Following the announcement of travel ban lifts for United States residents, French business class-only airline La Compagnie is resuming all of its flights. The carrier is also launching two new routes to Tel Aviv and Milan.

La Compagnie A321neo Jet
La Compagnie has succeeded in a market where so many others have failed. Photo: Airbus

Back in action

La Compagnie was forced to cease operations last March amid the downturn set by stringent travel restrictions across the globe. There was then a positive step in December when the company announced that it would be bringing back all of its transatlantic flights. However, amid the return of another wave of virus cases, travel remained restricted.

The airline then secured an additional €10 million ($12.1 million) of aid from the government of France. Now, it is ready to continue getting back to its normal schedule this summer.

Throughout this month, the airline will be flying twice a week from Newark to Paris Orly, with frequencies gradually increasing to daily by September. Flights from Newark to Nice are also resuming on July 2nd, 2021, which will operate thrice-weekly until the end of September.

When it comes to its new services, La Compagnie will be flying to Ben Gurion Airport from July 21st. With this route, there will be a 1.5 hour stop in Paris Orly on the way from Newark. These flights will depart three times a week until October 30th. Meanwhile, flights from Newark will head to Milan Malpensa four times a week from November 29th.

La Compagnie A321neo
La Compagnie have expressed interest in the A321XLR. The increased range could expand their travel offerings even further. Photo: Airbus

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Summer ready

La Compagnie president Christian Vernet highlighted the changing demand for the airline’s services. While some routes are increasing in popularity, others are still reeling from the effects of the pandemic.

“Over the past several weeks, we see have seen an increasing demand for flights to Israel out of the United States. Our 100% Smart Business Class product is the perfect fit for this high-end clientele, and we strongly believe this is an opportunity for our airline to upgrade its summer program. Our human-sized nature enables us to be flexible and to launch a new route that quickly,” shared Vernet.

“In a post Covid-19 era we anticipate a lower demand on our New York-Paris route, therefore we need to diversify our destinations offering and look for alternative routes for our second aircraft. Nice and Tel Aviv are a great combination for the summer season and Milan is a strong long-term route with a balanced mix of business and leisure passengers traveling throughout the year."

La Compagnie Interior
La Compagnie's A321neo cabin holds 76 full-flat seats. Photo: La Compagnie

The right time

The health crisis has seen a rise in interest for spacious settings with an extra focus on privacy. Therefore, La Compagnie could find itself attracting additional market segments in the new climate. With its all-business-class seats and access to lounges, many passengers may take advantage of the flexible ticket offerings.

Both the US and the EU are continuing to relax travel restrictions. So, La Compagnie and others heading across the Atlantic are undoubtedly keen to ramp up offerings this summer.

What are your thoughts about La Compagnie’s routes this summer? Have you flown with the airline over the years? Let us know what you think of the carrier and its operations in the comment section.