Yesterday, Air France unveiled its new La Premiere first class cabin. The new suite is a gorgeous evolution of an already highly regarded product. Best of all, this is part of a larger refresh of all four-cabin Boeing 777-300ERs, as they’re also getting new business class seats.
While it wasn’t explicitly mentioned in the new La Premiere announcement, in this post I want to focus on another minor but positive change that Air France is making to the first class experience. It’s clear that every aspect of the passenger experience is being considered.
In this post:
Air France La Premiere will offer two lavatories
Air France’s La Premiere first class consists of a single row of four seats, in a 1-2-1 configuration (this applies to both the old and new configuration). As it currently stands, first class passengers have access to one first class lavatory. That’s not bad, but of course it could be better, since there will be times before landing where you may have to wait to use the bathroom.
So there’s an update there — as of the middle of April 2025, La Premiere first class passengers will have access to two lavatories. You’re probably wondering how that’s possible.
Well, there are actually two lavatories at the front of the 777-300ER. However, up until now, one of the lavatories has been reserved for the exclusive use of the pilots. It’s located behind a curtain right by the flight deck, so it’s not a lavatory passengers have access to, or would even see. That will be changing, and that lavatory will also be open to first class passengers.
Use of both lavatories will be available on all 777s with La Premiere, whether reconfigured or not. Two lavatories for four first class passengers is an industry leading ratio, the best you’ll find on any airline in first class (Etihad’s The Residence has a private bathroom, but that’s a product beyond first class).
I love Air France’s focus on the details
In isolation, first class passengers having access to an extra lavatory might not sound like a big deal. But bigger picture, I think it gets at the carrier’s attention to detail, especially as it continues its premiumization.
Presumably this change had to be negotiated with pilots, and I’m happy to see that Air France management viewed this as worth negotiating for, and that it could get pilots onboard with the bigger vision for the airline. Air France is really trying to turn La Premiere into a first class product that’s in a league of its own, more competing with private aviation than commercial aviation (and along those lines, it’s also priced at the very top of the market).
That’s not done by having the most expensive champagne or unlimited caviar, but rather it’s done by creating the most seamless, end-to-end journey, possible. It’ll be interesting to see what other changes there are to the La Premiere experience over time…
Bottom line
Air France is elevating its La Premiere first class experience, beyond just introducing a new cabin. The airline is also planning some other changes, including offering passengers access to two lavatories, rather than one. This is a minor but positive development that I’m sure La Premiere regulars will appreciate.
What do you make of these Air France La Premiere updates?
You’ll need all these bathrooms after eating French frog legs and garlic snails.
It is important to credit Singapore Airlines' 777-300 ER 4-seat first class cabins as also having 2 lavatories.
This is wrong. Singapore F on the 777 also has two lavatories for four passengers.
Hi Ben,
Did you get any Dates info on all of these soft enhancements that were announced? Many of them will be there regardless if it's the new LP Seat or not, so can we expect them soon onboard the old LP?
The 2 FAs for 4 pax, 2 lavs, new pajamas, enhanced drink and beverages, etc etc.
Now would be great if they add built-in bidets like JAL and ANA!
Side question - Any plans to add La Première to A350s? After they retired thr 380s, they lost a lot of capacity - used to find “reasonable” deals every once in while but not anymore.
No plans for the A350 it seems, which is very sad, it's one of the most comfortable aicrafts out there, much more quiet than the 777.
But they said they will retrofit more 777 with La Premiere so hopefully it'll add some capacity again!
777s are quiet in the front, where F is.
Just not in the rear stalls :)
Singapore's 777s have two lavs for four pax in first class.
As mentioned the SQ 777 product has 2 lavs for 4 pax too.
What's interesting is every time I have flown LP I've never (ok, maybe one or two times) had to wait to use the single lav, even when the cabin has been full. What I'm more interested in learning more about is the availability of the second dedicated FA, as (particularly on the ex-USA flights to CDG) the current single FA has really caused slow service, especially if you want to eat and the rest of the cabin wants to sleep.
But you only need one passenger who spends a lot of time in the loo, and we know they exist, and then you are stuck if there is only one lav.
I can pee up to 8 times on a TATL flight from the west coast, so this is a consideration.
I have had to wait while in LP for the Lav as a passenger was? Doing I don’t know what? Waited so long had to use lav in the back!
I have had to wait while in LP for the Lav as a passenger was? Doing I don’t know what? Waited so long had to use lav in the back!
Most airlines have 2 lavs for First - CX has 2 and all 6 passengers can use plus crew. JL has two but they have curtain for the crew on - but the FA will let you use it - they say it is smaller than main one. AF is only opening the curtain to something that is already there. AA only has 2 and lets the 8 passengers use both. Nothing really new with AF - unless they add a 3rd one.
SIA B77Ws already had two lavatories for four first class passengers, though I'm not sure whether did they also have a dedicated pilot lavatory policy. Still good to see such change, especially compared to some airlines offering a single lavatory for up to eight first class passengers and pilots (like BA, Garuda Indonesia, KAL B77Ws).
This is great! When I’ve flown La Premiere I noticed the pilots and FA use the first class lavatories so having this extra one will help for sure!
They could really make life better for passengers by focusing on the details for making connections at CDG less of a *&^% show. I know La P PAX don't suffer like us business class folks do, but that connections process makes me seek out any other European hub.
@ NSS -- I'm curious, where do you see room for improvement? Is it with waiting times, signage, or something else? Admittedly CDG is a bit of a maze, but I prefer transiting CDG in business class compared to airports like FRA, LHR, etc. And I at least appreciate that unlike some other airports, there aren't too many remote stands when flying with AF>
The last time I connected there was from JFK to VIE. The signage for Sky Priority wasn't great, and if I recall correctly, sometimes the Sky Priority lanes were on the left and sometimes on the right, so I kept ending up on the wrong side of the (very long) queues. On the return trip, coming from VIE, I ended up following the signs, thought I was getting close to the right concourse, and came...
The last time I connected there was from JFK to VIE. The signage for Sky Priority wasn't great, and if I recall correctly, sometimes the Sky Priority lanes were on the left and sometimes on the right, so I kept ending up on the wrong side of the (very long) queues. On the return trip, coming from VIE, I ended up following the signs, thought I was getting close to the right concourse, and came around a corner mobbed with people waiting for buses to 2E I believe. There were no dividers, so it was just a mob of people pushing through one door to get into the bus. Each bus held about 50 people, so had to wait for a few buses to come and go. Ended up running full speed through the concourse to make the plane to JFK, and would have missed the flight had it not been delayed an hour. Not fun on a ticket that cost $6K. Well, not fun on any ticket but especially that one.
The bus transfer between terminals is awful. It can take forever depending on where you're going, and the signage is awful.
I self-connected at CDG last year (intl -> dom, 2F to 2B I think) and I went through security in 2F, got on a bus to 2B, cleared passport control in 2B, and then was dumped out landside. I am confident there was no signage for airside connections. I couldn't even use the automated...
The bus transfer between terminals is awful. It can take forever depending on where you're going, and the signage is awful.
I self-connected at CDG last year (intl -> dom, 2F to 2B I think) and I went through security in 2F, got on a bus to 2B, cleared passport control in 2B, and then was dumped out landside. I am confident there was no signage for airside connections. I couldn't even use the automated gates to get back in line for 2B security because my BP had already been scanned. I had to get an airport employee to let me through manually. Whole process took 2h end to end.
This isn't necessarily news. As a P passenger, I've always had access to that lavatory if I need it.
If you need to go pee, you're happy to be in P.
But now PE has to share a smaller number of lavs with all of Economy
That's not new. PE tickets get you a foot-rest and a steel fork as perks.
And heard that AF's PE is very uncomfortable. My stepdad and I thought we'd give my mom a gift when she had to go to France for family emergency (was in finals season in college) and she couldn't sleep at all.
They have an improved product now, so perhaps it was the older one. It’s also renamed Premium not Premium Economy.
It actually IS new, UncleRonnie.
AF's 77W's currently have dedicated toilets for PE. This is going away.
Ben explains it in this very post. Find your reading glasses!
This product gets a ITDA (International Traveler's Diarrhea Association) rating of
I meant 4 poops. I guess emojis not allowed.
Industry leading ratio…excluding the Residence?
@ Pete -- Hah, well, The Residence isn't first class. But fair enough, I'll include a mention of that.
You’re right ;)