Air France Airbus A350-900 financial system evaluation

Fast take: A cushty expertise you can typically get at a fantastic worth with factors and miles.

Execs:

• You’ll be able to typically discover transatlantic flights beginning at 15,000 miles every approach.
• The airplane was clear and comfy with fashionable options.
• The service was pleasant.

Cons:

• The boarding course of is inefficient and considerably chaotic.
• Inflight Wi-Fi was spotty at finest, and the USB retailers did not work for big units.
• Considered one of our baggage acquired delayed.

I took benefit of one among Flying Blue’s Promo Rewards to fly to and from Europe for less than 15,000 miles every approach, plus taxes and costs. My return journey was a direct flight from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to Denver Worldwide Airport (DEN) on Air France’s Airbus A350-900.

It was a fantastic deal — however do you get what you pay for? Seated in financial system class for roughly 9 hours, here is how my expertise went.

How one can ebook financial system on Air France

Flying Blue miles are an effective way to ebook Air France tickets. You will typically discover the most effective and most frequent offers in financial system class, particularly if you happen to control Air France’s month-to-month Promo Rewards.

You’ll be able to switch Flying Blue miles at a 1:1 ratio from all the most important bank card applications: American Categorical Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles, Chase Final Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards and Wells Fargo Rewards. Plus, you’ll be able to stretch your factors even additional if you happen to reap the benefits of a switch bonus.

My flight from CDG to DEN price 15,000 Flying Blue miles plus $169. I opted to pay additional to decide on seats for myself and my husband; our commonplace seats price roughly $30 per individual.

Seeing because the money worth of this flight was $841 on the time of reserving, I acquired a stellar worth of 4.5 cents per mile ($841 minus $169, then divided by 15,000 miles). That is greater than 3 times TPG’s February 2025 valuation of 1.3 cents every for Flying Blue miles.

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Checking in to and boarding financial system on Air France

Since my husband and I left from Brussels on one among Air France’s Air & Rail tickets, we checked in on-line and headed to the Air France desk within the Brussels South/Midi Practice Station (ZYR) to examine our baggage and print our boarding passes. Then, we took a prepare to CDG.

A 1 1/2-hour connection in CDG barely gave us sufficient time to get by means of airport safety and discover our gate. I caught a glimpse of Air France’s financial system check-in line as I power-walked previous. It regarded cheap, however I am glad we did not want to face in it earlier than heading to our gate.

Nonetheless, we did have to attend in line for a couple of minutes at immigration and passport management, then take an airport prepare to the L and M gates in Terminal E2.

In CDG, there are a number of safety checkpoints for various gates. Fortunately, the road for M gates was comparatively brief, and the screening course of solely took about 10 minutes. We had simply sufficient time to snag a to-go breakfast from one of many outlets earlier than heading to our gate, the place boarding had simply began.

We needed to present our passports or boarding passes at a number of levels all through the airport, together with on the store the place we purchased breakfast.

Our financial system tickets put us within the Zone 4 boarding group. I had hoped to get within the entrance of the Zone 4 line (and thus get higher, much less crowded pictures as I boarded the airplane), however I shortly gave up that dream. The road was lengthy and winding, and it appeared to be an amalgam of a number of boarding teams. The road stretched effectively previous the gate space, and we stood within the concourse for a stable 10 minutes earlier than the road even began transferring.

Whereas we waited in line, an Air France worker got here round to examine everybody’s passports and boarding passes (by now, we had discovered to maintain them useful). We needed to present these once more a couple of minutes later once we crossed the brink to enter the jetway.

It was an inefficient and considerably chaotic course of to get on the airplane.

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How snug is Air France financial system?

Our flight was on the Airbus A350-900, a comparatively new addition to Air France’s fleet. The provider largely flies this plane on long-haul routes between Paris and numerous worldwide hubs like New York Metropolis, Boston, Los Angeles, Cape City and Sao Paulo.

The financial system seats are organized in a 3-3-3 configuration, with 266 seats throughout two cabins. We had been seated in 42J and 42K, a center and aisle seat close to the again of the airplane.

The seats regarded and felt clear and fashionable. Every was ready with a blanket, pillow and over-ear headphones, all individually wrapped in plastic.

Our flight wasn’t very full, so we (and a number of other of our neighbors) had a row of three seats to ourselves. This positively made the journey extra snug.

These seats have a pitch of 31 inches — similar to a Boeing 777 or 787. I am 5 toes, 2 inches tall, and I discovered the legroom fairly snug; however my husband, who’s 5 toes, 10 inches tall, was just a little extra cramped. Fortunately, there was loads of overhead bin house to go round, so we stashed our backpacks overhead to make full use of the legroom. It additionally helped that we might regulate the headrests to cradle our heads and transfer the armrests up and out of the way in which.

One space the place this airplane acquired it proper was storage. The seatback pocket opened far sufficient to suit my cumbersome water bottle after which some. There have been two small mesh pockets on the entrance, useful for storing lip balm and different small gadgets that would get misplaced within the larger pocket. There was additionally a fold-down cupholder ring behind the tray desk in addition to a small hook for cords and cables over the seatback display.

The USB outlet and headphone jack proper under the display had been straightforward to search out and use. Charging labored effectively for my cellphone, however my laptop computer required a typical outlet, so I wasn’t capable of cost it. In case you’re bringing a big digital system, it is a good suggestion to cost it earlier than you board or convey an influence financial institution.

Like on most planes, there have been three overhead studying lights — one for every seat. Nonetheless, there have been no adjustable air vents like I’ve seen on different flights. I discovered I did not miss them, as a result of the temperature was fairly delicate and constant all through the flight. Even my husband, who naturally runs sizzling, was snug the entire time.

If I might been chilly, the abundance of blankets would’ve helped, but when I might felt sizzling, I’d not have been capable of regulate the temperature.

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Facilities in Air France financial system

Leisure

The seatback screens appeared near new, with none of the scuffs and scratches I normally see on older planes. The touchscreen labored fairly effectively; the 3D map characteristic was extraordinarily responsive and let me zoom in to appreciable element.

The broad collection of leisure choices included motion pictures, exhibits, video games, sports activities and comedy options. There was additionally an audio part with music and podcasts, in addition to a wellness part with seated yoga, meditation and background noise.

You might scroll by means of all movies or search by class. This airplane provided practically 300 movies in whole, together with latest releases like “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Blink Twice” and “My Penguin Good friend.” It was good that you would filter by style, audio language and subtitle language; you would even save motion pictures in your individual favorites checklist.

Wi-Fi

After a number of tries (and error messages), I lastly reached the inflight Wi-Fi menu on my Android cellphone. Nonetheless, I used to be by no means capable of get it to work on my Mac laptop computer, and my husband could not get it to work on his iPhone, both.

From the Wi-Fi menu, you’ll be able to activate the free Message Go to ship texts solely; I used this to efficiently ship a textual content to my mother. In any other case, you should buy a Surf Go for primary web shopping. It prices 10 euros (about $10) or 2,000 miles for one hour, and 22 euros (about $23) or 4,400 miles for the total flight. A Stream Go for streaming content material or sending and receiving giant attachments prices 38 euros ($40) or 7,600 miles for the flight.

I opted for the one-hour Surf Go, which required my reserving affirmation quantity (which I discovered on my boarding cross) and Flying Blue quantity. Fortunately, I had the latter saved. In any other case, I won’t have been capable of finding it (because it wasn’t on my boarding cross and I did not have Wi-Fi to tug up the Air France app). As soon as the cross has been bought, you’ll be able to select when to activate it and return to the app to see how a lot time you will have left — a useful characteristic.

I ran a fast pace take a look at with disappointing outcomes: 1.37 Mbps obtain, 0.11 Mbps add. I attempted scrolling by means of my information feed and located pictures not loading; once I opened an article, it could take a minute or so for the phrases to look.

One other free characteristic: You’ll be able to pair your cellphone to your seatback display through the Wi-Fi, permitting you to regulate the display along with your cellphone. My husband ultimately acquired this arrange as soon as we had been within the air, nevertheless it by no means labored for my cellphone. With the touchscreen working so effectively, I did not actually miss it.

Toilets

This airplane had six bathrooms: 4 in between the 2 financial system cabins and two within the rear of the airplane (close to our seats). I by no means observed a line to make use of the services, nevertheless it might get extra crowded on full flights.

I by no means thought I might say this, however I used to be really impressed by the bathroom, which felt downright spacious by economy-cabin requirements. Maybe it was simply the oblong format that made it really feel larger, nevertheless it appeared roughly twice the scale of the postage-stamp bogs I am accustomed to.

It was additionally extraordinarily clear once I went in about an hour after the primary meal. It was nonetheless clear once I returned just a few hours later, aside from a few bits of paper on the ground (which disappeared earlier than my third go to). This will need to have been no small feat for the crew, contemplating the lavatory I used to be utilizing was within the far again of the airplane, the place at the least 5 infants had been seated in shut proximity.

My solely grievance was the nonintuitive faucet. The movement sensor’s location below the tap made it not possible to see, and your palms have to be very near activate it. I spent a couple of minutes waving my palms round and urgent the temperature buttons on high — and overlaying the tap in cleaning soap within the course of — earlier than I figured it out.

In such a contemporary airplane, I used to be additionally stunned to see what seemed to be an ashtray unfold from the lavatory door, proper beneath the no smoking signal.

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How is the meals in Air France financial system?

Our flight, which departed round 10 a.m., provided two meal providers. The primary was served about 1 1/2 hours after takeoff.

I requested a vegan meal on-line forward of time. Notice that it may be laborious to search out the meal button in your Flying Blue account, and you must order your meal after reserving however earlier than checking in. Having discovered this the laborious approach prior to now, I made positive to submit my request throughout the right window of time.

My vegan meal consisted of vegetable risotto, tabouleh, a ciabatta roll with vegan margarine, applesauce, and pineapple chunks.

The usual meals provided a alternative of rooster and rice or tacky pasta. My husband opted for the pasta, which got here with the identical tabouleh aspect dish, bread and butter, a cheese wedge, and a few type of brownie pudding dessert.

Each meals included salt, pepper and a small bottle of water, plus our alternative of nonalcoholic drinks. (We opted for orange and apple juice.) Additionally they got here with wood cutlery and paper containers for the recent dishes — maybe Air France is making an attempt to chop down on its plastic waste.

In fact, the bar is ready pretty low for inflight meals, particularly in financial system class; in my expertise, vegan meals are usually much more disappointing than commonplace airplane fare. However on this flight, each my husband and I rated our meals above common.

The flight attendants walked up and down the aisles regularly after the meal, giving us loads of alternatives to toss out trash and providing leftover meals to anybody who was nonetheless hungry.

They got here round once more with breakfast baggage a few hours earlier than we landed at 12:35 p.m. Mine included a pack of nuts and dried fruit, vegan yogurt, and a surprisingly tasty vegan muffin. My husband’s contained a yogurt drink, a muffin and a disappointing cheese-and-mustard sandwich that was largely bread.

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General impression of Air France financial system

After flying throughout the pond in enterprise class just a few instances, I’ve grown to dread long-haul financial system flights. Nonetheless, this one exceeded my expectations with its consolation, cleanliness and cupboard space. Plus, at 15,000 Flying Blue miles every approach plus taxes and costs, you’ll be able to’t beat the worth of my ticket.

The largest draw back was the technical subject with charging and Wi-Fi, because it might pose an issue for vacationers making an attempt to work in flight. Additionally, a number of passengers on our flight (together with my husband) skilled baggage delays. Their baggage had been left behind at CDG and did not arrive till the following day.

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