The food was the highlight of the premium economy experience. We also had a pretty big selection for beverages including an … However, it would also be unethical to hide the fact that this was not a comfortable flight. Hanging at each seat was a pair of noise-canceling headphones. A review by The Points Guy mentions the same thing: “I would nearly consider Air France’s premium-economy seat less comfortable than an economy seat.”. The aircraft was delivered to the airline in 2009 and it’s powered by two General Electric GE90 engines. If you’re lucky, you’d need just 57,500 miles to fly in business, only a 12,000-mile difference from premium economy, and that gets you a fully flat bed, elevated food and service and more. His strong relationships with Middle Eastern and Canadian airlines make him an asset to the team. Discover our best offers from New York to Paris and from other US cities and get all the comfort you need traveling in our Premium Economy class Air France USA - Premium Economy class offers Show the content of the page Open menu menu Hopefully you haven't departed, and will benefit from this information. Boarding was painless, especially as a Skyteam Elite Plus member. Taxes and fees were paid for with the The Platinum Card® from American Express, which earns 5x points on airfare purchased directly from the airlines. The amenities kit provided was a surprise. I sat in the last row (only 3 rows), and what I … See, considering the amount of variability the new award prices have, fully flat bed, elevated food and service and more, 25% bonus when transferring points to Flying Blue, stretch your hard-earned points even further, premium-economy products serve fresh fruit and meat, introduce Wi-Fi on the bulk of their aircraft, Jordan Aviation could launch US flights with a former Emirates plane, You can now add select Chase business cards to Apple Pay, Indonesian 737-500 disappears with more than 60 people onboard, Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, Starwood Preferred Guest: 1:1 (if you transfer 20,000 Starpoints, you’ll receive a 5,000-mile bonus). In conclusion, if you’re debating spending the extra money to fly premium economy with Air France, you should really take this into consideration. Air France spent a lot of money on these seats but it is hard to believe the decision makers tried to sleep in the seats. For example, under the new chart you theoretically can book the JFK-CDG leg for 45,500 Flying Blue Miles, but you should be able to book a flight from JFK all the way to Frankfurt (FRA) for just 42,500 miles. After getting through security I headed to the Air France lounge, even though my premium-economy ticket don’t come with lounge access (not uncommon for premium-economy tickets). One check happened at the line-up for the check-in desks. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). When I did get served my first beverage, though, I went with the Champagne. I went with the chicken, since it’s an easy way to test if an airline can do food. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Air France’s 777 premium economy doesn’t live up to its name and isn’t worth the higher price. So instead of reclining its more of a slumping down and forward of your butt. Priority Pass members can also visit the Korean Air lounge in Terminal 1. However, the legs of the chair in front of me limited the width of my leg space. Contained in the kit/pouch were some basic toiletries as well as a shoehorn and sleeping mask. Note that there’s a good chance you could be turned away, though, as the space often fills up quickly and Priority Pass members are low on the totem pole in terms of access. Check-in . Air France governance . Instead of the chair actually reclining back, these premium economy seats slide down and forward. Very sound. Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. Overall, there’s a lot less variability in premium economy products from Air France. We use ads to keep our content free. Air France’s one saving grace was the quality of its entertainment and amenities. An extra-large IFE screen, special reading lamps and high-end headphones added to the premium experience. Although it was a bit pushy, he was nice about it, and the employee at the check-in desk pleasantly handed me my ticket. Equipped with a large and relaxing seat, the Premium Economy seat gives you 40% more space compared to the Economy cabin as well as multiple storage areas. Although they weren’t the best headphones I’ve ever used, they were comfortable, functional and the noise-canceling feature worked well. Those with long travel horizons and a fair amount of flexibility can often find solid award availability for Air France’s wide-body service between Los Angeles and Tahiti. You have to walk back though an economy to get to the lavs but that was not a problem. Hi Lizzie, just came back from France in premium economy, 777-200. I am grateful to Air France for the opportunity (and I would certainly welcome it again)! Business. But with no priority check-in, no lounge access, no premium drinks or food and no Wi-Fi, I was left wanting more. As soon as you arrive at the airport, we provide everything you need to facilitate your trip and ensure your well-being. The seat reclines within a fixed area to ensure your personal space and comfort for all. If you find yourself at this lounge, I’d recommend heading up to the second floor. Air France flies out of JFK’s Terminal 1, an international-only terminal that’s home to carriers including Aeroflot, Korean Air and Norwegian. What I received was far from that, though. Flight: AF457 Aircraft Type: B777-200 Class: Premium Economy Route: GRU-CDG Date: May 2016 www.airfrance.com We were very happy to return from our previous trip with Air France in Premium Economy to trial one of the world’s most applauded mid-cabin classes. What I appreciated most was that Air France had installed mindfulness and guided-meditation programs tailored to air travel — and there were even options for both kids and adults. I tried sitting in a few other seats and had the same results — uncomfortable all around. Air France’s premium-economy seats have a somewhat unconventional design. All three of the big US airlines have either introduced it or are planning to, while many of the big European carriers like British Airways, Iberia and Virgin Atlantic have seats in the premium economy cabin that are more or less like the ones you’d find in domestic first class. However, I received a surprise upgrade to premium economy and thus had a whole new opportunity for this nearly six-hour flight. Second cabin version operated by Air France may accommodate 309 passengers in three classes: business, premium economy and economy. Since we were booking these flights at the last minute — only a week before I needed to be in Germany — we didn’t get the best rate. Our dinner included smoked salmon, chicken with rice pilaf and vegetables, cheese, fruit, and cake. Taking the subway with an AirTrain connection would’ve actually been quicker, at least during rush hour, and I could have saved about $60. Air France 777-300ER economy class cabin. There were long line-ups for security getting into the terminal, huge line-ups for checking-in to various Kenya Airways flights, long line-ups at customs, and then the biggest line-ups were found at pre-flight security heading towards the gates. Fortunately, my Chase Sapphire Reserve grants me access to the Priority Pass lounge group, which this Air France lounge is actually a part of. There are three classes of seats on this airplane: business, premium economy and economy. Degree educated with a wealth of traveling history, Chris’ insight into routes, networks, and alliances brings a depth of quality to his work that is hard to beat. Business class consists of 5 rows of seats that 2-3-2 configuration. The only thing that seemed premium about my meal was the plating — some of the items were served on porcelain and drinks were poured into real glasses. “We increased the pitch to 40 inches,” noted Bertrand in reference to the additional legroom afforded 787 Premium Economy passengers versus on the Boeing 777. Even in economy, having a menu adds a little more civility than the flight attendant surprising you at the last minute by saying “chicken or pasta?” (I had the chicken). Rather than leaning all the way back, the seat from underneath you slid forward a few inches. This other “recline” position is not comfortable at all. I sat in the last row (only 3 rows), and what I … One of the most important things when judging an airline is seat comfort, and unfortunately for Air France, it gets an F. I found the seat to be genuinely not comfortable, even though we paid a significant premium over regular economy. Air France Fleet Boeing 777-300ER Configuration. In the premium-economy cabin are 28 seats in a 2-4-2 layout. Thankfully Air France seems to have quite a robust reporting system and you can provide feedback about all aspects of your journey – hopefully, they are actually reading feedback and responding accordingly. Featuring a modern clean cabin, well appointed seats and above-standard amenities such as champagne on tap and enhanced amenity … Air France operates this version of the Boeing 777-200ER configured with 309 seats in three … retour haut de page. Air France is widely known for its high-quality inflight meals and to go a step above to premium economy, there were certainly some high expectations. Still, not all other international premium-economy products include amenity kits. Since the seat next to me was empty, I was able to grab extra, making the journey a bit more comfortable. Pros: solid IFE and amenities and cheap upgrades to business class. It felt ironic to see the three items wrapped in plastic and foil served on a delicate porcelain platter. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page. That’s a pretty tough choice to make! Our lounges are relaxing areas designed to meet the needs of travelers looking for a little something extra. I made several attempts to re-fasten the panel but, unfortunately, the clips were too loose and worn out. It also allowed us priority boarding. If you don’t sleep much on flights anyways or its a daytime journey, maybe this seat isn’t an issue for you. Indeed, there appeared to be a decent amount of American choices, both old and new — with TV shows like “Black-ish” and “Modern Family” alongside “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “Friends.” You could find French cinema, too, and you could even mark favorite items as you leafed through the selections, saving you the pain of having to go through the whole catalog searching for something you’d seen before. The larger screen and quality noise-canceling headphones made for a pleasant experience. Réseaux sociaux . There were just two choices: chicken with a red-bell-pepper coulis and kale purée or Mafalda pasta with a “Mediterranean sauce.” Both came with cheese, bread, ham, grilled artichoke and melon. When you get wine served out of a plastic bottle, don’t expect much. Premium economy is becoming more and more prevalent. I checked in online before my flight and was able to change my seat from there — I opted for a spot by the window. I imagine everyone in standard economy received the same: a muffin, yogurt, and a cup of orange juice. The entire space was chic as far as a lounge goes, and the seating had definitely improved since the last time I was there. But, on the other hand, I found that when I was reclined, the seat was even more uncomfortable than when it was upright. The pouch was made of a puffy fabric that seemed like neoprene… although I don’t know my fabric names too well. I do applaud the airline’s fresh branding and hip menu design, but the quality didn’t match the chic presentation. Deputy Editor - An experienced photographer and video producer, Chris is a journalistic natural. I ran over to my gate to find that the boarding process had already begun. Air France operates this version of the Boeing 777-300ER configured with 296 seats in four … Details of that experience will be featured in a separate post reviewing the lounge. It pains me to write these criticisms for an experience that was a complimentary upgrade. Apart from the bread, I found the normal selection of mid-range alcohol and light fare like salad, cold cuts, cheese and fruit. I imagine this was due to the curtains that cordoned off our section throughout the majority of the flight. …and from the other side. Since the flight, Air France has changed its award chart, so now award prices are based off of many factors including demand on a given flight. As far as airplane food goes, it was above average, but it didn’t stand out from many economy meals I’ve had — especially when compared to the Gulf carriers. Here’s my take on the flight. Although the selection was fairly good, I only watched one film during the flight. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. It was a large black pouch branded as Joon – the now discontinued Air France spin-off and geared towards millennials. When I hear the phrase “premium economy,” I think of a premium experience. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. We ended up booking with 62,500 Flying Blue Miles and had to pay $326 in taxes and fees, but the ticket was going for about $2,200 in cash, so we were still getting a good redemption with 3.5 cents per point. It’s usually a lot less crowded than the ground level, and you’ll find the food’s been picked at less up there. Upon boarding, a pillow and a blanket, as well as a package containing a headset and a … Talents . As I’m not the only one to experience this, it leads me to believe that these seats weren’t fully tested before being chosen. Alternatively, you could sign up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months — enough to get a seat in Air France’s premium economy. It meant I was definitely unable to store any large bag beneath (for easy access). 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