East Coast residents will soon have a new, economical option for travel to Paris.
French bee will begin flights later this month between Newark Liberty International Airport and Paris Orly Airport with airfares as low as $139 each way.
The discount airline will fly the route three times a week starting July 15, with plans to increase to four times a week starting sometime in August.
“Paris is an attractive and highly sought-after destination for U.S. travelers, especially as EU borders have reopened to U.S. residents this summer,” French bee CEO Marc Rochet said in a statement (PDF). “We are looking forward to opening this route and allowing our passengers to discover or rediscover the City of Lights.”
Launched in 2016 as French Blue, the airline changed its name a year later and began flying a limited schedule. Its U.S. routes currently include flights between San Francisco and Paris, and San Francisco and Tahiti.
Rochet said the $139 price tag will be an attractive factor in getting passengers for the new flights.
“Being the first affordable nonstop route option from Newark to Paris-Orly, we are convinced price remains a decisive factor,” Rochet said. “Thanks to our model and the unrivaled performance of our A350-900 fleet, we are able to offer flights at extremely competitive prices and always in optimal comfort conditions.”
The 7 hour, 25-minute flights will leave from Newark at 10:55 p.m., arriving just after noon Paris time. Return flights depart Paris at 6:45 p.m. and arrive in New Jersey around 9 p.m.
Passengers can select from a menu of add-ons for their flights, including four levels of Wi-Fi service and six meal options. They can also bundle train fare for SNCF, the French national railway operator, to get from the airport to a number of destinations in Paris and beyond.
The New York-Paris market is crowded, with dozens of airlines offering the route, including mainstays like United, Delta, American, British, Virgin Atlantic, SAS, Lufthansa, and more. But French bee has by far the lowest fares, which also include a free carry-on up to 26 pounds.
“We are ready to meet the competitive challenge of this New York-Paris route,” Rochet said.
