Flight are saying old 757s with retrofitted winglets.

BA Owned B757 will be withdrawn from European service and fitted with winglets by BA at LHR. First two are PEJ and PEK. Hangar input starts mid Feb.

What's the problem with the name? For company registration it just has to be a unique name, and for trading purposes it's useful to have a link to the owner.


For marketing of course, they need something special and OpenSkies seems as good a name as any.

What an uninformed comment. As if they would do something to make the aircraft look 'sexy'. Aircraft aesthetics aren't important beyond the livery as far as management are concerned.

It's to improve fuel efficiency and improve takeoff performance. And as previously mentioned, they are to be retrofitted. Obvious considering the 757s are coming from BA's current 757 fleet, and BA do not have winglets fitted already.

Hmmm. Saying that you're fitting winglets to a 757 to make it environmentally friendly when you've only got 82 seats to start with is an interesting argument.

Are the pilots going on the Thomas Cook seniority list then?

Pretty ordinary rendering of a 757. The Speedmarque is going backwards, for a start.

Actually the whole website is a bit... well, if Lauren is Mr Moss's granddaughter, then she could probably have done a better job.

If you're going to launch an airline on one of the most highly competitive runs in the world, you only get one launch so you'd better do it right. This just looks... well, a bit too media-luvvie touchy-feely.

If this is launching mid-year, they should have already sorted out the route, the slots, the schedule, the initial crew (both aircraft and office) - this thing should, with five months to go, be ready to roll and just waiting for the aircraft to be repainted. The sooner you can get the punters to part with their $ or £, the sooner you have revenue coming in.

I'm also amazed there's no mention of an FFP - if they are a full-service BA subsidiary, then I suggest there'd be an assumption that Open Skies will be a member of oneworld (or at least an affiliate via the EC) - but no mention. So does that mean no EC on Open Skies flights? No loyalty scheme = fewer loyal premium customers.

I like their "media" page :

Everything you need to know about our airline—from its very beginnings—can be found here.

Followed by one 1-page press release. With telephone numbers for contact that do not indicate they are US telephone numbers (remember this is a British company).

Presumably the website was put together by a BA IT trainee - no, on reflection, by their top team.

Lazy rendering or is BA Aviation Partners newest customer?

The latter, the first two aircraft to join OpenSkies, G-BPEJ in May and G-BPEK in October will be fitted with winglets before entering service.

As a pax , find it rather ironic, that if succesful no doubt your be able to fly BA from all parts of europe to the U.S, but try and do that in its home county and you get laughed at!:}:}:}

Press Release - phone numbers
 

You would have to be stupid not to know that the numbers are not in America. Firstly, the address is right below the number, and it is in New York. The email specifies americas in the address, the first two words on the press release locate it in NEW YORK. Do you assume we are all thick?

Strewth! One of the only airlines with 6 foot beds. ???

How can you be one of the only??

berks flyer:
my post was a dig at clever marketing, trying to make the picture look like a newer aircraft than it actually is.

jimworcs,

The address on the press release might be that of their 'communications' company in the US;

If you’re not in a writing mood for our blog, there are other ways to get a hold of us. Email, post—doesn’t matter. We’re delighted you’re inspired to reach out.

Press Contact:
[email protected]

Post:
BA European Ltd
Registered address
PO box 365
Harmondsworth
Middlesex
UB7 0GB
United Kingdom


"We're delighted you're inspired to reach out". What a w@nk. Where do they get these people?

"Where do they get these people"

Answer - The USA.

Anyone who's worked with Dale at BA will be able to tell you what a "joy" it was to "be inspired" by him......:yuk::yuk:

Nothing to do with saving the planet.

Everything to do with cutting costs.:ok:

I think 'Dale' was very good on Supermarket sweep. BA has also looked at gaining a number of 757's from IB. I am not sure this is well thought out and maybe to late. Some of the revenue may be taken from LHR mainline services and it concerns me the number of players already in the market. I suppose the real gain is that with the mainline support it costs little to set up. If not a success then it will be sold within 3 years.

Another "GO"? Is Barbara Cassani waiting in the wings :E

Too little, too late... TOO BAD :ugh:

Wee Willie Winkie has really ''pulled this one off'' with style - or not.
I mean with one aircraft, whats the policy for technical failures and the likes? Silverjet, EOS and Maxjet all suffered so why shouldnt 'Openskies'...
Not being a part of 'Waterworld', I mean 'Oneworld', its not so easy to transfer pax over to BA in the event of a snag. 2 totally different operations we are led to beleive.

Wonder how much BA paid to have the livery and logo drawn up. Grey underside? Hardly eyecatching, appealing or 'different'... Whats so special about it? Nothing whatsoever. At least GO had a lively and modern feel about it with bright colours and advertising.

Remember, 'Battleship Grey' if nothing else :E

I thought that OpenSkies will be code-sharing with BA?

Either way their FFP is most likely going to be BA Executive Club, and thats what counts in this market really. I thought the whole point of OPEN SKIES was to capitalise on their own FFP base who would travel direct. Probably the ground handling will be BA as well, so rerouting should be pretty easy.

Brian.