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Low cost high class: The rise of the all business airlines. By Dan Martin

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20th Nov 2007
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planeOver the past few years a new breed of business class only airlines have entered the market with prices below that of the more traditional carriers. Dan Martin travelled to New York with Silverjet, the latest of the new arrivals, to find out what they have to offer.

In 1995, when Stelios Haji-Ioannou – now Sir Stelios – flew into the air travel market with easyJet, he shook up the industry. The concept of in-your-face, brightly coloured aircraft, flying passengers who have to pay for their food and drinks between the UK and continental Europe for the price of a CD was unheard of. Now there are many rival low cost airlines – some more successful than others – and even British Airways often offers prices comparable to its no frills competitors.

A similar shake-up now appears to be taking place in the business class market. The charge was led, in November 2005, by Virginia-based Maxjet. Like easyJet it was offering low cost prices, but, unlike Sir Stelios, it targeted a completely different group – business people with money to spend.

London to New York all business class: The facts
Eos
Route: London Stansted to New York JFK
Flights: varies between two, three or four daily
Seats: 48, 87" pitch/reclines flat
Price: from £1,765 return

Silverjet
Route: London Luton to Newark Liberty International
Flights: two daily
Seats: 100, 60" pitch/reclines almost flat
Price: from £1,099 return
Silverjet also flies from London Luton to Dubai

MAXjet
Route: London Stansted to New York JFK
Flights: one daily
Seats: 102, 60" pitch/reclines almost flat
Price: from £800 return
MAXjet also flies from London Stansted to Las Vegas and Los Angeles

Prices include all taxes and are correct as of 14 November 2007.

Using a 767 containing 102 seats – less than half the usual number – MAXjet offers spacious cabins, wide reclining seats, attentive service and private lounges for flights between London and New York. But with tickets starting at around £1,000, they are a fraction of the price offered by traditional carriers.

Since MAXjet was founded two other start-ups have entered the highly sought after New York to London route – or NYLON as it's known in the business. Eos, another US company, launched its service in the same week as MAXjet. Silverjet, the first – and currently only - UK-based all business class airline was launched in January this year offering direct flights from London Luton to Newark International.

All three are playing a risky game by taking on established carriers like British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and American Airlines. But the concept is a clever one.

BA and its ilke have ploughed considerable sums of money into revamping business class services - recognising that's where the money's made. The prices say it all - a ticket for NYLON economy fares can go for less than £250 but business class seats on the traditional carriers are often on offer for upwards of £5,000. The new arrivals fit nicely inbetween and it appears that it's for last minute travel where they offer the best value for money.

For example, on Tuesday 13 November, British Airways was offering a next day return flight from London to New York, returning two days later for £4,567.50. At £4,697.50, Virgin Atlantic was charging even more for travelling over the same period. In contrast, Eos quoted £2,205, MAXjet asked for £1,473, and Silverjet was the cheapest with a £1309.10 deal.

Special offers from some of the traditional airlines suggest that the competition from their smaller rivals is being noted. On 14 November a spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic claimed a "special fare" flying business class was on offer for £1,209, while British Airways said its Club World prices currently start at £2106.30 return.

Statistics show that so far the gamble taken by the three all business class operations seem sto be paying off. Industry experts claim that they have gained around 20% of the premium traffic on the New York-London route. Admittedly, all three have experienced technical problems: some planes are flying only a third full and their long term future is not guaranteed, but there certainly appears to be a market for lower cost business class.

So just what do you get for your money from these new upstarts who are taking on the big boys? And do you really get a true business class experience? I flew to New York with Silverjet to find out.

11:30

Before heading off to London Luton from my office in Bristol, I log onto the Silverjet website. If I'd been flying with a 'traditional' airline I would have had to have left by now, but because Silverjet allow me to check-in up to 45 minutes before flying, the time pressures aren't quite so great.

Entering my booking reference in the website, I'm able to check-in, print out a boarding card, chose my seat and, if I want, select a meal from eight different menus. I decide to go for the on board selection.

15:30

I arrive in the not so glamorous surroundings of London Luton feeling rather flustered. My journey from Bristol has taken three hours due to various train and London Underground delays and standing up in the - albeit admittedly free – bus from Luton Airport Parkway station is the final straw in the stressful trip.

But with a renewed spring in my step at the thought of the offerings at the 'Silver Lounge', I search for a sign and a chance to sit down.

15:31

I find the glass fronted 'Silver Lounge' and walk in to be met with smiling faces from the Silverjet staff. "Welcome Sir. Are you travelling with Silverjet today?", I'm asked. Maybe I don't look like your usual business class passenger but that's unsurprising given my battle with the train system. "Yes", I proclaim. The usual baggage security questions follow but within a minute it or so it's over – my boarding card is printed out, my bag is checked in and I'm directed to the main lounge.

15:33

Silver LoungeWalking down a smartly decorated corridor, I turn the corner into a large room full of comfy looking chairs and round tables. Given my journey my eye is instantly drawn to the well stocked bar on the back wall. Claiming a seat I return to the food and drink offerings and crack open a bottle of Heineken.

As I sip my beer I glance around the room. About 30 fellow passengers are dotted around the lounge, mainly men and many in suits. Most appear to be travelling on their own and many have laptops. Yep, it's certainly business class, I think.

16:05

A Silverjet representative walks over and informs me that it's time for boarding. No mass announcements here, but I guess with only 30 people you don't need them. Then again, being told personally it's time to go is a nice touch.

16:06

A door at the back of the room is opened and me and my fellow Silverjetters are shown into the security area. The usual scene awaits – a few stern looking security officials, an x-ray machine and the obligatory black boxes in which to place your loose change and other odd pieces of metal you may have on your person. But what is different to the norm is that the area is purely reserved for Silverjet passengers. As a result, we're all through in minutes and get on the bus to the plane.

16:20

Silverjet seatOn board the 757, I'm immediately struck by the space. "Wow", I think as I glance down at the legroom. Far removed from the tight squeeze I had to deal with during an 11 hour cattle class flight to Mexico in the summer.

As I move to put my jacket into the overhead locker, a beaming stewardess jumps into view and asks if I'd like my coat to be hung up at the back of the plane. "I could get used to this", I think to myself. It gets even better as when I sit down I'm served a glass of champagne while we wait to take off. I'm also handed a menu offering me a choice of meals.

16:45

After the obligatory safety demonstration - which includes the usual "life cots are available for small children" line despite the complete lack of youngsters on board – we head off towards the runway.

As we ground to a halt, I glance out of the window. We're stuck behind two easyJet planes. Quite symbolic given that 12 years ago easyJet was where Silverjet is today – introducing a new air travel concept to the UK. As you enter London Luton, easyJet's main base, its huge bright orange headquarters greets you. Will the Bedfordshire airport ever be home to a giant silver building?, I ponder.

17:05

We take off, 20 minutes after the scheduled time.

17:10

Now in the air it's time to start playing with the gadgets.

seat control panelNext to my left arm is a control panel which wouldn't look out of place on the Starship Enterprise. A diagram of the seat with buttons to press next to every possible bit of the seat that can be moved. I start pressing and my seat almost fully reclines flat. A flick of the button marked 'massage' and notches inside the seat start to move. I soon realise however that with my seat moving up and down I'm making it clear I'm not a regular business class passenger. I stop playing.

17:25

screenI'm handed a small 'Silver Screen' TV, some headphones and an electric cable. Plugging it into the power connection at the bottom of my seat I switch the screen on. Over 100 hours of movies, television comedy shows, documentaries and music videos await.

18:10

Dinner is served. I'm asked to remove the table from inside the left arm rest before a table cloth in placed on it. China plates and glasses are then provided. It's clear this isn't going to be the useful pre-packed offerings you get on economy flights.

I'm served my choices – tomato and mozzarella salad and beef in Guinness. I'm also given some water – out of a plastic bottle though which, to me, somehow doesn't fit in with the 'Silver Service' concept the airline's trying to promote. Water from a glass jug would definitely be much more appropriate.

The tasty main and starter is followed by an equally nice crème brûlée. While eating I watch 'Interview', a new film starring and directed by Steve Buscemi.

19:00

It's very noticeable that the plane is far from full, so I ask a stewardess how many people are on board. She tells me there's 35 on a plane with 100 seats. Is that usual, I ask her. She informs me that the afternoon flight which I'm on has only been operating for a month but the morning flights are "generally full".

19:05

I decide to get some sleep and test out the Star Trek control panel. Despite the use of the phrase 'flat bed' in Silverjet promotional material, it does not recline completely flat but nevertheless is still much more bed-like than I've experienced before in the air.

I manage to grab a couple of hours sleep in an environment that feels a lot more comfortable than economy standards. Airlines will always struggle to make seats feel like real beds and I have to say Silverjet's doesn't but it does allow you to grab some shuteye in much quieter and more spacious surroundings than economy passengers have to put up with.

00:00

Before landing I'm offered a hot drink and a slice of bakewell tart. Still feeling full from dinner I take the coffee but turn down the tart.

00:45 (19:45 US time)

We land at Newark Liberty International, 15 minutes behind schedule.

The verdict

As someone who's new to flying business class, Silverjet was certainly an enjoyable experience. The pre-boarding lounge, the private security area and the on board space took away many of the usual hassles of air travel and did indeed leave me feeling much more refreshed than I've previously felt on long haul flights. At around £1,300 the price obviously isn't for everybody but, like the passenger who set next to me on the return journey said, when traditional carriers are quoting around £800 for last minute economy flights to New York, a few hundred pounds extra for what Silverjet offers is probably worth it.

Some issues do still remain. Water from a plastic bottle and red wine served in a chilled glass were two of the small factors I noticed although the much tinier lounge at Newark and the slower security checks in a non-reserved area of the airport are larger ones. Some may consider them small problems but people happy to regularly pay more than £1,000 do expect certain standards.

Overall though, if like the construction company MD who accompanied me in row 12 back to London you're having to fly to New York for three days of meetings, the new breed of all business class airlines are certainly worth considering. It would also be a good choice for leisure travellers celebrating a special occasion. However, with prices starting at around £1,000, Silverjet is never going to attract your standard tourist on route to a holiday in the Big Apple. But thinking about it, the company's not trying to.

Dan Martin flew from London Luton to Newark Liberty International on 7 November and returned on 9 November.

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Dennis Howlett
By dahowlett
20th Nov 2007 18:49

Ahem
Nice one Dan - you've clearly not flown biz before or had the benefits of a 1K United card. The flipside is that when you fly that much (check my Dopplr schedule) then it all gets pretty boring anyway and of course you're always at the mercy of air traffic control - regardless of which operator is involved.

All the airlines are competing for this class of passenger and I would say the service you got is pretty 'standard' for biz class. The price however is pretty impressive.

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By dan06
21st Nov 2007 09:35

First time business class
Dennis, that was kind of the point of my article. I was investigating whether at much cheaper prices than traditional carriers, the new breed of airlines offer the real chance for people who wouldn't normally do so to travel business class. This was the exact point the construction MD I mentioned in the article made.

Dan Martin
Business Editor
AccountingWEB

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