Hello from Paris, as I’ve just kicked off my quick trip to Versailles. I just flew Air France’s Boeing 777-300ER La Premiere first class, on the eight hour flight from Miami (MIA) to Paris (CDG).
Continue reading: Air France 777 La Premiere First Class: In A League Of Its Own
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Bon après-midi.
That was quick!
Anywho, I actually prefer curtains to doors. CXs dayrooms at The Pier F would be a good template to follow. I can see curtains being the next (r)evolution. Think CXs Halo concept.
Bon appétit and bon voyage monsieur!
Didn’t drink anything noteworthy at the Sky Club? That premium drink menu can have some solid offerings.
Jesus. When did you book T-24 out ? Sounds like the trip is off to an amazing start .
I flew Air France La Premiere last March from Paris to Washington. Made heavy use of the lounge at CDG and had an overall amazing trip. There's nothing like it.
Thanks for the quick review, it's getting me very pumped for my flight just a month from now, I also haven't flown that product since before the pandemic! I also love the bed and the curtain, although if you end up in a middle seat it can get awkward if they store your carry on at a window seat since they don't have overhead bins in the center seats.
I also can't remember if they're supposed to have 2 FAs if the cabin is full... but there's a possibility they were only expecting 2 pax since you booked last minute, and that they didn't have another La Premiere trained FA on hand. Looking forward to reading the full review especially the new arrival lounge experience!
The plastic bottle on the top image is a "faute de gout", it should be a glass bottle in first class!
LAX
Departure for Paris
A nightmare!!!
No one gave me the number to call to let them know when I was arriving with my luggage.
It was a catatonic way to begin a luxurious trip!
Check in was unapologetic
Walking through security the escort never offered to help with my carry on
He also asked if I wanted to go to the gate or lounge.
As I was almost 60 minutes early this seemed incredibly weird
Who checks in and doesn't want to see the new LA Premiere lounge!!
He also lost my Platinum for Life card as he handled my ticket and baggage claim in a very haphazard manner
I'm thinking Private Suite next time for check in as this was unacceptable!
La Premiere is definitely on the bucket list for my wife and I to experience. I've only ever flown first on United (back when they had first), Lufthansa multiple times, Thai and British Airways. I realize that's first world problems, but La Premiere seems to be in a league of it's own. I'd like to do it for a longer flight like LAX-CDG or something like that where you don't feel rushed and can still get a decent nights sleep.
Are you saying that your carry on is behind the curtain for the window seat passenger? If so, that’s crazy that you’d have to open their curtain to get to your bag!
I just flew SQ F FRA-JFK and the 4 seat cabin had two FAs, with the purser also sometimes helping out. And one of the 4 seats went empty. Superb service.
In the summer we plan another trip to Singapore to celebrate my birthday and very last retirement.
Return SQ flights have been our norm, however, after reading your flight report Ben, I am now considering AF La Premiere out and SQ Suites return.
Yes, something different to look forward to, thank you for the inspiration Ben.
I only fly star alliance, but I will have to go out of my way one day and try AF. Just so few F flights makes it kind on hard. Funny, SWISS has switched to Sisley products in their amenity kits recently and switched away from LP Grand siecle. You get most if not all of the same ground service perks with LX in ZRH but the lounges do get crowded since there are relatively more F flights out of ZRH, and more seats per flight (for now!). You just see that AF crearly has less volume and can offer more personalized service. I fully expect LH/LX to follow in the same foot steps. Higher F prices, more exclusive, etc...
Ben: "empty plates would often sit on the tray for longer" - did you mean to write "tray table", or was the meal served on a tray?
They really do have the best ground experience among airlines that have first class. I remember flying them during pandemic and after we landed, ground crew actually took us to a pharmacy in CDG so they can activate our digital covid pass. We waited in their lounge drinking champagne while someone went to fetch our luggage. I can go on and on about the great service we received….
Looks lovely although can’t help but think the seat looks a bit dated. Reminds me of the old JAL first.
I’ve been asking the question of why more airlines don’t use curtains for years. Including in your introduction article the other day! Seems like such an easy win.
Surely LH and QF first would be the easiest to implement.
Yeah exactly, only the 2 window seats have an overhead bin. So that can get awkward although I'm sure the FAs can probably put your carry on in a different closet or something, since the issue probably happens on every flight. But otherwise that can be awkward for sure.
I appreciate the bucket list aspect but I just couldn’t contemplate spending 440k for this short flight. Or the cash upgrade price.
Porsche and lounge are nice but doesn’t seem disimilar to LH first except for the curtains.
For me having someone escort me through security and sit in the lounge idle would just make me uncomfortable. Ditto the cart to the gate!!! I’d assume Ben being a self admitted introvert would feel the same
It's a good airline with a terrible hub, stuck in the worst alliance ever created.
ground service is 100% the best. we had a 13 hr layover in Paris and wanted to break it up by going into the city for lunch and a museum and they arranged the whole thing, including whisking us through past every line on our way out and a chauffeur ride back to the airport. it was top notch service and felt both customized and professional throughout. I wish I had better things to say about the hard product, seats/bed were fine, but old and rickety/noisy. the downside to the curtains is that the whole cabin rattles at the slightest bit of turbulence. flight service/food/wine was fine, but far from the best in-flight F experiences out there, imo
Was the other couple a reader of this blog? What was their profile, background? I think you said cabin was empty when you booked.
Here's a concept: https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2020/08/09/this-is-what-airplane-cabins-could-look-like-post-coronavirus/
It's just a matter of who'd flinch first in business and when.
AF flinched first (excuse the pun), with CX potentially to follow suit, assuming their Halo Suites are not far off from their renderings.
I bet it'll be easier for both passenger and cabin crew.
Also a good idea to fly on Austrian after what will be a disappointing first class experience as AF is in Skyteam.
Cool.
The atmosphere is calming and the design is elegant without being over the top. Great description. The service is excellent and service on board is excellent. The airline is not perfect but is consistent in being of higher standard.
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What an overall glowing review and to think, nary a door or a shower in sight...
I don't know how you can say the Delta lounge at Miami is better than LATAM's lounge. Air France uses LATAM for business-class. The Delta lounge, while it has a non-complimentary "premium" bar, CLOSES early. Air France has two daily flights out of Miami. So you cannot, in fact, use the Delta lounge for both daily flights.
The first version of Virgin Australia's 777 flights (Sydney-LAX) had 2-3-2 biz, and row five (named 'Rockstar Row!) behind the bar and entry doors had curtains. I had an unusual situation of myself and an airline female staff member in 5A/5B, curtained off after dinner. A bits awks, but we were mature about it. Dome wild stuff reportedly went on back there, the bar was great with 4 seats. LOVED it, and 'The Biz' that followed. Sadly missed.
Love the curtains. While I agree with you that I'd love to see them more widely used, I think the reason we don't see this is down to LP being just a single row. Having the bulkhead ahead/behind provides privacy that you wouldn't have in a multi-row cabin.
Amen. Some horrific pilot error/sloppiness crashes in their history and SkyTeam just seems to shrug about it. Maybe after their latest misadventure Delta will open their eyes and pay more attention to pax safety than “premium” marketing.
I agree with your assessment. I have flown Air France First a number of times from Dubai to NYC connecting in Paris. Absolutely loved it!!!
Observation seems likely to be relevant.
But if 1-2-1 is there any reason that there could not be full-height dividers between the first and second rows?
I thought I read that LPGS ditched BA because they wanted to be more premium than airlines?
It seems what they meant was that they wanted to be more premium than BA!
Curtains are the new doors. I wonder when we’ll see the first J seat with curtains. Lucky will be all over it…
Janet, as one of our annual visits, we have favoured the SQ A380 Suites, LHR-SIN. We have tried EY and EK, but my wife prefers the non-stop option.
Ben’s AF review has given me the opportunity to consider yet another option; i.e. EuroStar London-Paris, lunch in La Train Bleu, dinner in La Première Lounge suites, followed by a comfortable night flight to SIN.
My plan is coming together rather nicely just now.
I loved the groundservice and i agree with Ben‘s every word. Then there is the timeless elegance of the cabin and, oh yes, the up to the ceiling curtains. These make the seats ever so airy, fresh and provide an umatched feeling of space and privacy. Much better then Emirates old and new F seats.
What i was disappointed of was the food In the Paris lounge and especially on the plane. It was good but did in no means match up to the other La Premiere perks. However, i would not hesitate a second to fly Air France first again
Bizarre that you are even entertaining the idea of being OK with one cabin crew serving the whole cabin.
It’s not OK for the crew, and it’s definitely not OK for you as a passenger considering the money they charge.
I don’t think it’s normal, they must have had a problem, but regardless I would be annoyed.
The Captain (or one of pilots) usually comes out and chats to you personally. I always found this forced 'making conversation', slightly embarrassing.
Frankly, if you are changing in Paris - it's the only way to go if you can pull it off. it's actually better than flying private
Also, if you can grab an "A" fare, it's not that crazy expensive when you compare it to Delta fares with absolutely no soft product.
The only problem that i have is that i am in JFK and the flights are too short!!
The only drawback is that the IFE is somewhat limited content wise but after a few glasses of wine, it's easy to deal with
This is an excellent review. I want to contrast Lucky's insightful and comprehensive review (especially pointing out how La Premiere's ground experience is above and beyond any other alirline's) with Nonstop Dan's review, in which he spends half the review complaining about a vegetarian dish. Lucky, keep doing what you are doing. You are awesome.
I would love to know what availability is like for la premier and how many points you paid for it.
I didn't have the same problem with the service when I came back from NY JFK 6 months ago. We had two stewarts for 4 passengers and the Cabin manager, so it was very comfortable.
I totally agree with you about the ground staff service who is above every other compagnies. I prefer a perfect human service in a comfortable space than the Bling Bling environnement of Emirates without ground staff or specific service.
When you are sitted in First class Air France you never feelclose from Business class seats and other passengers. You are absolutly in a cocooc and curtains are more efficient than solid plastic doors.
The advantage of a perfect service is that you don't feel uncomfortable like in a 3 stars Michelin restaurant. And as you never see other passengers during your journey in CDG except other first class passengers, you never feel above or different from others.
You will see the difference. Personnaly, BA and AA call first class seat but they are not. LH have a nice dated product that they start to change with the new Allegris seats. Thai can be outdatted. The new Air France seat arrives in March for NY flights. In May for Singapore and July for LAX. A new destination every two month and only 3 seats per plane.
I agree the lounge experiences and ground seamless service was the best I have ever seem...
Well out of JFK at least Swiss offers F an escort through security to the lounge and from the lounge to your seat, and ground service in Zurich is like AF LP, personal escort throughout. Just saying this to be fair
Hi Ben, you wrote in the introduction that you’d soon write a full report but can’t find it. Have I missed it is it yet to be published? Thanks for your reviews and posts
I recently flew LHR - ZHR - YYZ. The first leg had only business class. There’s no first class cabin. No one meet me at the plane when we landed and I had to find my way through the airport to the departure area negotiating my own way through immigration, etc. it was not difficult. But I didn’t receive the help that I get when I fly from London to Paris
Just like the Swiss flight from London , there is no first class coming on the Air France flight from London. is no first class on that first flight but when I arrive in Paris there, I’m greeted by an agent who is by my side until I’m in the Premiere lounge and who then escorts me to my seat on the plane when it’s ready to go.
I found the food both in the lounge and on the plane to be very fine and very tastefully presented.
The instant you arrive, the first rate ground service starts all over again. You met by charming agent at the gate of the plane that will take your cases and carries them to the Porsche. You’ve driven them to the next appropriate lounge and have an opportunity for another Memorable meal. The agent remains with you right until you leave the airport.
lines are accident in the service is charming the efficient getting off the plane.
I usually fly AF Toronto CDG route business class as there is no La Premier. In May 2025 my wife and I flew Singapore to CDG and I upgraded our tickets from business class to La Premier - I have read a lot about AF La Premier and I will say the upgrade was worth it and my experience edged everything I read and from Quanta’s First Class Lounge to plane and reception in Paris and escort to ongoing flight to Toronto was seamless.
The La Premier lounge was outstanding - I could use it because ongoing flight to Toronto only had business class. Spent 7 hours in lounge.
Service n flight that was 13 hours long was outstanding and the bed the most comfortable airline bed I have ever experienced with sleep only interrupted by turbulence- if you have opportunity to experience it try it.