British Airways’ newly created premium trans-Atlantic airline has been cleared for takeoff by the US Department of Transportation. OpenSkies will operate a single B757 between Paris’ Orly and New York’s JFK starting June 19, with a second plane slated to join later this year.

Introductory one-way fares start at $1,746 for Business Class, $720 for Premium Economy (dubbed “Prem+”), and $554 for economy. These require 7-day advance purchase and must be booked by June 16, with travel completed by Aug 31, 2008; I suspect that the rates will be extended.

The fine print: Add $170 for taxes and fees in Business Class and $114 in Prem+ and economy. Saturday-night stay is required for Business and economy fares. Weekend surcharges apply for economy travel. Change/cancellation fees: $500 in Business Class, $200 in Prem+ and economy.

The airline will offer 6-foot-long, lie-flat seats in Business Class. The new Premium Economy cabin offers seats that recline 140 degrees and have 52 inches of pitch, and personal entertainment units with 50+ hours of programming. The carrier says there will be no more than 82 passengers on each flight—the economy class cabin contains only 30 seats.

Travel on OpenSkies will earn miles in BA’s Executive Club. BA plans to expand the OpenSkies network from New York to Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, and Milan. To book: visit www.flyopenskies.com or call (866) 581-3596.

Partnership with L’Avion

The USDT also approved OpenSkies’ code-share arrangement with French all-Business Class carrier L’Avion, which flies between Charles de Gaulle and New York. L’Avion is taking a lesson from the recent demise of Eos, MAXjet, and Silverjet —that an all-Business Class airline can’t fly solo.

According to L’Avion, OpenSkies’ Prem+ is equivalent to L’Avion’s Business Class—and fares for either are virtually the same. However, when booking New York to Paris from JFK rather than L’Avion’s Newark gateway, OpenSkies becomes the default carrier and the fare for Prem+ service jumps nearly $700 to $2,109 each way. It’s easy to fall into this trap when booking on L’Avion’s website, so stay alert. Or better yet, book your JFK departures directly through OpenSkies.

I plan to fly both these carriers this summer to have a look-see and will report back. More: L’Avion.com or (866) 692-6759.

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