OpenSkies, a new trans-Atlantic carrier being launched by British Airways, plans to begin service June 19 with flights between Paris and New York.
Tickets went on sale Thursday morning, with the cheapest selling for $554 one-way and the most expensive going for $1,746 each way, plus fees and taxes.
The new airline will offer one-daily round-trip flight between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Paris' Orly Airport using a Boeing 757 configured to carry no more than 82 passengers. A second plane will be added later this year, followed by four more planned by the end of 2009.
The new airline is geared largely toward business and high-end leisure travelers. Most of the seats will be business class or a mid-tier class known as Prem+. The planes will offer only 30 seats in coach class.
The launch comes amid a challenging time for the airline industry, which is grappling with rapidly rising fuel prices and a slowing U.S. economy. Those concerns were underscored Wednesday when AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, the leading U.S. carrier, outlined plans to start charging for the first checked bag, slash capacity and lay off workers.
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