(Feature photo: thanks Seth Miller from PaxEx.aero, and check out his firsthand review of one of these flights)
Sometimes, low-cost airlines adopt planes from full-service carriers with business class cabins, and market their front cabin with flat beds as premium economy. At other times, low-cost airlines have aggressive fare deals for their premium cabins.
In the case of Spanish airline LEVEL, both of these things have happened together. For that reason, it’s possible to fly one-way from New York to London in a flat bed for £365, and I wanted to highlight that deal.
LEVEL offering £335 one-way fares from New York to London
Spanish airline LEVEL, part of the IAG group (which owns British Airways and Iberia), is offering £365 fares in premium economy between New York and London via Barcelona. This is approximately the same as what Norse Atlantic charges, so while it’s an attractive fare, I wouldn’t consider a £365 premium economy fare to be dirt cheap.
However, while the Barcelona-New York flight is operated by an A330, you’ll reach a 2-2 configuration when you get to seat selection. This doesn’t seem right, given that the A330 has two aisles.
Turns out that in late 2023, LEVEL inherited two ex-Virgin Australia A330s, and is selling their forward cabin with lie-flat seats as premium economy. Selecting a seat costs $37 (£28 – hear that, British Airways?), and that would’ve taken my total to $480, or £363. These aren’t just flat beds either – they’re reverse herringbone seats with direct aisle access, very similar to what you’ll find in business class on some great carriers (these are Super Diamond seats, for anyone particularly interested).
LEVEL A330 Premium Economy (thanks PaxEx.aero)
Flights from London to New York run slightly more expensive at £449, thanks to the APD tax. Roundtrips go for £749 according to Google Flights, and are bookable on LEVEL (or for slightly more expensive on Iberia) – just turn your ad blocker off, as LEVEL otherwise won’t let you go through to the payment page. You can dodge the APD and book straight out out of Barcelona for £394, though unless you get a great deal on a flight from London to Barcelona, I don’t think you’ll actually save enough to warrant flying out of a different airport.
These fares also go in and out of Boston. Similarly, you can also fly from London to Los Angeles or San Francisco via Barcelona, though that runs slightly more expensive in my experience (the eastbound flight in particular is going for £700-£750 one-way).
Here’s a video from someone who managed to bag one of these seats between Barcelona and Boston:
If you’re wondering, the London to Barcelona flight is operated by Vueling (I’ve flown them on this exact route – they’re not comfortable, though well worth the two hours of discomfort for a night in a flat bed).
Do note that LEVEL also has A330s with a more “standard” premium economy product, and these are specific to flights between Barcelona and New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Airline operations and logistics is so fun
It’s so fun that a Virgin Australia plane delivered to an Australian carrier in 2012 (and refurbished in 2015) would’ve been passed across airlines in Israel, Suriname, and Cyprus, and finally to Spanish airline LEVEL, only to have them operate Virgin Australia’s reverse herringbone business class cabin as premium economy.
In this case, the passenger benefits, as a premium economy passenger on a low-cost airline gets a lie-flat seat across the Atlantic for less than £350 one-way. However, I generally just find the operations of leasing and selling aircraft to be so interesting, and it’s one of the reasons why I love the industry so much.
This Virgin Australia A330 now flies for a Spanish airline, and Virgin Australia’s beautiful business class cabin now serves premium economy passengers?
Conclusion
LEVEL is offering £350-450 flights per way (depending on whether you’re coming out of London or New York) in a flat bed on a transatlantic flight. While the fare itself is a good reason to consider booking a trip to the U.S., more so this reminds me why I love the aviation industry so much, as its operational complexities allow for a lot of hidden gems from a passenger’s perspective.
