London City to New York JFK
Alex McWhirter looks at how new services can benefit business travellers.
This is arguably one of the world’s most innovative air services for business people. What British Airways has done is take a couple of brand new A318s, the “babies” of the A320 family, and provide them with an all-business class configuration for transatlantic flights.
You would be right in thinking that rival Lufthansa thought of the same idea some years ago. The big difference is that BA will operate directly between two of the world’s main business cities using an airport at one end of the route that is very close to the major financial areas of Canary Wharf and the City.
Willie Walsh, British Airways’ chief executive, says: “In the harshest trading environment airlines have experienced, it is more important than ever to embrace the future and innovate. That is what this historic route is all about. The UK’s first web access on transatlantic flights means customers can work and keep in touch with the office. The exclusive service style will bring the feel of a private jet to a business class cabin.”
Most of all, it’s a service designed to save time and temper. Although fares will not be cheap, passengers will save at least two hours each way compared with the time taken to use the capital’s main Heathrow airport.
“It’s already been nicknamed the ‘banking express’,” says Andrew Solum, a frequent business traveller based at the Wharf. “Some of the first flights after launch are already sold out. It’s going to be a very ‘clubby’ experience and a service on which people will want to be seen, just as they did with Concorde. That’s why it’s smart of BA to provide the flights with the former Concorde flight numbers.”
What’s on offer?
British Airways has fitted each A318 with 32 fully-flat Club World seats (see picture above). Services begin on September 29, initially with a single daily flight and increasing to twice daily from mid-October. Although there will be an arrival into LCY on Saturday morning, there will be no departing flight on that day. Check-in time will be 15 minutes before departure, thanks to LCY’s compact terminal. There will be a dedicated departure gate with lounge-style facilities.
As the A318s cannot fly non-stop to New York westbound – because of LCY’s short runway – they must make a brief refuelling stop in Shannon, Ireland. But time will not be wasted when sitting on the ground because passengers will clear US Immigration and Customs. The eastbound flights will operate non-stop.
Schedules
Westbound flights BA1 and BA3 will depart LCY at 1250 and 1600, arriving into JFK at 1715 and 2045, respectively. Eastbound flights BA2 and BA4 will leave JFK at 1840 and 2210 to land the following morning at 0715 and 1045, respectively. Flights BA1 and BA2 will be launched first, with BA3 and BA4 following.
Time savings
To understand the time savings involved, it’s worth adopting the mindset of somebody working at Canary Wharf. Solum says: “It takes 90 minutes from here to travel across central London to Heathrow and then it’s wise to allow another 90 minutes
to complete the procedures. Yes, you could check in at Heathrow up to 45 minutes before, but I don’t know anyone who cuts it so fine. It’s always wise to allow longer because of the capital’s uncertain travel conditions. [And with US immigration completed at Shannon] you can leave JFK airport immediately.”
The A318 takes a little longer to fly eastbound than a larger B777 or B747 would, but you save time because planes are generally not “stacked” as long over LCY as they would be over Heathrow. “And when you land at LCY,” notes Solum, “you can be on your way in a taxi within ten minutes of the plane reaching the terminal.”
Prices
These are far costlier than equivalent business class rates out of Heathrow. Leisure weekend fares start from £1,901 return, with regular fares starting at £4,912. The fully flexible rate is £5,625.
Drawbacks
If only BA had managed to land this flight at La Guardia, closer to Manhattan than JFK, it would be perfect. But La Guardia is a domestic airport so could not have coped with departures. Cost is also an issue. While it’s not too bad for big corporations who may have negotiated special terms with BA, the asking price is a huge sum for small firms when Heathrow rivals charge half.
