Plus, a Comparison of the Three New York-London All-Business Class Carriers

I recently flew the all-Business Class carrier to see how it compares to MAXjet and EOS, which I test drove when they started service in late 2005. Here’s a brief on my experience, and a comparison of all three carriers’ performances.

London/Luton-New York/Newark, Silverjet All-Business Class 767

Great. Ten steps from the taxi and you’re in the airline’s exclusive lounge at Luton Airport 45 minutes north of central London. The lounge was well furnished (unlike MAXjet’s) in a mix of traditional and contemporary styles. When we started to board, I realized I hadn’t gone through security. But that’s done after your boarding pass is processed—and by a jolly, smiling man, not the grim-faced officials I’ve become accustomed to. Everyone whisked right through and we proceeded to a bus that took us to the 767. The ground experience is one of Silverjet’s big advantages.

Out of character for me, I spend time outlining the ground experience in my “flight review” because this is one of the airline’s greatest selling and value points. If you find the airport overly daunting, this airline will really deliver for you. It can offset the quality of its seats compared to British Airways and Virgin.

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Onboard: The flight was less than half full, so the aircraft felt like mine. But had all 100 seats been occupied, it would have been a quite different experience. I asked for a power-port adapter and the flight attendant returned with one she said had been given to her by the airline’s CEO, who happened to be sitting in the last row. Nice, thanks. (But unnecessary as it turned out: my computer plug fit the socket.)

The Seat: Quite hard in comparison to BA’s, which I had experienced a week earlier. The footrest is too short for a tall guy like me—it ends mid-calf. The recline is above average, at 170 degrees, and the angle of recline wasn’t steep enough to slide me out of the seat. The seat is wide enough (21 inches) so that I could lie comfortably on my side.

Overall: Four Stars, with the ground experience and the price making up for what was lacking in the seat.

A Look at the Competition

Eos seeks to create a private-jet experience. It’s targeting “unmanaged” business travelers, the ones who can still pay much more and choose their airline, and who aren’t obsessed about earning miles in a loyalty program.

MAXjet, in comparison, wants to be the Southwest Airlines of the North Atlantic. It’s looking for the cost-conscious “I-want-out-of-coach” traveler and the “I’m-not-paying-full-fare-for-Business-Class” traveler. (The big surprise: MAXjet seats lack power outlets.)