Fly First Class, a Florida-based company are planning to launch five-day-a-week flights between Bermuda and London as early as next January.

Although still waiting for final UK Government approval , First Class Fly intends to target both the business and leisure markets with the service, which will also visit Wilmington, North Carolina two days a week.

The airline will use 767 wide-body aircraft, carrying 90 passengers in a cabin layout that is actually big enough to accommodate around 200, divided into three classes – First Class, Business Class and Suite Class – with in-flight DVD players standard for all classes of service.

Among the luxuries on offer to the ten First Class passengers on each are a six-course ‘linen and china service’ meal prepared by an on-board chef, and 78 inch pitch seats.

But all goodies do not end there. It appears that Fly First Class intentions are to offer unrestricted year-round fares for the round trip from Bermuda to the UK at extremely attractive prices, US$5200 for a first class seat, $3800 in business class and $1399 for suite class seat.

The flight into the UK will land at Stanstead Airport which is linked to central London by a fast train link to Liverpool Street Station.

It appears that Fly First Class's proposed schedule, which is still waiting for the final green light, will consist flights out of London on Monday and Thursday mornings will arrive in Bermuda in the early afternoon. Return overnight flights from Bermuda to Stanstead, London will depart Bermuda on Monday and Thursday evenings. On Fridays, a service to Bermuda will depart the UK in the morning. This flight will return on Saturdays by way of an overnight flight to London. A service will also leave the UK on a Sunday morning, arriving in Bermuda in the early afternoon, local time. Trips both ways between Bermuda and Wilmington, North Carolina will be offered on Friday and Sunday afternoons.

First Fly Class will also be able to benefit from providing freight services to Bermuda from the USA and the UK.

This augurs well for the residents of Bermuda who have so far had to accept a BA monopoly on the London- Bermuda route charging some pretty exorbitant prices. Fly First Class air fares appear to be some 25% cheaper than BAs.

In fact, BA's coach or World Traveller class represents some 50 per cent of the seats of the T7-200 used by BA on the route. The disgusting fact is that such cabin class occupies some 33% of the aircraft's cabin space.

Fortunately my employers subsidize my flights and I am therefore able to travel on a higher class cabin.