New, All-Business Class Paris-NYC Airline Debuts; Is This the Start of Something Big?

As eos and Maxjet battle the major carriers to put passengers on their discounted, all-business class flights between the East Coast and London, a new French carrier launches on Dec. 27 its own version of lower-cost, all-business-class flights linking Paris with Newark airport.  Round trip fares: $2,118, thousands of dollars less than Air France or other carriers normally charge for business-class tickets. 

L'Avion is the new airline promising "high frills" for less.  In response, Air France immediately dropped the price of its business class tickets beginning Dec. 27 to about $3,600--still $1,500 above L'Avion's price but much lower than its normal fare.

Here's the question: Will Air France and others begin charging much less on a permanent basis?  Ever since eons and MaxJet targeted the London-NY and London-DC corridors, competitors including British Airways have slashed their business-class fares to try to hold on to their passengers.  The same may happen on flights to and from Paris from New York.  L'Avion reportedly chose Newark airport because of the large number of connecting flights on domestic airlines that will allow passengers to reach other parts of North America. 

The new airline estimates 300,000 passengers fly round-trip in business class between New York and Paris each year; it hopes to capture 28,000 of them during its first year in business.  Flying a single, leased Boeing 757-200, L'Avion put 90 business-class seats on a plane that usually contains 200.  It intends to fly round trip six days a week. 

Booking tickets wasn't easy at first for North Americans, but  now the airline has an English site where you can find special offers.