unmanned transport
7th Oct 2005, 03:37
By Ben Webster, Transport Correspondent.
6 Oct. 05.
BRITISH AIRWAYS faces a twin-pronged challenge in its most profitable market from two new airlines that are launching business class-only flights between London and New York.
Eos yesterday brought forward its launch date to October 18 in an attempt to steal a march on the fellow start-up airline MAXjet, which is launching on November 2.
Both the new airlines will operate from Stansted Airport in Essex to the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.
They will initially have a combined daily seat capacity of 150 compared with BA’s 600 business seats on its ten daily flights between London and New York. But both newcomers plan to launch a second daily service early in the new year, doubling their capacity to 300 seats.
Eos aims to mimic the corporate jet experience, offering only 48 seats that recline into flat beds on a Boeing 757, which normally carries 180.
MAXjet claims to be the first low-cost business airline, with 102 seats having double the legroom of economy class at about the same price as a full-fare economy ticket.
Both airlines are well-financed, unlike a series of other putative business-only airlines in recent years which announced ambitious plans but collapsed before launching flights.
David Spurlock, the founder and chief executive of Eos, is an American who was formerly director of strategy at British Airways. While at BA, he persuaded the airline to focus more on the premium passenger.
He has raised $87 million from investors, including Sutter Hill Ventures of Silicon Valley, Golden Gate Capital of San Francisco, and Maveron, the venture fund founded by Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz.
MAXjet has received $40 million from ten wealthy Americans, including Ken Woolley who helped launch JetBlue, the US budget airline.
Gary Rogliano, MAXjet’s chief executive, said he expected a substantial proportion of passengers to transfer to and from Stansted’s two main budget airlines, Ryanair and easyJet. Stansted serves 140 destinations in Britain and Europe and is London’s fastest-growing airport. “Because we are all business, our customers will not have to wait for 300 economy passengers to board,” he said.
“It should be a lot faster through passport control than Heathrow.”
MAXjet has spent $10 million buying and fitting out an ex-Qantas 21-year-old Boeing 767.
It has paid deposits on another two second-hand aircraft which it says will be delivered before Christmas. It aims to have five aircraft by March and eleven by the end of next year.
It plans to make Washington Dulles its second destination from Stansted early next year, followed by direct flights to the American west coast.
Mr Rogliano said he had begun negotiations with Airbus and Boeing about ordering a fleet of new aircraft for delivery in 2008.
FLIGHT PATTERN
Eos
Fare (London to New York): £2,550-£3,550
Number of aircraft: one
Boeing 757
Number of seats: 48
Seat size: 78in flatbed
Extras: cashmere blankets and personal DVD players
MAXjet
Fare: £680-£1,080
Number of aircraft: one Boeing 767
Number of seats: 102 Seat size: 60in recliner
Extras: movies on demaned
BA
Fare: £2,000-£4,300
Number of aircraft: ten Boeing 747 or 777
Number of seats: 350
Seat size: 72in flatbed
Extras: pre-flight meals on night flights
This just comes to show how BA. thrives under the umbrella of the British government while it rips off business travelers. If there was no Bermuda II, any British new entrant would be able to offer LHR-JFK flights with affordable business fares. Given that possibility, BA. would offer more affordable business class service instead of charging 4200 USD for LHR-JFK each way. That\'s well past the 3300 USD AF charges for JFK-CDG and the 3200 USD LH charges for JFK-FRA.
6 Oct. 05.
BRITISH AIRWAYS faces a twin-pronged challenge in its most profitable market from two new airlines that are launching business class-only flights between London and New York.
Eos yesterday brought forward its launch date to October 18 in an attempt to steal a march on the fellow start-up airline MAXjet, which is launching on November 2.
Both the new airlines will operate from Stansted Airport in Essex to the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.
They will initially have a combined daily seat capacity of 150 compared with BA’s 600 business seats on its ten daily flights between London and New York. But both newcomers plan to launch a second daily service early in the new year, doubling their capacity to 300 seats.
Eos aims to mimic the corporate jet experience, offering only 48 seats that recline into flat beds on a Boeing 757, which normally carries 180.
MAXjet claims to be the first low-cost business airline, with 102 seats having double the legroom of economy class at about the same price as a full-fare economy ticket.
Both airlines are well-financed, unlike a series of other putative business-only airlines in recent years which announced ambitious plans but collapsed before launching flights.
David Spurlock, the founder and chief executive of Eos, is an American who was formerly director of strategy at British Airways. While at BA, he persuaded the airline to focus more on the premium passenger.
He has raised $87 million from investors, including Sutter Hill Ventures of Silicon Valley, Golden Gate Capital of San Francisco, and Maveron, the venture fund founded by Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz.
MAXjet has received $40 million from ten wealthy Americans, including Ken Woolley who helped launch JetBlue, the US budget airline.
Gary Rogliano, MAXjet’s chief executive, said he expected a substantial proportion of passengers to transfer to and from Stansted’s two main budget airlines, Ryanair and easyJet. Stansted serves 140 destinations in Britain and Europe and is London’s fastest-growing airport. “Because we are all business, our customers will not have to wait for 300 economy passengers to board,” he said.
“It should be a lot faster through passport control than Heathrow.”
MAXjet has spent $10 million buying and fitting out an ex-Qantas 21-year-old Boeing 767.
It has paid deposits on another two second-hand aircraft which it says will be delivered before Christmas. It aims to have five aircraft by March and eleven by the end of next year.
It plans to make Washington Dulles its second destination from Stansted early next year, followed by direct flights to the American west coast.
Mr Rogliano said he had begun negotiations with Airbus and Boeing about ordering a fleet of new aircraft for delivery in 2008.
FLIGHT PATTERN
Eos
Fare (London to New York): £2,550-£3,550
Number of aircraft: one
Boeing 757
Number of seats: 48
Seat size: 78in flatbed
Extras: cashmere blankets and personal DVD players
MAXjet
Fare: £680-£1,080
Number of aircraft: one Boeing 767
Number of seats: 102 Seat size: 60in recliner
Extras: movies on demaned
BA
Fare: £2,000-£4,300
Number of aircraft: ten Boeing 747 or 777
Number of seats: 350
Seat size: 72in flatbed
Extras: pre-flight meals on night flights
This just comes to show how BA. thrives under the umbrella of the British government while it rips off business travelers. If there was no Bermuda II, any British new entrant would be able to offer LHR-JFK flights with affordable business fares. Given that possibility, BA. would offer more affordable business class service instead of charging 4200 USD for LHR-JFK each way. That\'s well past the 3300 USD AF charges for JFK-CDG and the 3200 USD LH charges for JFK-FRA.