On the Ground: Check in at Terminal B in Newark Liberty began at 5 p.m. for a 7:30 p.m. departure. With four ticket counters dedicated to accommodate a maximum of 90 passengers, the procedure moved quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately the remainder of ground service left much to be desired. Since L’Avion promotes “a new travel standard of exclusive business class service between New York and Paris,” I was surprised that it does not have access to a business class lounge. Instead there is a snack table adjacent to the departure gate where an employee dispenses a minimal assortment of snacks along with beer, soda and bottled water. None of the standard lounge amenities — complimentary wine and spirits, newspapers, magazines,WiFi links and largescreen television — are available. (15/20)

On Board: Upon entering the cabin, a crew of bilingual flight attendants warmly welcomed passengers and directed us to our seats. Prior to departure, “Strangers In The Night” played softly in the background while attendants hustled and bustled up and down the aisle but did not offer to hang coats or to serve a pre-flight beverage.

L’Avion uses a specially configured B757-200 aircraft, with 90 seats instead of the usual 220; each row has two seats — window and aisle — on each side separated by a wide single aisle. There is plenty of legroom as rows are nearly four feet apart. Seats recline at a maximum 140 degree angle. (30/40)

The Experience: Dining was not up to the standard one would expect in business class. There was no menu or wine list, and the two entrees came wrapped in tin foil that was removed just prior to serving. The wine selection was limited to one white and one red. Breakfast, served an hour before landing, consisted of four inuscule slices of fruit, one croissant and a cup of yogurt. In both quantity and quality, L’Avion’s food and service was similar to what one receives in economy class. Onboard entertainment was provided by individual DigEplayers, with eight-inch screens and an adequate choice of movies and music.

While the overall L’Avion experience was disappointing, I believe that many of these shortcomings are due to its start-up status(flights began in January) and will be corrected soon. (30/40)

Total Score: 75/100