BA gives details of all-business class to US
British Airways’ all-business-class London to New York service is expected to start in autumn next year and will include a fuel stop at Shannon in Ireland, it was announced today.
BA announced in January this year that it would start a twice-daily luxury transatlantic service from London City Airport.
Today the carrier said that Shannon would be the fuel stop for west-bound flights, with the eastbound New York service travelling non-stop to London.
BA, which also announced the autumn 2009 planned start-up time today, is using Airbus A318 for the route and there will be just 32 seats which can be converted into flat beds.
During the stop at Shannon, passengers will benefit from a special arrangement that will allow them to complete US arrival checks, meaning they will by-pass the normal checks when they land in New York and speed straight through the airport.
BA commercial director Robert Boyle said: “Our planned business-class-only service will be the most convenient way to travel between London and New York for those people based in or travelling to the heart of London.”
BA, which is launching its new service at a time of economic depression on both sides of the Atlantic, will be hoping to fare better than three recent similar luxury-travel ventures.
Two all-business-class carriers that flew on transatlantic routes from Stansted airport in Essex – MAXjet and Eos – have both ceased trading, as has a Luton-based carrier, Silverjet.
