US Airways is introducing a first-class product on its new Airbus A330-300s next year while some transatlantic carriers have decided to drop their premium brand.
The first aircraft goes into London service next April. It will complement the existing Envoy business-class cabin on flights from Gatwick and other European points, including Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Rome and Madrid.
Vice-president international Mark Schwab said: “It will be a small cabin and will feature refinements to the existing first-class product.”
The cabin upgrade is part of a major fleet and hub investment programme for the airline since former United Airlines’ chairman Stephen Wolf joined the company in the same position in January 1996.
Up to 30 A330s will be ordered. Following the delivery of seven next year, another seven will be reconfirmed for 2001, with the remaining options possibly split between A330 and A340 aircraft.
Schwab said: “These new aircraft will drive our transatlantic expansion. In the longer term, we want to have five daily flights from both Paris and Frankfurt, and new Philadelphia service from Milan, Brussels, Zurich and Athens.”