[Anonymous]

[Bath_VIP]

I am looking at flying to New York and I see that Open Skies are offering Prem Plus flights (their version of Premium Economy) for around €1000. According to Seat Plans, the seat pitch is 47″ and the pictures seem to imply that the seats are bigger than the standard BA Prem Economy. I would be grateful is someone could please verify for me that this is the case?

[AMcWhirter]

According to Open Skies’ website, they are superior.

http://www.flyopenskies.com/en/classes/premium-economy-premplus-on-board.html

[Ab0dache]

Hello Bath_VIP

Two reports, with pictures, may give you a better idea or view:

the most recent:
http://flight-report.com/fr/report-6959.html

and

http://flight-report.com/fr/report-4346.html

Hope this helps.

[Bath_VIP]

Ab0dache,

Thank you for these reports. My French is not great but I got the gist of the report and the photos were very helpful.

I think I might book this flight but at the moment, my connecting flights into ORY are not very convenient. Do you know how long it takes to transfer between CDG & ORY and what is the best way to do this?

[batterytraveller]

I can’t remember how long it takes but air France operate a bus between CDG and ORY, I took it once and I don’t remember it being especially quick.

The alternative is RER line B, I’ve not taken this to Orly but CDG to the centre of Paris takes the best part of an hour. Add the fact that you have to take the people mover at both ends and I’d imagine that you won’t get much change out of 2 hours.

[Ab0dache]

You are welcome Bath_VIP.

batterytraveller is correct with those two proposals.

1) Les cars air france
Les cars air france (a company in reality now independent of AF) have a shuttle CDG-ORY. It is open to everyone of course. Only some connecting AF passengers can travel free, courtesy of AF.

You need to take the service named “line 3”:
http://www.lescarsairfrance.com/en/our-network/plan-line-3.html

The shuttle runs every 20 minutes from 5h55 departing CDG and the journey time is advertised 1h30:
http://www.lescarsairfrance.com/fileadmin/documents/accueil/L3_horaires.pdf

It costs something like 22 euros one way. You can buy your ticket at the ticket machine in CDG near the bus departure stop (inside the terminal at all stops) or directly to the driver (same price) with cash (euros) a visa/mastercard or Amex card.
You can also buy it on-line with a 10% discount so the price is then 20 euros. I believe you do not need on-line to choose your time slot. But it is only a 10% discount so I do not know if you really need to bother for just that.

The advantage of les cars air france is that you have a guy waiting at CDG and ORY to put and retrieve your luggage in the luggage room of the coach. Then you go upstairs to seat. This is a real coach and not a town bus. There are seat belts and a small video for entertainment. The coach is direct with no intermediate stops. It uses the motorways outside Paris.
http://www.lescarsairfrance.com/en.html

2) RER B + Orlyval
It costs 20,90 euros from one of the two CDG RER stations to the Orlyval automatic metro which gets you on the departure level at Orly west.
http://www.ratp.fr/fr/ratp/c_23613/plans-rer/

You do not save much compared to the cost of les cars air france.

You need to change platforms at the Antony station from the RER B line service and the orlyval one.
You help yourself with your luggage.

I made a simulation at lunch time this monday for the journey time:
http://www.ratp.fr/itineraires/fr/ratp/recherche-avancee
select CDG as départ (Aeroport Cdg 1 (SNCF), Tremblay-en-France will be proposed, pick it)
and orly as arrivée (Orly-Ouest (METRO), Paray-Vieille-Poste will be proposed, pick it)
it says 1h16
But the RER stops at all stations (unless you catch a direct one when possible to gare du nord). At least there are not delays due to bad traffic.

3) enjoying a quick sightseing tour through Paris
take Roissybus (runs every 20 minutes) 10 euros(cash or visa/mastercard driver/machine)
Once at Opéra, the final roissybus stop in Paris, behind this stop, there is the bus 68 stop. Take bus 68 (2 euros cash, or a paris metro ticket if you got one spare one (1,30 euros by a booklet of 10).
Alight at Denfert-Rochereau stop to get the Orlybus (7,5 euros)…

It could also be around 1h30 journey time if you are lucky. This proposal is just to have some “tourist fun” time if I can say so.

[christopheL]

Transfering from CDG to ORY is definitively not a good idea. It is very long and very hazardous as you can either be stucked in trafic jams or experience delays on RER B.
I would consider flying from LCY to ORY with City Jet (7 flights a day).

[Bath_VIP]

Thank you for the advice everyone. I’d forgotten about the London City option and they are very reasonable at the moment. They also fly to Cardiff which is a possible option as well.

BTW, I noticed the Norwegian Airlines thread pointed out that they started their LGW-JFK services today. I checked their prices and they are £1200 in their business class which is actually the same pitch as OpenSkies so in reality it is a Premium Economy service.

[Bath_VIP]

I’ve gone ahead and booked this flight via the BAEC call centre. Currently, ORY-JFK is €1000 in Premium Economy and the most convenient connecting flight LHR-ORY is £150 if booked separately but this doesn’t guarantee the connection (2 hours at ORY). For about £100 more, BA have guaranteed the connection so in the end I am paying the same as I would for an LHR-JFK W flight direct but I will be earning more avios and hopefully have a more comfortable seat. A final point in its favour is that I will be flying on a 757 which is one of my favourite planes and will probably be disappearing from the skies over the next few years.

[Ab0dache]

Do not forget to report here your flight 😉

That will be interesting to read all the details of your experience!

[EU_Flyer]

@ Bath_VIP- 02/07/2014 14:16 GMT

Sounds like a good trip. You will also get much better food on Openskies compared to WTP and a bigger seat.

I love BA but I have always found WTP to be a poor value proposition unless on a sale fare or a cheap upgrade.

[Bath_VIP]

Alex,

Are you basing your perception on the WTP seat? I would agree to some extent if you are referring to the older version still found on the 747 & 767 (I believe) but the newer version on the 787/773/A380 is definitely an improvement.

Ab0dache, I will do a report but it will be the end of September.

[Author]

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