On Milan-New York daily connections and sold out flights. La Compagnie's golden summer (thanks in part to ITA).
'Sold out. Sold out'. Sold out'. Scanning the La Compagnie website for departure dates from Milan Malpensa to New York [...]
La Compagnie
MXP
United States of America
'Sold out. Sold out'. Out of stock. Scrolling through the website of La Compagnie the departure dates from Milan Malpensa to New York Newark in September, one often comes across this word. Could it be, one wonders, that of the 76 Business Class seats on board the A321-LR, there is not one vacant?
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"That's exactly right," replied the La Compagnie sales manager for Italy, Maurizio Vieri. "September is gone and it's literally going gangbusters. Considering only the last few days, we have sold out on the 15th, 16th, 21st and 22nd of the month, and will be the same on September 23, 29 and 30 and October 1. This, despite the fact that, for the first time since the flight to Milan was established, the daily frequency of the Milan-New York connection was introduced."
As in Paris?
"Exactly, although from Milan the flight is 7 times a week only between September 15 and 30. While in the first half of the month the frequency had been 6 flights a week, the same as we will keep in October and November as well."
Did you expect a similar spike in demand just two and a half years after the route was launched?
"For us, September has always been a golden month, because a still very strong leisure component is flanked by business. But never more than this year, when, having already seen weeks ago the magnitude of demand for September, we decided to take the plunge into daily flying. And the numbers are rewarding us."
To make so much space in Milan you will have 'sacrificed' Nice...
"On Nice we went from three weekly frequencies in summer 2023 to 1-2 frequencies this late summer 2024, with the flight operating in both directions via Paris."
Is the traffic still shifted mostly to American travelers?
"Yes, because we on the area of New York we have been present for ten years and are a well-known and recognized brand. In contrast, on Italy we started in April 2022. But if in the first year of operations on Malpensa Americans were 80% of our customers compared to 20% of Italians, today we have moved to a more balanced 65% of Americans and 35% of Italians."
Are there also reasons related to affordability?
"Certainly. But not only that. We have noticed that Americans generally book our flights well in advance, even more than six months before the departure date. And in this way they are able to access our best fares, which are really competitive with those of our competitors, if we think that our starting price is 1,500 euros round trip."
Wanting to advise the traveler, how far in advance should one book to find such a rate or slightly higher?
"For June 2025, one needs to move between January and February. To book on an off-season date instead, three months in advance may be enough."
Going back to the 'competition' mentioned earlier, to what extent has ITA Airways' stop on Milan-New York favored you?
"Well, ITA did not have a huge Business cabin on the A330-200s they operated with. I think it was 20 seats. But the effect of the stop of his flights to New York was felt, especially among corporate clients of small and medium-sized companies in northern Italy, who perhaps had been flying their managers for years with Alitalia first and ITA later, also for reasons of loyalty program, and as they lacked the airline of reference they looked around and found from us a high-level product and competitive fares, because it is clear that having a 76-seat Business cabin allows you to spread the costs a lot and this is reflected in ticket prices."
How are business and leisure traffic today broken down on your flights from Milan?
"Over the year, we are on the 50-50 side. SMEs have gotten to know us. And we do everything we can to customize their flying experience, such as letting our most loyal customers have the next seat free whenever there is a chance, that is, when the plane is not full."
If you had to identify the highlights of the onboarding experience?
"Definitely I would say the food and wine offerings and the wi-fi. But in reality, the boutique airline concept also translates to the airport, well before boarding, with check-in remaining open up to 50 minutes before flight departure and boarding beginning just twenty minutes before takeoff if the plane is not full. In addition to this, several customers have been very impressed with the speed of boarding and disembarking from the aircraft."
What are you working on to make the product even better?
"We are working to enrich and even diversify in-flight entertainment, as we did recently with an interactive exhibition of modern art that our passengers could enjoy on their screens. But in the meantime, at Newark Airport, we now have a lounge of our own, with a personalized a la carte La Compagnie menu dedicated to passengers who prefer to dine before boarding and maximize their sleep time."
What are your plans for the now upcoming Winter and Summer 2025 in terms of frequencies between Milan and NY?
"As I said, we will keep the 6 weekly frequencies throughout October and all of November. In December we will have 5 or 6 and then go down to 3-4 during January and February. Then, from March to August we will go back up to 5-6. At the moment, reservations are open until August 31, 2025."
And then in 2026 the third plane will arrive....
"Correct, although this will actually happen in two years because delivery is scheduled for September 2026."
What model of A321neo will it be, an -LR or an -XLR?
"It will be an -LR, like the two we already have. A fourth aircraft is also planned, but delivery dates for that have not yet been announced."
Is it fantasy to think that in the future a second Italian market could stand alongside Milan?
"It's too early to say, although there are destinations in Italy that are very popular with American travelers -- I'm thinking of Venice, for example. In any case, for the network to grow, whether in Italy or elsewhere in Europe or the U.S., we will have to wait for the arrival of the third aircraft in the fleet."
