Business-class boom

By Shivani Vora

updated 2:25 p.m. ET March 23, 2007

Business travelers looking for a headache-free way to jet to Europe needn't worry about securing one of a limited number of reclining seats. Now they can choose from four airlines where it’s all business class all the time.

British carrier Silverjet is the newest entrant to the business class-only market. It began daily routes between Newark and London’s Luton airport this year. L’Avion, a Paris-based airline, has been flying between Newark and Orly-Sud since December. They join Eos and MAXjet, both London-based carriers that in 2005 began offering service between JFK and London’s Stanstead airport and London's Stanstead airport and Las Vegas, respectively.

Industry experts say they're filling a need.

“With the international economy doing so well, there is demand for this ... service,” says Joe Brancatelli, editor and publisher of the online business travel site joesentme.com. "We are in an absolute boom period for the premium trans-Atlantic business traveler."

The Perks
Eos is the most upscale of the bunch with round-trip fares starting from $3500 compared with $1500 on the three other airlines. But even with this steep price tag, it’s often still cheaper to fly Eos to London than to shell out for British Airways business class, called Club World, where fares can climb to more than $9,000.

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Amenity wise, they match business class service on major carriers by serving up gourmet multicourse meals with premium wines and liquors. Silverjet offers this but stands out from the pack as the world’s first carbon neutral airline, making it a good bet for the eco-conscious.

"Without a doubt, Silverjet offers a unique experience unmatched in the business travel industry and at a price point that is rational and reasonable," says CEO Lawrence Hunt. "We are directly responding to consumer demands."

This new breed of biz-class carriers also save travelers time.

MAXjet, Silverjet and L’Avion have fleets made up of redesigned 747s with roughly 100 seats--Eos has space for only 48 passengers. Regular planes usually fit around 220 fliers. Fewer seats mean quicker boarding.

Europe-bound planes fly into Stanstead, Luton and Orly airports; these aren’t nearly as busy as Heathrow and Charles de Gaulle, cutting down the possibility of crowds, long security lines and delays that are typical of large airports. What's more, instead of arriving the suggested two hours before departure, travelers can show up at the airport closer to flight time. Eos fliers can check in just 45 minutes before take-off.

The Drawbacks
Compared with major carriers, these companies have a limited number of flights per week. Silverjet, for example, offers only one daily flight each way between Newark and Luton though the company expects to add a second flight in early summer.

But for the traveler seeking the finer things while flying, it is perhaps only a minor inconvenience.

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