Discount All-Business Airlines Soaring

Oct. 1, 2007 — -- There is another sign that the discount all-business class airlines flying between the lucrative New York market and two London secondary airports may be taking business away from the major carriers.

American Airlines has announced it will add a second daily flight from New York to Stansted Airport in May.

Three discount carriers -- Silverjet, Eos and MaxJet -- are flying to Stansted and Luton, both uncongested airports 25 miles outside central London. All three airlines feature lie-flat or nearly lie-flat seats for 48 to 100 passengers on big planes designed to carry up to 220.

Silverjet, the latest entry, flies Boeing 767 wide bodies configured with 100 lie-flat seats from New York's Newark Liberty Airport to Luton. Its fares are less than half of the usual business class fares on major carriers, which can run $5,000 or more.

These major carriers fly mostly into Heathrow, which has been beset this summer with a toxic combination of congestion, delays, long security lines and lost luggage. Silverjet reports that its passenger load factor during the summer was a whopping 80 percent; the airline has now added a second daily flight to Newark.

On a recent trip on Silverjet, it was easy to see why. Check-in and luggage check at Newark take place in a lounge, followed by a fast track, hassle-free trip through security.

Upon arrival at Luton Airport immigration, baggage retrieval and customs took under 10 minutes. A rail link is just a five minute shuttle ride away, and the express trip to Kings Cross Station takes 21 minutes. The reverse commute was equally smooth.

Onboard, the cabin crew seemed genuinely interested in their passengers' comfort, and both the outbound and return flights operated within minutes of schedule.

British Airways Bumps Up Fleet

British Airways has announced its long anticipated aircraft purchase to upgrade its aging and gas guzzling fleet of long-haul jumbo jets, including the 747-499. This is good news for Boeing and even better news for the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus.

The airline's $8 billion order is split between the two manufacturers. From Boeing it will buy 24 787 Dreamliners, a mid-size plane that will carry about 250 passengers.

From Airbus, it will buy a dozen of the double-decker superjumbo A-380. British Airlines' order is a big boost for this model, which has been plagued with production delays.

British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh said environmental concerns were a chief factor in the purchase. Both types of planes are highly fuel efficient and have much lower carbon emissions than current planes.

Apparently, Keira Knightly Does Eat

London's celebrity watering hole of the moment is the Wolseley in Piccadilly, near Green Park.

The 160-seat restaurant, in a former showroom for, yes, the Wolseley Motor car, is modeled after the "grand cafés" of Vienna and Berlin of an earlier age. But make no mistake, the celebrities are up to date.

On a recent evening, both Ralph Fiennes and Keira Knightly were in attendance.

The Wolseley -- open for breakfast, lunch and dinner -- serves 1,000 meals a day. The menu includes a raw bar, British favorites like deep-fried Sprats, Bubble and Squeak, a range of steaks, chops and fish, many items from a traditional brasserie menu, plus an enormous range of breakfast items.

For Americans visiting London, it's encouraging that the owners reserve 30 percent of the tables at each meal for walk-in guests, whether they are interested or not in celebrity spotting. But beware: Dinner for two with modest wine will cost more than $75 person, with breakfast running substantially less.