EasyJet founder, Sir Stelios Haji-Iaonnou, is reported to be considering starting a new long-haul transatlantic airline service to compete with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
Details are sketchy right now but the rumored name is Fastjet. No word on when it would launch, what routes it would take or anything.
RyanAir threatened to get into transatlantic travel a few years ago but the plan never went anywhere.
More competition on the transatlantic market would be good for us all – if anything to lower overall fares, which have crept up over the past few years (mostly thanks to punitive taxes introduced by the British government which the airlines can do nothing about).
Would you jump at the chance to fly a ‘budget’ airline like Southwest Airlines to Britain? Suffering on a Southwest flight is fine for 2-3 hours – but can you imagine doing it for 7-8 hours? I guess if the price is right!
We’ll keep you posted on the latest Fastjet news!
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Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas in 2007 in a closet in Chicago. Anglotopia is for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Anglotopia is now our full time jobs and we spend our time working on the site and planning our yearly trips to Britain. Join us as we explore Britain and everything it has to offer!
I have to say when I hear “can you imagine Southwest for more than 3 hours” it’s someone who’s never flown them. Southwest seat pitch is better than united’s standard offering, they don’t charge for bags and the “cattle car” line-up is odd until you do it, and then it seems pretty democratic and fair.
I’m not sure what these new trans Atlantic airlines would do differently than the charters airlines out there already (condor, thompson, in Canada Air Transat and such) that would make them cheaper and more profitable.