• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Airlines Upgrade Service for 'High' Fliers

Posted on: Tuesday, 14 March 2006, 18:00 CST

Start-ups Maxjet Airways and Eos Airlines and United's P.S. are catering to high-end, long-haul service, which may be the airline industry's last cash cow.

The airlines are betting that there's money to be made serving the relatively few air travelers willing to pay premium prices for luxury.

The trans-Atlantic market represents about $20 billion a year in airline revenue. British Airways, which operates 10 flights a day from John F. Kennedy and Newark airports to Heathrow, dominates the New York-London route.

Maxjet and Eos each has only a few planes and offers no more than one round-trip flight per day to Stansted Airport, London's third-busiest airport.

Last-minute round-trip tickets on Maxjet cost $1,500 vs. about $9,000 for business class on British Airways, Virgin, American or United.

Eighty percent of our customers are coming from the premium cabins of our competitors, Maxjet Chief Executive Officer Gary Rogliano said. We give you everything they do and reduce the price 75 percent.

On Eos, each passenger has a 21-square-foot walled pod with a reading light, guest seat, side table, 110 volt power outlet and foldout table for eating or working. Meal entrees include filet mignon and rack of lamb.

Source: United Press International

More News in this Category