Flying Air France

We are looking at flights from Paris to Atl. We like the departure time of Air France as compared to Delta.

We have never flown Air France can anyone let us know their experience with Air France.

Joe

Air France is fine.. I always travel on international carriers when flying out of the US..

better service..

We are looking at flights from Paris to Atl. We like the departure time of Air France as compared to Delta.

We have never flown Air France can anyone let us know their experience with Air France.

 

Joe

Prepare for an earful, because this is something that lots of folks have strong opinions on, and those opinions tend to be all over the map!

I'm a long time Delta flyer, at this point 100k short of being a 2 million miler. I'm also a fan of Air France--although was a bigger fan when skymiles would get you a first class seat, but those days ended around the start of the new century!

While I have no complaints with what Delta's doing these days, I continue to really enjoy AF. In part this is because I can generally catch a couple of movies on AF that will be difficult to find in the USA for another year or so, but I also tend to enjoy the catering and even the service just a little bit more.

I don't have recent experience flying economy TA on either, but the business class products on CDG/ATL are pretty similar, and just fine. It gets mixed reviews but AF has a "shell" type seat on its Prem Econ, and I think Delta still hasn't fully rolled out its new premium economy product, so that might be something to consider.

One additional non-solicited suggestion: I notice you're from Trussville. If you're planning to fly on to Birmingham, you might consider skipping ATL and flying into JFK, if DL still has a non-stop JFK/BHM. In my experience ATL is about the worst for connecting from international flights.

We have traveled a fair bit but only with Air France once. In my opinion it was the best airline we've flown on. The service and food were exceptional. Not a fan of Charles de Gaulle airport though...

Isn’t there a Cruise Air forum this should be in?

Isn’t there a Cruise Air forum this should be in?

Not sure, but some of the sub forums seem to be less active. I think you should be able to post where you might get the fastest response. For instance my current roll call is really slow , so I have posted some things on Celebrity board.

Isn’t there a Cruise Air forum this should be in?

Yes, there is. How do we get the threads that should be in other forums, which keep appearing on the main X board, moved accordingly? There are always Ports of Call questions and posts specifically for roll calls and I never know how to request that they be moved since Andy has gone (I believe the red triangle is for something totally different ? :confused:).

Going back to the question: wouldn’t fly with Air France - only did it twice and both times we were let down badly. I can’t believe someone put they were the best airline :o. They obviously haven’t flown with Singapore Airlines ;). Another subjective issue - just like cruise line food ;p.

Yes, there is. How do we get the threads that should be in other forums, which keep appearing on the main X board, moved accordingly? There are always Ports of Call questions and posts specifically for roll calls and I never know how to request that they be moved since Andy has gone (I believe the red triangle is for something totally different ? :confused:).

 

Going back to the question: wouldn’t fly with Air France - only did it twice and both times we were let down badly. I can’t believe someone put they were the best airline :o. They obviously haven’t flown with Singapore Airlines ;). Another subjective issue - just like cruise line food ;p.

I think some of it is the luck of the draw! We had some of the best flight service ever on Air France but we also had our flights cancelled owing to industrial action less than a week before flying out to Hawaii....

So much in this day and age depends on ‘partner’ airlines too...we ended up in a co-share business lounge in Guangzhou on a return journey from Oz with a resident bat flying around....

So you're thinking of flying Air Chance....a nickname Air France earned due to strikes causing havoc. In today's airline world, Air France is no better or worse than many of the other major airlines. You can check to see their seat size on sites like SeatGuru and compare it to other airlines flying the same route. You also want to check baggage and carry on allowances/costs and seat reservation polices.

If you are comparing prices, don't forget that there are some airlines that aren't shown on the major internet web sites....or celebrity's choice air. Some might require a stop, but how about a stop of a few days in Iceland for no extra charge? Also consider WOW and Norwegian Air.

Figuring out how to get there is half the fun :)

We flew premium economy from Paris to Jfk...upper deck..it was great....though I love delta economy with the 2 seats on the side...don’t likev3 across because I am always in the middle.

I will never ever fly Iberia after it tried to bump 6 of our party of school children off a return flight to Uk! The air flights had been booked months before and we as teachers have to obey strict safety rules about number of pupil to staff ratio - this is reduced on foreign school trips. Having argues with any Iberia staff to be found they reluctantly agreed to bump 5 children and me from the flight. The rest of the party were told that if they didn't go to the gate immediately from check in they would have to buy other flights home ! Iberia then told me they would be flying us back via Paris with Air France. (was grateful for small mercies) The flight to Paris was fine, the food served was the best food I have ever had on a (economy) flight.

On arrival in Paris (11 30pm) I discovered we had been abandoned by Iberia and in a panic I spoke with the Air France desk. Despite us not being Air France's problem..... they took us to an airport hotel, provided us all with an emergency bag of toiletries and T shirts (Iberia actually flew our luggage with the rest of the party back to Manchester - without us on the plane !) WE were fed at the hotel, given very nice rooms and were served breakfast the next morning before Air France took over again in trying to get us on a flight to UK. WE managed with parental permission to fly the 5 kids on a direct flight to Manchester but I had to fly via Heathrow :(

So.... Air France get my vote every time. They went out of their way to help us..... I was extremely impressed. Iberia got into some trouble over what they did to us and we all received some compensation.

I won't fly BA either because of what they managed to do on one flight of mine....but that is another story.

Vive Air France !

I've flown Air France LAX-CDG-FCO 5 or 6 times now, always in their premium economy cabin. Great service, but yes, we've been affected by strikes that usually have just caused us delays, not cancellations. Nice, roomy seats, good service & the ability to get a good nights sleep make it well worth the upcharge. Clean restrooms, & on most of our flights they've been dedicated cabin restrooms, so they stay clean. Unlimited wine, beer, drinks, snacks & two full meals. You also get to jump the lines at security & check in as well as an extra carry on bag. You might want to look into it. :) I won't fly a U.S. based carrier if I can avoid it, but that's a matter of personal preference.

We are looking at flights from Paris to Atl. We like the departure time of Air France as compared to Delta.

We have never flown Air France can anyone let us know their experience with Air France.

Most airlines are far more similar than they are different, especially in economy class, so it would help to know whether you plan to book economy, premium economy or business class. All safety related announcements will be given in both French and English but occasionally you may hear some minor announcement given in French only. Personally I don't care for the "shell" type seats that AF uses for premium economy, but that's only relevant to you if you plan to book that class of service.

Unlimited wine, beer, drinks, snacks & two full meals..... I won't fly a U.S. based carrier if I can avoid it, but that's a matter of personal preference.

Most airlines routinely serve two meals in all cabins on transatlantic flights. And some include beer/wine/liquor in economy as well on TATL flights.

We live in Atlanta so when traveling abroad we generally pick between Delta, Air France or KLM so we can credit everything to our Skymiles account. While we generally like Delta I think both Air France and KLM provide far more food that is a higher quality onboard on international flights (at least in economy). We have also flown Air France premium economy and found it to be ok, but honestly its just a slightly better seat than economy (although some people do hate them). Service is pretty much the same with just a few extras. The only downside in flying Air France as far as I am concerned is having to go through CDG. Going through Amsterdam is much easier/efficient. That said we found the new slimline seats on KLM to be very uncomfortable.

We are flying Air France again next summer and trying business as we got a great price through Choice Air. We went with time as our driving factor like you are considering since we work full time and want to maximum our time in Europe.

So you're thinking of flying Air Chance....a nickname Air France earned due to strikes causing havoc. In today's airline world, Air France is no better or worse than many of the other major airlines. You can check to see their seat size on sites like SeatGuru and compare it to other airlines flying the same route. You also want to check baggage and carry on allowances/costs and seat reservation polices.

 

If you are comparing prices, don't forget that there are some airlines that aren't shown on the major internet web sites....or celebrity's choice air. Some might require a stop, but how about a stop of a few days in Iceland for no extra charge? Also consider WOW and Norwegian Air.

 

Figuring out how to get there is half the fun :)

I second that. We flew AF from NYC >Paris>Tel Aviv several years ago. Paris. Baggage handlers had one of their instant strikes in Paris. After a six hour delay we were on our way out of Paris.. We made it to Israel but our bags went to Johanesburg!!! Never flew or will fly Air France or connect in Paris ever again. Germany or Belgium are alternatives.

Their business class going across the ocean is fabulous. Their business class product on intra-Europe flights leaves a lot to be desired. Like many other airlines, they use regular economy seats but leave the middle seat empty for more room. A rather large man was surprised when he boarded and asked the attendant what made it business versus economy, and she cheerfully chirped "the service!" I suppose it's fine for a quick flight but it is disappointing when you first encounter it and it really isn't fair to those who booked business expecting more room. I also feel sorry for very tall people who are expecting more legroom.

Shanker1,

We've been subject to strike issues trying to fly AF on more than a few occasions over years. It may just be our bad luck a la Lucy but we always hope for the best.

I would strongly suggest you book the AF flight on Delta stock Look for a code share. The Delta 006 issued ticket would provide you some protection in case of issues.

If you are flying business AF is the better product. The 380 even with partial recline sure beats the 767 with lay flat and the service and food are better.

As to connecting at JFK there is only one direct flight after the transcom while ATL-BHM offers many more options. The worst case scenario is renting a car and making the 2 1/2 hour drive. If you give yourself a 2+ hour connection you shouldn't have a problem even if you don't have Global Entry. And I'd bet you are already familiar with Hartsfield Jackson.

We are looking at flights from Paris to Atl. We like the departure time of Air France as compared to Delta.

We have never flown Air France can anyone let us know their experience with Air France.

 

Joe

We have flown Air France a few times. We find the food to be better than Delta (after all France is know for its food). Other than that, it is about the same as Delta.

We get flyer miles on Delta, since AF is apart of the Sky Team.

Only issue is if there is a strike on AF, not likely to have one on Delta.

Thanks for all of the replies, as expected there are many varied opinions, all very helpful. We will be using Choice Air flying business class with a Delta code share. The flight is next spring after a TA.

Joe

Over the past few years, we have only flown Delta or Air France when flying internationally and have had fantastic experiences on both. We once flew from Budapest to JFK with a connection in Paris. Our flights were on Delta, but our first flight was delayed and we missed our second flight out of Paris. We went to the Delta counter and they quickly got us on the next Air France flight, found us seats in business and even re-routed our luggage so it ended up on our flight and at our destination. I was really impressed. I wouldn't hesitate to book either airline.

Most airlines are far more similar than they are different, especially in economy class, so it would help to know whether you plan to book economy, premium economy or business class. All safety related announcements will be given in both French and English but occasionally you may hear some minor announcement given in French only. Personally I don't care for the "shell" type seats that AF uses for premium economy, but that's only relevant to you if you plan to book that class of service.

 

 

 

 

Most airlines routinely serve two meals in all cabins on transatlantic flights. And some include beer/wine/liquor in economy as well on TATL flights.

Sorry, I should have clarified, two delicious meals ;)

Our two TA flights in Air France we're good experiences. No strikes, we were able to get navigate CDG without too much have stress and our business class accommodations were comfortable. Excellent service, and the food and beverage service was very good.

We will be flying Air France in September on our way to our Western Mediterranean cruise on Eclipse.

Here's a link to the TripAdvisor Air Travel Forum:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g1-i10702-Air_Travel.html

You'll get a better cross-section of opinions there, not just cruisers.

Air France is the way to go. A380 upstrairs enjoy...

Here's a link to the TripAdvisor Air Travel Forum:

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g1-i10702-Air_Travel.html

 

You'll get a better cross-section of opinions there, not just cruisers.

Thanks