OPENSKIES Passenger Reviews and Customer Trip Reports

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OPENSKIES customer review :  10 March 2010 by L Scheer    (USA)

EWR-ORY ORY-EWR. I can't complain too much, as I won this ticket in their birthday contest. I sat in BIZ seats. Seats comfortable although manual controls were hard to use. Handhold video player had poor sound and wish it had more movies. Food was fine. There was a medical emergency on the way to ORY and the paramedics arrived when we landed. There was a doctor on board to assist during the medical emergency. FA were nice and worked hard. Flight was about 80% full. ORY-EWR flight about 20% full and surprised it was not canceled. Ordered a diabetic special meal and food was fresh and much better that the standard option. FA were very attentive. There is a second screening on flight going to USA - went quickly as PAX load was very light. Security wanded PAX and searched hand luggage again. The BIZ seats shown on the website are not the same as flown. EC has two plane configurations and the one I flew twice was the older L'Avion configuration.

OPENSKIES customer review :  4 March 2010 by R Schoell    (USA)

Newark to Paris Orly and back in the BizSeat cabin. On the whole this was a decent flight, although in terms of standard it is not comparable to transatlantic business class offerings of major European airlines. Price-wise my ticket was about half that quoted by the more established airlines, so it would be unrealistic to expect the same standards. I found check- in at EWR and ORY quick, competent and helpful - high marks. The lounge at EWR is a big disappointment, small, dark and rather gloomy. On board the B757, seats are the old-fashioned business type (eg all manual controls), which I found ok for the medium-length journey as they are fairly spacious. The video screens they use are of very poor quality with appalling audio, and I gave up after a frustrating 30 minutes. From EWR the special meal I ordered (low fat) was terrible - really inedible, but much better coming back from ORY. Otherwise the cabin was clean, pleasant, and the crew professional.

OPENSKIES customer review :  23 January 2010 by F Gelly    (France)

ORY-EWR; 2nd trip with Openskies and better value than the previous one. ORY-EWR in BizSeat Cabin, good enough for a day flight. Be careful - all hand luggage are checked manually before boarding. EWR-ORY in the Bed Cabin. However long check in due to a computer crash, the staff had to made check in manually after waiting in line for 90min. French staff on the way back professional.

OPENSKIES customer review :  17 January 2010 by A Armon    (USA)

I had rather high expectations, but was sadly mistaken. It starts when you arrive at the airport. There was only 2 very slow agents at the check-in counter causing a long wait not seen at any business class check ins. The very basic EWR lounge is shared with Jet Airways crammed into a corner area of Newark airport. I would advise going to the bar in the main departure lounge instead; better food, drinks, and service. The airplane interior, and seats are a duplicate of the old business class. The main difference between open skies and these old flights is that OpenSkies food is WORSE and there Is less leg room. In their attempt to expend as little capital on the service as possible they provide a relatively low-end portable video player for the entertainment. This is an expensive premium economy airline billed as business class.

OPENSKIES customer review :  28 October 2009 by D Wright    (USA)

ORY-EWR in "Biz Seat." It's not quite business class, but better than Premium Economy offered by others. A roomy seat with very good pitch, decent if limited food and wine selections and a competent, bilingual cabin crew. The portable digital players are a bit inconvenient to use and have a limited movie selection. Orly is preferable to CDG in terms of convenience, though the third-party lounge was crowded and barely adequate, with loud pop music playing. EWR immigration, customs and baggage were a breeze. The real attractions are the very good value for the money and comfortable seat.

OPENSKIES customer review :  20 October 2009 by Maggie Sherman    (USA)

Open Skies is an inexpensive all business class airline - and the operative word is inexpensive - not business class. The crew do their job and no more. You get a big seat and a plane with few passengers but that's about the extent of the business class experience. The planes we flew on were older and had been redesigned but the few bathrooms that there were (and not enough for number of passengers) looked like they just received a coat of paint. The video player (passed out by the crew) had a very small screen and had to be connected to an arm (if there was one - there wasn't on the flight back so it had to be held or placed on the tray). The selection of movies was limited and not the latest releases. The seats are big enough but they are manual and can be difficult to operate and do not recline fully. The meals were adequate for airline food but the choice of entree was limited (basically chicken and fish) and there were no extras (like a cheese course). The snack given prior to landing in the US was unappetizing to the American palate. All in all, we probably got what we paid for but it should be called premium economy - not business class.

OPENSKIES customer review :  6 October 2009 by F Gelly    (France)

ORY-JFK/EWR-ORY. I was in Bizz Seat - big disappointment concerning the seat, too narrow but of course full lie bed. No Menu, food okay, no choice even for an empty cabin, poor amenities, poor entertainment with tiny screen. Staff okay, not fantastic. No fast track for immigration at JFK. EWR lounge shared with Jet Airways, located before security control, not time to enjoy it. The dinner was catastrophic - no choice at all, no dessert - when you request for cheese and dessert (as I had ORY-JFK) attendant just answer no, in order to let me sleep! You have to request a beverage during the flight 5 times before been served. Good point you never wait for luggage delivery in ORY South.

OPENSKIES customer review :  15 September 2009 by M McManus    (USA)

Traveled in Biz Seat. ORY-EWR. Nice lounge in Orly, although they ran out of glasses about 45 minutes before boarding and didn't refill - a bit of bad form. Boarding took forever due to security measures - can't blame on Openskies. Flight was on L'Avion craft with mixed crew. 4 FAs for whole plane. Attendants worked their tails off - I think there aren't really enough staff for full flights. Service was more or less PE+ as beverages were limited to wines - mixed drinks weren't really on offer throughout the flight. All and all a comfortable seat with just ok food (no menus), all service from the cart and a nice digeplayer. Orly is a convenient alternative to CDG. All and all a good flight and a super value for the money.

OPENSKIES customer review :  15 September 2009 by Paula Loguda    (USA)

Return flight Paris Orly to Newark in BizBed was excellent with a terrific, visible and service oriented staff. Plane immaculate. Beds are comfy. That pre-landing 'picque nique' box by Laduree, which includes its famous rose-lychee-raspberry macaroon, is a winner!

OPENSKIES customer review :  11 September 2009 by B de Carro    (France)

Orly to JFK. Initial problem in Paris with weather radar so had to deplane and change to a different aircraft. Station Manager at Orly should have a big credit for making this exercise the smoothest I have ever experienced. Otherwise an uneventful flight with good dinner, pleasant crew and quite / comfortable cabin. Openskies is very good value and the uncrowded cabin make the trip soo much more relaxing.

OPENSKIES customer review :  9 September 2009 by Paula Loguda    (USA)

Newark to Paris Orly. I certainly agree with the previous poster that there is something special about a large aircraft with few seats. Love the ease of boarding and deplaning as well as the quiet. Lounge at EWR has downgraded quite a bit from its l'Avion (French wines, cheeses) days. L'Avion plane with mix of crew. Pre-departure beverage offered. Comfy seats and nice blankets. No dinner menu. Choice of sole or chicken seems a bit pale. Dinner service is more like premium economy than business.No amenity kit although basket of eyeshades and ear plugs found near restroom. Digeplayer is a challenge to operate - but it's calm and quiet and that counts a lot!

OPENSKIES customer review :  18 August 2009 by Philip Falzarano    (USA)

JFK AMS and return in Biz Seat. I booked this trip because of the low business class airfare to Amsterdam. Openskies has to be the biggest travel bargain. Unfortunately they are no longer servicing Amsterdam. The overnight flight was a delight. Because of the low number of passengers, boarding and deplaning are a snap. Greeted on board by champagne or juice. Bottles of water, blankets, pillows and amenity kits waiting at the seat. Seats are typical recliner (non flat) business seats with plenty of personal room. Meal was served quickly to maximize sleeping time. I was able to get 5 hours of quality sleep. Deplaning and luggage claim in Amsterdam went quickly as well. There is something about a big plane with lots of space and few passengers that is special. Flight crew outstanding. Friendly, but professional. Return equally as nice. On demand video appreciated very much, although the players used are a bit cumbersome.

OPENSKIES Customer Review : 8 July 2009 by J Carter

Customer Rating : 5/5

One of the best travel bargains available! Business class JFK to Amsterdam or Paris for an average coach fare - less than half the normal business class rate. My daughter & I flew the Amsterdam route in mid-June for $900 round trip. (Their "first class" rate is more than double, differing largely in the flat, fold-down beds & 1st class lounge at JFK.) All features were comparable to other US & European business class flights that we've taken - 1st class check-in, champagne on boarding, and a very attentive & friendly crew. Seating & entertainment was typical business class quality. Dining, beverages, and cabin service was excellent. It's a chance to have a relaxed flight and arrive in Europe refreshed, at no more than average coach class rates. (Only drawback - a double security check on return at Schipol, but we suspect that was a TSA, not an Open Skies requirement.)

OPENSKIES Customer Review : 3 July 2009 by M Emmanuel

Customer Rating : 5/5

JFK-ORY-JFK ORY-JFK-ORY on OpenSkies in Prem+ Class. Outbound flight was operated by former L'avion crew, i.e. most of the crew members where French. Inbound flight was Openskies crew. Both flights were on time. I have been flying with L'avion for the last two years then with Open Skies since they acquired L'avion. I travel 4-5 times a year with this airline and found it to be a great alternative to a more expensive Business Class service provided by other airlines (Air France and Continental the ones I had the opportunity to try on this line). Price is less than half the cost of a business seat on a regular airline. While the seats and video systems are older, access to a lounge is not provided in JFK nor Newark for Prem+ passengers (but it is in Orly), I appreciate the seat comfort (140 degrees) and space, the smiling and helpful crew, the fact that this is an 80 passenger flight max (never seen it full, which is even nicer). Also, landing in Orly is so much closer to downtown Paris than Roissy and Air Traffic has never been a problem. I understand that some might be disapointed if expecting the same full business class service in Prem+ as provided in a "regular" airline business class. I am however not sure that this is a fair comparison to make. If you don't want to travel economy between Europe and New York, and are not willing to pay more than twice the cost of an economy ticket fare in order to get a business class service, this is I believe the closest you can get for a reasonable additional cost.

OPENSKIES Customer Review : 23 February 2009 : by O Dheu

Customer Rating : 5/5

ORY-JFK in business class. The south terminal at Orly airport is rather old and mainly used by charter flights. On the outbound flight there was a long queue before being able to check in which I thought was strange given the fact that there are few seats onboard. Passed security and went to the designated lounge. It's a Servisair lounge, used by several airlines. It was crowded, so I decided to take a seat in the waiting area. Before boarding the plane we had to pass security once again (this was imposed by the US's TSA). Warm welcome onboard. A very smiley crew. Took champagne and an excellent smoothie before takeoff. Once airborne, meal service started. Excellent choice and very good food. Better than usual business class - the tablecloth and silverware where stamped BA First. Very professional crew, helpful. Good IFE. Excellent nose reduction headsets (Sennheiser). Great lie flat seat (the one's we used to find in BA Club two years ago) and provided a duvet. NBefore landing, we were handed a "Ladurée" snackbox, with excellent Macaroons from the famous Parisian baker. Return at JFK both Biz and Prem+ passengers get to check in at the BA First check -in area. Used the designated Fast track line. The total process took less than 15 minutes! Access to the nice Terraces lounge. However, you can't use the Elemis Spa facilities. Again, very warm welcome. Very fancy and personalized service. Again, great meal, great seat - slept a few hours. Light breakfast before landing. I recommend you this airline as a great alternative to direct Air France flights. I do agree with Quaedvlieg, the drawback is the marketing department. I've never seen a commercial for Openskies.

OPENSKIES Customer Review : 19 February 2009 : by M George

Customer Rating : 5/5

Very fast boarding. No glass of champagne on boarding as I was in Premium Economy. Superb cabin crew, slick and professional. She even went through her own luggage to get me a power adapter for my laptop. Service and food onboard every bit as BA Club and far better than Air France and American. If I had a complaint it would be the handheld entertainment unit which had to be replaced twice but as the flight attendant was never far away, it was exchanged within minutes with a friendly smile and chat about the movie I was watching.

OPENSKIES Customer Review : 10 December 2008 : by J Quaedvlieg

Customer Rating : 5/5

Amsterdam - JFK (average price with KLM Euro 3000, Openskies Euro 840). The welcome of the staff on the plane was great. The seats (I flew Prem+) are fantastic. The food is excellent and a significant improvement on what KLM normally serves me. If there would be room for improvement I would say it should be in the Marketing Department. Not a lot of people seem to know about the OpenSkies option which is a pity. Score: 5

OPENSKIES Customer Review : 19 November 2008 : by A van Wieringen

Customer Rating : 5/5

Amsterdam-JFK in Business. Extremely good value for money and by far the best experience on any of the North Atlantic carriers out of Amsterdam. Great seat, wonderful food and friendly service. Only negative might be that OpenSkies tries to do her best to be and presents herself different. We looked into the Premium Class as well and the seat over there are excellent as well. Naturally can’t judge on the food and service here.

OPENSKIES Customer Review : 12 November 2008 : by Julian Lacson

Customer Rating : 5/5

Flew Openskies to New York - Premium Economy outbound and Business on the return. The Premium Economy seats recline to 140 deg and are wide with 2x2 seating on Boeing 757. No economy class. only 80 passengers in total. Service was efficient and professional. Check in quick. Arriving at BA terminal at JFK is a pleasure. Boarding is fast due to the number of passengers. This is great value for money.

OPENSKIES Customer Review : 29 July 2008 : by J de Vries

Customer Rating : 1/5

Do not book a flight on L'Avion with OpenSkies. We recently booked 2 seats thru the L'Avion web site. We had a choice between flying with OpenSkies or with L'Avion. The price difference was $1000 for 2 tickets. I called L'Avion to ask if I would fly in business class on OpenSkies if I booked those flights. They said yes, you will fly business and that is why the OpenSkies tickets are more expensive. So I booked 2 tickets on OpenSkies and paid $5000. Today I found out that OpenSkies seats you in Premium Economy, not in business. The seats in Premium Economy would have only cost $3900 if I had booked those with OpenSkies directly. So do not book any flights with L'Avion - they are frauds and cannot be trusted as staff are lying to customers.

OPENSKIES Customer Review : 3 July 2008 : by Christian Gossel

Customer Rating : 5/5

ORY-JFK-ORY on OpenSkiesin Prem+ Class. Both flights arrive on time. Cabin attendants were very nice and catered to all our needs (to be honest the load in C and W classes was low as it was only the 3rd day of operation on that flight when I took it last Sunday). Meals were good: meal service in W class is the same as the meal service in J class on BA flights. The seat in Prem+ is comfortable and reclines to 140'. IFE wonderful: each passenger is given a personal video unit that contains about 25 films plus lots of TV series, games, etc. Noise reduction headsets are given to passengers in C and W classes. I paid for my return ticket in Prem+ class just 100 EUR more than the cheapest ticket I was able to find in Y class. On top of that you get miles and points on your Exec Club card if you book via BA code share. Let's hope the loads improve so that EC can maintain the flight with this level of service.