[Anonymous]

[Tim2soza]

What are people’s views on when/if the business class only airlines will return to the UK market? I miss Silverjet!

[excessbaggage]

Tim2sms – they returned last year, with the launch of all-business class BA flights between LCY and New York.

[Tim2soza]

Sure, but do you think Maxjet / EOS / Silverjet type new entrants will return? Or will Openskies fly from Luton?

[VintageKrug]

I flew and reviewed SilverJet in the first weeks of its operation:

http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/Silver-Jet-what-a-great-experience

[flyingforce]

All-business class airlines will not be coming back in the near future. BA’s effort will be closely watched and I would be surprised if they are flying full capacity.
It’s a shame – I too flew Silverjet – actually in the last week of its operation and thought it was a superb offering.

[AMcWhirter]

All biz class flights continue between mainland Europe and the US. KL flies Amsterdam-Houston (I understand this flight is popular with Shell employees) while LX operates Zurich-New York. Aircraft are chartered from Swiss carrier Privatair.

I feel that one selling point of both above examples, along with BA flying London City-New York, is that these carriers all operate FFPs and are all part of alliance groupings. They all fly from main city airports and, London City excepted, they can rely on dozens of feeder flights both within Europe and farther afield.

Also by using smaller planes they have fewer biz class seats to fill.

Silverjet, Eos and Maxjet had none of these advantages.

[VintageKrug]

BA’s CWLCY service is reported to be doing very well; several of my colleagues are now using it regularly and their experience is of several flights which were full to capacity, or unbookable necessitating the LHR option.

In December, Club World passenger load factors were actually up 1.6 per cent across the airline, and I would expect CWLCY to have been at the upper end of expectations.

Indeed there is talk of additional routes using this concept.

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/club-world-london-city/public/en_gb

[MarcusUK]

I flew Silverjet to Dubai also,,, such a pity it didn’t survive.

Airlines like BA simply can’t replicate the smaller boutique Airlines with the more personal service. Silverjet’s lounge was great, check in at yr seat, & the attitudes fresh enthusiastic, & innovative. The a-la carte traditional food was fine, & well selectd. The young teams were recruited from the hotelling Sector mostly, & it showed in the great personal service on board. A totally different attitude.
Despite the old Aircraft, & the archaic seat, it was a great experience.

BA cant even keep such a major route like LHR -SIN-SYD going, a major flagship route for many Airlines, with their C & F cabins on the downgraded 777’s from the 747’s. Then they have gained a very poor reputation abroad, the pending industrial disputes, & the ustralians find them stale & no longer comparable to the other Airlines on the route. Openskies was not a great success in Europe, & half the services were withdrawn.

Perhaps with the growth of Premium Economy, there is more room for an all PE Airline, & Aircraft. The market here for downgraded business travellers, but also the self paying leisure traveller, there is a meeting in the middle. That on a route like LHR -SYD may well be successful, from all types of traveller?

I hope we shall see them return, but the likelyhood of “Business” class…(that should be re-named really to merely premium), succeeding in the next 3+ years very doubtful.

[VintageKrug]

British Airways is going great guns with its two A318 CWLCY aircraft.

Willie Walsh stated that “the load factor for LCY-JFK in December 2009 was 75% and the LCY-JFK load factor was higher.”

This is encouraging news, and shows that the right product in the right market can indeed be a success story.

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/club-world-london-city

[Jan]

The decline in Business travel is clear on most major Airlines in Europe.
Fewer Business travellers in Premium Long Haul routes, more personal travellers.

More Airlines are introducing or expanding Premium Economy, & taking out Business seats.
An “All Premium Economy” Airline, with more reasonable fares, would do well on a few key routes.

[Hess963]

Hi everyone !

Yes, Jan..that is the development at the moment. Meaning pax would like or only can afford to pay premium economy fares. That is why airlines are implementing or sincerly regarding the subject of a premium economy product But frequent travellers or companies often know or get good consolidated fares from specific travel agencies or direct special offers from the airlines for C class tickets. You often pay a premium economy fare and fly C class in some airlines. And in some cases seasonal offers or like last year because of the global financial crisis — most airlines offered huge discounts in order to fill their premium cabins. So it is just a matter of time and research in order to find those ” fare goodies ” — that is why we have a forum like this in BT, so we can exchange informations and experiences and everyone here can benefit from them.

[Author]

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