Like many "nouveaux pauvres," I've become resigned to travelling in the back of the plane, groans Mrs. M. As I was saying to my friend, Penelope, this means I actually don't want to travel as much, by plane that is. I prefer the cheaper and more comfortable option: Eurostar, which gives even economy passengers a degree of comfort. But Eurostar basically limits me to trips to France, which is fine.

I hate long-haul flights in the back and can't afford the front, so I tend to just stay at home. It looks like the airlines might learn from this and start offering 2 for 1 or the half-price specials that other "crunch stricken" industries have come up with. Why not create a rush on discounted seats up front?  As it is, many seats in First are occupied by families of the stewardesses, and so on. I heard a Delta stewardess say that even though her family flies free, they won't travel if they can't go in First!

Now it seems that BA is coming up with an elite, all-business class service from London City Airport to JFK. But at average fares of £3,000 one way, it certainly won't help the likes of me. Still I can dream.

BA001 (a clever twist on the telephone code for the USA) is aimed at corporate customers...how did you guess? Two specially configured Airbus aircraft will be fitted out with only 32 flatbed seats on a plane built to carry 100 passengers in less comfort.

The outward flight has to stop in Shannon as City Airport's runway is too short to handle the trans-Atlantic fuel load. BA has come up with an ingenious idea of clearing passengers through US Customs in Shannon during the stop-over. What a relief for these chosen few. That alone would make the journey a pleasure. And I hear these hand-picked immigration officials are actually polite and friendly. That makes a change!

Before the "bad times," BA flew 11 flights to NY; now there are only 9. EasyJet summed it up this way, "Flying 32 pampered bankers to NY twice a day is a band-aid strategy which will do nothing to address the fundamental collapse of the business-class revenues."

The added bonus is that OnAir offers execs the chance to work while travelling with texts, email and wireless facilities. That's if you're still able to work after pre-lunch champagne, fowl cooked in sauterne and fine wines like Hautes Terrasses Gigondas 2007.

It will be great while it lasts for the lucky few who can afford it. I'll be enjoying Eurostar to Paris again, while the Masters of the Universe luxuriate in the air!