BA launches luxury flights

London - British Airways is launching its pricey new business class service between London and New York.

The first flight takes off at 12:50 p.m. on Tuesday from London City airport, which was chosen because it is close to the financial district.

Return fares start at £1 999.60 ($3,172), and rise to £5 326.60 for a fully flexible return.

The flight to New York includes a stop at Shannon in western Ireland, because the 32-bed Airbus A318 can't carry enough fuel to cross the Atlantic against the prevailing winds. There is no Shannon stop on the flight to London.

BA is jumping into a tough market. In recent years, attempts by Silverjet, MAXjet and EOS to run business-only services to the US all flopped.

- AP