La Compagnie: The Airline Making Transatlantic Business Class Affordable

The transatlantic flight market is one of the most competitive on the planet. There is constant demand for flights alike from the leisure and business segments. All European and North American major carriers have flights connecting the two regions. However there is one less talked about airline that has been making business class affordable on transatlantic flights for over a decade. Let’s talk about French niche carrier La Compagnie.

What Is La Compagnie and How Does It Work?

So La Compagnie is a very unique type of airline. The carrier is based in France and operates a fleet of 2 aircraft, which are setup with an all business class cabin layout.

Yes, I know, that is a very unique fleet composition and cabin layout. A composition that thought to exclusively serve the purpose of operating very few transatlantic flights.

Why Is La Compagnie Cheaper Than Traditional Business Class?

The reason La Compagnie is cheaper than other airlines when flying business class is that it has highly optimized its operations to this type of service.

For instance it saves some cash by serving Newark rather than JFK in New York. Additionally it also saves a bit of cash in offering a standardized meal experience. Flying La Compagnie you don’t get a full luxury meal service as you’d expect from a legacy carrier.

Finally the airline’s Airbus A321neo are setup in a rather high density configuration as far as business classes go. While legacy airlines, albeit in multiple class configurations, have a 1-1 layout in business class, La Compagnie has a 2-2 layout throughout the cabin.

All these small tweaks allow the airline to keep overall costs down and make transatlantic business class affordable.

Which Routes Does La Compagnie Fly to New York?

As mentioned above, La Compagnie operates a tiny 2-aircraft fleet. It operates 2 Airbus A321neo planes to New York/Newark (EWR) Liberty airport from and to:

• Milan Malpensa (MXP) – Year-round
• Paris Orly (ORY) – Year-round
• Nice – Seasonal Summer

Milan Malpensa is served 6 days a week while Paris Orly is a daily service. Nice, during the summer months, is a 4x weekly flight in La Compagnie’s schedule.

What Is the Onboard Experience Like on La Compagnie?

La Compagnie offers a business class product which holds up perfectly well to legacy many legacy airlines. Of course to be affordable some compromises, that I’ve covered before, need to be accepted.

Each booking includes with:

• Personal entertainment screen
• Complimentary high speed Wi-Fi
• Amenity kit
• Blanket
• Complimentary food and beverages (including wines)
• Lounge Access

Who Is La Compagnie Best For and Who Should Skip It?

La Compagnie is an excellent option for both leisure and business travelers. The airline isn’t part of any alliance, however, it does have its own loyalty program. The program is very linear and easy to navigate. Each flight awards points depending on the fare:

• Promo: 1 Point
• Smart: 2 Points
• Flex: 4 Points

Every 30 points you are eligible to book a one way transatlantic flight, with 40 a return trip. This makes it an interesting offering for business travelers that regularly travel from New York to Milan and Paris.

The affordable prices also make it a fantastic option for leisure travelers looking to enjoy more comfort en-route to Europe or New York. A one way trip can be booked for as low as 2,500$ USD.

If you are explicitly looking for high end luxury you might want to look at some legacy carriers that offer a more luxurious onboard and ground experience.