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).