After a tremendous six nights in Paris, it was time to fly again house. Whereas we loved flying Lufthansa first-class by way of Frankfurt on the outbound, for the return we determined to simply e book essentially the most direct routing, from Paris to Miami on Air France.
How I booked our Air France enterprise class tickets
We lucked out, as a result of for our return journey, the Air France-KLM Flying Blue program had nonstop enterprise class award house from Paris to Miami for simply 55,000 miles on the next flight:
10/18 AF90 Paris to Miami departing 1:45PM arriving 5:15PM
Better of all, I had transfered some Amex Membership Rewards factors to Flying Blue in September when there was a 25% switch bonus, so in actuality I paid simply 44,000 Amex factors per individual for the transatlantic flight.
Taxes and costs totaled $375 per individual. France has fairly excessive aviation taxes, so there have been round $190 in service imposed surcharges and $185 in taxes and airport charges.
I’d say that’s fairly a deal! I are inclined to suppose the Flying Blue program is underrated for transatlantic enterprise class redemptions:
- Air France & KLM have considerably decrease service imposed surcharges than British Airways
- The Flying Blue program has entry to a lot extra enterprise class award availability than accomplice packages, and that doesn’t even account for Delta SkyMiles’ outrageous award pricing
- Whereas Lufthansa typically has good enterprise class award availability, the enterprise class expertise leaves a bit to be desired
- Air France-KLM has the next share of enterprise class award seats with direct aisle entry than IAG and Lufthansa Group
Once we booked, our flight was speculated to be operated by an Airbus A350-900. Nevertheless, a couple of week earlier than our flight the plane sort was swapped to a Boeing 777-200. Whereas the planes have various kinds of enterprise class seats (learn my Air France A350 enterprise class assessment & my Air France 777 enterprise class assessment), I don’t have a robust choice a technique or one other, apart from typically preferring the A350 as a aircraft.
With that out of the way in which, let’s get into the assessment. I didn’t find yourself reviewing the enterprise class lounge, so we’ll begin off as soon as onboard the airplane.
Air France Boeing 777-200 enterprise class cabin & seats
Air France’s Boeing 777-200s are in a 3 cabin format, with enterprise class, premium economic system, and economic system. Enterprise class has 40 seats — this features a ahead cabin, consisting of 28 seats, unfold throughout seven rows in a 1-2-1 configuration.
Then there’s additionally a rear mini-cabin with simply 12 seats, unfold throughout three rows. I assigned us seats 12E & 12F, the 2 heart seats within the final row of enterprise class. It’s attention-grabbing to notice that the ahead enterprise class cabin was nearly fully full (transatlantic flights are beginning to replenish!), whereas the rear enterprise class cabin had simply 5 folks, together with us.
Air France’s 777s function reverse herringbone seats in enterprise class. These aren’t innovative anymore, however they’re properly maintained, and intensely comfy.
As we settled into our heart seats, there was a partition between the seats. This partition couldn’t simply be pushed down, however reasonably it could possibly be eliminated fully, after which the flight attendants retailer it within the overhead bin. I fairly like this method, because it offers you about as a lot privateness as you may get in a middle seat, must you be touring alone.
Subsequent to the seat was a storage console with a mirror, an leisure controller, and a studying gentle.
Beneath that have been the simple to make use of seat controls.
The tray desk additionally slid out from the precise facet of the seat. It could possibly be folded in half, must you not want the entire thing.
On the very backside proper of the seat have been energy shops (110v and USB), a literature pocket, and a bottle of water.
I admire that the footwells in these seats have a great quantity of house, so that you shouldn’t really feel too constrained when the seat is reclined.
My solely actual frustration with the cabin format was the shortage of particular person air nozzles, which is a typical drawback amongst European airways.
Air France enterprise class facilities
Ready at every seat upon boarding was a coat hanger in addition to a packaged blanket and pillow.
The pillow and blanket aren’t innovative, however are stable — they’re properly cushioned with out feeling too heat.
There have been additionally noise canceling headphones at our seats.
Moments after settling in, we have been provided a journey security equipment, together with face masks and hand sanitizer.
We have been then provided amenity kits, with the selection of both a beige or blue equipment.
The contents of the kits are the identical, and so they embody eyeshades, socks, earplugs, a pen, a shoehorn, a cleansing material, a dental equipment, and two lotions from Clarins.
We have been additionally provided pre-departure drinks, and we each had champagne.
Shortly earlier than pushback we have been additionally offered with the menus for our 9hr15min flight, which included lunch after takeoff, and a snack previous to touchdown.
Air France enterprise class lunch service
The crew rapidly sprung into motion after takeoff, and the lunch service began inside half-hour. The lunch menu learn as follows:
The drink record learn as follows:
Drinks have been served off a cart. I ordered a glass of champagne — Cuvee Royale Brut Joseph Perrier was on provide, and it was fairly good. I additionally requested for some nonetheless water, and was provided a bundle with cashews and cranberries.
About quarter-hour later a cart was rolled down the aisle with the primary course. This included greens marinated in olive oil and dill, smoked salmon with lemon cream, a salad, and a number of bread.
For the principle course I ordered the pollock with seaweed, lovage sauce, and camargue purple rice, spinach, and fennel compote. Whereas the presentation left a bit to be desired (between the overall plating and the aluminum ramekin), the dish was extremely flavorful, and tasted wonderful.
Ford ordered the poultry with smoked black tea, and pea royale soup with ginger and lemon. Ford additionally loved this dish.
As soon as major programs have been cleared, a dessert trolley was rolled down the aisle. Everybody was provided a cheese plate, after which there was the selection of both a raspberry cream puff, opera cake, and tarte tatin, or ice cream and sorbet. I had the previous. I additionally ordered a cup of espresso.
The complete meal service was accomplished about two hours after takeoff. A couple of basic ideas:
- I’m completely satisfied that Air France has roughly resumed the usual pre-coronavirus enterprise class service, not like airways in the USA
- The precise style of the meals was superb, I assumed
- There’s room for enchancment in terms of presentation, particularly in terms of the plating of dishes
Air France enterprise class leisure & Wi-Fi
We have been touring on a Monday, so for me this was a typical work day. All Air France A350s have Wi-Fi, whereas just some 777s do. Happily we lucked out, and our Air France 777 was geared up with Wi-Fi. Some time again Air France eradicated knowledge caps on Wi-Fi plans, which I very a lot admire.
Wi-Fi for the whole flight value 30 EUR, with the “streaming” operate. Whereas that’s not low cost, it’s a completely affordable worth to pay as a way to be productive for a flight this lengthy. The Wi-Fi speeds have been wonderful, and I used to be roughly capable of work simply as effectively as at house. There have been no protection gaps, except the final 45 minutes earlier than touchdown.
Whereas I didn’t use it a complete lot, Air France additionally has a stable number of audio and video on demand, with dozens of films and TV exhibits.
As an alternative I simply saved the transferring map on for the whole flight.
Air France enterprise class mattress
Whereas I didn’t sleep on this flight, I did recline the seat and check it out, and it was as comfy as you’d anticipate for a reverse herringbone seat. I appreciated the dimensions of the footwell, and didn’t discover it felt tight in any respect.
Ford slept nearly the whole time between the 2 meals, so I suppose that’s an endorsement of the seat consolation.
Air France enterprise class bathrooms
The Air France 777-200 has bathrooms each on the very entrance of the cabin, in addition to by the second set of doorways, forward of the mini-cabin. Utilizing the ahead toilet is mostly preferable, because it’s a lot bigger. That’s as a result of this is similar lavatory Air France used to have again when these planes had first-class, so it was deliberately larger on the time.
Air France enterprise class service & snacks
The flight attendants working enterprise class have been pretty — they have been pleasant, attentive, and charming. They offered nice service in the course of the meals, and likewise handed by means of the cabin periodically to supply snacks & drinks.
Since I used to be working and all of the window shades have been closed, I wanted some caffeine to remain awake. Across the midway level of the flight I ordered an espresso, which was nice.
Later within the flight I made the error of ordering a cappuccino. I actually don’t be taught from my errors, as a result of Air France serves powdered cappuccinos, which aren’t superb.
Within the heart galley there was additionally just a little bar setup, with self-serve drinks and snacks.
Air France enterprise class snack service
Round 75 minutes earlier than touchdown, the pre-arrival snack was served.
The menu learn as follows:
All meals included a starter of quinoa salad with asparagus and curd cheese with ginger. Then there have been two major course decisions. I chosen the hake fillet with lemongrass sauce and creamy black rice. Whereas the presentation wasn’t wonderful, it tasted good. This was served with a bread roll in addition to plain yogurt.
Ford had the opposite major course possibility, which was penne pasta with goat cheese and lemon.
quarter-hour after trays have been cleared we began our descent. We ended touchdown at round 5:40PM, and attending to the gate about 5 minutes after that, roughly half-hour delayed (that was resulting from sturdy headwinds). What a straightforward solution to cross the Atlantic!
Backside line
It’s good to see transatlantic flights returning again to regular, each when it comes to being fairly full, and likewise when it comes to as soon as once more providing full service. Air France affords a stable transatlantic enterprise class product, with nice seats and Wi-Fi, and good facilities, meals, and repair.
I’ll take it a step additional — I feel among the many “large three” European international mega-airline teams, Air France-KLM affords the throughout finest enterprise class expertise. Within the case of Lufthansa Group, Lufthansa doesn’t actually have a single aircraft with direct aisle entry from each enterprise class seat. Within the case of IAG, British Airways has come a great distance, however continues to be an extended methods from having Membership Suites as the usual enterprise class product.
Should you’ve flown Air France enterprise class, what was your expertise like?