Mrs Info and I flew MaxJet (MY) from STN to JFK on Friday, June 23. It was one of the best flights we have had in a long time. We took our grandchildren to London on board the QM2 and needed a one-way return flight. The Cunard options were simply dreadfully priced and we immediately cast about for other choices. Since we intended to go to France for six days after turning the boys over to their parents in London and could get some quick, cheap flights to the interior of France from STN we decided on MaxJet from STN on our return. Although this is not a fully-qualified "trip report" as such, I hope it provides some food for thought for others.

First, we stick strictly to OneWorld airlines, almost exclusively. Both Mrs. Info and I are Plat on AA and generally have good upgrade success even if some tend to come at the last moment. We made an exception for MaxJet and it probably will not be the last time we do. We bought our tickets about three months in advance and the total price for two one-ways was barely more than the price for a round-trip advanced-purchase coach class AA ticket (LON-NYC) by the time you price in the $250 copays, the value at .01 per mile on the miles for the upgrade, and without considering any value for the fact you are assured of a seat on MaxJet and the upgrades on AA are much less certain, if at all. The price including all taxes, etc., was $1542.55 for two of us, or barely $775USD each. A round trip would have been the same at the time we bought two one-ways.

The checkin was at the far end of STN at the "K" checkin area. The entire process took, including security questions, perhaps five minutes two hours before the flight. We were entirely carryon and that might have speeded it up some, but in any event the process was outstanding. Lounge invitations were issues, the Fast Track lane was available to us through security (and what a pleasure it is to experience British security rather than the demeaning tactics of the US TSA..no shoe carnival, no worries with coins in the pocket, no laptops out in a separate bin, etc. etc. etc) and with a quick train out to gate 16 we were in and out of the main terminal and to the gate in less than twenty minutes on a Friday in the summer. The lounge for MaxJet is, as others have noted, a former SAS lounge. It's bright, airy, and just very nice. The views over the runway area are good from everywhere in the lounge. There are power points for laptops to run from mains electricity and the food and drink choices were excellent in the lounge.

The boarding process was very easy, just a few feet from the lounge and although they said the flight was full we noted a few empty seats scattered throughout the plane en flight. In any event the load was surely over 85% of the 102 max possible.

The seats are blue leather and not perforated and I felt they were slightly less comfortable due to lack of transmission of body humidity, etc. The lavs are not new but certainly serviceable. There were adequate overhead bins for everyone seated in our line of vision from row 4. The FA's were from a large number of countries and were VERY friendly. They were professional., helpful and repeatedly circulated in the cabin with water, orange juice, coffee, whatever was appropriate. Their apparent enthusiasm did not flag as the flight progressed and service was kept to a high standard throughout the flight. Unlike what we have experienced in other flights, there were no frowns, grumpinesses from the FA's and there was always one or more of them in the aisles or had just been. Bottled water was handed out on boarding and the seat back of the seat in front of you has a specific pocket for a waterbottle.

There were three entrees on the westbound lunch menu (one chilled beef, plus two hot ones) along with opportunities to dine at leisure on a tray and either sleep or work longer without the meal service interruption. The ceramic dish of mixed nuts served shortly after boarding was, curiously, quite cold and not warmed at all, as though it had been refrigerated.

One of the nicest aspects of the daytime flight was a wonderful selection of foods available between meals on a snack basis--potato chips, Snickers bar (and not a small one at that) and two other choices that don't come to mind right now, all of which were totally not good for you nutritionally, which means, of course, that they were entirely welcome during the flight and tasted great.

There were several wines available and Mrs. Info said they were very good.

There was a meal service of either a hot pizza-like vegetarian tart or a colder spicy chicken sandwich about 1.5 hours from landing. The food was neither a great deal better than, nor a great deal worse than, "average for business class."

The entertainment units handed out contained digital movies, TV shows, music, etc. The movies had a decent selection although at least one of them I had seen on CX in February, so it might be possible to assume the selections were either a bit slower coming to MY or stay a bit longer. In any event the battery in my unit died about 5 hours into the flight, but it made no difference. The FA's would have been glad to give me another unit, but I declined and napped.

Arrival in JFK was virtually painless (!!!) and was twenty minutes early.

Overall, my impressions of MY is that the product is first-rate. Not without some faults, but those are much less important than the friendly crew and extremely good value for the $. Although I am a miles junkie, and a OW addict, this one route I expect will supplant AA as our preference. The ability to take the train to the plane (Liverpool Street right into the STN building) much like the LGW express or the train from LHR (although a longer ride at 45 minutes) or vice-versa into Greater London and the lack of the Heathrow zoo qualities of STN itself make it a great alternative. If it's YOUR money you are spending and you like comfort but not at an unreasonable price, then MaxJet needs to be put into the equation.

In addition, for those of us who do not live in the immediate vicinity of a huge airport, the ability to price connecting flights from the interior of the US to either IAD or JFK with the ultimate destination still being London makes it a lot easier to get an even better value for some travel dates.