While mainstream airlines will sell seats in fare classes promising an increasing degree of comfort and luxury, multiple airlines have tried positioning them as boutique carriers in which every seat is business class.
The biggest success (vacation airline BermudAir eventually abandoned its initial all-business model in favor of cheaper tickets) with this model seen at the moment is that of French boutique airline La Compagnie.
Founded by French businessman and pilot Frantz Yvelin out of Orly Airport in Paris in 2013, the airline operates a fleet of three Airbus A321LR long-rage passenger jets equipped with 76 lie-flat seats each on routes between Newark Liberty and Paris, Nice and Milan.
La Compagnie to launch new service to Düsseldorf, add third A321neo plane
While a round-trip ticket will start at approximately $3,500, the model of leaning into “French style” and a more luxurious way to travel to these European cities quickly found their market amid wealthier Europe-bound Americans given that it is slightly lower than business class on a mainstream airline.
This week, the airline announced that it will add a fourth European city to its network that is made possible by adding a third Airbus A321neo long-range plane to its fleet.
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The capital of Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia region was chosen due to the large number of business travelers to the economic hub that is the home of major global corporations like ThyssenKrupp, Henkel and Vodafone Germany.
According to the numbers that pushed La Compagnie to launch the route, over 24,000 international companies and 1,700 U.S. companies have bases in the wider Düsseldorf area while La Compagnie is also betting on summer tourism to a region of Germany known for its historic towns, castles and vineyards.
La Compagnie CEO Christian Vernet calls flights to Düsseldorf a “natural next chapter”
“Düsseldorf represents a natural next chapter in La Compagnie’s development,” President and CEO Christian Vernet said in a statement. “At the heart of one of Europe’s most dynamic economic regions, with strong international businesses and longstanding ties to the United States, North Rhine-Westphalia is well suited to our unique all-business-class model. We look forward to welcoming travelers from the region on board, while also offering our American clientele a new and convenient gateway to Germany.”
The first flight has been set for April 27 while tickets are already available on the La Compagnie website. La Compagnie will take delivery of the new A321neo aircraft at some point prior to the launch in early 2027; it will also have the same configuration of 76 lie-flat seats in a two-two layout.
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The flight between New York and Düsseldorf will run five times a week during the summer season as uptake during the first season determines whether the route will be returned or expanded into year-round service in the coming years.
La Compagnie will also take delivery of an Airbus A321XLR at some point 2028 as it teases future expansion to other European destinations permitted by the new aircraft.
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