Review: Air France La Premiere First Class Boeing 777 (MIA-CDG)

For the first segment of our royal visit to Versailles, we flew Air France’s Boeing 777-300ER La Premiere first class on the eight hour flight from Miami (MIA) to Paris (CDG). Air France is known for having one of the world’s best first class products, though I hadn’t flown it in over five years, so I was curious to see how it was holding up.

I’m happy to report that as before, La Premiere is exceptional. The cabin is intimate and offers unbeatable privacy thanks to curtains, I find the bed to be one of the most comfortable in the sky, and the food, drinks, and amenities, are all very good.

However, what really sets La Premiere apart is how seamless the journey is. There’s simply not another airline in the world that puts even remotely as much effort into the ground experience, whether at the carrier’s Charles de Gaulle hub, or an outstation. Every detail is thought of.

Admittedly Air France charges a pretty penny for the experience, whether paying in cash or miles. So the airline is priced at the top of the market, but it seems that strategy is working. Keep in mind that shortly, Air France will also be introducing a new La Premiere suite, which will replace the existing product, taking this to the next level.

How I booked my Air France La Premiere first class ticket

I booked our Air France La Premiere first class tickets using miles. Flying Blue greatly restricts first class awards — they’re only available to Flying Blue Platinum members, and award pricing is steeper than with just about any other program.

I booked the following for the per person cost of 236,000 Flying Blue miles plus $302.10 in taxes & fees (as you can see, this included a stopover in Paris, and my connection to Vienna in Air France’s Airbus A220-300 business class):

2/15 AF99 Miami to Paris departing 7:50PM arriving 10:45AM (+1 day)
2/19 AF1738 Paris to Vienna departing 3:30PM arriving 5:25PM

While Flying Blue miles are easy to come by (thanks to the program partnering with major transferable points currencies), as you can see, awards aren’t exactly a bargain, given the status and mileage requirements.

Air France La Premiere first class lounge & boarding

We arrived at Miami Airport shortly before 6PM, around two hours before our flight to Paris was scheduled to depart. The exclusivity associated with La Premiere starts at check-in. Like other airlines, Air France has a dedicated first class check-in area. What’s different, though, is how the airline handles the process.

As we arrived at the airport, the first class check-in area was roped off, with someone standing there, obviously waiting for us to arrive. As we walked up and confirmed our identity, he opened the rope, proceeded to check us in, once again closed the rope, and then accompanied us until we boarded the aircraft.

He escorted us through security, and then to the Delta Sky Club®, which I’ve reviewed in the past, and it’s where Air France sends its premium passengers. Even at outstations, Air France makes an effort to offer an exclusive lounge setup, as much as possible. For example, the back of the lounge had a section that was roped off and even had flowers, which we were directed to. We certainly got some confused looks from other guests.

For that matter, on account of our La Premiere tickets, we could order any drinks from the bar, including any of Delta’s premium drinks that ordinarily have to be purchased. The paid drink selection wasn’t quite as high-end here as at some of Delta’s other lounges, but there were still some nice options.

Boarding for our flight was scheduled for 7:05PM, 45 minutes before departure. There was another couple in first class (they had upgraded from business class on the day of departure), so at around 7PM, the four of us were escorted down to a golf cart that was waiting to take us to our departure gate, J17.

The second we pulled up, we were allowed on the plane, and then a moment later, boarding began. It really is amazing how seamless Air France makes the ground experience.

Air France 777 La Premiere first class cabin & seats

We boarded through the forward left door, where we were greeted by the chief purser and the first class flight attendant, and directed to our seats. Air France’s La Premiere cabin is intimate, with a single row of seats, in a 1-2-1 configuration.

For what it’s worth, the area between the first and second set of doors otherwise has four rows of business class, in a 1-2-1 configuration. That means there are a total of 20 seats between the first and second set of doors.

I decided to assign us seats 1A and 1L, the two window seats. While it’s nice for couples to be able to travel together in the center section, I do love the privacy offered by the window seats, especially with the curtain drawn.

The La Premiere seat is so much simpler than a lot of other first class products out there, as it’s just a “basic” seat and ottoman. However, this really makes one think that other airlines have been over engineering their products, because this is every bit as comfortable, if not more comfortable, than so many of the “boxy” suites out there. I also love the clean, understated elegance of the cabin.

Air France’s La Premiere seats feature 79″ of pitch, with seats that are 24″ wide in the seated position, and the width increases to 30″ when the seat is turned into a bed (due to the arm rests lowering).

As far as seat features go, there’s a storage compartment to the side of each seat. You can place items here during the flight, but even beyond that, this is also where you’ll find the entertainment controller, power outlets (AC and USB-A outlets), headphone jack, and seat settings.

The tray table folds out from just in front of this compartment. It’s a huge tray, and it’s quite heavy. So if you decide you want to dine face-to-face with someone, there’s plenty of room to do so. It’s also useful how you can slide the tray table back and forth, so that you can easily get up even when it’s out.

The seat’s ottoman doubles as a buddy seat. The ottoman also has a storage compartment at the bottom of it, which is big enough to store a laptop, a pair of shoes, etc.

Speaking of storage, one quirk worth noting is that there are only overhead bins along the window seats, and not along the center seats, in order to make the cabin feel more spacious. That’s not a big deal, but it’s worth mentioning because it’s less than ideal if someone in the center seat needs to access their items in the overhead in the middle of the flight, when the window seat passenger has their curtain drawn, since it would need to be opened.

One thing I love about La Premiere is how curtains are used, instead of doors. This is such a simple but brilliant innovation, and I can’t believe other airlines haven’t adopted this. Curtains are lightweight, they won’t break (unlike doors), they offer tons of flexibility, and they potentially offer full privacy.

If you don’t want to use the curtains, there’s a privacy shield along the side of the seat, which can be raised during the flight. This offers some privacy, while still allowing for an open feeling in the cabin.

I appreciate some of the other elegant design features in the cabin. For example, Air France has its signature winged seahorse (hippocampe ailé) pattern on the lamp next to the seat.

The La Premiere suite has a total of four windows, and those can be controlled via buttons to the side of the seat — one setting controls the blinds, and then there’s also the full blackout feature.

The last thing worth mentioning is that unfortunately, Air France doesn’t have individual air nozzles on its 777s. That’s a shame, though I find that if you get too warm and ask the crew nicely, they’ll gladly make the cabin a bit cooler.

Air France La Premiere first class amenities

Waiting at each seat upon boarding were a pair of slippers, along with socks, a shoe horn, and a bag where shoes can be placed during the flight.

There were also headphones waiting at each seat — they were from Denon, and were reasonably good quality, but not to the level of Bose or Bang & Olufsen, as you’ll find on a limited number of carriers.

Air France has an elegant pre-departure service in La Premiere. There’s a little silver tray with a bottle of water and a glass at the seat upon boarding, and then you can order an additional beverage. I ordered a glass of champagne, and Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle was on offer. I was also provided with a couple of savory snacks, which is always a nice pre-departure touch.

That was followed by a warm towel.

Soon thereafter, amenity kits were distributed. These have to be some of the most elegant amenity kits out there — they’re sturdy, and have the winged seahorse logo on them. The design is also cool, as the amenity kit essentially “slides open” to reveal the contents.

Most exciting is that the kit has Sisley products (very nice!), in addition to a comb, a pen, earplugs, eyeshades, and more.

Pajamas were also distributed, and once again, they’re among the most stylish you’ll find on any airline. No airline is as good as Air France when it comes to constantly weaving such an elegant logo into so many parts of the passenger experience.

Last but not least, the menus for the flight were distributed…

Air France 777 La Premiere first class entertainment

Air France’s La Premiere first class offers a 24″ high definition television, which is mounted in a fixed position above the ottoman. I’d describe Air France’s entertainment selection as being roughly average — it’s good, but it’s also not as extensive as on some other airlines.

It’s hard to know exactly how many programs there are, due to the way the entertainment selection is organized. Either way, there’s a large selection of movies, TV shows, games, and of course the map feature.

Nowadays Air France has Wi-Fi on its 777s. The airline offers free messaging to all passengers, and then a “Surf” pass is available for €22, while a “Stream” pass is available for €38. That pricing is definitely on the steep side, but there are no data caps.

However, in La Premiere, it’s possible to get a free Wi-Fi “Stream” pass. You just need to enter your booking reference and last name, and then you’ll automatically be connected.

While Air France’s entertainment selection isn’t the best in the world (but still quite good), the free Wi-Fi makes up for it. Best of all, Air France will soon be introducing Starlink Wi-Fi, and it’ll be free for all passengers. That’s going to be a game changer.

Air France 777 departure from Miami

The boarding process was efficient. Up in La Premiere it was all quite peaceful, since there was basically no foot traffic. During this time, the first class flight attendant, plus the chief purser, both introduced themselves to each passenger. The captain even came around to greet each first class passenger, which is a nice touch you don’t find on many airlines, but in my experience it happens more often than not on Air France.

As mentioned above, it was a full load in La Premiere. We only booked a couple of days before departure, and all four seats were unoccupied. So we had two of the seats, and then the couple in the center purchased upgrades at the airport (and were very excited to try La Premiere, having heard a lot about it).

At 7:45PM the main cabin door closed. At the same time, the captain was on the PA to add his welcome aboard, informing us of our flight time of eight hours.

At 7:55PM we began our pushback, and 10 minutes after that, we began our taxi. We taxied for around 10 minutes, and then had a roughly five minute wait at the departure runway. In the end, we were cleared for takeoff at 8:20PM, from runway 8R.

We had a smooth climb out, and the seatbelt sign was turned off 10 minutes after takeoff.

Air France La Premiere first class dinner service

Dinner was served right after takeoff, and as usual in Air France La Premiere, it was quite the affair. You can find the La Premiere dinner menu below.

You can find the La Premiere drink list below.

There was no pre-dinner drink, but instead, the dinner service immediately commenced, 20 minutes after takeoff (presumably because snacks were already served on the ground, and because most people want to maximize sleep). To start, the table was set — I love the proper salt and pepper mills, the subtly angled glasses, and the winged seahorse plate.

The first course was served 25 minutes after takeoff, and consisted of caviar with blinis and crème fraîche. I had another glass of champagne to accompany this. The caviar was good, but honestly, I found the plating a bit cheap. Personally, I like to eat off a minimum of five plates. 😉

As soon as the caviar was cleared, it was time for the soup course. That consisted of a cream of leek soup with croutons. This was super flavorful, and quite rich.

Next up was the appetizer, for which I selected watermelon aspic, grilled shrimp, and herbs. This was absolutely delicious, and I appreciated the small portion (since it takes stamina to finish a meal in La Premiere).

For the main course, I ordered the lobster with tea sauce, which was surprisingly lovely. For outstation catering, I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality.

To accompany the main, I decided to switch to a red wine, and had a glass of the pinot noir.

After the main course, I had a salad, which could be customized. I chose everything except the duck confit. Note that there was the option of having the salad either before or after the main, and I went with the more traditional French approach.

I was stuffed at this point, but still mustered up the courage to order the truffon cake, just for the picture, of course. 😉

All-in-all, I thought this was an excellent meal, especially given that we’re talking about outstation catering. Generally catering is much better in La Premiere when originating from Paris, so this was delightful.

Air France 777 La Premiere first class lavatories

At the conclusion of the meal, I asked to have my bed made, and then checked out the lavatory. Air France La Premiere currently has one first class lavatory, located at the front of the cabin, by the flight deck. It’s a decent size for a 777, but isn’t otherwise too remarkable.

The only thing that stands out is the very nice Sisley amenities, including body cream and make-up remover. It’s also nice how there are proper cloth towels with which you can dry your hands, rather than just paper towels.

Note that starting shortly, La Premiere will offer access to two lavatories. There’s a second lavatory at the front of the plane, but up until now, it has been for the exclusive use of the pilots. That policy will no longer be the case starting in the coming weeks.

Air France 777 La Premiere first class bed

Upon returning to my seat, I found that my bed was made. Air France’s La Premiere first class seat converts into a bed that’s 79″ long and 30″ wide, so those are some great dimensions.

I don’t know what it is, but if you ask me, Air France has the most comfortable first class bed in the sky. The bedding is so luxurious and soft, and the curtains create a space that feels truly private, so it’s almost like you’re at home. There’s not an airline in the world that I sleep better on than Air France.

I fell asleep with just under six hours remaining to Paris, as we were out over the Atlantic Ocean…

…and I woke up around 1hr20min before arrival, as we were approaching the coast of France. I would’ve probably slept longer, but this is the point at which the flight attendant woke me up for the breakfast service (which I had asked him to do).

I’m a horrible airplane sleeper, but I just got such a good night of sleep, as it was totally uninterrupted.

I’ve gotta say, I think Air France’s first class curtains are brilliant, though I always laugh a bit when walking down the aisle with all curtains drawn. You almost feel like you’re in a hospital.

Air France La Premiere first class breakfast

With just over an hour before landing, it was time for some breakfast (not that I was hungry). You can find the La Premiere breakfast menu below.

Of the two main course options, I selected the scrambled eggs with chives, cheese, and truffle shavings, which was yummy. That was accompanied by some fresh fruit, yogurt, granola, and a croissant.

To drink, I had a cup of coffee, which was decent.

After breakfast, I decided to order a cappuccino. I remembered from my last La Premiere flight that the cappuccino situation was one of the only disappointing aspects of the experience, and I found that remained unchanged. Unfortunately Air France seems to use powdered cappuccinos in first class. That’s disappointing, though it’s my understanding that this is something that’s being worked on.

Air France La Premiere first class service

Air France La Premiere has a single dedicated flight attendant, and then there’s a second business class flight attendant who sometimes helps out during busy periods. On this flight, there was just the single flight attendant working the cabin, with no help.

The flight attendant was super friendly and tried hard, though the challenge is that with a full cabin and everyone eating, he was stretched thin. He had to do everything from preparing the meals in the galley, to serving meals and clearing plates, to making beds.

He did his absolute best to be efficient, but even so, there were definitely longer gaps in service than you’d otherwise expect in first class, simply because he was so busy. I imagine that this is typically less of an issue, since ordinarily the cabin isn’t quite full, and some people go straight to sleep.

I understand the challenging economics here, because dedicating two flight attendants to at most four passengers is probably also difficult to justify. Maybe it’s something that will evolve over time, especially as Air France takes its first class to the next level, with a new hard product.

Air France 777 arrival in Paris

At 9:30AM Paris time, the captain was back on the PA to advise that we’d be landing in around 50 minutes, at 10:20AM. At 9:50AM we began our descent, and 15 minutes later, the seatbelt sign was turned on. The views on approach were gorgeous, as it was an uncharacteristically nice winter morning over France.

We had a smooth approach, and at 10:20AM we touched down on runway 8R.

It took us around 10 minutes to get to our arrival gate, and we spent a few minutes holding short of runway 8L, waiting for a gap between departing traffic.

There was lots of great plane spotting during our taxi in, especially as we approached our arrival gate.

We pulled into our gate at 10:30AM, 15 minutes ahead of schedule. From there, probably the most impressive part of the journey took place, which I’ll cover in the next installment. This included being met by a La Premiere representative, clearing immigration from inside a car, and going to the arrivals lounge, prior to taking the included chauffeur service to our destination.

Bottom line

Air France’s La Premiere first class continues to be an incredible experience, even as a new product is in the process of being rolled out. What makes La Premiere so great is how seamless and comfortable the entire journey is.

It’s not that Air France has the flashiest cabins, or the most over-the-top amenities. Instead, La Premiere offers the smoothest first class experience of any airline in the world, all with an air of understated elegance, and the most comfortable first class bed in the sky. The first class experience is taken care of every second you’re at the airport, and even potentially before or after (thanks to the chauffeur service).

What’s your take on Air France’s La Premiere first class?