In today’s Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Scott McCartney describes new single-class start-ups Silverjet and L’Avion, from the U.K. and France respectively. These airlines offer certain first-class privileges on the ground: express security checkpoints and a private lounge with showers, food and meeting areas. In the air, the experience is a cross between business-class seats and coach-plus: food, service, amenities are satisfactory but unremarkable. Each start-up has a single aircraft, but expects to acquire new planes shortly.

This interesting hybrid comes at a substantial cost discount to first-class and business-class from traditional airlines -- as low as $1,500 per round trip.

Helium Report has followed single-class providers like EOS and Maxjet and our previous coverage has centered on the unique in-flight benefits of these providers. These newer entrants highlight something else: the importance of the ground experience. Silverjet offers free chauffeur rides or valet parking and will meet you curbside to take your luggage. They’ll send you off to the lounge while they handle checking you and your luggage in. With this focus and attention, they claim that passengers need arrive no more than thirty minutes prior to departure.

In preparing our Decision Guide to Private Jet Travel, we learned that many private flyers prefer the privacy, serenity and personal attention of private terminals as much as the private jet itself. For those who can’t always justify private or first-class trans-oceanic flight, these new providers are worth considering.