CNN Business Traveller
SHOW #66
Open Skies Special
CNN Business Traveller will be on board the first transatlantic flight to London Heathrow under the new Open Skies Treaty between the EU and the United States. It will be a historic day in aviation after almost 50 years of tight restrictions are finally lifted when the treaty comes into force on Sunday March 30.
The first flight will be on Continental Airlines from Newark airport on Saturday March 29, where Richard will have the chance to speak to Jeff Smisek, President of Continental Airlines. Previously restricted to London Gatwick, Continental will land for the first time at Heathrow on Sunday March 30.
THE FREEDOM TO FLY
The treaty will enable American carriers to fly from any city in the U.S. to any European city and vice versa. It is the most dramatic change in aviation in decades, which means more choice for us passengers.
All eyes are on US congress to allow the right for Europeans carriers to fly domestic routes in America. When the treaty was signed last year, the EU gave American carriers the right to fly to Europe and onto other European destinations.
The US has until 2010 to reciprocate this right to fly, which will be called Phase II of Open Skies. If the US do not deliver, there is a clause in the agreement that states the treaty can be torn up. We talk to John Byerly, the Chief US negotiator in Washington to try and gauge if domestic flights is on the cards for the EU.
Virgin Atlantic is the only airline that is not planning to introduce new routes because the airline thinks Phase II won’t happen. Richard Quest talks to Virgin CEO Steve Ridgeway to find out why they are happy to wait and see. Richard Quest also speaks to British Airways CEO, Willie Walsh, who believes Phase II will happen. This is reflected with BA’s plans for a new subsidiary airline ‘Open Skies Air’ that will operate out of it’s new hub, Heathrow terminal 5, along with all-business class flights from London City Airport in 2009.
We will also be flying Air France’s new route: London to Los Angeles. The airline has reallocated its precious slots at Heathrow to fly the more lucrative transatlantic route. We get an insight to Air France’s strategy from Air-France CEO Jean-Cyril Spinetta, and Delta Airlines CEO Richard Anderson tells Richard Quest how Open Skies will affect the airline and discusses the plans for future expansion.
PASSENGER EXPERIENCE
Open Skies will give passengers more choice in destinations and airlines; and hopefully competitive fares. It will also help our travelling experience. We look at the trend of having terminals dedicated to airline alliances to increase efficiency at airports. Richard Quest has a look round Los Angeles International.
We examine whether the All-Business Class market has a future. There are hopes to continue to compete with carriers like BA and Lufthansa even though Maxjet went bankrupt at the end of last year. Richard Quest visits Luton airport and speaks to Silverjet CEO Lawrence Hunt.
SUNRISE TO SUNSET
We’ll be doing CNN Business Traveller’s regular segment a little differently this month as we embark on Delta’s new evening flight from JFK to arriving the next day at London Heathrow. On board we will be road-testing some travel gadgets and show you how to survive the red eye from Sunset to Sunrise.
| 
