It
has been revealed: "OpenSkies" is the name of the British
Airways-owned new entrant to the transatlantic market. The airline
will launch in June with one Boeing 757.
The name reflects its
origins in the open-skies agreement recently concluded between the
U.S. and the European Union, which, beginning March 30, would allow
any E.U. carrier to offer nonstop service between the U.S. and any
E.U. country. Currently, under most circumstances, an E.U. carrier
can offer nonstop service only from its home country.
"It's all about
British Airways taking advantage of open skies," said the new
airline's managing director, Dale Moss. "And it's about getting
customers to swear by us and not at us. And it's about putting a
smile on [British Airways CEO] Willie Walsh's face."
Aside from the
initial novelty of a British plane ferrying passengers between the
U.S. and non-British territory in Europe, OpenSkies intends to
provide passengers with a product unlike any currently in service.
Most notable is its reversal of the usual proportioning of seats
between premium and economy classes. There will be 24 four-across
business seats that convert to six-foot-long flat beds; 28
four-across premium economy seats with 52-inch pitch; and only 30
six-across economy seats at the rear of the plane.
"I hate like hell
calling [the middle section] 'premium economy,' but there are
travel departments that respond to that," Moss said, alluding to
corporate policies that restrict employee access to business-class
travel.
OpenSkies' initial
route is still unknown. It will fly from New York Kennedy or Newark
to Brussels or Paris de Gaulle. Eventually, Moss said he'd like to
serve Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Madrid, Zurich, Geneva and Milan. With
regard to U.S. destinations, he listed Boston, Washington and
Philadelphia, noting that options were limited by the plane's
range.
"There are those who
will say Philly is on there only because that's where I live," he
deadpanned. "And I say, 'So?' "
The jet's livery and
interior renderings (which lean toward the warmer end of the
British Airways color palette) were revealed last week by Moss, who
characterized his show-and-tell as "the first iteration" of
OpenSkies.
The airline will
serve as a "research and development lab" for British Airways
product enhancements, he said. But Moss was quick to note that
Walsh was clear that "this is not an experiment. We want it to be
profitable, and we want it to grow."
Moss insisted he
would have plenty of flexibility in refining the product. "If
people respond to only two of these [classes of service], we can
adjust," he said. "We can turn on a dime."
Among the examples of
services Moss said OpenSkies could test were entertainment systems
and check-in and arrival procedures.
When it was pointed
out to Moss that the airline-within-an-airline model does not have
a good track record, he said that this would be
different.
"We're a separate
entity," he said. "We can do things quickly, and if you're part of
British Airways that's a difficult thing to do. But we have strong
support [from British Airways] and can maneuver under its wing.
They see it as an opportunity for the business to grow.
"I don't want to hold
a postmortem for others who haven't succeeded," Moss added.
"Perhaps they had a bad model or were poorly managed. But we see
advantages: the British Airways frequent-flyer program, the use of
the lounges, the sales force, the codeshare.
"Fuel costs are a
regular pain in the rear end, and a lot of [the increases are]
going to end up being paid for by the consumer," he said. "It's not
something we're happy with, but it's 100 bucks a barrel for
everybody. Being part of British Airways, we can take advantage of
their hedging."
One indication of how
"different" OpenSkies will be from its reserved, decorous parent
came from the personal anecdotes Moss sprinkled throughout his
presentation. Asked why the headquarters would be located in
Bluebell, Pa., he replied, "Because I live five miles from
it."
The airline had
heretofore been known as Project Lauren, named for his
granddaughter.
"That came about when
she was just learning to walk," he said. "I had seen her fall a
couple of dozen times, but she never lost the smile on her face,
and she never gave up trying. If we don't get it right, we'll keep
getting up, we'll keep trying. I want people to say, 'Finally,
someone got it right to continental Europe.'"
He was asked if there
would be promotional fares leading up to the launch. "Can you keep
a secret?" Moss replied, then paused. "So can I."
He subsequently
apologized for the tease. "An old man trying to be cute is not a
good thing," Moss said, adding that he could not talk about
promotions or details about fares and distribution plans pending
regulatory approvals on both sides of the pond.
Moss, a former sales
and marketing executive at British Airways, did indicate that
travel agents were part of the plan.
Moss has started a
blog on the British Airways site about the fun -- and trials -- of
starting up OpenSkies.
"I try to update it
every week," he said. "I've never been so tickled seeing how an
airline comes together, and I think customers will get a kick out
of it, too. Customers are part of our brand, and we want them to
feel special."
To
contact Editor in Chief Arnie Weissmann, send e-mail to [email protected].