gba

What you experienced in regards to service is worth complaining about to OpenSkies. While the "hard product" is what it is (I'd leave out compalints about the seat, curtain, colors, etc.), OpenSkies is trying to be a premium airline and needs to know if they're crew are sleeping on the job (literally!).

jtrain73

Flying Openskies tonight from JFK to AMS on Openskies flight #22. Received a nice e-mail yesterday with confirmation details, introducing the pilot and head purser, terminal info and it had menu info. Here is the menu included:

"Our delicious food is served on real plates.
Appetizer: Chicken terrine with prunes envelopped in a grison strip
Main course: Salmon fillet with green asparagus and pilau rice or Breast of chicken with blueberries, dark chocolate demi-glace and mashed potatoes
Cheese: Camembert
Desert: Raspberry mousse"

Looking forward to the flight, from the online seat map, it seems to be an Openskies configured plane. My expectations are pretty conservative, I'm expecting premium economy - and some more comfort than coach.

I'll take some iphone photos of the seats and meals and post them with a review when I get back.

jtrain73

Landed in AMS.

Have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed my Openskies flight. I had a Biz Seat, 12B, which was exit row, so I had loads of space beyond what was already a spacious accommodation. No in seat or under seat storage though obviously.

The Biz Bed section was full, the Biz Seat section was about half full. No problems with boarding, overhead space or exiting as a result of such a small number of people. Honestly I think this may have been the case if the plane was full too.

Service was good, and on par with other overnight flights, they served the meals, gave out the entertainment units and then kept to themselves. I didn't witness any flight attendants sleeping. I was able to get a glass of juice by walking a few rows back to the aft galley and asking for it as most of the plane slept.

I was on an Openskies (as opposed to L'Avion) configured plane, it looks just like the web page. I found the seat to be very comfortable for eating, sleeping and watching a movie. Above standard premium economy, and perhaps just a hair short of full business class. There were no amenity kits, but they did distribute eye shades, socks and water as we boarded, along with a choice of orange juice and champagne. The meal was as the email menu described, but no menus on board. I wasn't wowed by the meal quality, but it was OK. I would recommend, as always, eating your meals before you board. The light breakfast before landing was good - fruit, yogurt, croissant, juice and coffee.

Overall, I would fly Openskies again - I hope they stay afloat as I enjoyed the overall value. I will try to post some of my iphone photos when I can.

jtrain73

Photos from my openskies flight are on flickr.

Here is the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/2542082...7620225320472/

MorganB

Thanks for the report and pics jtrain!. Seat looks comfortable and you did indeed have loads of leg room! The seat looks alot like the old business class seat on AA.

Jimmie76

Prunes - Very fast food

flyer16

I saw openskies crew in JFK last week and I was shocked to see that some still had L'AVION uniforms. I wonder why it has taken so long to fit what 40 or so L'AVION cabin crew with BA uniforms

I spoke to an openskies frequent flyer and they said that they too had said that the L'AVION crew and planes were not as good as the service provided by the origional BA metal and crew.

You want to go where?

Someone needs to inform Air France ASAP. They most definitely have curtains between first and business class, and are quite definite about closing them as soon as the seatbelt sign is off.

henkybaby

Arrived in NYC today after an EC flight from AMS iin Biz Seat. I am completely won over. What a fantastic product. Paying for the BizBed on the day flight seems utterly stupid and I think they BizSeat will be as comfortable (or more) to sleep in than KL Business, AF Business, CX Regional Business, etc etc.

Catering was excellent (sushi!) and the service was top notch. Love the roomy and quiet feel of the cabin.

Overal EC gets a big thumbs up and will be my carrier of choice to NY. I hope they make it. I will post a trip report on the experience soon. I will post the link here. Now I am off to the ba site to tell them to keep OpenSkies alive and model their WT+ after it.

rfrost

I flew EC last fall JFK-AMS in what was then "Biz" and is now "Biz Bed" and generally enjoyed it, particularly the outbound flight (which was nearly empty) and the very accommodating US-based crew.
I was far less enthusiastic about my recent trip to ORY in a "Biz Seat"and, to some extent, share the OP's views.
The ex-l'Avion planes seem to have been refitted in the front with the OpenSkies old CW flat beds in tan and black (I believe l'Avion did NOT have flat beds pre-acquisition?), but I guess they left the rest as it was; my outbound plane had the garish purple and black seats, which I assume was a l'Avion holdover. I didn't measure the pitch; it looked tighter to me than on the "true" Open Skies plane I had on the return, but that could be a function of the color. Certainly, the seat itself was less comfortable than the OpenSkies one; when reclined, it wasn't entirely stable, and would move about an inch or two when I did. I asked my neighbor, and he said his did the same.
Service on my outbound flight was poor. NO predinner drinks service, and even then it took them over two hours to manage to serve dinner. I was seated mid-cabin, but somehow they managed to run out of everything but fish by the time they came to me. I'm not one of those who won't eat fish on a plane, but I won't when the odor is overpowering, which this was. In general, I found the crew was generally not very accommodating.
To the OP's comments, I'd add that the blankets (and these are the same, I believe, on ALL EC flights) were kind of flimsy, and the cabin was way too cold--I awakened sneezing and with a runny nose.
I'd also add that the EC lounge at EWR, which is before security and off in a corner of arrivals, is rather small and fills up quickly, but for those who don't have BAEC gold status (AND the fortitude to argue with the lounge personnel) in order to access the BA lounge there, it's nice that they offer lounge access to everyone.
I had tried to checkin online for my outbound flight, but received a message to call the call center, which I did. Several times before I got through. I was told they didn't know why I received that message, as they couldn't check me in by phone and I'd have to checkin at the airport. When I asked why I couldn't checkin online, I was told they were upgrading the computer system. Because of that and because I didn't have a computer with me, I just figured I'd check in at ORY for my return. Big mistake (assuming it would have been possible to check in online, though I'll bet it wasn't). ORY Sud was a zoo (and at least until the other side of passport control, an unairconditioned one). Slowest checkin line I think I've ever been in in a developed country. A 30 minute wait for the 5 or 6 pax in front of me in the line to check in and when I asked why, I was told it was because the flight was full. (What would they do with a 747?)
Lounge at ORY was dreadful--when I entered (a good hour before the flight and a half hour before the announced boarding time), the dragonette told me I had to go to the gate immediately, claiming we were going to be bussed to the plane. I insisted on getting something to drink first, as I was dehydrated by then. No water or glasses in sight, but they finally brought me some. Went to the gate, where they were NOT yet boarding, though the plane was obviously there, with jetway attached. (Do they just make this stuff up to keep people out?) Back to the lounge, which on closer examination looked like a horde of locusts had descended: still no glasses, no food, no anything.
Finally boarded my flight to JFK, and to my delight settled into my "real" EC beige biz seat, where the smaller cabin gives a much nicer feel. (I should note that even here, pax in window seats will have trouble getting out when the aisle seat is reclined/leg rest raised, but that's also true of, e.g., AA in J and even BA's CW, except for certain highly sought-after seats.)
Crew was French-based and dressed in purple and black, so the pernicious l'Avion influence continues, but my guess is that one can maximize the chances of a better experience by choosing the routes to/from JFK. I DO think it's a fine product, and hope it lasts.

flyer16

The French crew work from JFK aswell I saw them there last month in their purpil hats and soon the L'AVION crew will work all openskies flights as I heard the origional openskies cabin crew were out of jobs. What is accually going on with the uniforms they have had ample time to fit the L'AVION people with openskies uniforms.

PaulaJK

We are flying Openskies from EWR=Orly RT in late August. These posts have added some anxiety and I find myself fretting about which aircraft we will have. It appears from your post that we will have a French crew.

We had previously flown l'Avion and found it satisfactory if perhaps not all that they were advertising. Indeed while their web site tauted real china plate & business class service, our complete dinner [ie all courses] arrived on one tray and was plated on upscale plastic plates.

flyer16

The L'AVION planes still have the L'AVION seats in the seated cabin with a small new openskies bed section at the front. L'AVION planes are the regulars to EWR with french crew (US crew based at JFK).

2Ruse

I just won a Biz seat r/t as part of their birthday promotion - yay!

Now I'm looking in the horse's mouth and have some questions - do Biz Seat pax get lounge access at all departure airports? If so (and I would love esp. the BA Terraces at JFK), do we get to use the Elemis spa?

I'm thinking of flying into ORY and back from AMS if I'm allowed to - and would prefer EWR over JFK due to much easier access from Manhattan - anyone have any other factors (besides the lounge at JFK if that is in fact in play) I should consider before booking a routing?

Any other tips re: enjoying my win to the max? TIA

henkybaby

Congratulations! You will have a wonderful time!

Unless you have status at BA the BizSeat will not get you lounge access.

OpenSkies will discontinue their AMS route mid August, so unless you are flying anytime soon you can forget that option. JFK customs with EC took me 15 minutes last time. EWR is only easier into certain parts of Manhattan.

Try to get the exit seats (row 13 on the AMS planes. not sure about old L'Avion planes) and in general make sure you avoid the planes still flying the L'Avion configuration since their BizSeat is inferior.