Review of OpenSkies flight Paris Newark in Business

Airline OpenSkies
Flight BA8003
Class Business
Seat 5F
Aircraft Boeing 757-200
Flight time 08:35
Take-off 31 Aug 15, 13:40
Arrival at 31 Aug 15, 16:15
EC 22 reviews
KévinDC
By SILVER 7388
Published on 6th September 2015
Hello Everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and welcome to the next, and last flight, in this recent series of reports. On this flight, we'll cover the flight back to the U.S. on an OpenSkies 757-200. When booking this trip I could have taken the AA 767 flight back to JFK, but when I saw the option of taking OpenSkies for the same price, I jumped on it. I'd taken OpenSkies before back when they flew from DC to Paris and had really enjoyed my experiences with them. OpenSkies was the only All-Business-Class airline to survive the Global Financial Crisis (although they added a small Economy cabin 2 years ago) and I've always rooted this little guy competing against all the big Airlines flying across the pond. After all these years they seem to be going strong and there must be a reason (besides the fact that big guy British Airways owns them). Speaking of BA, because OpenSkies is a subsidiary of BA, part of oneworld, and all of their flights are BA marketed (meaning they have a BA flight number), as an AAdvantage Executive Platinum member I get full mileage credit for mileage flown + 50% class of service bonus miles + 100% Elite status bonus miles. On top of that AA has a year long promo offering up to 12,000 bonus miles for flights in paid long-haul business class…Ka-ching!

Although I was not looking forward to leaving France and having to head back to DC and the real world, I was very much looking forward to this flight as I wanted to see how OpenSkies has changed since the last time I flew them. I was also looking forward to checking out their new lounge at Orly, which had recently opened.

The other reports in this series:

Washington, DC Reagan National DCA - New York John F. Kennedy JFK, American Eagle, E175, Domestic First Class
New York John F. Kennedy JFK - Paris Roissy Charles de Gaulle CDG, American Airlines, B767-300ER, Business Class
Paris Orly ORY - New York Newark Liberty EWR, OpenSkies (By British Airways), B757-200, Business Class [THIS REPORT]


OpenSkies operates from Paris Orly. It's not the nicest airport, but it is more convenient from the city than CDG. The night before we had stayed in Paris with our very good friend, and fellow Flight-Reporter, KL651. It only took us about 20 minutes to drive to Orly. After dropping off the rental car, we headed to the Orly-Ouest (West) Terminal to check in. OpenSkies used to be in the South Terminal, which is a total dump, but moved to the West Terminal a few years ago when BA started flying to ORY. Orly-Ouest is mostly Air France operations, while Orly-Sud is mainly low-cost and charter airlines. The one good thing about Orly-Sud is that there is a great outdoor observation deck overlooking the runways (you can also smoke there). Orly West has neither an observation deck nor any smoking areas.

The main hall in Orly-Ouest

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The OpenSkies check-in is in Hall 3, right before the large Air France La Navette (Air France shuttle operations between Paris and large French cities) Check-in lobby. Check in was friendly and efficient via the dedicated BizBed queue. The agent explained to us where the new lounge was located and pointed us to the premium security lane. The airport was packed and the main security line was a sea of people, but there was literally noone in the Accès No. 1 Premium lane. In fact, the security agent at the entrance of the lane even escorted us and took us right to a border control agent. It made me feel fancy :-P

With that, we were through in no time and headed to enjoy the new lounge. When I saw it was downstairs, I felt like that wouldn't be too pleasant. Not a fan of basements…

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But I was wrong, it has big windows!

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And there's a great view of a nice big (and surprisingly clean) AF 77W

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The lounge is small-ish but never got crowded considering there are only 20 seats in the Business cabin.

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Started out with just a glass of Champagne

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Here's to you Lady Liberty!

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The corporate screenshot. Jetsetpanda was headlining that day.

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The food and drink selection is pretty decent. There were no hot dishes, that I can recall, however.

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Pasta salad and croissants together…it's not weird, don't judge :-P
The pasta salad had salmon in it and was quite tasty, actually.

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The AF 77W pushing back

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Once the 77W pushed back, there was a clear view of an OpenSkies 757 across the tarmac. F-GPEK is a former British Airways bird. I've flown this one on the now defunct IAD-ORY route.

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It's about time to head to the gate. Boarding pass out and ready!

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The gate area is quite small and can get pretty crowded, especially with Air France boarding one of their high-density 77Ws to the French West Indies across the way.
Business class, along with oneworld Emerald and Sapphire Elites may board via the FastTrack lane.

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Here is our aircraft for today. F-HAVN, Gloria, is one of the 757s that came from l'Avion in the merger with OpenSkies in 2009.

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We are warmly welcomed on board by an American purser. Maybe it's because I'm Franco-American, but the mix of French and American crew members is one of the things I love about OpenSkies.

We turn right after entering as we are in the second, smaller Business cabin.

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Here's a view of the Prem+ Premium Economy cabin. You can also see a very small Economy section in the rear.

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I hadn't flown OpenSkies since they had reconfigured the aircraft to add an Economy cabin in 2012. When OpenSkies was an All-Business class airline, the BizBed cabin was larger, and what is now considered their Premium Economy cabin was previously branded as BizSeat. The seats were the same as today's Prem+ but featured a generous 56 seat pitch with 160 degrees of recline. Now, the Premium Economy offering has 46 of pitch with 130 degrees of recline, which is still quite impressive for Premium Economy.

The seats in the BizBed cabin have not changed–they are the first generation of British Airways' lie-flat Business class seats, which can still be found on BA's long-haul configured 767s.

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I had chosen a seat in the last row because with BA's alternating backwards-forwards configuration, and all window seats facing backwards, I knew these are the only window seats to offer direct aisle access. So the backward-facing bulkhead seats are in rows 3 and 5 on these aircraft. I didn't want row 3 because it is up agains the lavatory.

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This configuration is great if you are travelling as a couple because you face each other, making conversation easy. If you're travelling alone, however, it can be a little awkward facing a stranger.

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This can also be a little awkward…during boarding, taxi, takeoff, and landing, there is an opening in the bulkhead wall (as on most BA planes) that is left open. So you are also facing the passengers sitting in the first row of Premium Economy. For me, this was not really a problem since I'm an AvGeek and stare out the window mostly.

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The legroom is great

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There is a universal power outlet in the arm of the seat.

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And if you get tired of staring at your seatmate, you can always pull down the fan partition (except during takeoff and landing).

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The amenity kit containing Elemis products and a bottle of water were on the cocktail table upon boarding.

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Winglet shot

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Air Algérie A330 taxiing by

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Our very friendly French FA came by shortly after we were settled in with pre-departure drinks. It was the standard choice of Champagne, water, or orange juice.
And of course I never say no to bubbles.

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With only 114 seats on a plane designed for 180+, boarding was quick and we soon pushed back from the gate.

Royal Air Maroc 737-800

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A Norwegian 738, oddly missing a face on the tail.

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AF 77W probably headed on a very long domestic flight to a far off French territory

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Air Corsica A320

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Passing by the Air France La Navette shuttle operation.

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Vueling A320.

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And we're off! The Eiffel tower and Tour Montparnasse are in the distance.

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Other rows in the Business cabin have 3 windows, but this row only has two.
One is too far to take pics out of if you are strapped in and can't lean forward.

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And the other was a bit scratched up, but that is not surprising on older aircraft.

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Shortly after takeoff, iPads are distributed in the cabin. The content was essentially the same as you would get on BA's regular High Life in-seat IFE, except, of course, there is no airshow.

And, oddly, there were only 2 or 3 French movies, which is a bit of a shame for a French airline.

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All this British Airways-ness got me in the mood for something British so I had a Gin and Tonic for my pre-lunch drink :-)
The aperitif was accompanied by nuts and an Amuse-bouche of shrimp in a tasty purée

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Our lovely FA came around often to check on us so I got a refill to finish my tonic

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Here is the menu



The starter course was well presented and delicious

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I would have liked a bit more foie gras, but I give OpenSkies credit for having foie gras in the first place

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I had another glass of champagne with the first course.
There is proper stemware, which is nice, unlike…ahem….AA

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I like these salt and pepper shakers

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For the main course, I wanted the beef, but the problem with being in the last row is that you get last pick and the beef was gone. I kind of expected it so it wasn't a big deal. I got the chicken instead.

Although it doesn't look that great presentation-wise, especially with the burnt lemon slice, it was actually really good. The chicken was perfectly cooked and had a great flavor.

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Cheese course

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For dessert I had the Pinneaple cake which was also quite good.

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Michel Cluizel chocolates are served with the coffee.

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Air-to-air with a KLM 772 in the distance

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After lunch I reclined my seat, relaxed and watched a movie–one of the few French movies available, Une heure de tranquilité with Christian Clavier

I got up to stretch my legs after the movie and had a nice chat with our FA

View of the front Business cabin.

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Then I headed back to my seat for a short nap.

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Before long, it was time for the pre-arrival meal. No complaints, everything was pretty good and generally well presented. I'd say it's above average as far as west-bound Transatlantic tea-time pre-arrival meals go.

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My favorite part is the box of macarons from Ladurée. It's a nice French touch. Our lovely Flight Attendant even gave us an extra box to take home :-)

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We had another nice chat with our FA after the meal. She really has a passion for aviation and it shows that she loves her job, which is always so nice to see! And to top it all off, she knows Flight-Report.com!

So, OpenSkies, if you read this report, Alexandra deserves a gold star in her file. Cabin crew are the face of the company, and crew members like this make the passenger experience so enjoyable.

Alas, all good things must come to an end and before we know it, we begin the descent to the New York area.

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The other side of the plane got some great views of Manhattan on landing.

Bah…who needs the Manhattan skyline when you have beautiful downtown Newark, NJ :-P

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Welcome to Jeff Smisek International Airport…oh wait, I guess they'll have to change that on the Facebook Check-in options now…

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The taxi time was not very long and we made our way to our gate near these Lufthansa birds, including a beautiful 747-8i.

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And this good looking Austrian 763

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Reflection of our bird as we arrive at the gate

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Last view of my seat

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Thanks for the ride Gloria

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Although we parked about as close as you could get to immigration and were among the first off the aircraft, there was already a huuuuge line. And every time this happens, I ask myself, Why haven't you gotten Global Entry yet?!?
Despite the long line it moves pretty quickly and the agent was particularly friendly, which made the experience a bit more pleasant.

A few more shots of our 75 viewed from the Baggage area after immigration.

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Thanks for reading!
See more

Verdict

OpenSkies

8.3/10
Cabin8.5
Cabin crew10.0
Entertainment/wifi7.0
Meal/catering7.5

Openskies Lounge - 212 Orly West

7.6/10
Comfort7.5
Meal/catering7.5
Entertainment/wifi8.0
Services7.5

Paris - ORY

6.5/10
Efficiency7.5
Access7.5
Services5.0
Cleanliness6.0

Newark - EWR

6.8/10
Efficiency6.0
Access7.0
Services7.0
Cleanliness7.0

Conclusion

It was a great flight. OpenSkies may no longer be an All-Business class airline, but they still have a Boutique feel and the little touches of French refinement make this a solid Business class product. It's also worth mentioning that OpenSkies often has some very good prices for Business class and Premium Economy, so there's really good value for your money.

I've been very pleased with OpenSkies in the past and enjoyed this experience. I would not hesitate to fly OpenSkies again.

Comfort: The seats are very comfortable, though they are showing signs of aging. It's time for a cabin refresh to the newer British Airways Club World seats, which are more spacious and generally look more modern. Being seated by the rear bulkhead, I had one of the few window seats with direct aisle-access, which adds to the comfort rating. Also, when travelling as a couple, these seats are ideal.

Crew: All of the cabin crew were pleasant, attentive, and professional, but our awesome flight attendant really made the flight. She and the crew deserve a perfect 10/10

Catering: I was pleased with the catering overall. The extra touches like the Amuse-bouche, foie gras, and Ladurée macarons set OpenSkies apart. I personally found the catering to be better than on parent company BA. The only criticism I have is the poor presentation of the main course.

IFE: Good choice of movies, TV shows, documentaries, etc. But because it's a tablet as opposed to traditional in-seat IFE, there is no airshow...so the AvGeek in me has to take just a few points off for that :-P

Information on the route Paris (ORY) Newark (EWR)

Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 17 avis concernant 3 compagnies sur la ligne Paris (ORY) → Newark (EWR).


Useful

La compagnie qui obtient la meilleure moyenne est La Compagnie avec 7.8/10.

La durée moyenne des vols est de 8 heures et 31 minutes.

  More information

19 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 147716 by
    Benoit75008 7191 Comments
    Thanks for your report,

    ORY is an old airport, mainly west terminal and they have to take care of this quickly.
    Hard to feel well there.

    Nice flight with great FA behaviour, and such a nice idea to give box of macarons! (even two!).

    See you
    • Comment 326203 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER AUTHOR 6657 Comments
      Thanks for reading! It used to be that South Terminal was pretty bad, but I guess they've recently done some renovations? I haven't been to Orly Sud in several years. Love the macarons, and getting the extra boxes was a nice souvenir :-)
  • Comment 147737 by
    indianocean SILVER 7572 Comments
    Even though I don't like travelling TATL onboard single aisle airplane, I must admit that the service onboard is not bad.

    I notice that the aisle is quite wide. Maybe the airline should then install wider Biz seats.

    I love the view on the tarmac from the 212 lounge.

    Thank you Kevin.
    • Comment 326204 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER AUTHOR 6657 Comments
      I don't mind flying in narrowbodies on TATL flights...well, at least in Business class. In Economy, I wouldn't be very happy about it. In J it feels a bit like a private jet with the cabin being so small. Yes, the aisles are very wide. There is definitely plenty of room to put in larger seats. The view is nice from the 212 lounge, except when there's a big 77W at the gate in front, it blocks the view.
      Thanks for your comment!
  • Comment 147816 by
    Chatokay 277 Comments
    Thanks for this FR.

    The content was essentially the same as you would get on BA's regular High Life in-seat IFE, except, of course, there is no airshow.
    Why of course ? From the FR I have read, La Compagnie's tablets have the airshow, so it's possible to have it.
  • Comment 147820 by
    Rl 777 802 Comments
    Thank you for sharing this FR with us!

    An interesting report on OpenSkies, I think this might be the first OpenSkies FR I've read.

    I'm not sure how I feel about the configuration of the seats in business but the comfort doesn't look bad.

    It sounds like you had a great crew on this flight, always a big plus!

    Nice shots of the LH 748 at EWR, a stunning bird!

    See you!
    • Comment 326222 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER AUTHOR 6657 Comments
      Thanks for your comment! It's the First OpenSkies FR in English; there are some in French, some by me. This configuration is definitely not ideal if flying alone, but for me it was good since there were two of us. Thanks for reading!
  • Comment 147825 by
    KL651 TEAM 4534 Comments
    Thanks for this FR my dear friend :-)

    Well with the new lounge in ORY the global experience on Openskies J is really good.

    The seat is a bit narrow and weird looking though, I love fans but as a partition really?! ;-)

    The good surprise comes from the meal which is more premium than BA indeed. The pre arrival snack is also more substantial than what you'd get on AF for instance.

    Welcome to Jeff Smisek International Airport b*********tch! :-D Now it's more Bienvenidos a l'aeropuerto de Oscar LOL
    • Comment 326223 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER AUTHOR 6657 Comments
      Thanks for your comment! Yes, the new lounge in ORY is nice, though a bit on the small side. Yes, the seats are a bit narrow; the newer generation of BA Club World seats are wider at the shoulder. Yeah, this is not the best use of a fan hahaha. Again, the partition on newer Club World seats is better. I'm sure someone will come up with some new clever name for EWR. Like I love one of the Facebook options for ATL (one of the most checked-in to) Atlanta Latoya Jackson International Spaceport and Nail Salon :-P
  • Comment 147844 by
    jetsetpanda 2283 Comments
    On top of that AA has a year long promo offering up to 12,000 bonus miles for flights in paid long-haul business class...Ka-ching!
    - I like how you think. ;)

    OpenSkies operates from Paris Orly. It's not the nicest airport, but it is more convenient from the city than CDG.
    - Especially true if you depart from the Left Bank.

    There were no hot dishes, that I can recall, however.
    - Considering that this is an European lounge, isn't that a bit disappointing? Are they looking to AZ for inspiration when it comes to that? :P

    Pasta salad and croissants together...it's not weird, don't judge :-P
    - You should have stuffed the pasta salad inside the pain au chocolat for maximum shock value. ;) Wait, you are French, right? none of this sweet and salty combinations which is an unforgivable sin to some.

    Maybe it's because I'm Franco-American, but the mix of French and American crew members is one of the things I love about
    OpenSkies.
    - From someone who comes from a multi-ethnic background, this gets my thumbs up. ;)

    And, oddly, there were only 2 or 3 French movies, which is a bit of a shame for a French airline.
    - This is indeed a surprise. You know what is more of a surprise? Today when I flew on AA to GIG there was a good selection of foreign film in the entertainment system and they were unedited. I saw two good films - one Iranian and one Norwegian on AA! Who would have thought?

    The aperitif was accompanied by nuts and an Amuse-bouche of shrimp in a tasty purée
    - Why can't BA mainline do this?

    I would have liked a bit more foie gras, but I give OpenSkies credit for having foie gras in the first place
    - No doubt this is their French side. BA cannot compare - sad. Having foie gras feels very dignified when flying a premium cabin. In SFO I can be stoned to death by animal activists for saying this. :P

    I'd say it's above average as far as west-bound Transatlantic tea-time pre-arrival meals go.
    - Very well done.

    Openskies had some really good fares a while back and I was tempted to take them but in the end that did not work out since I live in the West Coast. It still feels like a boutique carrier from your FR and maybe one of these days I will have the opportunity to fly them.

    Thanks for sharing another superb FR with great pics as usual.
    • Comment 326240 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER AUTHOR 6657 Comments
      Thank you for your thoughtful comments as always!

      I like how you think. ;) - Wait until you see the craziness of a routing I've concocted for my Australia trip. Expecting a yield of about 70,000 miles in this one trip :-)

      Considering that this is an European lounge, isn't that a bit disappointing? - It is a bit, but the quality of dishes is so much better than what we get in the U.S. that it's still better in the end.

      Wait, you are French, right? none of this sweet and salty - Haha, heck no...my name is not Lufthansa :-P

      Why can't BA mainline do this? - Who knows? AF does it--must be a French thing. But it would really make BA's catering feel more premium.

      In SFO I can be stoned to death by animal activists for saying this. :P - HAHAHAH! Sooooo true! That reminds me of a time Julien and I got into an argument with activists protesting Foie Gras in front of a French restaurant in SFO. It was interesting to say the least.

      maybe one of these days I will have the opportunity to fly them. - OpenSkies also flight JFK-ORY so that should be a pretty easy connection for you SFO-JFK on AA and then JFK-ORY on EC

      Thanks again for your comments and enjoy your trip!

  • Comment 148149 by
    NGO85 SILVER 1955 Comments
    Thanks for sharing this fantastic report on a rare product, Kevin!

    Not a fan of basements...
    - Bad experiences? Did someone tell you it rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again once?

    Pasta salad and croissants together...it's not weird, don't judge :-P
    - Franco-American fusion, you just got deny your urge to eat US lounge food. Overall, I like the wood accents in the lounge, has a nice feel.

    Now, the Premium Economy offering has 46 of pitch with 130 degrees of recline, which is still quite impressive for Premium Economy.
    - Definitely a nice premium economy. It is better than domestic F products and you have to remember than trans-con flights are almost the same length as TATLs. What is the price difference between the classes?

    So you are also facing the passengers sitting in the first row of Premium Economy.
    - So awkward. I've never been in a reverse seat before, but can imagine it's weird on so many levels. My parents took UA to Tokyo, my mom complained about the reversing seating and how you were staring at someone across the aisle the whole time. It may make sense for money reasons (higher density), but the reverse seating is just not right...

    And if you get tired of staring at your seatmate, you can always pull down the fan partition
    - I'm surprised these haven't caught on with Asian carriers. I'd love to see some Kyoto scenes on a sensu on my next NH flight :)

    And the other was a bit scratched up, but that is not surprising on older aircraft.
    - When you showed the Y+ cabin, you tell this B757 had seen its better days. The old square overhead bins and windows. Reminds me of that NH B767 I took to Okinawa.

    especially with the burnt lemon slice
    - In America, that's called char-grilled :) The starter plate looked very full and is much better than what you had on AA's flight. The main looks like CX catering.

    Nice air-to-air with the KL. KE and KL are photogenic with the baby blue colors.

    For the second meal, they also don't lay down linens? Not sure how exotic that exotic fruit compote looks.

    Bah...who needs the Manhattan skyline when you have beautiful downtown Newark, NJ :-P
    - So scenic. I think I can see a body floating in the river from Brunswick or Trenton.

    Nice spotting at Orly and EWR, like the B747-800 and the OS livery is always stunning. I was happy I saw an OS at NRT, they look great.

    there was already a huuuuge line
    - When we landed at 9pm, it was a ghost town. You must have followed in all the other European arrivals.

    Thanks for sharing this series with us, hopefully more to come?
    • Comment 326662 by
      NGO85 SILVER 1955 Comments
      Interesting, those are very competitive prices for Y+ considering you still earn mileage OW mileage. B757 on a TATL is not my idea of fun, but it does look like a comfortable Y+ product. Maybe a little limited in that you can't get connecting flight on OW in ORY though.

      or a business person who doesn't acknowledge you and goes straight to sleep
      - Those are my kind of seatmates. I had a seatmate on a NRT-ORD that listened to music the entire time and felt it was also necessary to tap his foot hard on the ground to the music the entire flight to where I could feel every tap. Just be glad you weren't flying NZ with the couple across the aisle, they might have booked the skycouch...

      Yeah, it's like a trend in oneworld. Everybody's doing it!
      - Even though their catering is bad, CX laid linens for the second service.
    • Comment 326525 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER AUTHOR 6657 Comments
      Thanks for your comments!

      Did someone tell you it rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again once?
      - *shudders* thanks for that lovely visual, which took me years to get out of my head--that movie traumatized me as a kid, lol

      Definitely a nice premium economy. It is better than domestic F products and you have to remember than trans-con flights are almost the same length as TATLs. What is the price difference between the classes?
      - Way better than Domestic First. U.S. carriers really need to stop the misleading marketing of domestic premium cabins as First--it creates a lot of confusion and can really piss people off who aren't getting a product they think they paid for. Aviation geeks like us know what to expect from aircraft type, seat map, etc when making a booking, but most people don't understand that on AA JFK-LAX, a First class ticket will get you a full-flat bed/suite, while on the same airline on a longer BOS-LAX flight, a First class ticket will get you a recliner seat with 40 pitch. I've always said it--Domestic F needs to be called Business, and if there is an actual F, then it should mean international standards F. Ok, rant over, LOL.
      Regarding price difference, I've typically seen OpenSkies Premium Economy between $1200-1500, which is an awesome price (AF will charge upwards of $2400 for the lowest W fares on East Coast to CDG). Business (Biz Bed) is typically about a thousand more than Premium Economy.

      So awkward. I've never been in a reverse seat before, but can imagine it's weird on so many levels.
      - Facing the other cabin isn't bad as they are somewhat far, but facing your seatmate can be super awkward because they are really really close. In fact, I didn't include this is the report, but the couple across the aisle from us were making out like giggly teenagers for much of the flight without having to unbuckle their seat belts or crane their necks...just to give you an idea of how close you sit to your neighbor. Luckily anytime I've flown in BA Business class when flying alone, I've either had a free seat next to me, a friendly seatmate that I didn't mind chatting up, or a business person who doesn't acknowledge you and goes straight to sleep. Those are all fine, lol. With the latter their is no awkward who's going to put up the partition first moment.

      I'm surprised these haven't caught on with Asian carriers. I'd love to see some Kyoto scenes on a sensu on my next NH flight :)
      - Haha, yeah that wouldn't look tacky at all... :-P

      For the second meal, they also don't lay down linens?
      - Yeah, it's like a trend in oneworld. Everybody's doing it!

      So scenic. I think I can see a body floating in the river from Brunswick or Trenton.
      - Good eye! Ah yes, I think I can see it through the toxic sludge slick from the oil refineries...breathtaking :)

      Yes, much more to come. May or may not post the boring domestic stuff before the good stuff, but that won't come until December, so I guess I'll have time to post the boring stuff in between. I've concocted a fun little itinerary for my trip Down under at the end of the year!




  • Comment 148675 by
    airtraveladdict 117 Comments
    Great report Kevin.
    Openskies looks like a reasonable good product despite the old seats. It would be great to see BA update the seats in the near future.
    The Y+ product definitely wins over BA, 46 pitch is very generous and much more comfortable than the standard 38 pitch most airlines offer for Y+. That's why I just can't justify paying more than 25% for Y+ seat, when its only 38 compared to 31.
    These days in Australia, Y+ costs 100-150%.
    Anyway, the catering presentation for starter looks good, but main not so good lol but at least it tasted good! thats more important.
    Billecart champagne is also good for J and at least its served in proper glass, not plastic :)
    I think for the right price, Openskies probably better than BA CW.
    • Comment 327053 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER AUTHOR 6657 Comments
      Thanks for your comment! The OpenSkies Y+ product is definitely one of the best y+ products out there--I always found it odd that more people don't know about it. And you're right, it is a really good deal. I'm used to paying about 100% more than the cheapest Y price for Premium Economy on Air France, Virgin Atlantic, or British Airways (though I did recently get a really good deal on BA Premium Economy from SIN to SYD roundtrip for the same price as Economy.
  • Comment 356710 by
    757Fan 632 Comments
    Hi Kevin,

    I came across your report and what a great looking airline Open Skies looks to be! I'd love to fly on them sometime, and the prices on ba.com seem very reasonable for EWR to ORY. Premium Economy also looks nice as well too.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Matthew
    • Comment 356712 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER AUTHOR 6657 Comments
      Hi, thanks for reading and commenting! Yes, OpenSkies is a great little airline and good deals can be found during the summer from EWR to ORY. It's funny you just commented this report because I just flew OpenSkies' main competitor, La Compagnie, earlier this week into EWR and even arrived at the same gate as in this report.

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