ZED Aerospace set to disrupt U.S. airlines with AURA

[Crea787]

Came across this new airline called AURA today. Looks really cool and the prices they have on their website are actually affordable, like NYC-Chicago for $380.
Check out their site: flyaura.com

The Private Airline, called AURA, is set to be a key disruptor in the US aviation market. This new service linking Miami, New York, Chicago and other key cities, starting with CRJ700 aircraft, is tailored for corporate and business passengers, and offers leading class service from private jet terminals.

From:
https://www.altitudesmagazine.com/design/yasava-solutions-the-wave-cabin-zed-aerospace/

Thoughts?

 

[jimntx]

Interesting concept, but I don't know about that price schedule. They have 2 Fixed fare schedules--Keyholder First and Keyholder Wave, I think. (Website is not as intuitive as it should be. Couldn't find a hard and fast definition of either schedule. But, I think Wave means includes a meal. In any case LA to Chicago as Keyholder First is $580 not bad if cabin pictures are what the final product will look like. With a meal (Wave) the same flight is $1180. $600 for an airplane meal is a little on the steep side to my thinking.

Oh, and they're not taking reservations at this time. Near as I can tell, it will be sometime in 2019 before they go on sale. Oh, just found what a Keyholder is. To be a keyholder you pay a $700 initiation fee plus $250 monthly membership fee.. So, you're in for almost $1000 upfront and with $3000/yr on that monthly thing in perpetuity, now you can pick whether or not you want that $600 meal on the flight. And, remember the planes are CRJ700s. Fancied up, yes. But, fly an rj from LA to Chicago and pay almost $1200 for just the seat?

I think it may last a year if it ever gets the first flight off the ground. Not judgin'. Just sayin'.

 

[alexlovesplanes]

Interesting concept, but I don't know about that price schedule. They have 2 Fixed fare schedules--Keyholder First and Keyholder Wave, I think. (Website is not as intuitive as it should be. Couldn't find a hard and fast definition of either schedule. But, I think Wave means includes a meal. In any case LA to Chicago as Keyholder First is $580 not bad if cabin pictures are what the final product will look like. With a meal (Wave) the same flight is $1180. $600 for an airplane meal is a little on the steep side to my thinking.

Oh, and they're not taking reservations at this time. Near as I can tell, it will be sometime in 2019 before they go on sale. Oh, just found what a Keyholder is. To be a keyholder you pay a $700 initiation fee plus $250 monthly membership fee.. So, you're in for almost $1000 upfront and with $3000/yr on that monthly thing in perpetuity, now you can pick whether or not you want that $600 meal on the flight. And, remember the planes are CRJ700s. Fancied up, yes. But, fly an rj from LA to Chicago and pay almost $1200 for just the seat?

I think it may last a year if it ever gets the first flight off the ground. Not judgin'. Just sayin'.

Looks like WAVE and FIRST are two different cabins. The website makes it look like Wave is 1-1 config and First is 2-1. Funny that they call the back of the plane First. The Wave cabin sounds like its named after the aianawave seat mentioned on the site.

Regional jets on airlines are awful but they take it down to 29 seats so its way less packed. Don't CRJ700s usually have 75 Y-seats? Fares are damn cheap for the service, thats for sure. I'd pay that just to avoid the commercial airport! Happy they won't charge for alcohol, finally 😉

Yeah it's a risky business. I wish them well. Love what the founder wrote on the site. Young guy.

 

[Crea787]

Interesting concept, but I don't know about that price schedule. They have 2 Fixed fare schedules--Keyholder First and Keyholder Wave, I think. (Website is not as intuitive as it should be. Couldn't find a hard and fast definition of either schedule. But, I think Wave means includes a meal. In any case LA to Chicago as Keyholder First is $580 not bad if cabin pictures are what the final product will look like. With a meal (Wave) the same flight is $1180. $600 for an airplane meal is a little on the steep side to my thinking.

Oh, and they're not taking reservations at this time. Near as I can tell, it will be sometime in 2019 before they go on sale. Oh, just found what a Keyholder is. To be a keyholder you pay a $700 initiation fee plus $250 monthly membership fee.. So, you're in for almost $1000 upfront and with $3000/yr on that monthly thing in perpetuity, now you can pick whether or not you want that $600 meal on the flight. And, remember the planes are CRJ700s. Fancied up, yes. But, fly an rj from LA to Chicago and pay almost $1200 for just the seat?

I think it may last a year if it ever gets the first flight off the ground. Not judgin'. Just sayin'.

Looks like WAVE and FIRST are two different cabins. The website makes it look like Wave is 1-1 config and First is 2-1. Funny that they call the back of the plane First. The Wave cabin sounds like its named after the aianawave seat mentioned on the site.

Regional jets on airlines are awful but they take it down to 29 seats so its way less packed. Don't CRJ700s usually have 75 Y-seats? Fares are damn cheap for the service, thats for sure. I'd pay that just to avoid the commercial airport! Happy they won't charge for alcohol, finally 😉

Yeah it's a risky business. I wish them well. Love what the founder wrote on the site. Young guy.

Yeah, the airline business isn't for the lighthearted. At least someone wants to make it better.

Just did price comparisons with commercial airlines. Last minute trips in first on the legacies from MIA to NYC are even higher than the fares in First on the Aura website by around $100. Great for business travelers but crazy how they are doing this.

 

[jimntx]

Back in the day, shortly after the end of the last Ice Age, airlines frequently had First Class at the back of the airplane, and they made sure that the commoners did not pass the curtain separating the cabins. I once flew an Eastern Airlines flight from Charlotte to Birmingham (1964-1965 timeframe). The fare difference between First and Coach was (believe it or not) $10.00. I was in college then, but I sprang for First Class. It was more like a bar/lounge than a cabin. White leather banquette which curved around the tail of the plane where the cabin was quite narrow. And, some very comfy airplane style seats on each side of the bar which was facing aft at the bulkhead separating First and Coach. Free drinks of course, but no meal. The route was CLT-ATL-BHM. No change of planes!

Even though Aura may have minimal seating to make the a/c more comfortable, the CRJ still has a relatively low ceiling. I have a friend who is 6'5". He once flew the American Eagle rj flight from XNA to LAX. He complained to me for 6 months about the crick in his neck from having to bend down to go to the restroom because of the low ceiling. I pointed out that it was his fault. I had urged him to go XNA-DFW-LAX, and it would have been all AA mainline airplanes. He didn't want to have to change planes at DFW.

Also, I don't know how they are going to carry off the meal preparation and service. As a retired f/a, I can tell you that you can't really cook on an airplane. Microwave ovens are banned by the FAA because of the stray electronic signals they put out. The ovens on an airplane are actually convection ovens. I looked at the meal section of the website. That's some mighty fancy vittles I must say. Cooking steaks to order? I want to see how they manage that. Because for a $600 meal, I want it cooked to perfection, and the asparagus on the side better be cooked perfectly and still warm when served.😀