Air France is France’s flag carrier and a founding member of the SkyTeam Alliance, operating 169 destinations in 73 countries, with the exact network varying by season. It offers a distinctly French experience, from cushy airport lounges to complimentary champagne in all cabins on long-haul international flights.
The Paris-based carrier, which is part of the SkyTeam Alliance, is continuing its fleetwise rollout of new cabins on long-haul aircraft across its A350-900 and 777-300ER fleet. And thanks to its well-regarded loyalty program, passengers can score tickets via excellent reward redemptions – even in Business class. Here’s what to know about Flying Air France.
Fare classes on Air France
Air France offers three main cabins (Economy, Premium, and Business), plus La Première first class on select Boeing 777-300ER routes. Keep in mind the initial price shown is typically the lowest fare tier, with higher tiers offering different extras like checked baggage, seat selection, and Sky Priority benefits.
Air France Economy
Air France Economy cabins offer a comfortable experience, especially on medium- and long-haul flights. The seat layout is 3-4-3 on Boeing 777s and 3-3-3 on Airbus A350s, with 31 inches of seat pitch.
Each seat includes a headrest and personal 11.7-inch touchscreen entertainment system loaded with French movies, TV shows, games and music. Air France’s high-quality dining program comes with complimentary champagne (or wine) in all cabins, a lovely touch that elevates the Economy experience.
Air France Premium
Formerly known as Premium Economy, Air France’s Premium cabin offers a standout experience in this still-growing category of fare class. Along with larger seats and entertainment screens, passengers can enjoy SkyPriority benefits at the airport, including priority services at key airport touchpoints.
In addition, on long-haul routes out of Paris, Premium passengers can enjoy meals created by French celebrity chefs, including Michelin-starred Frédéric Simonin on select services, accompanied by French wine and champagne, bien sûr. If budget allows, I highly recommend Premium – it can transform a long-haul flight into a deliciously refined experience, at a significantly lower price than a Business ticket.
Air France Business and La Première
Air France recently unveiled its impressive new business class cabin. On par with those of other major carriers, it features fully lie-flat seats and privacy suites with sliding doors, ensuring direct aisle access for all passengers.
La Première, meanwhile, is Air France’s coveted and praised first class. The ooh la la experience is about to get even better, with revamped cabins recently launched featuring exceptionally long beds (the longest in commercial aviation, according to the airline) and an upgraded ground experience at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG). I haven’t yet had the pleasure of flying La Première, but it’s at the top of my aviation wish list.
What to expect during the booking process
I find the Air France website fairly user-friendly during the booking process. Once you’re in the right spot, it’s smooth sailing from there.
One potentially confusing issue: Depending on your location, you may first encounter a landing page listing every country Air France serves, all in French. This can be tricky and frustrating, but push through and you’ll reach the standard booking interface.
You can also call the Air France customer service number to book. In the United States, there’s no booking fee for tickets purchased by phone or online, though fees may apply at ticket offices and vary in other countries. Speaking with a representative is helpful if you have a complicated itinerary. For straightforward trips, booking online or via the app is equally fee-free in the US. I also highly recommend the app, which is straightforward and user-friendly.
What to know about Air France hubs
CDG is Air France’s main hub, and if you’re flying from the US to Europe, you’ll likely land or connect here. Many first-time passengers find CDG overwhelming due to its massive size and confusing navigation.
If you’re departing from or connecting through CDG, allow plenty of time. I recommend at least two hours, ideally longer, for clearing security and passport control and navigating the airport.
Air France offers a Meet & Greet service to help passengers navigate check in, connections and arriving at CDG and select other airports. But it’s pricey, so I’d only recommend it for travelers who really need the extra assistance.
Air France also has a strong presence at other French airports, including Paris-Orly (ORY), Lyon (LYS) and Nice (NCE), which are generally less hectic than CDG.
What to know about Flying Blue
Flying Blue is the shared loyalty program of Air France and KLM, and it earns high marks among aviation enthusiasts and points experts. The program regularly opens up award availability and releases several seats at a time, a big bonus for families and groups. Flying Blue is also a transfer partner for most major credit cards, making it easier to accumulate miles quickly.
Be sure to sign up for the program as soon as possible to take advantage of its benefits right away. New members are automatically assigned Explorer status, Flying Blue’s lowest status tier. Note that a previous discount on checked bags for Explorer members is no longer offered.
Flying Blue’s five levels of status (from Explorer to Ultimate) each earns miles at different rates, from 4 miles per euro spent all the way up to 9. Another convenient way to earn miles: Use Air France’s shopping portal (just make sure you’re logged in to your account and cookies are enabled, to ensure proper tracking of your purchases).
Keep an eye on promotions and flash sales
Air France regularly runs promotions and flash sales, which are an excellent way to score great deals. To stay updated, subscribe to Air France’s newsletter and keep an eye on the “Deals” section of the website and social media. Long-haul flights often offer solid deals.
Get deals through SkyTeam partner airlines
Since Air France is part of the SkyTeam Alliance, passengers can score deals through partner airlines including KLM and Delta Air Lines. In addition, I always advise comparing prices on codeshare flights, which can occasionally turn up better deals than booking directly through Air France, especially for long-haul trips.
Use Flying Blue miles and rewards
Passengers can also take advantage of the program’s Promo Rewards: tickets at up to 25 percent off, bookable with miles. New Promo Reward tickets are released on the first day of each month for flights approximately five to six months ahead on the calendar.
A common hack among points enthusiasts for redeeming reward travel: Wait for one of the promo deals, then transfer points from a qualifying credit card to take advantage of the discount. Time it right, and you can snag transatlantic Business class seats for as low as 45,000 miles each way.
Beware of steep change fees
If you need to keep your travel plans flexible, make sure before booking that your ticket doesn’t have pricey change fees, since the carrier can charge a steep fee (plus the fare difference) for changes. Following the post-pandemic trend in which many airlines eliminated change fees, this development came as an unwelcome surprise to many Air France loyalists. So read the fine print before booking, especially if you need flexibility.
Free stopovers in Paris
Another reason to join Flying Blue: The program offers free stopovers in Paris (as well as Amsterdam, via partner airline KLM), at no extra cost. Stopovers aren’t bookable online, so you’ll have to call a customer service agent to arrange it. However, it’s well worth the time to score what is essentially a free ticket.
Air France lounges in the US and abroad
CDG boasts multiple Air France lounges, with locations in Terminal 2F and various halls of Terminal 2E including K, L, and M (these lounges even offer free mini facials from Clarins). They’re available for Flying Blue Gold and Platinum members and Business class passengers. Premium cabin passengers don’t receive automatic lounge access but may purchase access subject to availability.
Air France has also recently elevated its lounge presence in California, including at its San Francisco International Airport (SFO) lounge with a chic French design. A snazzy, 12,000-square-foot lounge also opened at Los Angeles International (LAX). Amenities include a French brasserie-style menu and a Clarins spa, with free mini treatments like “anti-jet lag” and “instant detox.”
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
