30 July 2008

OpenSkies boosts cabin size

British AirwaysÃ¢â¬â¢ premium transatlantic carrier OpenSkies will expand space from 28 to 40 seats in its PREM+^SMcabin on its flights from Paris and Amsterdam to New York.

The business travel subsidiaryÃ¢â¬â¢s classy PREM+^SMcabin offers leather seats on a 140 degree recline, a 52 inch seat pitch, personal entertainment services with more than 50 hoursÃ¢â¬â¢ worth of entertainment and fares that BA claim will be attainable by business travellers whose travel policy might not allow for business travel on rival airlinesÃ¢â¬â¢ routes.

OpenSkies is the first airline created as a result of the Open Skies agreement, which allows airlines to fly between any U.S. and E.U. destination.

Managing director of OpenSkies Dale Moss said: Ã¢â¬ÅâœFrom the very beginning, OpenSkies was built with a spirit of experimentation and creativity and a passion for listening to our customers. Since our launch, we have had a tremendously positive reception to our PREM+^SMservice. By offering business class comfort without business class costs, PREM+^SMcompares very favourably with what our competitors offer as business class. WeÃ¢â¬â¢re thrilled to expand our PREM+^SMoffering and focused on continuing to be flexible and responsive to our customersÃ¢â¬â¢ needs.Ã¢â¬~

Following the expansion of capacity, OpenSkies will carry 64 passengers aboard its reconfigured Boeing 757 aircraft in a two cabin configuration, with 40 seats in PREM+^SMand 24 seats in BIZ ^SM, where the carrier lays on 180 degree lie-flat beds and 73 inches of legroom which BA Club World passengers will already be familiar with. Some 30 economy cabin seats will be removed to enable the expansion of PREM+^SM.

The new configuration will be introduced on the Paris-Orly to New York-John F. Kennedy route on October 1.

By Dinah Hatch