Contentment Above the Earth

I cannot bear to travel in economy class on long-haul flights. Unfortunately, business class fares cost the earth, so unless I can get a discounted fare deal, I normally buy an economy or premium economy ticket and use frequent-flyer miles to upgrade.

Because I have accumulated most of my miles with American Airlines and British Airways, I almost always fly with one of these two airlines. American's business class delivers a barely adequate level of comfort and service. BA's Club Class, equipped with fully-flat beds and staffed by friendly and competent flight crews, provides a superior travel experience in every way, but you do pay for it.

Today, I tried something new and travelled from London to New York on all-business-class Eos Airlines. They impressed in every way. Eos flies 757's that carry only 48 passengers with fully-flat bed seats and plenty of personal space. Aside from the obvious advantages this provides in boarding and leaving the plan, the cabin feels completely different from one crammed with 200 or more passengers.

Flying Eos is a similar experience to sitting in BA's Club Class on the upper deck of their 747's: very quiet and private. The difference, however, is that Eos gives you bigger seats, more room and more personal attention. They unquestionably deliver a "first class" travel experience, with the best on-the-ground service I have ever experienced, at a significant discount from normal business class fares. I cannot wait to fly with them again.

The trouble is, I am worried that Eos will not be around for too long. MaxJet, another relatively new business class airline that served the London to New York route, filed for bankruptcy and stopped flying at the end of 2007. While it is true that MaxJet offered an inferior experience to Eos, I am wondering if the low(er) cost business-class-only airline model is economically sustainable.

I sure hope so!