Archive for July, 2008

OpenSkies launches JFK-Amsterdam service and 15% off NYC-Paris

Last month we raved about how comfortable flights on the New York-Paris route looked on OpenSkies.

Then last week, we emailed our readers details of how to save 15% on Prem+ and BIZ tickets on that same New York-Paris OpenSkies flight.

Today, they announced their second route – JFK-Amsterdam. Full details follow:

OPENSKIES ANNOUNCES NEW PREMIUM SERVICE FROM AMSTERDAM TO NEW YORK

 

New Route Expands OpenSkies’ Reach Alongside Existing New York-Paris Service

 

LOS ANGELES, CA – July 28, 2008 – OpenSkies, the new premium transatlantic airline from British Airways, announced today that it will offer daily service between Amsterdam’s Schiphol International Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport beginning on October 15, 2008.  As the first airline created from the U.S. – E.U. Open Skies agreement, OpenSkies continues to differentiate itself by offering a premium travel experience across the Atlantic with a range of compelling service offerings while expanding to new cities in Continental Europe.  

“Since our launch on June 19th with premium service between Paris-Orly and JFK, the response to OpenSkies has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Dale Moss, Managing Director of OpenSkies.  “We’re expanding to Amsterdam because of its significance as a business and cultural capital in Continental Europe and the opportunity to bring premium service to travelers on another route across the Atlantic.  By offering the only true lie-flat beds in business class on the Amsterdam-New York route along with our unique PREM+SM  offering – an entirely new service category featuring a business seat with 52 inch pitch – we want to provide a combination of great value and a premium experience for business and leisure travelers alike.” 

 Tickets for the Amsterdam-New York route will go on sale in early August.  The daily flight departs from Amsterdam-Schiphol at 1:20pm arriving in New York-JFK at 3:35pm and departs New York-JFK at 8:05pm arriving in Amsterdam-Schiphol at 9:40am the following morning.

 

OpenSkies offers guests superior service, competitive fares and exceptional value.  The Amsterdam-New York route will be served by the current OpenSkies’ 757 flying the Paris-New York route.  An additional 757 from the British Airways fleet is now undergoing modification and will join OpenSkies when the Amsterdam route launches this fall. 

 

As a wholly-owned subsidiary of British Airways, OpenSkies combines the expertise of one of the world’s largest and most successful airlines with the passion of a start up.  In addition to its high-quality in-flight experience, OpenSkies offers professional concierge services that provide passengers with a premium travel experience from the moment they book their flight through the end of their trip.  Multilingual concierge agents are available to assist OpenSkies guests with requests including hotel reservations, sightseeing tours, quick translations and other services.  OpenSkies guests can also benefit from participation in British Airways’ Executive Club frequent flyer program. 

 

Tickets will be available for purchase in early August through the OpenSkies Web site (www.flyopenskies.com), the OpenSkies Concierge Desk at 1-866-581-3596 in the U.S. or 0800-0-22-77-93 in the Netherlands, travel agents and all British Airways channels including the BA.com Web site.   

About OpenSkies

OpenSkies is a premium transatlantic airline offering guests superior service, competitive fares and exceptional value.  OpenSkies flies from Paris-Orly to New York-JFK and will fly from Amsterdam-Schiphol to New York-JFK.  Other European destinations being considered for the airline include Brussels, Frankfurt and Milan.  The airline offers guests innovative features onboard, including lie-flat beds in business class, personal entertainment units with 50+ hours of programming, and fresh and healthy meal service.  Backed by British Airways, OpenSkies is the first airline created as a result of the Open Skies agreement, which allows airlines to fly between any U.S. and E.U. destination.

 

W City Center, Chicago, IL

W Chicago – City Center
172 West Adams At Lasalle
Chicago, IL 60603-3604 US

Location: If you are going for business, the W City Center’s location in the loop will be appealing. If you are going for pure leisure, it may or may not be where you want to be. You see, it is still very well located for many things, including the Taste of Chicago at nearby Grant Park at the end of every June. The Orange line from Midway Airport will get you a half block away in 45 mins. And you are close to several El lines and State Street shopping. Yet, if you don’t like the feeling of being in a business district on the weekends (i.e. many local businesses are closed because weekday businessmen provide the bulk of their business, you may prefer the W Chicago Lakeshore instead. The W Lakeshore is located very close to a beach and to the famous Navy Pier and is not a all in the business district like the W Chicago City Center.

The rooms: Very much standard W fare. The picture of the room in this article is of a “Wonderful” room. Bathroom was nicely appointed with a bathrobe, a nice shower, and room on the sink pedestal for your things.

The vibe: The “Living Room” as they call the lobby was being redone during my stay, but from what I saw it was a nice chill place to hang out with friends and drinks or just your laptop. The bar at this hotel was far from crowded on a Saturday night – very different from the W Lakeshore Chicago which was mobbed – and it was shut by about 1am. If you’re counting on the usual packed W bar with a line outside, this may not be the right choice.

The Acura Experience: One very cool feature here (and at many W’s around North America right now) was the Acura Experience. All you had to do was give your room number and name to reserve a ride in a well appointed Acura MDX. Anywhere within the downtown Chicago area – even up to Wrigley Field – was in the included area and it’s all free (although you will want to tip your driver based on how far you are going, perhaps from $3-$5 within a 15 minute ride area.

The staff: although I had to be a bit assertive to get the Starwood elite member 4pm checkout, it was granted and all other interactions with the staff were generally free of “W Attitude”. I would stay again if I needed to be in that area of Chicago.

-DG