Our London trip is over (sigh). We flew over and back on MaxJet--and we really enjoyed the flights. Here's a quick report on MaxJet:

After you check-in at JFK's terminal 1, you are directed to the Korean Air first class lounge. It was nice. Free drinks and snacks and a pleasant place to sit while waiting for the plane.

The plane, a 767 with only 100 or so seats, is roomy. The seats are what I've had in business class on other airlines. They don't go completely flat, but have plenty of legroom. On the flight over, the plane didn't have individual nozzles to control the airflow and I thought the plane was too stuffy (and had trouble sleeping as a result). The flight home was better because the plane did have individual controls.

Before the plane takes off, the Flight Ambassadors (FAs) come around with champagne and canapes. The food was uneven on the way over: my mom & I had both had steaks. Mine was very good; hers was overcooked and tough. Breakfast was an inedible omlette and turkey sausages. Food was better coming home. The wine on both flights was very good (selections for the "old world" and "new world"--2 whites, 2 reds, and champagne).

At JFK we boarded the plane on time, but spent about an hour in the line to take over. MaxJet flies in and out of Stansted Airport. We hired a car to take us to/from our flat in London (80 pounds)and it took about an hour.

Since the flight was supposed to leave Stansted at 10AM on Friday, we spent Thursday night at the adjoining Raddison hotel. (Good pizza in their Italian restaurant. Uncomfortable room due to air conditioning that didn't work right and windows that wouldn't open). We left Stansted about an hour and a half late, but the pilots made up the time and we were only half an hour late getting into JFK. The MaxJet lounge at Stansted was next to the gate. Very comfy. All kinds of drinks and breakfast snacks. Later on, they had little sandwiches.

My luggage arrived in England with sever damage. The crew helped me file a claim--we'll see what MaxJet does.

Check-in lines aren't long and it goes fast. In Stansted, we went through the "fast track" security in a few minutes. Landing at JFK's terminal 1 means you get through customs fast and don't wait long for the luggage.

Finally, our flights were lucky for us. On the way out, they held a random drawing for a free roundtrip--and my mom won. On they way back, they had a random drawing for a bottle of wine--and I was one of the two winners.

The bottom line: if you want a more civilized way to fly, MaxJet's for you. They are charging $1500 for a roundtrip ticket, but watch for sales--I was able to take advantage of a 1/2 price sale.

I was so pleased, Sharon, to read your post.
We're booked on MaxJet from Dulles next month, and I had been checking Flyer Talk to see what travelers said about MaxJet...nothing there, so glad to hear from you!
Happy travels-
Anne

Anne,
I think you'll enjoy your MaxJet flight. I think they have a great concept and I hope they survive! Let me know how your trip goes.
Sharon

What a wonderful experience this new airline has been, at every stage, from check-in to the flight itself.
I'm sitting in Maxjet's new London-Stansted lounge, after having a stress-free (how rare is THAT??) quick check-in, going through the fast-track security check (courtesy of Maxjet), then a choice of breakfast and lunch goodies, with my drink of choice, a mimosa.
The flight over was excellent as well. The whole process at Washington's Dulles airport gave both my husband and me, who fly long distance almost monthly, and frequently busines s class, an old-fashioned feeling of excitement and pleasure, like when we flew as children and it was an adventure. Each person was a pleasure to deal with, seeming truly happy to take care of us. The flight was so comfortable that we both found it easy to sleep,the food excellent, and the choice of 20 movies and more on the personal video player entertaining.
We'd love to fly Maxjet for EVERY flight! And we wish them a long and succesful life
Happy travels-
Anne

Thanks for sharing - I have been intrigued since I first heard of them. I'll never have the money to fly true biz class and I can't bear to hoard my miles long enough to do another free one either. This may be the way to go!