway, and it was difficult to prove any real reduction in emissions.

Patrick Gillett, spokesperson for Plane Stupid, weighed in: “In times of scarce oil supplies you'd think that BA's corporate social responsibility team would suggest promoting teleconferencing and maximising passenger loads, not flying 82, rich businessmen in beds across the Atlantic for a jolly. If this is the 'face of responsible aviation' then the 'hands' are sticking two fingers up to the rest of us.”

Now I’m not anti-aviation – far from it, I’m a regular flyer for professional and leisure purposes and simply don’t see any viable alternative. We’re never going to rid the world of air travel and nor should we. It is technological advances that will ultimately tackle the problem of aviation, along with simple measures such as ensuring flights are full. But moving towards ever more private and elite services is a step in the wrong direction.

Comments

[D R]

Looks like they need a new Concorde...

[Jenny]

I think this is a smart move - most countries are sick of our bucket and spade culture. Perhaps going back to a time when travel was travel and educational, enjoying another way of life. The price will deter those that ruin it for so many........

[Bill Atkins]

People who travel on business -those who will use this service - I include my guilty self - really do not consider their carbon footprint. It is part of our work and therefore part of our lives.

[Alan]

An all-business JFK-City route? Why not an all-economy A380 Newark-Stansted as well? With 800 seats and cheap(ish) hubs it would be carbon-friendly (by BA standards) & not in competition with the new business flights. It might take business from BA's mian flights but would also take it from Zoom, Virgin etc as well...

[Rashid]

"BA had not so far been successful in encouraging many passengers to take it up". Thats because no-one cares. If the powers that be want to reduce CO2 emissions then they should do it themselves behind the scenes, rather than annoy everyone with their finger-wagging, and creating the tense economic atmosphere we are in.

[charlie]

improving efficiency (higher passenger loads, marginal improvements in fuel economy, reduced wait times) is not going to take away from the fact that flying across the atlantic, in terms of carbon generation, should be taxed heavily. I'm not sure how the tourist classes will feel when they find an extra 200 quid added to their tickets for carbon taxes...

[Plane Jane]

Or perhaps the old Concorde back again ...

[Al]

If we were really serious about the environment and the negative aspects of flying we would pass a law to make airlines provide only one class of service. Those who needed to travel would then do so, for business or pleasure, knowing that it would not necessarily be a pleasurable experience. No doubt many business people would soon find that a simple telephone call or video call could achieve the same purpose as a Business Class flight and would thus be able to spend more time with their families! So, good news all round. BA, of course, are typically going in the opposite direction, but will soon become irrelevant - not that any of the thousands of former customers who have already given up on them will care.....

[mike]

im 6ft 10 and simply cant sit in economy. When i ask for leg room seats im told to upgrade to 1st class 5k either way or pay an extra 100£ to get leg room seats. This is a fantastic service and brings travel back to how it should be instead of cattle market conditions caused by green ninnies!!

Also i travel to the US for business and pleasure as it is frankly the best country in the world. I under no circumstances want to go on holiday in this god awful country. I do not give a flying monkey about my carbon footprint it has long ago proven to be a giant Nu Labour tax con

[Ibrahim]

Dont blmae the passengers only for carbon pollution, the BIGGEST culprit which we don't talk about is ALL THE GARMENTS , TEXTILES, SHOES, HANDBAGS AND MANY CONSUMER GOOD coming from India and China AND OTHER COUNTRIES BY PLANE LOADS, Just research and we will all be shocked to learn how many plane load come every day

[wendy]

Get a life. At least business travellers have something reasonable serious to do in foreign countries. The real problem is the economy class tourists.

[Steve]

".....service from London City to JFK, with just 32 passengers aboard an A318"

Surely a typo! An A318 will not get halfway across before running out of fuel!

[Ed]

Steve - it will be on an A318, stopping at Shannon on the eastbound flight and relying on a good tailwind on the westbound

[Tim]

The fares will be high enough on this run to deter most people from flying at all. The total cost of the tickets for the 82 premium seats is probably more for the usual mix of 180 seats on a "regular" 757. Higher prices discourage travel in the first place, which is surely what the green campaigners should be welcoming.

Steve, an A318 long-range has very large fuel tanks and can easily make it from London to New York and back. It only needs to stop at Shannon on the way out because the only way it can be light enough to take off from London City airport's short runway is to do so with its fuel tanks only partly full; if it took off from Heathrow it could get there non-stop.