Airline Profile: Air France
Note: I haven’t done an airline profile in a while due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its uncertainty in the aviation industry which it brought. Now that flights have started to come back, I will be re-doing some of my older and out-of-date airline profiles.
The Facts:
| Founded | 1930 |
| Alliance | Skyteam |
| Hubs | Paris Charles de Gaulle (largest) Paris Orly |
| Headquarters | Paris, France (near CDG) |
| Frequent Flyer Program | Flying Blue |
| Skytrax Rating | 4 (out of 5) |
| Parent Company | Air France-KLM |
| Travel Classes | Short Haul Economy Business Long Haul Economy Seat Plus Premium Economy Business La Premiere (First) |
| Subsidiaries | Air France Cargo Air France Hop (regional) Transavia France (low cost/leisure) |
| Fleet Count | 220 |
| Website | https://www.airfrance.com/ |
Analysis:
6 Things To Know About Air France:
- Short-Haul Fleet: Air France’s short-haul fleet consists of all original variants of the A320 series, including the A318, A319, A329, and A321. Its fleet of A320 series aircraft is actually relatively old, and its A318s and A319s will start to be replaced in 2021, when it takes delivery of similar sized and much more fuel efficient Airbus A220-100s and A220-300s. Some of its A320s and A321s are also relatively old (some are over 25 years old), and while they have no scheduled replacement, odds are high that they will eventually (though who knows now with COVID) order A320neos and A321neos as a replacement.
- Long-Haul Fleet (Including A Recent Casualty): Meanwhile, Air France’s long-haul fleet is relatively diverse, though they recently consolidated it, operating the A330-200, A350-900, 777-200ER, 777-300ER, and the 787-9. Up until early 2020, Air France additionally operated the Airbus A340-300 and the Airbus A380, both of which they sadly retired due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their A380 retirement was especially sad, as they were supposed to keep them around for a couple more years, though their timeline was sped up due to the pandemic, making them the only airline having retired all of their A380s. While this is extremely sad from an avgeek point of view, it’s actually a plus from a passenger’s perspective, as they had angle-flat seats in business class, and their first, economy, and premium economy seats were also extremely outdated. Additionally, Air France relatively recently (in 2019) took delivery of their first A350-900s, which replaced their A340s and will replace older 777-200s, and they also soon will be taking delivery of their 10th and final 787-9.
- Hubs: Air France’s two main hubs are (quite obviously) at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport and Paris’ secondary Orly Airport. Their main hub is at Charles de Gaulle Airport, in which it operates the vast majority of its flagship business and also many leisure routes around Europe and the world. Meanwhile, Orly Airport is home to many of Air France’s leisure routes, with flights to destinations such as Reunion or Guadeloupe, though they additionally do operate some flights within Europe to some of its largest cities. Air France’s regional subsidiary, Air France Hop, also operates a medium-sized hub at Lyon Airport, while Air France also has focus cities, in which it operates flights to only a few non-hub destinations around Europe and Northern Africa, in Bordeaux, Marseilles, Nice, and Toulouse.
- Route Network: Air France, unsurprisingly, given France’s history as a large colonial power around the world, has an extremely large route network, especially to Africa, operating to over 90 countries (or at least it did, when everything was normal). More specifically, Air France operates to 15 destinations in France, 34 in Europe, 20 in the Americas, 5 in the Caribbean, 17 in Africa, and to another 17 in Asia and the Middle East. In the United States, Air France operates to nine destinations, including New York JFK, Boston, Chicago, Washington Dulles, Miami, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Additionally, Air France normally operates flights from Los Angeles to Papeete in Tahiti. Air France also operates a small network of flights using A320s (which are in their standard intra-European configuration) within the Caribbean, from Miami to Port au Prince, Pointe-a-Pitre, and Fort de France.
- Subsidiaries: Firstly, Air France has the same parent company as KLM, which is (fittingly) called Air France-KLM. The group’s main two subsidiaries (obviously) are Air France and KLM, while its main other subsidiary is Transavia, which technically is two airlines–Transavia, which is based in Amsterdam and is owned by the KLM division, and Transavia France, which is based at Paris-Orly, along with other airports in France and is owned by the Air France division, both of which operate fleets of 737-800s. The other main subsidiary of the Air France division is Air France Hop, which is Air France’s regional division and operates Bombardier CRJ-700s and CRJ-1000s, along with Embraer E170s and E190s. Air France Hop has a large base in Lyon, along with smaller bases at Paris Orly and at Paris CDG Airport.
- Frequent Flyer Program: Air France’s frequent flyer program is called flying Blue, which it shares with other airlines, including KLM, Air Europa, Kenya Airways, Aircalin, and TAROM. One can earn status with Flying Blue through earning XP, which are earned based on fare class and route. Flying Blue has four tiers, including Explorer Status, whose main benefits include earning extra miles and saving money on seats and baggage, Silver Status, which earns 6 points per mile, priority check-in and boarding, free seat selection, and additional baggage, Gold Status, which includes lounge access and SkyPriority, and Platinum Status, which in addition to all of the benefits of Gold Status earns more miles per dollar, has even more additional baggage, and can bring a agues into all lounges. Flying Blue has a dynamic award chart, meaning that the prices for tickets fluctuates, though prices generally are pretty reasonable (especially on transatlantic flights in business class), and they also have promo awards each month, in which they discount prices on (usually) transatlantic flights, which sometimes allows for one-way business class transatlantically for as little as 40,000 miles. Additionally, Flying Blue also sometimes has bonuses for buying miles, the best of which allow you to buy miles for about 1.75 cents/mile.
Travel Classes:
Economy Class
On Air France, economy class is in a 2-2 configuration on all CRJ series aircraft and Embraer aircraft (on Air France Hop planes), is in a 3-3 configuration on all A320 series aircraft, is in a 2-4-2 configuration on all A330s, is in a 3-3-3 configuration on all 787s and A350s, and is in a 3-4-3 configuration on all 777s. On flights within Europe and Northern Africa, which use A320 series aircraft, passengers only receive a small snack (i.e. a sandwich), while on longer flights within Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East (specifically to Amman, Athens, Bucharest, Casablanca, Istanbul, Kiev, Moscow, Rabat, Saint Petersburg, Sofia, Stockholm, Tel Aviv, Yerevan), passengers receive a warm meal, similar to on long-haul flights. Air France’s short-haul aircraft also have reasonable legroom at about 30-31 inches, while Air France does not provide entertainment or power outlets on most short-haul flights, although WiFi (along with free streaming entertainment) for purchase is slowly being rolled out on their A320s.
All of Air France’s long-haul aircraft, including the A330-200, A350-900, 777-200, and 777-300, are equipped with personal on-demand entertainment and power outlets in economy, though only some long-haul aircraft, including all 787-9s, A350-900s, and A330-200s, in addition to select 777s, feature WiFi for purchase. On long-haul flights, passengers also do receive the standard amenities found on the vast majority of mainline airlines, including complimentary pillows, blankets, and headphones, while full (standard economy class) meals are also free on long-haul flights. Passengers additionally may purchase access to Air France business class lounges while traveling in economy class, which can be of good use, though only with long layovers. On all aircraft, passengers may also buy extra legroom seats (which most of the time are exit row seats) for an extra fee, which is either reduced or eliminated for elites. In economy class, passengers may also check one 23kg/50lbs bag on each flight, although passengers who book a Light fare must purchase baggage separately.
Premium Economy:
Premium economy on Air France is featured onboard all long-haul aircraft, including their 777, 787, A330, and A350. Seats are equipped with seatback entertainment, leg rests, more legroom, seat width, and recline than
Air France has two main different types of premium economy seats–the first being fitted on their 777s, 787s, and A330s, and the second (and newer version) being fitted on their A350s. While Air France did minority update the cabin on their 787s and A330s (mostly in terms of finishings) in comparison to their 777s, the seats are nearly identical and don’t get great reviews from passengers. Why? The seats are so-called shell-seats, in which the seat doesn’t actually recline–it just slides forward, making the seat lean back only ever so slightly, in addition to the leg rest being able to extend, albeit not that much. I’ve never flown on it, but almost every review I’ve read has given Air France’s premium economy (on the aircraft which have these shell seats) seats very bad reviews. However, Air France fixed this problem on their A350s in which they introduced a new premium economy product, which reclines in a more conventional way and has much more recline (and I believe that the leg rest also extends further); the product has gotten much better reviews.
Business Class:
Business class is featured on all of Air France’s mainline aircraft, in addition to on many regional aircraft. All passengers traveling in business class receive SkyPriority, giving them access to priority check-in and boarding, in addition to having access to Air France Business lounges and partnering SkyTeam lounges. On domestic flights, passengers only are served snacks in business class, while on intra-European (and flights to the North Africa) flights, passengers do receive full meals, with full warm meals being served on flights 2.5 hours and longer. On intercontinental flights (all flights operated by wide-body jets), passengers traveling in business class receive extra amenities such as as pillows and blankets (though I do believe that passengers traveling in short-haul business do get small pillows too), an amenity kit, slippers, and multi-course (generally pretty good quality) meals. Passengers traveling in business class are also allowed to check 2 32kg/70lbs bags.
Air France aircraft are equipped with the following five different types of seats in business class, listed below:
- Euro-Business: On short-haul flights (on all A320 series aircraft, along with regional jets) in business class, the seats are exactly the same as the seats in economy class, with the same amount of legroom as in economy, although the middle seat is blocked (though there also aren’t tables in place of the middle seat, as on other airlines). Air France uses the same configuration as most airlines in Europe do, with business class using the same seats as economy class, in which they can change the amount of business class seats between flights. Consequently, on short-haul flights, there is only minimal difference between business and economy, other than that in business, you get a (often times pretty small) meal, an empty middle seat, and lounge access. Therefore, in my opinion, short-haul business on Air France (and on all other European airlines, for that matter) is a waste of money or miles (unless attached to a longer flight). These seats are also featured on Air France’s flights on A320s within the Caribbean.
- B/E Aerospace Minipod/Angle-Flat: Up until a few years ago, Air France really only had one main business class product, in which they used a highly customized version of the B/E Aerospace Minipod, which was one of the most popular business class seats of the 2000s. The seats are angle-flat, though not the the extreme, and unlike most other B/E Aerospace minipods, they feature footwells. The seats are currently only featured on most Boeing 777-300ERs (both high density and just the regular three class ones) which don’t have first class, though within the next few months, they will be replaced with the Zodiac Optima seat on both versions. Before the pandemic, the seats were also equipped on all A380s and A340-300s, both of which had (albeit different) enhanced versions of the seat, while all of their A330-200s were only recently retrofitted with new seats. The seats are in a 2-3-2 configuration on the 777, and were in a 2-2-2 configuration on the A330, A340, and A380.
- Stelia Equinox/A330-200: Back in 2019, Air France introduced an entirely new business class product for their A330-200s, which replaced the B/E Aerospace Minipod product. Instead of using one of their other seats found on their 777 (which had been around for years), 787, and A350 which had all-aisle-access, they oddly introduced a new seat which is in a 2-2-2 configuration and is inferior to their older 777 product. The seats do look quite modern and are high tech, and at least they are fully lie-flat, in addition to having a great amount of privacy, which makes it one of the best seats without all aisle-access. However, it still puzzles me why they went with a seat which doesn’t have all aisle access in an age where it clearly isn’t the standard, and when they had introduced a better business class product on their 777s 5 years beforehand in 2014! If you have the option to, choose not to fly on their A330s and instead opt for a superior product on their 777s (though only if it has the new seats), A350s, or 787s, especially if traveling solo, in which case you then would have a seat mate.
- Zodiac/Safran Cirrus/777 & 787: Back in 2014, Air France introduced a new business class product onto their 777-200s and four class 777-300ERs (the one I talked about earlier) which was lightyears better than their previous Minipod seat. The Zodiac Cirrus is a reverse herringbone seat (in which the seats all angle away from the aisle) in a 1-2-1 configuration in which even by then was quite popular, having debuted a few years earlier with US Airways. Reverse herringbone (including the Cirrus) seats are though of as some of the best business class seats on the market for their privacy, large amount of storage, and consistency, as no seats are significantly worse than other seats, which cannot be said for other business class seats. Their 787-9s feature a slightly different version of the Cirrus which is identical to the business class seat on KLM’s 787-9s, which have a couple modifications, such as a larger TV screen.
- Zodiac/Safran Optima/Airbus A350 & Some 777s: In 2019, Air France introduced a second new long-haul business class product on their Airbus A350s–the Safran Optima–which happens to be the same business class seat used in United Polaris. The seats have the same finishings as their new A330 business class product has, though they are much better, largely due to the fact that they have all-aisle access. The seats are in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration in which the seats further from the aisle face forward and have more privacy, while the seats closer to the aisle slant towards the aisle and have slightly less privacy. I’d say that the seats are roughly on par with the Zodiac Optima seats on their 777s and 787s, though I’d say that the seats do look quite a bit more sleek and modern, and the entertainment screens that come with the Optima seat seem to also be more high-tech. While not the best in the world by any means (the best now have closing doors), having flown the seat on United, I can say that the seat has a good amount of privacy, storage, and personal space, making it a really solid product, especially for transatlantic flights. The seats are also being slowly retrofitted onto Air France’s 777-300ERs which don’t have first class and weren’t retrofitted with the “new” Cirrus product a few years back, which includes their high density 777s.
La Premiere (First Class):
La Premiere is only featured on some of Air France’s Boeing 777-300ers, now that their A380s, which featured an inferior product, are now all retired. On the 777, La Premiere only has four seats which are in a 1-2-1 configuration, making for a very intimate. The cabin features suites which have curtains that can be drawn between the seat and the aisle, which can make the suites feel like an entire mini-cabin on their own. While there isn’t a curtain between the two middle seats, there is a privacy divider that can be pulled up in between them. Due to the full height curtains and the spacious cabin when not drawn (as opposed to Emirates’ new 777 first class), these are debatably the worlds best first class seats. Passengers in Air France La Premiere also get a phenomenal soft product, with fantastic bedding, food which is among, possibly the best in the world (in aviation), in addition to great service.
Additionally, passengers also have access to one of the world’s best first-class lounges in the world – Air France’s First Class lounge at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport, which is known for its top-quality dining and spa, along with its chauffer service to and from the aircraft, although it does now feature amenities which other first class lounges do, such as bedrooms, though it does have semi-private resting areas. While Air France La Premiere is one of the best products in the world, it is also one of the most aspirational for those who cannot afford it, as it cannot easily be booked with miles, as you are required to have Flying Blue Silver Status or higher to book it, and even if you do have that level of status, it costs upwards of 200,000 miles. So if you can’t readily afford it, your best hope of flying Air France La Premiere is to look for a mistake fare, an occurrence which has happened a couple of times before.
Have you ever flown on Air France? Share about your experience below in the comments section!
_at_London_Heathrow_Airport_(1).jpg){kind=link}
_F-HBXH_LHR_(17791190726).jpg){kind=link}
