OpenSkies Announces Post Election Fare Deals

by Josh Lew on

British Airways-backed upscale carrier currently flies two trans-Atlantic routes, JFK to Amsterdam and JFK to Paris Orly. A one-way BIZ class ticket on the Amsterdam route will cost $1050 if it is booked by November 21st. Fares to Orly will start at $1100 if booked by the same date. PREM+ (premium economy class) tickets start at $550 one-way.

Is this a good deal? It depends on how much you value your comfort. The PREM+ class seats are akin to business class seats on other carriers. They recline 140 degrees and offer 52 inches of leg room. Seats in the BIZ class recline a full 180 degrees. OpenSkies also offers full service including a concierge, food and drink, and in-flight entertainment.

Fliers who put more of a premium on price than comfort should be happy with the recent announcement that low-cost carrier Ryanair will be charging as little as 8£ once its trans-Atlantic service gets off the ground. Still, for what you get, you have to admit the the OpenSkies deal is a good value.

Going to Europe? New Non-Stop Trans-Atlantic Flights for 2008

by Anna Brones on

Jerry Guo recently wrote about Europe being the comeback kid, and even though that pesky Euro-to-Dollar ratio is not in our favor, 2008 is definitely the year to make your way across the Atlantic. It’s most likely thanks to Open Skies Agreement or maybe even Europeans looking for a bountiful shopping weekend, but even us American travelers can take advantage of all the new direct trans-Atlantic flights.

A little sampling of what airlines are offering the newest non-stop routes to those anxious to make their way to the continent of lower work hours, good wine and charming culture in 2008:

Northwest Airlines/KLM Royal Dutch Airlines: For travelers living in the Pacific Northwest the partner airlines will be opening a new non-stop route between Seattle and London Heathrow starting June 1, 2008. If you are a World Perks member, traveling between June 1 and July 31, 2008 will score you an additional 15,000 bonus miles.

Air France: LAX to London Heathrow starting March 30, 2008. Travel between March 30th and May 24th and you could find yourself with a one-way fare as low as $243 (before airport taxes). They’re even throwing in a complimentary glass of champagne.

US Airways: Summer route from Philadelphia to Stockholm. The thrills of Scandinavia are a non-stop flight away between May 18 and September 26, 2008.

Delta: Salt Lake City to Paris starting June 2, 2008 providing a non-stop between the American capital of skiing and hiking and the European capital of bistros and the Eiffel Tower.

Singapore Airlines: Houston to Moscow and onto Singapore starting March 20, 2008. If Russian Roulette isn’t your forte, continue on for some quality gambling in the Southeast Asian metropolis.

For more options, check out the following article at Executive Travel.