• Print
• E-mail
• Add to My Trips

Finally, a transatlantic airline for the rest of us — the folks in the cheap seats.

A no-frills Scottish carrier, Flyglobespan, which sells fares to Britain as low as $149 each way, plus taxes, is quickly adding U.S. gateways.

Over the last week, it began flying from New York to England and Ireland and from Boston to Scotland. It's looking even farther west, including possible new service from Los Angeles.

With the late John Lennon's self-portrait gracing the tails of its Boeing 757-200 jets (pictured at left) to Liverpool, England, the Edinburgh-based upstart even delivers a dose of hip. Call it cheap chic in the air.

The downsides: The airline so far serves only a handful of destinations from the U.S., and London isn't among them. Its lowest fares don't come with food ($14 for hot meals) or beverages; you pay extra for those niceties, which are more like necessities for long-haul fliers.

But Flyglobespan stands out among recent newcomers to the transatlantic market, such as L'Avion, Maxjet and Eos, which are aimed at business-class travelers.

And its timing couldn't be better for summer vacationers, providing the flights go where you want to go.

Here's a look at Flyglobespan's U.S. gateways:

Sanford, Fla.:

From this airport near Orlando, the airline flies five days a week nonstop to Glasgow and two days a week to Glasgow via Belfast, Ireland. Sanford was Flyglobespan's first U.S. destination, starting in late 2005, and until May 25 its only one.

New York:

From John F. Kennedy International Airport, the airline flies nonstop four days a week to Liverpool and three days a week to Liverpool via Ireland West Airport Knock. The Irish stop provides convenient access to scenic areas such as Galway and Donegal. Recent one-way summer fares started as low as $149 each way. Prices vary widely on a day-by-day basis.

Boston:

From Logan International Airport, it flies five days a week nonstop to Glasgow and two days a week to Glasgow via West Airport Knock.

Depending on the size of the jet, Flyglobespan offers two or three classes of service, said Stephen Elmy, the airline's general manager for North America, based in Toronto.

The classes include "economy no frills," with meals and beverages extra; premium economy, with meals, beverages and more legroom; and business class, with the most legroom and "gourmet meals and wine."

Elmy didn't say how many passengers his airline carries, but he did say that the number has doubled in the last year.

Over the next few months, he expects to announce new gateways from the U.S. and Canada.

Although Elmy declined to say whether Los Angeles would be among them, he said, "We are looking strongly at the Western U.S."

As for Flyglobespan's future, the slogan painted on its Liverpool jets, borrowed from Lennon's song "Imagine," may say it all: "Above us only sky."

jane.engle@latimes.com

Where am I? This is a city known for great old architecture. And it's a desert spot and has a long-standing tradition of hospitality.

National Parks America's 20 most-visited national parks in 2009.

• • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Baltimore Sun
  • Chicago Tribune
  • Daily Press
  • Hartford Courant
  • LA Times
  • Orlando Sentinel
  • Sun Sentinel
  • The Morning Call
  • The Virginia Gazette

• Los Angeles Times, 202 West 1st Street, Los Angeles, California, 90012 | Copyright 2009