Review of Air France Houston to Paris Business Class
Afterward an amazing half-dozen nights in Paris, information technology was time to fly dorsum home. While we enjoyed flying Lufthansa first class via Frankfurt on the outbound, for the return nosotros decided to just book the most straight routing, from Paris to Miami on Air France.
How I booked our Air France business course tickets
We lucked out, because for our return journeying, the Air French republic-KLM Flying Blue programme had nonstop business form accolade space from Paris to Miami for but 55,000 miles on the post-obit flight:
x/xviii AF90 Paris to Miami parting 1:45PM arriving 5:15PM
Best of all, I had transfered some Amex Membership Rewards points to Flying Blue in September when there was a 25% transfer bonus, then in reality I paid simply 44,000 Amex points per person for the transatlantic flight.
Taxes and fees totaled $375 per person. France has pretty loftier aviation taxes, so there were around $190 in carrier imposed surcharges and $185 in taxes and drome fees.
I'd say that's quite a deal! I tend to remember the Flying Blue program is underrated for transatlantic business organisation class redemptions:
- Air France & KLM have significantly lower carrier imposed surcharges than British Airways
- The Flying Blue program has access to then much more business class honour availability than partner programs, and that doesn't even account for Delta SkyMiles' outrageous honor pricing
- While Lufthansa generally has good concern class award availability, the business organisation class experience leaves a bit to be desired
- Air France-KLM has a higher percentage of business class accolade seats with direct aisle admission than IAG and Lufthansa Grouping
When we booked, our flying was supposed to be operated past an Airbus A350-900. Nonetheless, about a week before our flying the aircraft type was swapped to a Boeing 777-200. While the planes have dissimilar types of business organization course seats (read my Air French republic A350 business organisation form review & my Air France 777 business class review), I don't have a strong preference ane way or another, other than generally preferring the A350 equally a aeroplane.
With that out of the way, let's get into the review. I didn't stop up reviewing the business class lounge, so we'll start off in one case onboard the airplane.
Air France Boeing 777-200 business course motel & seats
Air France's Boeing 777-200s are in a three cabin layout, with concern course, premium economy, and economic system. Business class has forty seats — this includes a forward cabin, consisting of 28 seats, spread across seven rows in a one-two-1 configuration.
And then there's also a rear mini-motel with just 12 seats, spread beyond three rows. I assigned us seats 12E & 12F, the two heart seats in the last row of business organisation class. Information technology'southward interesting to notation that the forward business class cabin was nigh completely full (transatlantic flights are starting to make full!), while the rear business class cabin had just five people, including us.
Air France'southward 777s feature reverse herringbone seats in business class. These aren't cutting edge anymore, but they're well maintained, and extremely comfortable.
As we settled into our centre seats, there was a division between the seats. This sectionalisation couldn't merely be pushed down, but rather it could be removed completely, and then the flight attendants store it in the overhead bin. I quite like this arrangement, since information technology gives you about as much privacy as you tin get in a eye seat, should you be traveling alone.
Adjacent to the seat was a storage console with a mirror, an amusement controller, and a reading light.
Underneath that were the easy to use seat controls.
The tray table as well slid out from the right side of the seat. It could be folded in half, should you not need the whole thing.
At the very bottom right of the seat were power outlets (110v and USB), a literature pocket, and a bottle of h2o.
I appreciate that the footwells in these seats take a proficient amount of space, so you shouldn't feel as well constrained when the seat is reclined.
My only real frustration with the motel layout was the lack of individual air nozzles, which is a common trouble amidst European airlines.
Air French republic business organisation class amenities
Waiting at each seat upon boarding was a coat hanger as well as a packaged blanket and pillow.
The pillow and blanket aren't cutting edge, but are solid — they're well cushioned without feeling besides warm.
At that place were also noise canceling headphones at our seats.
Moments afterwards settling in, we were offered a travel safety kit, including face masks and paw sanitizer.
Nosotros were then offered amenity kits, with the choice of either a biscuit or blue kit.
The contents of the kits are the same, and they include eyeshades, socks, earplugs, a pen, a shoehorn, a cleaning material, a dental kit, and ii creams from Clarins.
Nosotros were also offered pre-departure drinks, and nosotros both had champagne.
Shortly earlier pushback we were also presented with the menus for our 9hr15min flight, which included lunch after takeoff, and a snack prior to landing.
Air French republic business class tiffin service
The coiffure chop-chop sprang into activity later on takeoff, and the dejeuner service started inside 30 minutes. The dejeuner menu read every bit follows:
The drink list read equally follows:
Drinks were served off a cart. I ordered a glass of champagne — Cuvee Royale Brut Joseph Perrier was on offer, and information technology was quite expert. I also asked for some still water, and was offered a package with cashews and cranberries.
Nigh 15 minutes later a cart was rolled down the aisle with the first class. This included vegetables marinated in olive oil and dill, smoked salmon with lemon cream, a salad, and a selection of bread.
For the main course I ordered the pollock with seaweed, lovage sauce, and camargue red rice, spinach, and fennel compote. While the presentation left a bit to exist desired (between the general plating and the aluminum ramekin), the dish was incredibly flavorful, and tasted excellent.
Ford ordered the poultry with smoked black tea, and pea royale soup with ginger and lemon. Ford also enjoyed this dish.
Once main courses were cleared, a dessert trolley was rolled down the aisle. Anybody was offered a cheese plate, and then in that location was the choice of either a raspberry foam puff, opera cake, and tarte tatin, or ice foam and sorbet. I had the sometime. I also ordered a cup of java.
The entire meal service was completed about 2 hours after takeoff. A few full general thoughts:
- I'1000 happy that Air France has more or less resumed the standard pre-coronavirus business form service, unlike airlines in the United States
- The actual taste of the nutrient was very good, I idea
- There's room for comeback when it comes to presentation, especially when it comes to the plating of dishes
Air France business class entertainment & Wi-Fi
We were traveling on a Monday, so for me this was a standard work mean solar day. All Air French republic A350s take Wi-Fi, while only some 777s exercise. Fortunately nosotros lucked out, and our Air France 777 was equipped with Wi-Fi. A while dorsum Air French republic eliminated information caps on Wi-Fi plans, which I very much appreciate.
Wi-Fi for the entire flight cost xxx EUR, with the "streaming" role. While that's not cheap, it'southward a totally reasonable price to pay in order to exist productive for a flight this long. The Wi-Fi speeds were excellent, and I was more or less able to piece of work simply equally efficiently equally at dwelling. There were no coverage gaps, with the exception of the last 45 minutes earlier landing.
While I didn't use information technology a whole lot, Air France too has a solid pick of audio and video on demand, with dozens of movies and Tv set shows.
Instead I just kept the moving map on for the entire flying.
Air France business concern form bed
While I didn't sleep on this flight, I did recline the seat and exam it out, and information technology was as comfortable as you'd expect for a reverse herringbone seat. I appreciated the size of the footwell, and didn't find it felt tight at all.
Ford slept almost the entire fourth dimension betwixt the two meals, so I guess that's an endorsement of the seat comfort.
Air France business class lavatories
The Air France 777-200 has lavatories both at the very front of the cabin, besides equally by the second set of doors, alee of the mini-motel. Using the forrard lavatory is mostly preferable, as it's much larger. That's considering this is the same bathroom Air France used to have back when these planes had first class, so it was intentionally bigger at the time.
Air France business concern class service & snacks
The flight attendants working business class were lovely — they were friendly, circumspect, and mannerly. They provided great service during the meals, and too passed through the cabin periodically to offer snacks & drinks.
Since I was working and all the window shades were closed, I needed some caffeine to stay awake. Around the halfway point of the flight I ordered an espresso, which was bang-up.
Later in the flight I fabricated the mistake of ordering a cappuccino. I really don't larn from my mistakes, considering Air France serves powdered cappuccinos, which aren't very practiced.
In the heart galley there was as well a little bar setup, with cocky-serve drinks and snacks.
Air France business form snack service
Effectually 75 minutes earlier landing, the pre-inflow snack was served.
The menu read as follows:
All meals included a starter of quinoa salad with asparagus and curd cheese with ginger. And then there were two main course choices. I selected the hake fillet with lemongrass sauce and creamy black rice. While the presentation wasn't amazing, it tasted good. This was served with a bread curlicue besides as apparently yogurt.
Ford had the other main form option, which was penne pasta with caprine animal cheese and lemon.
15 minutes after trays were cleared we started our descent. We ended landing at effectually five:40PM, and getting to the gate about five minutes afterwards that, roughly thirty minutes backside schedule (that was due to potent headwinds). What an easy way to cantankerous the Atlantic!
Bottom line
It'due south overnice to encounter transatlantic flights returning back to normal, both in terms of existence pretty full, and likewise in terms of again offering total service. Air French republic offers a solid transatlantic business class product, with great seats and Wi-Fi, and expert amenities, food, and service.
I'll take it a step farther — I think among the "big iii" European global mega-airline groups, Air France-KLM offers the all effectually all-time business organization class experience. In the example of Lufthansa Grouping, Lufthansa doesn't even accept a single plane with direct aisle access from every business class seat. In the example of IAG, British Airways has come a long style, but is still a long ways from having Lodge Suites as the standard business organisation class production.
If yous've flown Air France business organization class, what was your experience like?
Source: https://onemileatatime.com/reviews/air-france-777-business-class/
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