Air France and Air Côte d’Ivoire will codeshare between Paris and Abidjan from October 25, 2026, with Flying Blue and sMiles reciprocity to follow. Here's why I'm cautiously excited.
Ben, your snark about “government status” makes me wonder if you completist tendencies extend to earning bans in additional African countries….
Wowza, Ben really is lucky! This is practically tailor-made for his 'completionist' plans!
That’s interesting, I didn’t realize Flying Blue allowed F on other carriers. Who would that be? Korean and China Eastern?
@ Motion to Dismiss -- In theory on Garuda Indonesia, China Eastern, and Xiamen Air:
https://onemileatatime.com/news/flying-blue-first-class-partner-awards/
However, Garuda Indonesia has discontinued first class, and China Eastern and Xiamen Air award space seems impossible to come by, so...
The second a330neo was initially acquired to launch flights to Beirut, as Côte d'Ivoire has a pretty sizeable Lebanese community. But those plans were delayed for now, for reasons that you can easily guess.
It also seems that the second a330neo is getting leased to Air Senegal for some of their Dakar to Paris flights, I only see 2 instances in October though.
I also previously read that some Air Senegal crews (pilots and FAs) that were already trained on the A330neo were "loaned" to Air Côte d'Ivoire to operate some of the a330 neos flights to Paris as part of an agreement between both airlines. https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1740039/economie-entreprises/air-senegal-air-cote-divoire-la-cooperation-qui-fache-a-dakar/ (Link in French)
Formidable - and excellent news! Lucky, it's meant to be. 🙂
As an Ivorian, I really don't understand why Air Côte d'Ivoire went so premium on their widebodies. Now they're wedged between premium customers preferring Air France, and budget/leisure customers preferring the lower fares on the MUCH denser Corsair planes.
I'm sure they've noticed that by now and hope they will reconsider their strategy.
Air Côte d'Ivoire has such low utilisation on their A339s due to the war that indefinitely postpones its planned Beyrouth service. Though, an air transport agreement has been recently signed with Canada, and I see A drop from 8 to 7 weekly rotations to CDG, so I think our airline has found its next intercontinental route ☺️.
Ben, you'll fly this not because it's in your interest, but because it's in your nature. On the other hand, to paraphrase P.T. Barnum, "If you write it, they will read it." so maybe it's in your interest after all. Either way, I dare ya. And either way, there will be tears.
While you're down that way, obviously the trip should include the SA Link flight from JNB to St Helena. If you can figure out a way to fly J on points on that flight, you'll earn the Bonus Power Award, move up to the next level and Join the Pantheon, or something LOL. SA Link flies from St Helena to Nairobi via JNB (QSuites home!).
What completist could sleep, without first completing this challenge?
Additionally, I think that this is Air France's way to recapture part of the AES market (Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger), that were lost to the likes of AT, TK and ET (and to a lesser extent you buddies at Air Algerie), and routes that they stopped flying to following Niger's airspace restrictions to French aircraft
Now that's Funky!!!! 😉
Not to rain on anyone's parade, but AF had announced a similar partnership with EY back in the day, and we all know how that panned out.
Then again, the negotiating positions are a bit different this time around 😉
Smiles is also the name of the GOL loyalty program. It always pops up in my award tool searches offering ludicrous redemptions like 648k points to fly Sydney to Tokyo.
I can only assume Tiffany pulled some strings for you 🙂
In other words, Air France is gobbling ACI the same way they acted with Cameroon Airlines, Air Gabon, Air Madagascar and a few others which chose not to participate in an Air Afrique strongly linked to UTA when UTA and AF were competitors in Africa.
You may notice that, with the exception of Air Madagascar which is moribund and lease long-range planes where they can, all these airlines are gone. It may last a little longer with ACI, but they now have a "Daddy" or a "Big Brother" and they will increasingly do as they are told. In particular, the CEO may, for a time, remain in place but the 2nd in command will quickly be changed for an Air France man.
Ben, if you are still set on flying ACI's First Class, do it quickly.
Ben, didn't you meet Ben Smith a couple of years ago when you were invited to try out AF's new La Premier class? Maybe he reads OMAAT and saw your quest, so decided to help make it happen!
Interesting if you look at the map of Africa and the alliances and partners. Ethiopian and South African are in the Star Alliance and Kenyan is in Skyteam. if just talking about sub-Saharan then most of the others have smaller national airlines with few planes. It would be in Air France's interest to partner with them but unless it is much cheaper or much better flight times then it would be better on Air France.