Air France’s first class is branded as La Premiere, and it’s one of the best experiences in commercial aviation. That’s especially true when you consider the totality of the experience, from the ground service to the inflight service.
The airline only offers this product on a subset of its Boeing 777-300ERs, and up until now, it has only been available from Paris to 10 destinations. So there’s a pretty major update, as the airline has announced plans to expand its network by 40%, to four additional destinations.
In this post:
Air France La Premiere coming to four more destinations
Currently, Air France La Premiere is available from Paris (CDG) to Abidjan (ABJ), Dubai (DXB), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), Sao Paulo (GRU), Singapore (SIN), Tokyo (HND), and Washington (IAD).
Over the coming months, Air France will progressively be expanding its La Premiere network to four new destinations — Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Houston (IAH), and Tel Aviv (TLV), all of which will see this service on a daily basis. Let’s go over the details, in chronological order of when the service launches.
Tel Aviv will see the introduction of the La Premiere cabin as of December 15, 2025, on the following frequency:
AF962 Paris to Tel Aviv departing 8:55AM arriving 2:10PM
AF963 Tel Aviv to Paris departing 3:55PM arriving 7:40PM
Atlanta will see the introduction of the La Premiere cabin as of March 29, 2026, on the following frequency:
AF30 Paris to Atlanta departing 10:30AM arriving 1:55PM
AF31 Atlanta to Paris departing 4:30PM arriving 6:50AM (+1 day)
Houston will see the introduction of the La Premiere cabin as of July 6, 2026, on the following frequency:
AF98 Paris to Houston departing 10:10AM arriving 1:40PM
AF99 Houston to Paris departing 3:055PM arriving 8:15AM (+1 day)
Boston will see the introduction of the La Premiere cabin as of July 20, 2026, on the following frequency:
AF334 Paris to Boston departing 1:10PM arriving 2:55PM
AF333 Boston to Paris departing 5:10PM arriving 6:10AM (+1 day)
How Air France is able to expand its La Premiere route network
Air France is currently rolling out a new La Premiere first class product, which is an incredible experience. Even beyond the new first class, the Boeing 777-300ERs with La Premiere are getting a tip-to-tail makeover, so that includes also introducing the carrier’s new business class.
What’s interesting is that as Air France introduces this new cabin standard, it’s also increasing the number of 777s that have first class. That means that several 777s that were previously in a three cabin layout have now been reconfigured in a four cabin layout. Obviously the writing was on the wall that the La Premiere network footprint would expand as well.
Now we’re learning what that will look like, and we’re even learning about four new La Premiere destinations at once. I don’t think that any of these new routes should come as much of a surprise, and they’re roughly what you’d expect the next markets with first class demand to be.
For what it’s worth, Air France plans to complete its 777 overhaul project by the end of 2026, at which point all routes with La Premiere should feature the new cabins.
Bottom line
Air France is expanding its La Premiere first class network, with the first class product being expanded to Atlanta, Boston, Houston, and Tel Aviv, between the end of 2025 and the middle of 2026. This is made possible by Air France adding first class to more planes, as it introduces its new La Premiere product (the rollout of which should be complete by the end of 2026).
What do you make of Air France’s new first class destinations?
It's interesting that AF will place this product on the short Paris Tel Aviv 4 hours route.
I do know it flies a B777 of its own metal so perhaps this is occurring because it's planning to upgrade all B777s. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, given its major competitors all operate this route with European Business as the most premium cabin offered.
It's likely a business decision; perhaps, they feel they will earn those fares there. That route has a mix of wide and narrow body aircraft already. If you can afford it, most would much prefer La Premiere on a 777 than a recliner or blocked-middle on 737 or a320.
Every time anything which appertains to Isreal or the Jewish community, the antisemites flood the comments with their hateful rhetoric. Ben why are you not responding to these events in an appropriate manner? I know why, because it is easier to threaten me!
The answer is more speech, not censorship.
Dan and Icarus below actually did a decent job of responding BZ.
You did not, though. You took the bait. Sad.
I'm hoping this means AF brings first-class back for Mexico City.
You have to be filthy rich or on quite the corporate contract to pay for first-class between Boston and Paris. With good winds, that's maybe 5 1/2 hours maximum. If you're lucky you might get 4 1/2 hours sleep given they turn the lights on an hour before landing.
As for Houston and Atlanta, what is Air France going to use for a lounge? The Air France lounge in Houston is AWFUL. It's a broom...
You have to be filthy rich or on quite the corporate contract to pay for first-class between Boston and Paris. With good winds, that's maybe 5 1/2 hours maximum. If you're lucky you might get 4 1/2 hours sleep given they turn the lights on an hour before landing.
As for Houston and Atlanta, what is Air France going to use for a lounge? The Air France lounge in Houston is AWFUL. It's a broom closet. It doesn't even have its own bathroom. In Atlanta, there's no Delta One lounge. The Delta Sky Clubs are overcrowded.
They may just splurge and partner with P/S Suite in Atlanta and create a dedicated space at their IAH lounge?
Doubtful in Atlanta. Most likely Delta will reserve the upstairs of the F Sky Club. They did that previously for Virgin Atlantic back around 2015. In Houston, there's virtually no space in the Air France lounge to reserve. They can't even accommodate every business-class passenger. And there's no toilet.
There has been major construction and renovations at IAH ahead of the World Cup. Actual new terminals with updated facilities. Unlike that scam project at LAX that yielded more retail space nothing more.
But that's not for Air France.
Ben, can you please do one of your which AF planes have the new business class? Maybe I could add it all up from the linked articles but it's kinda confusing. All the 350s have it? Some of the 777s? All of the 777-300ERs will have the new first by end of 2026, so does that mean they'll all have the new business as well? Seems like it makes sense to take a plane out...
Ben, can you please do one of your which AF planes have the new business class? Maybe I could add it all up from the linked articles but it's kinda confusing. All the 350s have it? Some of the 777s? All of the 777-300ERs will have the new first by end of 2026, so does that mean they'll all have the new business as well? Seems like it makes sense to take a plane out of service once, but I dunno. I do JFK-CDG a lot, either on DL or AF, but never quite sure which seat I'm getting on AF and then T1 at JFK is so much worse than T4 and the D1 lounge...but I digress.
Would really appreciate it - the way you just did it for Cathay. THANKS.
And to think that not too long ago TLV on premium was getting only blocked middle seat economy.
Home for Hanukkah or something gefilty is going on?
I guess Houston will the be the best route to enjoy this product the most based on flight length.
If you're looking at maximum flight time, it's actually HND-CDG at a whooping 14h55.
For the US, CDG-LAX is actually 1h05 longer than CDG-IAH.
Lax and IAH are about the same time wise.
I hope they thoroughly clean the cabin from the stench of ethnonationalist hatred and genocide when using this aircraft to/from Tel Aviv in illegally occupied Palestine.
You vile racist creature BZ …. and Ben tolerates this hate crime while others look on without comment. Disgusting!
“I dislike that the state of Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians” is not an antisemitic statement.
BZ, not everyone in Israel agrees with current events, just as not everyone in the USA supports a certain racist political figure.
Thank you, Dan and Icarus, for appropriately responding. It is far more nuanced than what BZ or Aero suggest. And, AeroB13a, no, censorship of opposing views is not the answer; clearly, you disagree with BZ, and that's fine, you can and should express your disagreement, ideally, respectfully, but, if not, that's fine, too, unless the owner of the site disagrees.
What will the P lounge situation be in BOS and other outstations? Will AF use a corner of the DL One Lounge in Boston? Surely they won’t have P pax go to the AF basement lounge.
@ Ben -- It's a good question. I don't think Air France sends La Premiere passengers to a non-Air France lounge with any airport that has one, so maybe they'll create a more exclusive area of the existing lounge with elevated food and drinks. At least that's my best guess.
Air France's Houston lounge is the size of a broom closet and doesn't have have a bathroom. There's a larger KLM lounge down the concourse but the food at both is worse than prison food. Don't ask me why there are separate Air France and KLM lounges at Houston. I'm really curious what lounge AF will use in Atlanta. There's no Delta One lounge. The Sky Club lounges are overcrowded and very mediocre.
I don't like Skyteam
Thanks for sharing.
The Air France cabins across all products on the refreshed 77Ws are really nice. Very stylish. Lots of flair.
Most of these destinations make sense. TLV and ATL do not. TLV is a short sector, at about 4+ hours and ATL is principally about connections, and a lot less about O&D and even Air France's older cabins are head and shoulders above their US partner, DL in both comfort, style, and service.
You assume too much, based on generalizations.
Based on the most recent Cirium numbers, Atlanta has some of the highest revenue per seat and per departure in Air France's US system. Higher than Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco, for example. Why then would they not want to take the next and most logical evolution, to drive that station's premium higher?
Perhaps ATL has very high revenue per seat because of DL and Skyteam’s dominant position in the market, not because there’s such high demand for F?
I'm guessing they're doing TLV in order to target connecting passengers from/to the USA who may be reluctant to pay for first class and find themselves in business for 30+% of the journey.
This.
TLV could be more about aircraft utilisation.
C’mon Air France, how about Montreal too? You have two flights a day right now so the demand is certainly there.
Montreal traffic is unfortunately not that premium, I mean cmon Canada is not doing well and Canadians are pretty cheap generally.
SWISS would beg to differ.
So based on their refurbishment schedule 14 destinations is the final number, or there maybe additional routes added later?
@ Nikojas -- Only time will tell, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are some more destinations.
Is this the first “true” First Class service to & from Tel Aviv? BA operates A350-1000, right? So no First there. So did Cathay. Emirates operated 777-200LR
@ Ray -- I believe so!
I believe BA has downgrade TLV to short haul and is sadly using A321 on the route. It use to run First on its 777 back in the say but that was quite a while ago. El Al used to have first class on a number of routes but I think they completely discontinued the product.
DTW used to have 777 La Premiere service.