For the highlight of my Le Premier in the new La Premiere adventure, I flew Air France’s brand new Boeing 777-300ER La Premiere first class on the 7hr35min flight from Paris (CDG) to New York (JFK). What made this particularly noteworthy is that it was Air France’s first commercial flight with its much anticipated new first class product.
Air France is known for its incredible first class, and the “old” first class was already one of the best in the world. But my gosh, Air France really took it to the next level with its new cabin. This has to be the world’s most elegant first class cabin, with an incredible attention to detail in terms of design.
When you combine it with Air France’s unrivaled ground experience and impressive soft product, Air France has really positioned itself into a league of its own, offering the world’s most seamless first class experience… and the pricing reflects that.
Booking Air France La Premiere first class & disclaimer
Here’s the Air France flight that I traveled on this trip:
4/08 AF4 Paris to New York departing 10:30AM arriving 12:40PM
Let me disclose that I traveled as a guest of Air France on this flight. I pride myself in paying for my own flights, and this is the first time that in around 15 years that I’ve accepted a media invitation for a flight. Why did I make an exception here?
- I’ve flown Air France’s La Premiere several times before (and have always either paid cash, redeemed miles, or upgraded from business class), and feel like I’m well versed in the soft product
- First class on this flight wasn’t even for sale, so there wouldn’t have been a way to buy a ticket, as the first class cabin essentially operated as a mini media flight; there was a large delegation of Air France employees onboard headed to New York for a media event as well
- Since this was the first flight, the airline was also keen to get feedback, since this was the first time “real passengers” were experiencing the product
I should also mention that Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith was onboard (and seated across from me — he’s an awesome guy), and the cabin was staffed higher than usual. So I of course recognize that this was a special flight, but then again, La Premiere is always an exceptional experience.
As far as La Premiere pricing goes, it varies depending on where you originate and what your itinerary is, but in recent years, Air France has really priced itself at the top end of the market. That strategy seems to be a success, probably thanks to the great experience, the small cabin, the limited number of planes with first class, and the fact that the airline is based in Paris (a city popular with people who are willing to drop five figures on an airline ticket).
Air France La Premiere first class check-in & lounge
Arguably the single thing that most sets Air France apart from the competition is the ground experience in Paris, which is seamless, whether departing, arriving, or connecting. While the airline offers a chauffeur service to the airport, I spent the night at a hotel near the airport, so didn’t need that.
The experience starts at Terminal 2E, door 17, which is the exclusive La Premiere entrance, leading to a facility completely separate from the rest of the terminal.
Once there, you’ll immediately be invited to take a seat in the check-in area, while one of the hosts processes your check-in. The whole thing takes just a couple of minutes. For what it’s worth, an adjacent area is used as the arrivals lounge for first class passengers.
From there, you’re escorted down a hall (with some really cool historic Air France art), where you clear departure security.
You’re then driven in a car to the famous La Premiere Lounge. Currently Air France’s La Premiere transfer fleet consists mostly of Porsche Cayennes.
The La Premiere Lounge is elegant, but most impressive of all is that it offers a very high level of service, and exceptional food, easily the best food you’ll find in any airport lounge (though this time around, I was trying to save my appetite for onboard).
The lounge also has a Sisley Spa, and I managed to get an appointment for a relaxing 30-minute facial, which almost put me to sleep.
A little over 30 minutes before departure, it was time to leave the lounge and head to the plane. Once again, this involves being driven, and passport control is handled directly in the lounge.
It was quite a distance to the beautiful 777-300ER that would be taking me to New York. Specifically, I was flying on F-GZNQ, Air France’s first jet with the new first class cabin (and a tip-to-tail makeover, for that matter).
Talk about a seamless ground experience. I rank the entire La Premiere ground experience as being (by far) the best in the world, since it’s equally seamless whether departing, arriving, or connecting. There aren’t any other airlines that keep you away from the airport terminal to this extent.
During my time on the ground, I also had the chance to tour the Air France Private Suites, which are located within the La Premiere Lounge. These offer next-level luxury, though at an extra cost.
Air France La Premiere first class cabin & seats
Air France’s new La Premiere first class cabin consists of a total of four seats, spread across one row, in a 1-2-1 configuration. If you’re used to the old La Premiere first class, this product has the same general design in terms of colors, the use of curtains, and the layout. However, it’s clearly a very evolved product, with a seat, and a separate chaise longue that turns into a bed.
Prior to my flight, I had seen pictures and renderings of the new La Premiere cabin, though there’s something about seeing the entire cabin in person that makes your jaw drop. It’s just so simple and elegant (and I mean “simple” in the sense that there aren’t boxy doors or partitions, or way too many shiny electronics, but rather the focus is on minimalism). It almost doesn’t look real, and feels like a first class cabin out of a movie set, or something.
Since it can be hard to tell which direction is which based on looking at the cabin, let me mention that the chairs face forward, while the chaise longues face backward. This is marketed as the world’s longest first class product, as the first class cabin is five windows long, compared to the previous four windows.
If you’re traveling with someone, you’ll likely appreciate the two center seats next to one another, as it’s rare to have a cutting edge first class product where you can actually enjoy the flight with the person seated next to you (this is a challenge in Emirates’ 777 first class, Japan Airlines’ A350 first class, etc.).
This is also an area where the new first class product is much better than the old one. If you end up in one of the center seats next to a stranger, there’s a full partition between the two seats that can be extended, for complete privacy. It’s a pretty brilliant design, as this is a curtain that’s inside a “frame” of sorts.
If traveling alone, the window seats are of course ideal. I was in seat 1L, the window seat on the right side of the cabin. What’s wild is that each seat is so long that I couldn’t actually capture a picture of the entire thing without either using a wide angle lens, or walking to the other side of the cabin, and taking a picture from there.
During takeoff and landing, and when dining, you can sit in the main seat. The seat might not look that wide, but I found it to be well padded and comfortable. It’s actually nice to have a more “normal” size seat, since so many first class seats are so wide that you almost can’t get comfortable in them. This seat also has the tray table, which is sturdy, and is also easy to move around, in case you want to get up during the meal service.
The seat also reclines a surprising amount, so it’s easy to get cozy and lounge a bit, without even moving over to the bed. You can even use the chaise longue as an ottoman, and place your feet there.
Behind the seat and to the side you’ll find an enclosed storage area, with a backlit vanity, as well as USB-A and USB-C charging.
Underneath that console is an exposed storage area, with an AC power outlet.
Then there’s the chaise longue. This is another area where I was curious if this just looked cool, or if it would actually be comfortable. I’m happy to report that this is legit a lovely place to relax, whether you’re looking to just put your feet up, or want to turn the space into a 6’7″ bed.
Next to the chaise longue, you’ll find even more charging, including USB-A and USB-C outlets, plus wireless charging.
There’s a handy portable tablet at the seat, which can control all kinds of functions, ranging from seat settings, to the entertainment. The design here is brilliant, as you can use this at the seat or chaise longue, and then each area has a charging dock, where it can be stored.
Speaking of the entertainment, as you’ll notice, each seat actually has two entertainment monitors, depending on which direction you’re facing. Each monitor is 32″, and is 4K UHD. You can only use one monitor at a time, and the tablet can help you choose which one you want to turn on.
While other airlines have doors in first class, Air France instead has floor-to-ceiling curtains. If you ask me, this is such a brilliant and versatile alternative, and I don’t understand why more airlines don’t offer this. It’s lightweight, it’s highly customizable (in terms of how much privacy you want), and you can’t beat the level of privacy offered. Best of all, in the new La Premiere, the curtains are thicker than before, and reportedly block more noise.
As far as storage goes, the seat has an unbelievable amount of storage space. In order to create a more spacious cabin feel, there are no overhead bins, so bags can be stored in personal compartments to the side of the chaise longue. I found this to be easy to use, and it fit my (rather large) carry-on without any issues.
There’s another small storage compartment to the side of the seat, which can easily be slid open.
Each seat also has a personal wardrobe.
I also want to give a shoutout to Air France’s amazing branding, with the use of its winged seahorse. It’s my favorite branding detail of any airline, as I find it to be so subtle and elegant, from being stitched into the head rest, to being on the lamps.
All-in-all, what a stunning first class cabin. Not only is it beautiful to look at, but I found the design to be much more functional than I was expecting. It really felt like every detail had been considered, which often isn’t the case.
My only criticism of the product is that Air France unfortunately doesn’t have individual air nozzles on its 777s. On the plus side, I find Air France crews to be good about keeping (at least the La Premiere) cabin a decent temperature, and responding to requests for the cabin to be cooled.
Air France La Premiere first class amenities
Shortly after boarding, the crew came around to distribute the menus for the flight.
Shortly thereafter, pajamas were handed out. Air France recently started partnering with Jacquemus on pajamas, which is a cool collaboration, and these have to be my new favorite airline pajamas, in terms of design. They’re basically my new outfit around the house.
Amenity kits were also distributed, with products from Sisley — collaborations don’t get much higher end than that!
Already waiting at the seat upon boarding were slippers, socks, and a shoe horn, plus headphones from Denon.
As usual, pre-departure drinks were offered. I just had some water, which was served with some crackers and nuts, plus a warm towel.
Air France La Premiere first class entertainment & Wi-Fi
As mentioned above, each Air France La Premiere first class seat has two 32″ 4K UHD monitors, so that you have a TV regardless of which direction you’re facing. Air France offers a large selection of movies, TV shows, music, and more.
On top of that, there’s of course a moving map feature, and there’s also a nose camera. I appreciate how Air France’s new first class offers bluetooth audio, which is increasingly becoming the norm with newly installed cabins.
Air France also offers Wi-Fi on its 777 fleet. 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.
Air France 777 departure from Paris
The boarding process took some time, though being in La Premiere, you really don’t get much of a sense of what’s going on in the rest of the plane. When two doors are used for boarding, Air France is the only airline I know of that only lets first class board through the forward door, and not business class (or other passengers). Talk about an amazing jet bridge to passenger ratio. 😉
Toward the end of boarding, the captain came around to say hi to La Premiere passengers. Of course this was a special flight, but I find that to happen more on Air France than on any other airline.
At 10:35AM, we began our pushback, at which point the safety video was screened.
It was quite a long taxi out to runway 9R, and at 10AM, we were cleared for takeoff. What a gorgeous late morning it was!
We had a smooth climb out, and the seatbelt sign was turned off around five minutes after takeoff.
Air France La Premiere first class meal service
Air France offers dine on demand in first class, though as you’d expect, most people elect to have the main meal after takeoff. On this flight, lunch was the main meal, and you can find the menu below, along with the drink list.
The meal service got started pretty quickly after takeoff. The first course consisted of caviar with lime, whipped cream, and blinis. I accompanied this with a glass of champagne — Air France is currently serving 2015 Piper-Heidsieck. I love Air France’s layered plating!
Next up was the cream of carrot and cumin soup, which was excellent, and had a nice kick to it.
Of the two appetizer choices, I selected the cannelloni filled with spinach, alpine cheese, and mushrooms. Yum!
For the main course, I ordered the lobster fricassée with vegetables, which was one of the best airplane dishes I’ve had in a long time. Fun fact, as I don’t think many airlines do this — did you know that Air France loads one of each main course per La Premiere passenger, so that the airline never runs out?
After the main course, it was time for a salad, which could be customized. That salad is a meal in and of itself.
Next up was the cheese course, with the selection including camembert, roquefort, beaufort, selles-sur-chef, and langres cheese.
Last but not least, I ordered the chocolate ingot. I accompanied that with an espresso, and was also offered some Pierre Hermé chocolate to go along with it.
At the recommendation of the crew, I also had some cognac…
…and then some delicious detox tea from Palais des Thés, to undo my sins…
…only to then switch back to alcohol, as it was pointed out to me how Air France has recently added L’Alchimiste cocktails to its La Premiere drink menu. It’s cute how there are three choices — a non-alcoholic one, a low alcohol one (10.3%), and a regular one (23.5%).
I couldn’t help but try one…
Talk about an indulgent dining experience. I’m still on the elliptical working off this meal, weeks later…
Air France La Premiere first class lavatories
Air France has two La Premiere first class lavatories, located at the front of the cabin, by the flight deck. The lavatory to the left is the larger one, while the one on the right is a bit smaller. There’s nothing too special about them, though they feel modern and clean. Obviously the 777 doesn’t have quite as much extra space as the A380, in terms of creating a memorable lavatory.
The lavatories do have some amenities, including products from Sisley (the Sisley cream is really great), and some La Premiere branded toothbrushes.
Air France La Premiere first class bed
I’ve gotta be honest, I was too excited to be on this flight to get any real sleep, and given the relatively short flight duration, I didn’t want to “waste” much of the flight sleeping. Nonetheless, I of course had to give the bed a try. To start, I wanted to lounge in the chaise longue, to test that for comfort.
I found that to be a comfortable way to relax, especially with a bit of bedding. You also can’t underestimate how magical it is to be sitting backward and just staring outside through your five “private” windows…
However, soon enough I requested turndown service, so that I could give the bed a proper try. At 6’7″ in length, this is one of the longer beds out there. How cozy does this look?!
I found the old La Premiere first class bed to possibly be the most comfortable in the sky. The bedding is just so great, and I found that to also be the case with the new cabin. I don’t think there’s a better first class seat for sleeping!
However, I didn’t stay in bed for very long, and nearly shed a tear when I looked at the map, and saw that we were only around 2hr45min from New York.
Air France La Premiere first class pre-arrival snack
Around 90 minutes before landing, it was already time for the pre-landing snack. I should mention that Air France also recently added a first class snack menu, just listing the packaged snacks that are available throughout the flight, and below is what that looks like.
Below you can find the pre-arrival snack menu.
Honestly, I was still stuffed from the first meal, but I figured I had to take one for the team, and at least take a picture. The snack consisted of a beef pastry puff, a fruit salad, and yogurt. I also had another one of those cocktails to go along with it, to give you a sense of just how good they were.
Air France La Premiere first class service
Service on this Air France flight was stellar. I find that Air France consistently has among the best service of any western airline, though of course this was a special flight on a variety of levels, and it was staffed accordingly.
Michael was the purser, while Albin and Stella were the two first class flight attendants, and they couldn’t have done a better job — they were attentive, detail oriented, and charming. Funny enough, since the flight, I’ve noticed that these particular employees are often at Air France events, used in their social media and marketing, etc. They deserve it, because they’re top notch ambassadors for the airline.
Air France 777 arrival in New York
All too soon, this lovely flight was coming to an end. At 12:05PM, the captain announced that we’d be starting our descent shortly, and would be landing in around 35 minutes. It looked like a beautiful day in New York thanks to clear skies, but was also cold and windy.
We ended up touching down on runway 31R at 12:40PM. Despite the rough approach due to the winds, the touchdown was smooth as silk.
From there, we had a short taxi to our arrival gate in Terminal 1, where we pulled in at 12:45PM, right next to a Korean Air Airbus A380.
As usual with Air France, the La Premiere experience doesn’t end when you land. I was met by an Air France representative, and escorted to Terminal 4, where my connecting Delta flight was departing from. The level of coordination was impressive, as an Air France agent had coordinated with a Delta agent, who then escorted me through the Delta One check-in facility.
Bottom line
Air France’s new La Premiere first class is spectacularly good, among the best in the world. What’s funny is that Air France’s “old” first class continues to be extremely competitive, but Air France took that to the next level. What stood out to me the most is the extent to which this product is evolutionary.
So many airlines try to completely “reinvent the wheel” when introducing new cabins, and get rid of the things that people loved. In the case of Air France, the new La Premiere is the best possible evolution of the old cabin, incorporating all the things that people loved, while also making massive improvements.
Air France La Premiere offers the world’s most well-rounded first class experience. The inflight product is stellar, but what really puts the experience on a different level than the competition is the ground experience, which is more along the lines of what you’d expect from private aviation than commercial aviation.
What’s your take on Air France’s new La Premiere first class suite?
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