Air France has better safety videos. However, you can count on all business class seats to fully recline, making for a comfortable sleep, especially on long-haul flights. You get 2 dedicated FA for the cabin, they take drinks and menu orders (no trolley service), there's a tablecloth, food comes on a platter, metal cutlery, porcelain dishes, the food . Not only is it not lie flat, but there is basically no personal stowage for passport, phone, etc and the amenities bag is a joke. The worst flight I ever had was on Air France. Just head to the Delta App or your booking, and choose from the various options of mains, drinks, and dessert. @Tiffany: Great post even if you're infringing on my SkyTeam beat here ;-) What I'd add would be: -Air France's catering is of a bit better quality than KLM, Alitalia or Virgin Atlantic (and if you're harping on KLM's dinnerware, you're forgetting AF has Christofle cutlery) -Air France's service is not just stylish, but actively warm/personable -CDG is the worst, but that's not entirely AF's fault (after all, Terminal 1 which is the -Air France's catering is of a bit better quality than KLM, Alitalia or Virgin Atlantic (and if you're harping on KLM's dinnerware, you're forgetting AF has Christofle cutlery) If I make my reservation through Delta, I presume I could use the skyclub. Swiss recently added the Boeing 777 to its fleet, which features a re-designed cabin interior with top comfort and visual appeal in all three classes. Air France A380 Business Class However, Air France is in the process of reconfiguring their entire longhaul fleet, and the new business class looks lovely. The newer IFEs comes with over 350 films, mostly French titles, including an array of TV shows, documentaries, podcasts, and music. She called the Executive Platinum line to make the bookings (and she did it on the first call!). Any additional tips/recommendations would be greatly appreciated. If youre going to Paris I might still choose Virgin Atlantic and a connection over old Air France business class, but for smaller European cities youll be looking at multiple flights. See more about our ethics policies here. Affording Air France. All seats on Delta One Business Class lie flat. I have had great service and horrid on these airlines and basically any airline :), The wine served with the meal is better on Air France. Next to the shower is a relaxation pod where you can take a nap. Aircraft Specifications CRUISING SPEED 537 mph (864 km/h) RANGE 6,995 miles (11,257 km) ENGINES Trent 7000 WINGSPAN 210 ft 0 in (64.0 m) TAIL HEIGHT 55 ft 1 in (16.8 m) LENGTH 218 ft 7in (66.7 m) Accessibility Information Maximum dimensions for an assistive device carried in the cargo hold: 36 in (height) x 36 in (width) This center distributes vaccines for global travel. Both have seats that lay down flat and each passenger has their own pod. I booked (3) seats Paris - Houston for 66,500 Air France KLM Flying Blue miles + $383.17 apiece. This was true on all four flights, so I'd hazard it's part of the corporate culture. Direct return to LAX. My family is considering a trip to Paris in August. Sorry, I know this is not Tiffany answering (and I'm sure her reply with be x10000 better than mine), but I want to share what I would picked in the past. Frequent travelers who require more data can also go for a monthly subscription starting at $69.95 for international flights. However, Alitalia flies to dozens ofdestinationsfrom Rome,including many of the smaller cities in Southern Europe, and award space is typically quite good. 2023 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy. Both of those airlines are good airlines. BA, American, Delta, Air Canada perhaps need to rethink their offering. The airline's long-haul fleet consists of Airbus A330 and A350 plus Boeing 757 and 767-300/400 aircraft. During long-haul flights, a second meal service (breakfast) is served about 90 minutes before landing. If you are skyteam elite/plus and you notice that Air France sells 'light' fares and a standard fare that both are listed as having 'no skypriority benefits', don't worry about that. I hadn't flown DL in forever and don't collect their miles, but bought one of their relatively inexpensive business class fares to Madrid and found it to be quite good. Their current amenity kit is a beautiful chevron zip pouch containing a dental kit, Clarins skincare items, an eye mask, and socks. I will note though that you left off Delta themselves, which can still be available at the Tier 1 number of miles on many TATL routes if you book well in advance. Image Credit: Delta Air Lines. Delta now uses an amenity kit provided by. I've flown AF the last 2 years on their A333 which had the old seats but in a 2x2x2 config. Its followed by a cheese plate. The second option being Delta about a 767-400ER. Delta FAs are great too, so I'd call it even. He has traveled to France many times and is ready to share the knowledge in this travel guide for France. I have flown Air France, on the sloped sleeper seats. Their crappy old planes, the seat layout where you cannot look out the windows so you spend your time staring at another person because you are angled facing that person, the truly awful meals for a business class product. Depending on the plane, business class guests get one or two lavatories. These airlines feature redesigned business products to deliver comfortable and stylish new seats and superb amenities while ensuring a lavish journey for their passengers. Image Credit: Delta. If you dont like fun, this is not a good choice for you. Its a multi-course experience, beginning with starter options like vegetable salad, bread rolls with French butter, seafood, or Foie gras. 60 Airbus A220-300s have already replaced the smaller Airbus A318. Review: read my review of Delta's Business Class in a Airbus A350 here. if you do some Google, Air France's premium econ seats are pretty well reviled. For instance, a Business Class return trip from New York to Paris can cost over $6k. Nice post! If you are on a long-haul flight, you will be served complimentary champagne and drinks in every class. If youre actuallygoing to London, then Virgin is a great choice (probably the best choice when redeeming Delta miles). All of these are fitted with the Delta One Business Class seat, but the product can vary wildly as the airline has updated its fleet in stages leaving some planes with more archaic seats than others. Air France, it is the flag carrier of France and one of the most popular airlines in Europe. Once you start with those vlogs, the almighty Youtube algorithm will take you way, way down the rabbit hole into the whole world of folks who fly business & first and post about it for a living. I tend to go Delta, but prefer Air France. Having trouble even getting KLM award space to show up on Delta's site. Before Covid-19, Air France still had 4 different business class versions, but now, as the A380 & A340 have left the fleet, only 3 remain. Youll find hundreds of movies, television shows, music, podcasts, and even Live TV on their 18.5-inch monitor. Your email address will not be published. Youll also find a footwell that serves as an extension of the bed when youre sleeping. However, on the A330-300, the center aisle only has partial dividers. As a side-sleeper, I find the seats perfectly comfortable for sleeping, but they might feel narrow if you prefer to sleep on your back. The Air France 777-300 features four seats in first class that include floor-to-ceiling curtains that can be closed after takeoff or for sleeping. I have flown AirFrance a few times and swore never again. 8/10. Food was soso. 2023 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy. In front of each seat is an 18.5-inch monitor with a multitude of shows and movies for entertainment. My husband and I have status on Delta but are flying Air France and Virgin Atlantic on two different itineraries this year. These newest seats convert to a 2 metres (6.5 feet long) flat bed. Image Credit: Delta Air Lines, Delta Air Lines Delta One Business Class Overview. Never thought that would happen! Air France's newest aircraft, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is outfitted with 276 seats. Two Adults and one three year old child. @ bobbieddie -- What miles do you have at present? Both seat styles though come with plentiful storage space including a reading light, power outlet and side table. Meanwhile, the company will have to cut emissions by half in 2024 for flights within mainland France. I'm SkyTeam Elite+ (via my Delta status) and I can pick any seat in my ticketed cabin on an Air France flight, even when I've purchased it through Delta's website and it's a Delta marketed flight (ie, it has a Delta flight number, though the actual metal is Air France.) -CDG is the worst, but that's not entirely AF's fault (after all, Terminal 1 which is the non-SkyTeam terminal is just as horrid), and AF's lounges in CDG are very, very strong Delta cabins are as comfortable as they come. As for ticket modification and flight change, the fare conditions related to your ticket determine this. You can grab delicious coffee, print, or work at the last minute inside the business center, or indulge in some shut-eye inside their sleeping areas. Its worth the extra cash or points if youre traveling on a longer route. The best seats are typically the ones that have the most legroom and are located near the aisle. I am (most unhappily) seated in such a section on an AF from ATL to CDG tonight. The KLM food is OK -- tending toward being over-prepared with mouse-like side-dishes and casseroles, but it was perfectly fine, and in huge quantities. Booking confirmation usually bears these conditions. Best Business Class Airline Seats 2022 1 Qatar Airways 2 Delta Air Lines 3 Singapore Airlines 4 ANA All Nippon Airways 5 JetBlue Airways 6 British Airways 7 Japan Airlines 8 Oman Air 9 Etihad Airways 10 Gulf Air Best Business Class Airline Lounges 2022 1 Virgin Atlantic - LHR 2 Qatar Airways - DOH 3 Turkish Airlines - IST 4 Singapore Airlines - SIN Since then, more have been added. With simple touchscreen navigation, its easy to find the movies and shows you want. But I hate that you can't choose your seat with Air France like you can with Delta unless you pay. It would be delta one vs AF airbus 350 business class. Best 5 Jazz Clubs in Paris. The newer cabins are more stylish and now feature sliding doors to give guests absolute privacy. The French carrier has a fleet size of 213 aircrafts, including widebody and narrowbody ones. Wonderful posts and responses. I would say Virgin Atlantic Upper Class is the one to go with, or if unable, KLM is a good plan B. Alitalia isn't too bad, but with the staggered, narrow seats, it's not comfortable for either a day or night flight (but their soft product is definitely better than other SkyTeam airlines (I'm looking at you, Delta and Air France. The cost in delta skymiles is much more for delta one than AF business class. Do You Need A Travel Power Adapter For France? Plus, this month only, enroll in my FREE 5 lesson course that has helped others book over $4MM+ every year in free travel using points. All meals are served in trays and stylish Alessi tableware. Air France's 777-300ERs feature three seating configurations. Going to Asia, Korean Air and Delta's own metal (flights to Tokyo and Hong Kong via Seattle) present good options. Its not as personalized as you would find in premium first class cabins but its a lot more attentive as opposed to a regular premium economy. All of the staff are friendly and accommodating. I was in pain by the end of the flight. I could go on but you get the drift. What a steal between the US and Europe! Connecting to Wi-Fi is easy. Beware that the KLM 747 Combi has an inferior AVOD system with low-res screens and no USB charger (though there is AC charging). Any tips on how best to do that? Head to https://squarespace.com/trektrendy to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code TREKTRENDYJoin me on the new Delta One suite. Well this is an interesting matchup! These seats are almost enclosed, but a small space is left open, so you don't have a total enclosure . ), Nick: "Seriously, though, Tiffany fantastic post.". Look forward to the Upper Class review Nick. I generally shop by price and fly main cabin, so in the big picture, it doesn't matter. Fingers crossed that no one is in the 'F' seat next to me. Or the crew might even be a mix. The current Air France promo that provides for refundability of the ticket price is only for flights through June 30, 2022. Its going to make your trip extra comfortable thanks to its fully private doors, spacious legroom, and stylish design. Air France recently refinished all its business class cabins in its Airbus A330s. The older cabins might feature an 18.5-inch touchscreen monitor. Being AF I expect good food but I will be skipping that trying to sleep. Now, THIS, I remember ! Am starting to collect Citi Thank You Rewards as well. On the other, the ground experience at Charles de Gaulle is worse than dragging Ben to Disneyworld. However, you can also control the screen using a handheld remote stashed in one of the armrests. Although, I've found most of their flight attendants to be bored and uninterested (or as Lucky says, they are "going through the motions.") Passengers can view this on setback touchscreens on most of the airlines major aircrafts. I mean, look at these bowls: KLM business class breakfast bowls. However, its the highest and most premium cabin offered on long-haul and international routes. Business class passengers each have a personal 16-inch high-definition touchscreen. After the merger, Airbus aircraft from Northwest was added to the fleet. For the return, I had a late connection from Rome. On the seat are a few goodies waiting for you. Guests are also entitled to two checked-in baggage, each weighing up to 70 pounds or 32 kilos each. As for codeshare flights and being switched from one to the other, at the time of booking you can see who is flying the metal, so if you have a strong preference, you can manage it. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. A choice of champagne, wine, juice, or just plain water, along with light bites. Extra narrow aisles, tiny leg room, etc on an 8 hour flight, they were using a Joon plane on a non-joon flight for whatever reason. The new 777s have outstanding AVOD and all the charging plugs you could want, though they're over your shoulder. However, Air France is in the process of reconfiguring their entire longhaul fleet, and thenew business class looks lovely. As for in-flight entertainment, the airline offers Audio Video on Demand (AVOD) in every cabin on long flights. Delta One includes lie-flat seating for different aircraft, and direct access from all the seats on all the different types of aircraft with the exception if Boeing . In either case you can use the Skyclub and AF lounges. Everyones intestinal process is their own and varied greatly. Fridges filled with drinks, as well as coffee and tea machines are also nearby. The second option being Delta about a 767-400ER. Business class cabin seats have just four large seats and are larger than the first class cabin, making it one of the most private sections of an airplane.