In a vote of confidence for Israel’s tourism industry, French airline La Compagnie is launching a new biweekly flight from Tel Aviv to Paris and New York starting September 5, with all 76 seats on the plane business-class seats.
Passengers will enjoy business-class comfort and services at prices about 30% cheaper than similar seats on other airlines, the company said in a press release. Flights will run about $1,000 for the flight to Paris’s Orly Airport and $2,000 to Newark Liberty International Airport.
“Our flights offer business-class conditions throughout the aircraft and are perfectly suited for those looking for seating space, comfort and a more personal and safer flight experience, especially at this time,” said Frederic Revol, the company’s vice president of commerce. “Along with the regular menu, we will also offer a kosher menu.”
Flights to Paris will depart from Ben-Gurion Airport at 5:00 a.m. and land in Paris about 9:00 a.m. Those continuing on to New York will not have to go through the airport and recheck luggage for the connecting flight. Passengers can disembark and wait for 90 minutes at the nearby Orly Business Lounge, enjoying refreshments while their luggage remains on the plane, and then get back on for the transatlantic flight, which lands at Newark at 1 p.m.
Return flights departing from Paris at 10 a.m. will arrive in Tel Aviv at 3:40 p.m. Passengers will have access to the airport’s business lounge and all preflight services.
All of the wide seats of the state-of-the-art Airbus A321neoLR aircraft open up to full flat beds, allowing passengers to rest and arrive fresh at their destination. Each seat features a multimedia system with a 15.7-inch touch screen and a wide range of movies and music, as well as complimentary fast Wi-Fi service throughout the flight.
Meals are prepared by the flight crew, with menus created by Michelin chefs from Paris and New York containing fresh seasonal ingredients. Journalists at a special launch event on Sunday were served a breakfast of omelet with asparagus or crepes, fresh fruits and berries, presented tastefully with silverware and a cloth napkin.
“We created a product that is about 30% cheaper than business class at legacy companies,” Revol said. “It is known in those companies that the passengers who pay for a seat in the business class actually subsidize the economy class, and therefore charge them more expensive prices.”
La Compagnie was founded seven years ago, offering one weekly flight between Paris and New York. The company chose Israel as a travel destination for French travelers that would also be a desirable destination for its New York customers, Revol said.