OpenSkies

I’ve flown Open Skies a few times and had no problems with the service or the seats, the problem is the bathrooms. When it was an all-​business class airline, the few bathrooms they had were likely sufficient. Since they’ve added rows and rows of Economy seats, they didn’t any additional restrooms. So there are only two (2) for the entire Economy and Premium Economy sections. So there is constantly a line and a crowd by, and blocking, the galley area, of people waiting to go to the bathrooms. It’s annoying for the customers and the flight attendants. The last flight I took, one was out of order, so there was only one bathroom for the entire plane. (Except for the business bed class, which has their own bathrooms.) Open Skies really needs to fix this.

Stay Away! This is the worst airline imaginable. The website completely misrepresents the «service.» I flew Premium Plus from EWR to Orly. The upholstery on the seats was sagging. The window shade
s did not work. The leg rest did not function, a situation «remedied» by being given a hassock on which to rest my feet. The food was inedible and the flight attendants never came through the cabin to check on passengers during the flight.
When I contact their Customer Relations Department, they essentially agreed that the service is sub par and are «working on it.» They should take the planes out of service until they can offer a more comfortable, humane way to travel.

Planes are old and shabby. Premium Econ seat is wide, yes, but that’s about all. Lame footrest. Terrible food (Econ class rubber chicken). Dirty little blanket (though the pillow is actually nice). Lame little amenity kit. On flight home my seat was broken and did not recline. Cabin crew unhelpful and said it happens all the time. Really??? I paid $ 2,400 r/​t. Will not do ever again.

Paris — New-​York — Paris: Very good flight. Direct flight. Excellent service (very kind waitress). Comfortable seats. Good food, I have overall very satisfied but it is true that the second breakfist was very light, I was still hungry after that (I didn’t eat the second lunch because I wanted to sleep). They gave individual Ipad (good, but the negative aspect is that it is not good for the neck health) wih new films, but I didn’t like the films proposed.
A very good surprise for this price. I would definitevely adive that company for those who want a direct flight (on another hand, I didn’t try many western companies).

I had a good experience with Openskies.
First of all, the crew was smiley, helpful and nice on both flights, which has to be highlighted nowadays.
Second, my flight back from New-​York had been canceled and postponed on the same day but to a different airport (JFK instead of Newark) and I got informed of that modification a week before my trip.
I was a bit skeptical before flying with them because of all the reviews, but I have to say that I have been very surprised in the good way. The ticket was cheap and departing from Orly, which is the main reason I took it as I hate CDG.
I had the chance of being upgraded to prem + on my way back, so I’m able to talk about both economy classes. While the economy class is a bit small, I could still sleep a bit even though I’m 1m80. The prem + had definitely more room (awesome for my legs) but I’m pretty sure the food was the same as in the simple economy class. Speaking of food, it was eatable, but eh… airplane food is never really good.
The only bad part is the entertainment part: same movies on both my inbound and outbound flights, even though I was flying on different months, which is boring I think, and not great choice of movies either. I was lucky that I had my own laptop. That said, the iPad is a great idea, too bad there is nowhere to place it in the economy class while eating. That was a big disappointment.
To resume: Good and reliable company, with a very nice crew, but that could do a LOT better (entertainment). But when I’ll be going back to the USA, I’ll definitely consider them again.

Never again. Six hours late. Total chaos. We did get a free bottle of water after five hours of waiting. Wish I had taken the reviews seriously. Big mistake.

My wife and I just completed a trip from Paris on Open Skies in Biz Bed class. My back is still hurting. It’s like sleeping on a wooden bench. Plus, they destroyed one of my suitcases. The food is average. For a $ 5,000+ ticket it was a horrible value. Unfortunately, American Airlines has chosen Open Skies as they carrier for the Paris route. Neve again will I make this mistake. It’s bad beyond words.

While I appreciate some of earlier comments, (canceling flight) most are off base. I fly enough to have lifetime premium status on both Delta (1 million miles) and American (3 million). By far, the premium plus offering (comparable to economy comfort) by Open Skies is the best value going if you have to travel to Paris on a budget. For a nominal amount over typical coach (sardine class) you get far more comfort and room than one gets on most domestic 1^st class. Drinks are free, food not bad, and by using Orly instead of CDG, transportation cost into Paris are much lower). Also, as part of BA, you get OneWorld miles & status qualifying.
On a price paid for value received, they scored A+.

Je suis très étonnée des avis très négatifs sur cette compagnie. J’ai fait des aller-​retours réguliers entre Paris et New York ces 2 dernières années et j’ai toujours été satisfaite. Pas forcément pleinement, mais assez pour faire d’Open Skies mon choix numéro #1 pour voyager entre Paris et les USA. Il est vrai toutefois que je n’ai jamais eu le moindre problème donc mon expérience a été totalement différente.
Je prenais Continental avant et avec un budget étudiant je volais forcément en classe économie. Le voyage se passait bien et la nourriture me plaisait (rare en avion !), mais j’arrivais assez cassée quand même, il faut le dire, les sièges étant vraiment étroits. Alors quand Open Skies a lancé ses tarifs promotionnels en classe Prem Plus (éco améliorée de grand standing, juste avant la business) je n’ai pas hésité une seule seconde. Depuis, j’ai fait d’autres aller-​retours en testant leur classe éco basique car malheureusement leurs tarifs en Prem Plus ont augmenté au fil des mois.
La classe Prem +: des sièges très confortables qui s’inclinent à 130 degrés si vous le souhaitez et une cabine qui donne une impression de grand salon privé, avec sa configuration en siège 2×2 (2 par aile). On a de la place pour les bras, assez d’espace pour bien étendre ses jambes devant soi, assez pour déposer ses affaires et sa bouteille d’eau… Un vrai luxe lorsqu’on a l’habitude de se ratatiner et se contorsionner en classe éco ! Seul bémol: pour le standing de cette classe je m’attendais au même type de repas que celui de la classe Business (où là vous pouvez carrément vous allonger) avec véritable vaisselle, mais non, nous avions eu un repas tout à fait standard sans le ballotin de chocolat, sans les beaux couverts. Je crois que c’était le même que celui servi en classe éco. D’ailleurs c’est ce qui m’a déçue le plus sur mes voyages Open Skies: la nourriture. Fortement marquetée comme offrant un service et un confort +++ je m’attendais à ce que la compagnie propose des repas à la hauteur de tout le reste, mais sans même parler de choix, les plats proposés étaient peu savoureux. J’ai mieux mangé sur Continental.
La classe Eco (celle que j’ai pris le plus souvent): une cabine éco beaucoup plus confortable que les classes éco traditionnelles d’autres compagnies; les sièges sont nettement plus larges et plus confortables, on s’y sent moins à l’étroit, on respire et bouge mieux. Ce qui est agréable surtout c’est que la cabine éco a beaucoup moins de sièges qu’un Boeing normal, du coup on n’a pas des kilomètres de sièges à perte de vue qui s’étendent devant nous. Ainsi, les deux classes (Prem + et Eco) ont un côté douillet /​intime très agréable et moins suffocant (bien pour ceux qui n’aiment pas prendre l’avion).
J’ai toujours eu un service sympathique voire très sympathique; certaines hôtesses sont un peu froides et prétentieuses, mais à côté de ça certaines et certains stewarts sont adorables et drôles, d’autant qu’en volant régulièrement on revoit souvent les mêmes visages. Les flottes ont des membres d’équipages français, américains et anglais (la compagnie est opérée par British Airways) et l’ambiance est assez conviviale et joyeuse mais reste toujours très professionnelle. Clairement on sent la compagnie jeune.
Outré le confort, le standing et le service, le gros + de cette compagnie c’est la distribution d’un Ipad personnel (et ce, dans toutes les catégories, Business, Prem + et Eco). Pour avoir fait certains vols sans écran personnel, je peux dire que ça change tout, surtout sur des vols longs-​courriers: inutile de se précipiter pour prendre le film en même temps que tout le monde; ici c’est chacun son rythme, on commence la programmation quand on le souhaite; le choix de films et de séries est excellent et très récent et les choix musicaux proposent des options de tous les styles.
Après avoir été à Roissy CDG pendant un moment, le terminal est maintenant situé à Orly. Lors de mon dernier aller pour New York j’avais un excédent de bagages de 3 kg, on m’a gracieusement laissée passer sans supplément, ce que j’ai vraiment apprécié quand on connaît le prix des excédents de bagages !
Une compagnie à recommander absolument !

I lost a day of work due to the fact that the airline canceled my flight home a few minutes before it was supposed to take off… We were all waiting to board and then so one told us to go reclaim our checked luggage. What??? No reason. No other info until after we got our luggage. Turns out they cancelled the flight because the lead flight attendant was a no show and they couldn’t get her back up on the phone so the plane flew back to the US with no passengers… They moved us to a new flight departing 24 hours later…
. The communication or lack there of was terrible and none of the customers had any idea what was going on. The customer service is horrible. It’s not that the people are not nice. It is that they do not talk to you, make announcements or seem to know what is going on or how to put the customer’s mind at ease when something is wrong. Also the 7.5 hour airplane ride was freezing! It was the most uncomfortable ride home ever because it was so cold. Everyone was cold and they ran out of blankets. I rode most of time with my feet tucked under me in my seat.
Then of course that wasn’t the end of it. The airlines lost my luggage! My medications and all of my personal toiletries were in there! I finally received my bag a day later and it was terribly damaged! I can’t even use it again! The bottom leg is broken so it doesn’t stand properly and the back pocket of the luggage is ripped open! There were way to many things that went wrong with this airlines… I recommend that you not take chances with them. I fly often and it was the worst experience I have ever had with any airlines… They need to seriously get it together…
My one star is for the nice flight attendants who tried to be helpful on the plane and the food was decent.

You get what you pay for.
OpenSkies is much cheaper than any of the other carriers for business class overseas. But, good lord, all you are paying for is the seat.
I fly a lot. Often a few times a week. I’ve had the opportunity to fly on some wonderful business and first class flights (KLM and Air New Zealand and Delta LAX/​JFK are my faves so far).
So, all of that out of the way, you are paying for the seat. Service was borderline hostile. I had better business class service on a recent LGA to St Louis flight.
Lets see: No drink service until dinner was served 1.5 hours after take-​off? All glassware and bottles were left at seats the entire flight. No one ever got them. No offer of more water. Pulling teeth to get cream for my cup of coffee.
«Here’s one creamer — it’s my last one»
Really? You stocked 5 creamers for the flight?
The last time I flew OpenSkies was about 20 months ago. That time I dismissed the somewhat shabby plane because it was so cheap and the staff was friendly and they poured me a glass of champagne before takeoff. Something has changed.
Never again (that is, except for my return flight).

I would give –5 Stars if I could. DO NOT FLY WITH THIS AIRLINE!!! They do not care about your business. It’s like a maze, no one knows what they are doing, not a single employee trained in their own procedures. I had to deal with them for 5 hours after paying a ton of money for tickets and being denied boarding. They have no clue. Plus, if you are an American, it really doesn’t matter what you say, because Open Skies is owned by British Airways. They do not care about you, please understand that. If you understand that, then you will understand that there is ZERO incentive for them to provide you with any kind of customer service.
Bottom line: the airline is a MESS. No one is trained, they know nothing, and have no real policies in place. I don’t know how their planes still fly. Stay away!

DO NOT FLY OPENSKIES. The absolute worst customer care of any airline I have ever flown. They lost our bags for 5 days and when I had to change my flight (I had also purchased trip insurance) I reminded them of the fact that we had to spend over $ 200 in new clothes and they said they WOULD NOT waiver the fee to change the ticket. In addition they sent me a bogus list of 20 things as documentation to fedex to their offices in France so that they could «study» our case.
The absolute most unprofessional airline ever. Don’t kid yourself and get back on
now and find ANY OTHER airline!

I flew this airline over the summer. I paid for the biz bed because I cannot sleep otherwise and I really wanted to sleep. The way over was fine but the way back was terrible. The day before, the flight had to be cancelled due to problems with the equipment, fuel leak I believe, so all the passengers had to be put up for the night. They were all rebooked onto my flight and I got booted from my biz bed with no explanation. When I tried to complain, it was very hard to reach anyone but when I finally did, the recompense for the demotion was a 200Euro voucher for a future flight. They said that was all they could offer. I could not talk to anyone higher up the food chain.
It’s a nice idea but this airline will be defunct sooner rather than later is my guess. You can’t just do things like this to passengers. I should have been reimbursed for the difference between the biz seat and biz bed, AT LEAST!!! I would not fly this airline.

Great for the value. Although booking is a bit weird as they don’t give you an official electronic ticket. I’ve also heard stories about having problems when things go wrong. So I would definitely check-​in early and cross your t’s and dot your i’s.
For full review and pics go to:

Dommage !
Concept très réussi, pas de files d’attente, lounge pour garder un esprit Zen, de l’espace dans l’avion, poids max. des valises très élevé.
MAIS :
Lors d’un problème comme un ouragan (Irene),
— pas d’avion supplémentaire pour rappatrier les passagers, dont les vols ont été annulés, mais OpenSkies continue de vendre des billets à prix exorbitant pour le même jour de départ prévu ou initial, alors ses passagers sont bloqués par manqué de sièges disponibles (avion surbooké)
— bureau USA non occupé, aucune anticipation de la catastrophe naturelle, hotline France peu aimable voir contact déplorable (type Mme Kalashnikow …), seulement disponible après longs temps d’écoute «musique» sur appel international des USA, tout ce qui nous a été communiqué comme disponibilité était archi faux et très douteux («…Nous attendons que notre direction nous recontact afin de…»)
— au guichet, quand les passagers bloqués, tous gardant l’esprit calme, se regroupent pour poser des questions, pour s’échanger, le personnel OpenSkies vous envoie la police locale américaine dans le dos,
pareillement quand le représentant du consulat à New York arrive pour intervenir, la police américaine tout de suite appelé par le personnel du guichet OpenSkies, pour l’empêcher de d’intervenir en faveur des passagers bloqués
— pas de lounge, pas d’aimabilité, un vol confirmé pour vous par écrit né veut pas dire que vous pouvez enfin prendre le vol confirmé, ils vous mettent en stand by pendant plusieurs jours, rien pour les enfants attendant avec leurs parents pendant des heures et des heures plusieurs jours devant le guichet à cause de leur désorganisation, pas de liste passagers fiable, etc. etc.
— - Donc en cas de perturbation du traffic aérien, compagnie aérienne inerte, qui n’assume pas ses responsabilités, vous n’avez pas la garantie de revenir à la maison avec eux tout en acceptant des retards de plusieurs jours à cause de la catastrophe naturelle. La vraie catastrophe dans la catastrophe n’était pas l’ouragan, mais leur manqué de respect envers leurs passagers, leur inertie totale et le manqué de fiabilité de leurs informations communiquées
Je pourrais en ajouter pas mal, mais il faut que je m’arrête
1 étoile pour le bon concept, pour tout les reste, des étoiles je donnerais bien des étoiles en minus
Cordialement à tous preneurs de risqué …

business class seats, round trip from NYC-​Paris, for less than $ 2K?
sold, said the piggy! \(^(oo)^)/
excellent setup overall from British Airways’ new all-​business carrier; there are a few kinks that need to be worked out, but none major enough to dissuade this little piggy from flying with them again (^(oo)^)
there are 2 classes, biz seat & biz bed. .. self explanatory, IPO~
biz seat is a pretty standard international business class seat — not a full recline, but enough to catch a decently comfy nap. .. especially as there’s a much-​appreciated, very sturdy footrest which prevents any bothersome gravity-​induced sliding while asleep, which seems to be a problem on some other airlines…
biz bed is a 180-​degree lie-​flat seat, set up in pairs of one front– and one rear-​facing seat. there’s a privacy screen that can be drawn between the two seats, in case you happen to make an awkward comment to your seatmate and wish to hide (^(oo)~) tehehe
service is a bit patchy. .. great on the way over, not so much on the return trip (aka one SUPER RUDE flight attendant who for some reason decided that she needed to make snide comments and inform me that she worked for AA for years. .. to which piggy was sorely tempted to respond «oh dear, that’s too bad. .. no wonder you’re so rude!»)
there are nice little lounges for you to wait in, and you can use the first class security lines (^(oo)^)v
NB — remember they fly out of Orly Sud, not Orly Ouest!