PE passengers can check up to two 50-lb. Did you have any issues making your connection? A RED VENTURES COMPANY. Emirates' premium economy will take flight in the first half of 2021, with the Gulf carrier this evening revealing the new seats and cabin in its latest Airbus A380. 75% of my aircrafts for my next round trip Air France trip in less than a week will all be A380’s (my connecting flight going to my destination and both flights returning). It also allowed us priority boarding. Air France’s Premium Economy section on the A380 is your personal haven of comfort. The other perks such as dedicated priority check-in lane, lounge access [for a fee – further explanation below], and alternative meal service options were just icing on the cake. Emirates Unveils Brand-New A380 Premium Economy Seat. The lounge had a decent spread of light and heavy appetizers (spoiler alert: the SFO lounge has better food than the lounge in Paris… shocker! Deep blue and gray tones create a … The captain came onto the PA system and apologized for the delayed departure, but promised that we would make up the time in the air. I'm 6'5" and had PLENTY of leg room. Did you have any issues making your connection? There is slightly better food out during the hours dedicated solely to Air France customers. That’s just unacceptable for a redeye flight where passengers are trying to squeeze in every last bit of sleep they can. It’s actually a great and helpful piece of information. Finally, an enhanced meal service is offered. While that’s good for not having another seat’s back recline into your space, it’s bad otherwise. Cyprus . We headed over to the Sky Priority line and the idle agent working the First Class counter waved us over. Without any good award availability through AirFrance-KLM’s Flying Blue, I purchased a round-trip Delta ticket, in euros, for $583. It is likely that Air France will maintain the same Premium Economy cabin as other aircraft. Last week Air France took delivery of its first Airbus A350 at the Airbus delivery centre in Toulouse France. There was a large tray table that folded out, an international power outlet and USB outlet, and a nice spot to hold water bottles, which the airline provided. Even my worry about making our connection, our baggage transfer, etc was quelled when you said, “In a worst-case scenario where you miss your flight to Rome, there are a couple of others they can rebook you onto, either on Air France or Alitalia, perhaps others as well.” Yeah, you are right! This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Image courtesy of seatguru.com. There was a decent list of new release Hollywood, French, and world movies, plus programming and content from around the world. The only reasons to book it would be to get more elite-qualifying miles or to be eligible for a cheap upgrade to business class. I was excited to board the massive Airbus A380 — this was the first one delivered to Air France, in 2009 — and take the jet bridge right up to the upper deck. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. And wind up at the upper level? The seat was that bad. They don’t (and couldn’t, logistically) hold back the economy passengers downstairs from deplaning, so by the time we made our way to the jet bridge, about 3/4 of the plane had already gotten off… that’s about 375 people ahead of us, all headed for either the exits or transfer security.” **are the main level & upper level exiting the same door? My premium economy ticket granted me Sky Priority access, which I would also have had as Delta elite status holder. Thanks!! Premium economy promises to bring some civility back to air travel. It was especially bad in a “premium” section. Eddie Izzard! There are three cabins on the upper deck of Air France’s Airbus A380. The seats are laid out in a tolerable 2-3-2 configuration, compared to 2-4-2 in the rows of regular economy behind us. Getting around CDG . Thank you again and A Rain of blessing on you and your wife! I appreciate your knowledge and patience with handling ALL my questions, links included. btw we are doing JFK to CDG and one of the reasons I choose the PE seat was because on AF website they say: DISEMBARK FIRST AND RECEIVE PRIORITY BAGGAGE DELIVERY After you have enjoyed the comfort of the Premium Economy cabin, you will be among the first passengers to exit the aircraft. The free meal I got on the first Premium Economy leg was passable. They have a hard shell in the back, so when you “recline” the seat, the bottom cushion actually slides forward, and the passenger behind you isn’t impeded. Cyprus - EN; Contact us; Create my account; My account explorer silver gold platinum platinum for life platinum ultimate platinum for life ultimate club 2000 club 2000 skipper club 2000 ultimate club 2000 skipper ultimate Miles; Go to letter Country ou region starting with letter. I have access by virtue of my Freccia Alata/SkyTeam Elite Plus status with Alitalia, so I didn’t have to exercise my PE privilege of accessing the club for a fee, though it took a while for the poor agent to figure out what “Freccia Alata” actually was. Can you give me the pros and cons of each? A380 Premium Economy. Mr_5_Senses. The fare includes lounge access for a fee ($35/person, last time I checked), which I suppose is better than no lounge option at all. The amenity kit had stylish colors but lacked anything I needed. In addition, customers will progressively discover a new colour scheme and additional products and services to improve the travel experience on all the airline's long-haul flights. Second, the Air France gate agents were absolutely disorganized and overwhelmed, losing control of the crowd. Upgrade to Premium Economy need “A’ space. Thank god she walks. First, the designers of this gate area that was specifically meant for A380 operations flubbed on passenger space. Pro tip: Generally, airline-provided USB outlets have a slow charge rate; if you have the option, plug into the AC outlet with your own charger. The premium economy offers 40-inches of leg space, a width of 19.5 inches, and reclines 8 inches. Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Our early dinner selections for this flight: Chicken with Catalonian sauce, rice with mixed grains or Pasta shells with marinara sauce, ricotta cheese and spinach, Cheese Fruit compote Grand Marnier almond cake Coffee and tea. My trip from New York (JFK) to Paris (CDG) was uncomfortable, the food was uninspired and the service, while pleasant, wasn’t special. The wine bottle was plastic, but at least the glass it was poured into was real. Basically, there wasn’t anything premium about this trip. Hello Antoinette, thanks for reading! Food options were very good as well, and very satisfactory...but, let's not get carried away, it was still airline food, but it was better than most. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. As a point of comparison, my co-worker had purchased a round-trip ticket in the same cabin for $2,324.83. On our Boeing 787 flights, discover a completely redesigned cabin: wider seats with an enveloping shell, in … With LAX serving as a second home, John enjoys being confined to an aluminum (or now carbon composite) cylinder jetting through the air miles above the terra firma. There are few exceptions I can think of. I was not expecting Kristal or Krug. The flight attendants were friendly but not memorable. We opted for Air France Premium Economy seats because we wanted additional legroom on the long flight across the Atlantic. We landed seemingly on time, but we must have taxied along the meandering scenic route at CDG. There’s also a touchscreen that provided in-flight entertainment and controlled a few other functions. The service was quick, but with just five and a half hours until arrival, there would not be much time to sleep. She took a look at the throng of people and triumphantly announces, “Sky Priority will be on THIS side,” pointing to where the economy passengers had already lined up. While seating at the gate was sufficient, there also weren’t enough power outlets there. A potential terrorist and enemy of the state gets zapped in a full body scanner. Air France doesn’t participate in TSA’s PreCheck program, so it was normal security screening for us, just ahead of everyone else in line. Our seats were halfway through the cabin; I took the window seat while my wife sat on the aisle. The Airbus A380 is the largest of the airliners, so if there was one that would make you feel less claustrophobic, I think that would be it! And this doesn’t include the passengers of OTHER flights coming and going. I noticed that the first row of the cabin (Row 81) had ample legroom due to the exit doors (which don’t have bulges that intrude into the space) and bulkhead. While that can be liberating in some ways, it is unacceptable for today’s long-haul traveler. Air France premium economy is, at 15-25% above standard economy fare, an excellent deal all things considered. Thank you John! Air France Premium Economy includes Sky Priority boarding, so we had no problem finding room for our things in the overhead bin directly above our seat. Select another country or region Choose your language. Economy seats were 17.5 inches wide, and had 32 inches of pitch, roughly the industry norm for this aircraft type, and a half-inch wider than the airline’s 777 arrangement. For more information, please read the Air France Cookie management policy. © 2021 THE POINTS GUY, LLC. The first time(s) I traveled on the Boeing 777 and Airbus 380 (in winter 2017, then again in earlier spring 2017), I was worried about possibly getting sick since the planes didn’t have personalized air conditioning control vents for each seat. On eastbound flights across the Atlantic I normally eat in the lounge and then try to sleep immediately after takeoff. Premium economy promises to bring some civility back to air travel. Once she heard I had flown that leg on the A380, she actually apologized. A flight attendant on that second plane to Cape Town later asked me if I had gotten any rest on the 12-hour flight. I’ve read whining and moaning about the seats and the service, but honestly, it’s so much better than standard economy on a large long-haul flight that I’m not sure how those people justify their complaints. Thanks to Delta, I found a smashing deal to fly an Airbus A380 for the first time, and not in economy! At IFTM Top Resa, Air France is today presenting its new Economy and Premium Economy cabins, highlighting its offer of a new travel experience on board its 15 Airbus A330s which will be refitted as from January 2019. Saw an Air France A380 parked up in CDG recently and wondered what it looked like on the inside. (Emirates) Bear in mind too that Covid has delayed the introduction of Premium Economy. See, TPG’s Brendan Dorsey flew Air France’s premium economy, our guide to the best cards for airfare purchases, Jordan Aviation could launch US flights with a former Emirates plane, How pilots keep their skills sharp during COVID-19 downtime, You can now add select Chase business cards to Apple Pay, Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Overall it looks like a sharp product, but there are many complaints floating around the internet that the seat isn’t too comfortable for long, overnight flights, since the hard shell makes it difficult to recline to an angle that facilitates sleep. With the relatively small PE + economy section upstairs, the flight attendant quickly finished serving our aisle with the beverage cart and came back up with the meal cart. items free of charge, which will be priority-tagged and would theoretically be among the first to arrive at the baggage claim. My fiancè and I are flying from LAX to CDG for our connection to Venice and we only have 1 hour and 45 minutes. Did it take you quite a bit of time de-planing? The boarding process was as organized as it could be for a plane carrying 516 passengers. Noise canceling headphones in premium economy, shell type seats that kept the seat in front from reclining into you and a very plush blanket made this almost like a business lite experience. The Air France staff finally wheel out the directional signs… after pre-boarding had already been completed – Photo: John Nguyen | AirlineReporter. There will be signs indicating where everyone should go (and with wheelchair assistance, your mother will be allowed to board before everyone else, and guided on the right path all the way to her seat. Air France is the second airline to begin retiring Airbus A380s. We uncover what passengers can expect from the A380 in terms of cabin and comforts, and see which routes still offer the chance to fly the A380 with Air France. During summer, Air France flies both an Airbus A380 and a B777 on the SFO-CDG route. We rumbled down Runway 28R and take flight after using about 80% of the runway length. The little more legroom that you get in a very uncomfortable seat isn’t worth the extra cash. We finally reached the Premium Economy section. With Air France set to retire all their remaining A380s by 2022, time is running out to fly the giant jumbo in Air France livery. Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. The only complaint i have is about sleeping in the premium economy … Even then, we asked the lane keeper if there’s anyway she can help us get to the front of the line, which is about 20 people deep. The seat itself was equipped with a universal AC outlet, USB charger, another reading light, and noise cancelling headphones. The next passenger did the same, and we slowly made our way almost to the front, where we ran into a family who’s trying to make the same flight to Istanbul. Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. Photo: John Nguyen | AirlineReporter. Abu Dhabi Open For Tourists From 24th December. The French/English menu offered various options to choose from: Premium Economy menus for Air France – Photo: John Nguyen | AirlineReporter. Upon arrival, your mother will be met by a wheelchair attendant who should also guide her through an expedited connection and security lane to get to her Rome flight. This redesigned service class on the upper deck provides a privileged travel space. Our plane was an Airbus A380, double-decker wide-bodied plane, said to be the largest passenger airplane now flying. They quickly announced the start of boarding for Sky Priority, and we finally fought our way through the economy passengers (not their fault at all) to reach the scanner, and up the escalator we went to the upper deck jetbridge. Unless your mother wanted to explore a different level while in flight, she shouldn’t worry about having to climb the stairs. CARD HIGHLIGHTS: 2X points on all travel and dining, points transferrable to over a dozen travel partners. Air France: A380 Premium Economy - See 32,138 traveler reviews, 5,389 candid photos, and great deals for Air France, at Tripadvisor. I said I’d gotten much more than from New York. Oh right, also because of lack of PreCheck, they were funneling passengers into the full body scanner, which I’m not a fan of, so I informed the CAS officer (SFO chose to use a private contract company instead of TSA) that I was opting out of being scanned. By far, my favorite item was the truffled brie, and the cruidites with tzatziki were refreshing. You mentioned this statement that I was wanted a little more clarity on: “They quickly announced the start of boarding for Sky Priority, and we finally fought our way through the economy passengers (not their fault at all) to reach the scanner, and up the escalator we went to the upper deck jet bridge” *Just wondering if that means the “upper deck” in the plane can be accessed by stair or escalator? For your ultimate well-being, your headrest, foot-rest and leg-rest adapt perfectly to the contours of your body. Wines: According to the flight, you will be offered: White wine – IGP d’Oc Reserve de Thomlomies 2014 Chardonnay or IGP des Cotes de Gascogne 2014 Colombard Chardonnay, Fruit Juice – Fruite: orange, apple, tomato, Soft Drinks: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Nestea White Peach, Soft drinks: Tonic water, Citrus, Ginger Ale, Hot beverages: Coffee, Cappuccino, Hot chocolate, Tea. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). With no seatback in front, the entertainment screens and tables were moved to the armrests. While most passengers wouldn’t notice, the AvGeek in me saw that one flight was operated by a Boeing 777-300ER (B77W) and the other was on the Airbus A380-800 (A388). (We have not factored the lounge into the score.) China Airlines, Lufthansa and Japan Airlines, for example, all have premium-economy cabins that really do offer an upscale experience at an obtainable price. Its elegant design brings about a sensation of relaxation and space, perfect for rest or work. Originally, Emirates intended to take delivery of five or six A380’s in 2020 and the remaining aircraft in 2021. So when it comes to autographs and selfies, I’d rather not. The food was the highlight of the premium economy experience. There were better lines of sight for sure, but I’m not too sure the window itself was much larger than any other Airbus. I was heading to Athens and exploring Crete in Greece and wanted to see Berlin also. Flying a Air France Airbus A380-800 soon? The bread, while not warm, was very yeasty and flavorful, going great with the brie and pate. Air France does offer the option to purchase a premium meal in advance. Without a dedicated bathroom for premium economy, the mini-cabin shared two bathrooms with the economy section behind it, separated by a hard divider. The seat reclines within a fixed area to ensure your personal space and comfort for all. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel. My wife got up to ask her about our meals. Required fields are marked *, Copyright © 2021 AirlineReporter All Rights Reserved, Cathay Pacific Unveils Their New Look + Livery. It was a great reminder of how majestic the plane was. Air France premium economy is incredible. Some minor service hiccups ensued where the flight attendant, while going back and forth on each side of the aisle, skipped right over us in 83H/K. Here’s the kicker: Delta doesn’t have a proper PE cabin on its aircraft, just a section of Economy seats (called Comfort+) with more legroom. We will be bypassing any stair? Many carriers, to varying degrees of increased comfort and service, offer PE cabins to those who are willing to spend a little more to get out of economy, but don’t want to shell out the big bucks to get into business class. Terms apply to the gate was sufficient, there also weren ’ t checking any on... 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