LEVEL

[Noxegon]

IAG has announced its new low cost brand from BCN.

Initial routes are LAX, OAK, PUJ, and EZE - all operated by A330.

[Gulf Julliet Papa]

Lets see how quickly they get DoT permission...

[TBSC]

I bet the ladies will kill for pilots wearing this classy uniform.


http://cronicaglobal.elespanol.com/u...-IAG-Level.jpg

[Cyrano]

Originally Posted by Gulf Julliet Papa

Lets see how quickly they get DoT permission...

Isn't it operated by Iberia on their AOC, so no need for a new Foreign Carrier Authorisation?

[Pistonprop]

I just hope their callsign won't be "level"!

[toledoashley]

Seems to be IB operated for the moment, but that seems a little unclear if that is the long term plan. Some of the wording of the launch infers that its only a short term measure.

[A320.b744]

I'd be very surprised if Iberia were the long term operators - Iberia's pilot and cabin crew contracts are too expensive for the low cost market in the long term. I'd give at year, then LEVEL will operate in its own right.

[2Planks]

I thought that pic of the uniforms was Bucks Fizz 30 years on, until I spotted WW!

[canberra97]

I didn't even notice WW at first in the pic but what a pathetic looking uniform, it looks like a very cheap looking sports shirt bought from a 'cheaper' version of Sports Direct.

[Logohu]

It looks like something the pub darts team might wear. No wonder WW looks slightly embarrassed.
The race to the bottom in search of the cheapest possible fare continues.

[01475]

I don't understand why they wanted to create a new brand when they have so many good ones.

[crewmeal]

Really? Which ones? do tell.

[ORAC]

The Times:

British Airways is to get a low-cost sister airline offering transatlantic flights from £86 this summer as the budget long-haul market takes off. Level, a new airline from International Airlines Group (IAG) which owns BA, will initially fly from Barcelona, but there are plans to expand to other European cities in a challenge to low-cost long-haul carriers such as Norwegian.

The four destinations for Level flights, starting in June, will be San Francisco (Oakland); Los Angeles; Buenos Aires; and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Level will use two new Airbus A330s operated by crew from Iberia, creating 250 new jobs. Flights will have 21 “premium economy” seats with free checked-in luggage, meals and films, and 293 economy seats with a range of paid extras. Level will be the fifth airline within the IAG group, joining British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling.......

Willie Walsh, chief executive of IAG, said that Barcelona had been chosen because it was the home airport for Vueling and would allow passengers to connect to Level flights from Vueling’s short-haul network. Flights will operate to Los Angeles and Punta Cana twice every week, and to San Francisco and Buenos Aires three times per week. Prices will start from £86 each way........

Tickets went on sale on flylevel.com yesterday as the site went live, with flights to the US from €99 (£86) and to Argentina and the Dominican Republic from €149 (£129).

[A320.b744]

52,000 tickets were sold yesterday according to their twitter page - quite impressive given total weekly seat capacity will be just 6,280.

[racedo]

British Airways "Go" Mark II.........................

BA and IB customers will just ask ......................... well how come you can fly to the US for $99 and you are charging me $300
Second question will be why are you not flying from Heathrow and Madrid.

I don't see the upsaide just a brand cheapening.

[PAXboy]

It has been said many times before, GO was GOOD and Cassani was GOOD. They threw them both away and now? Just think how much more experience of the market they would have? Not to mention a fine collection of customer email address'.

Well, good luck to them. I mean it.

[runway30]

I don't think that IAG will again make the mistake of competing with themselves in the UK. However they want to compete in Europe, the first experiment, Open Skies, concentrated on the premium end of the market but hasn't expanded. The mass market answer for Europe is the combination of Vueling and Level.

[A320.b744]

I'd say Vueling could merge into LEVEL in a few years time in order to consolidate iAG's low-cost operations, given that the two airlines are expected to codeshare on a number of routes. Gatwick could be a future base, though I predict Paris and Rome as the next operating bases, given Vueling's extensive operations from each airport.

I'm surprised that IAG haven't expand OpenSkies since it started operations - they've recently received a 767-300, but other than that there's no change in the destinations served. Post financial crisis I would have thought that Amsterdam would have been re-established, as well as Washington DC. Maybe the A321LR could play a role in future operations. Would be interesting to have IAG operating extensive premium, standard and low-cost networks out of Europe.

[Logohu]

I don't think that IAG will again make the mistake of competing with themselves in the UK.

I wouldn't be so sure. If the objective is to take on the likes of Norwegian I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Level turn up in the UK regions in the next couple of years. In the longer term perhaps even at LGW as well, although BA's move to "densify" it's 777 fleet by adding more seats would suggest there is no plan to introduce Level to LGW any time soon.

[toledoashley]

The press release clearly said that it will supplement the operations of the current airlines, rather than replacing them. So more leisure routes (esp to Latin America from Gatwick could happen), or new bases within the UK - for example Manchester.