XL Airways of France Is Finally Flying Between New York or Las Vegas and Paris
Remember XL Airways of France? A couple of months ago, I announced that this European carrier would start up trans-Atlantic service between the U.S. and Paris on May 26, continuing until late September. But I was unable to list an English-language website on which you could make bookings for that service.
Well May 26 was last week, and I called the marketing firm for XL Airways to learn what was up, and was told, to my surprise, that the first flights have actually taken off from both New York and Las Vegas. Why the lack of further publicity? It's obvious to me, though denied by XL, that it expects the overwhelming bulk of passengers on these flights to be from France, originating in Paris.
Though U.S. passengers can probably make bookings through several rather-minor online travel agencies, or through a just-launched and barely-functioning English-language website (tel. 201/484-8036; www.xlairways.com ), the XL people have stressed to me that the preferred method of booking these XL flights, for U.S.-originating passengers, is through a U.S. travel agent. Any ARC-appointed U.S. travel agent, they emphasized, can book an American onto these flights. And if your own preferred travel agent is not ARC-appointed, they suggest that you have that agent call them and they'll see what can be done.
Why is XL Airways an important resource? Because it is apparently undercutting the normal U.S.-to-Paris airfares by a considerable amount of money -- as much as $300 round-trip, and possibly more than that on specific flights, depending on whether Air France and other big carriers react to XL's threat and rush through a few price cuts.
The schedule for XL's flights? From Las Vegas, they are now flying every Thursday and Sunday to Paris, and will continue doing so, apparently, until late September. From New York, XL hopes to fly at least six times a week -- Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, although the Tuesday and Saturday flights may not begin until July 2.
So faites attention, mes amis! There's a way to fly cheaply to la belle France!
Well May 26 was last week, and I called the marketing firm for XL Airways to learn what was up, and was told, to my surprise, that the first flights have actually taken off from both New York and Las Vegas. Why the lack of further publicity? It's obvious to me, though denied by XL, that it expects the overwhelming bulk of passengers on these flights to be from France, originating in Paris.
Though U.S. passengers can probably make bookings through several rather-minor online travel agencies, or through a just-launched and barely-functioning English-language website (tel. 201/484-8036; www.xlairways.com ), the XL people have stressed to me that the preferred method of booking these XL flights, for U.S.-originating passengers, is through a U.S. travel agent. Any ARC-appointed U.S. travel agent, they emphasized, can book an American onto these flights. And if your own preferred travel agent is not ARC-appointed, they suggest that you have that agent call them and they'll see what can be done.
Why is XL Airways an important resource? Because it is apparently undercutting the normal U.S.-to-Paris airfares by a considerable amount of money -- as much as $300 round-trip, and possibly more than that on specific flights, depending on whether Air France and other big carriers react to XL's threat and rush through a few price cuts.
The schedule for XL's flights? From Las Vegas, they are now flying every Thursday and Sunday to Paris, and will continue doing so, apparently, until late September. From New York, XL hopes to fly at least six times a week -- Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, although the Tuesday and Saturday flights may not begin until July 2.
So faites attention, mes amis! There's a way to fly cheaply to la belle France!
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