Air France offers one of the most prestigious and luxurious cabins in the air right, the Air France La Premiere. Or does it really matter at all? I am still eager to try VS and Alitalia (which I have only taken intra-Europe), and hope I'll have a chance to fly Korean before Delta severs its alliance completely. However, there is currently an increased sign-up bonus on the personal and business Delta Amex cards, which makes it relatively easy to pick up a bunch of SkyMiles quickly. Inside is a multitude of seating spaces, from individual chairs to loungers, couches, and recliners. Delta One is the top Business Class product of the airline and it is available on extended hauls international flights such as from Los Angeles to New York-JFK and San Francisco. If fares are the same, I would base my decision on terms and conditions. You make me want to have some skypesos to burn. On long-haul flights, people on Main Cabin and Comfort will get blankets and pillows, and they will receive basic amenity kits including toothpaste and toothbrush, earplugs, eyeshades, and towelette. I would like to go to both Rome and London at some point, so it will probably be either Virgin Atlantic or Alitalia (Although I would also like to visit Amsterdam and Paris). I'd initially chosen Seat 1A, but was involuntarily moved to the last row in the middle-most of three seats. These seats are almost enclosed, but a small space is left open, so you don't have a total enclosure . All meals are served in trays and stylish Alessi tableware. Air France Business Class passengers connecting to or from their Air France gateway on a SkyTeam flight are also entitled to use SkyTeam-operated and SkyTeam member lounges (such as Delta SkyClubs) throughout their journey. It's very different from Delta domestic first class, where most will not even exchange a quick hello. Meanwhile, I could not get anyone to refill my water. I'm SkyTeam Elite+ (via my Delta status) and I can pick any seat in my ticketed cabin on an Air France flight, even when I've purchased it through Delta's website and it's a Delta marketed flight (ie, it has a Delta flight number, though the actual metal is Air France.) Image Credit: Delta Air Lines. DLOne has fflatbed seats, good food /service. Just head to the Delta App or your booking, and choose from the various options of mains, drinks, and dessert. Delta has always offered a robust in-flight entertainment program with Delta Studio. With me it's up to the seating arrangements. Air France Business Class Seats. I was not happy. There are storage areas for your shoes, small gadgets, and other small items. The current Air France promo that provides for refundability of the ticket price is only for flights through June 30, 2022. I have had great service and horrid on these airlines and basically any airline :), The wine served with the meal is better on Air France. Booking confirmation usually bears these conditions. The biggest issue, however, is that the old Air France business class product is dated and uncomfortable. Image Credit: Delta. ForLa Premire (Air Frances foremost first-class product), the first-class menu is designed by Guy Martin. This was true on all four flights, so I'd hazard it's part of the corporate culture. However, this doesnt apply to Basic Economy fares. Also, those in Delta Premium Select have the chance to enjoy larger meals that may include bread and salad, while the lucky few in Delta One enjoy pre-departure bottled water, more food menus by partners like Union Square Hospitality Group or Chief Linton Hopkins are served with Alessi flatware and a wide array of beverages. How you use the space is up to you! The KLM food is OK -- tending toward being over-prepared with mouse-like side-dishes and casseroles, but it was perfectly fine, and in huge quantities. Being in Chicago there there are so many choices w/ 1 daily flight on AF, KLM, Altalia, & Virgin and there is relatively zero competition from connecting traffic. Its built with spacious seating areas, an extensive buffet service including hot and cold food options, as well as a great selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Also if you fly via JFK, there are 6 AF/DL flights to Paris, 4 operated by AF and 2 operated by Delta. Our family is pretty good fliers although we have never flown 9 hours straight. See more about our ethics policies here. -CDG is the worst, but that's not entirely AF's fault (after all, Terminal 1 which is the non-SkyTeam terminal is just as horrid), and AF's lounges in CDG are very, very strong Connecting to Wi-Fi is easy. Does Air France give preference to their own FF members and those that booked with them, as far as allowing seat assignment choices? I liked the Delta Suites the best, but have flown them only that one Image Credit: Delta. Fingers crossed that no one is in the 'F' seat next to me. Privacy Policy: We hate spam and promise to keep your email address safe. Tiffany; You should upgrade "bellisimo" to "bellissimo". The planes will be totally reconfigured nose-to-tail, and will feature 369 seats, including: 48 business class seats 48 premium economy seats 273 economy class seats Swiss recently added the Boeing 777 to its fleet, which features a re-designed cabin interior with top comfort and visual appeal in all three classes. Image Credit: Air France. Answer 11 of 15: I have not flown to France in years and now doing my homework. Air France and Delta Air offer two of the most premium business cabins flying in the air today. The Points Universityteaches you how to earn points and exchange them for luxury hotel bookings and fantastic first or business class flights! On the one hand, their flight attendants are fabulously, nearly uncomfortablystylish. All my recent Air France transatlantic business flights have been in a Boeing 777, not the A350. I was not happy. In the meantime, Alitalia is probably my overall favorite option for redeeming SkyMiles to Europe. I tend to go Delta, but prefer Air France. Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. I would do F on CX and on QF of the outbound, and then maybe B in the return on QF for AUK-LAX via SYD/MEL. I've flown both airlines in business. Sorry, I know this is not Tiffany answering (and I'm sure her reply with be x10000 better than mine), but I want to share what I would picked in the past. @ Fabio -- Thanks! You just have to go to the Air France website to make your choice, and it's been at no charge. Strike action is occasionally a risk with French companies, and I also find they're a bit "shruggy" if something goes wrong. Everyones intestinal process is their own and varied greatly. In general I believe if you are ticketed Delta One, First Class, BC, etc you can use the lounges for all sky team members. Both of those airlines are good airlines. It had a great amount of thoughtful detail clearly explained. You get free access if you only want to use messaging apps. Since DL has 2 cabins, it would be a version of first class. I believe there are some lingering A330s with angled-flat seats, but those still arent a terrible option as a worst-case (at least their angled flat seats are only six across, Air France). However, if you want to stream content, the Stream Pass costs 30 Euros or about $32. Overall it my People discount Delta because the lack of "prestige" airline partners like Lufthansa, Cathay, Singapore, Emirates, the perceived lack of availability of premium award space, and a previously broke award calendar. Jack - Many thanks for your thoughts. Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM. Having trouble even getting KLM award space to show up on Delta's site. The Delta One business class lavatories are nothing special compared to other lavatories on the plane. I am flying out of LAX tonight on AF69 (777-300ER) business class, and found it still has old 2-3-2 configuration. Delta will give you credit, not a refund in most cases. Its topped off with dessert including Deltas famous sundae. I have no idea. The newer IFEs comes with over 350 films, mostly French titles, including an array of TV shows, documentaries, podcasts, and music. She called the Executive Platinum line to make the bookings (and she did it on the first call!). While Delta doesn't quite have the foreign flair of any of these 4, it does have good seats on all aircraft, very good catering (great on certain premium routes like JFK and ATL to LHR, CDG, AMS and FRA), and the rest of the soft product is very good as well. One on Air France that flies a 777-300ER. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. @ Chris -- There's likely just not space, unfortunately. I may buck the trend here, but I HATED Virgin Atlantic. To create a full experience, Delta provides headphones to go with the entertainment system. @RakSiam the DL 767s aren't great compared to their A330s. Tiffany, Almost all, however, are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration while rare sub fleets still carry a 2-3-2 arrangement. The airlines in-flight catering is excellent. Delta One Business Class A350. Best For: Which Airline Class Should You Book? You can pick seats, always through the Air France site, sometimes in the Delta app. But if you fly via Atlanta, there are currently 4 flights to Paris (2 operated by Delta and 2 by AF) Really loving Tiffany's contributions - always great analysis and a talent for communicating clearly even quite convoluted matters. I may buck the trend here, but I HATED Virgin Atlantic. These seats fully recline, provide ample storage, feature a great IFE, and have excellent amenity kits. 2023 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy. Your companion can drink dine with you. When: January 2022; Route: Atlanta to Paris; Flight: AF 681; Seat: 2E; Flight Time: 9 hours; Booked with: 55k FlyingBlue Miles and $226; Booking Air France Business Class with points. Meanwhile, I could not get anyone to refill my water. I have no idea what model planes, but I found them all to be very uncomfortable (both the seats themselves as ell as the space) and the crew (ground and air) less friendly than Delta. The Airline operates a combination of fleet, including Boeing widebody jets and Airbus, on long-haul routes. Everything is capped off with dessert. -Air France's service is not just stylish, but actively warm/personable You'll think you booked with one and end on a plane run by the other. Image Credit: Air France. Part of the fun of flying is looking out the window, and that's a strain, particularly on the latter. Delta now uses an amenity kit provided by. The second option being Delta about a 767-400ER. Fixed now! I could go on but you get the drift. Delta One Business Class Amenity Kit Someone Somewhere. Additionally, Air France manages a fleet of all four types of the Airbus A320ceo family aircraft of 114 jets. For the return, I had a late connection from Rome. Personally, I am a major fan of Oneworld, so I would recommend CX for LAX-HKG and then fly QF for HKG-AUK via SYD or MEL (but SYD would be better for a premium passenger connecting). Each seat has several universal power outlets including a USB port, storage areas, a sleek blue and white color combination, a huge touchscreen monitor with an entertainment controller, a reading lamp, and on occasion, a personal air vent. Moreover, a rowdy group of AF non-rev people were having a party, and they did not invite me. It would be delta one vs AF airbus 350 business class. more, Not allowing me to select seats in BA premium economy, Seats 15D & 15G - United Boeing 777-300ER. Guests on Air France business class receive priority check-in, boarding, and even custom inspection lines, especially in Paris CDG. Do NOT put in a Flying Blue (or other loyalty program number) as this can cause problems. Peter is the editor of France Travel Blog. They are the only airline on this list to offer an onboard bar in business class, and they have the best selection of in-flight entertainment. Staying in the Basic Economy with no elite status or an airline credit card means you will incur fees for checked luggage wherever you fly. Its followed by a cheese plate. Delta FAs are great too, so I'd call it even. On the other hand, the economy section of AF is well-upgraded but not very comfortable, whereas Lufthansa has a great economy class. No, Delta First Class is different from Delta One. I was unceremoniously rebooked into a middle seat on a777 leaving three hours later. TravelDos and DontsAs a Tourist in France, Gordes Travel Guide: Tips for Visiting Gordes, First Time in France: Best 7-day Itinerary, Barge Cruises in France: Why You Should Take One, Best Travel Blogs about Paris You Should be Reading. I will note though that you left off Delta themselves, which can still be available at the Tier 1 number of miles on many TATL routes if you book well in advance. If you happen to have a T-Mobile or Sprint line then you get an hours worth of free Internet when you fly on Delta. In short: replace AF premium economy by Delta premium select. KLM doesn't operate the 787 yet at the moment, but when they do (the inaugural is in late october), they'll have the Zodiac seats on board - the same as the new AF product, in 1-2-1. differences between first and business class, Quick Glance: Air France Business Class vs. Delta One Business Class, The Details: Air France Business Class vs. Delta One Business Class. Thank you for this informative and well narrated post. She called the Executive Platinum line to make the bookings (and she did it on the first call!). Air France/KLM Flying Blue miles are some of the easiest points to earn since they partner with so many bank partners. Anyway, back to KLM, I found the FAs to be extremely pleasant, knowledgeable, and eager to keep the passengers happy. This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. For messaging on Facebook or WhatsApp, its free. Food, drinks, amenities are similar. I mean, look at these bowls: KLM business class breakfast bowls. I booked (3) seats Paris - Houston for 66,500 Air France KLM Flying Blue miles + $383.17 apiece. Even their short Euro flight had a decent meal. What really impressed me, though, is that KLM turns off the seat belt light upon reaching cruising altitude and does not turn it back on until final approach. @Anthony I more than agree and will Virgin has the cool factor that neither SQ, LH, CX and EK have. Reply. Regarding food, I honestly think it all comes down to your personal preference. Also, my AmEx card gives me priority boarding on Delta flights. However, for a more robust connection, you can go with. Delta offers convenient center seats with adjustable privacy dividers for traveling with your spouse or partner. The flight entertainment system has many channels of audio, video, music, and games. There is Wi-Fi available (for a fee) on almost every flight. I am looking at a flight in September from Atlanta to Paris and can fly either with Delta or Air France business class, yes they code share. For some reason best known to them they have ceded all flights to Europe from Atlanta to Virgin. Its a multi-course experience, beginning with starter options like vegetable salad, bread rolls with French butter, seafood, or Foie gras. Rest of Europe I'd say KLM because of the better seats than AF (though I'd say AF once refurbishment is completed), the strong regional network (especially in Scandinavia and the UK), Schiphol being a better airport than CDG and FCO combined and tge Delft houses which are a reason to fly in itself. Leading the pack is our neighbor to the north, Air Canada, with an absolutely superb 2.89/3. Monthly subscriptions begin at $69.95. Of the three, KLMs in-flight food and lounge at Schiphol were the best of the three. Avoid it at all costs because all around its not worth paying much more than a domestic first/business class fare. The new partnership provides customers with more convenient flight schedules and a shared goal of ensuring a smooth and consistent travel experience, whichever airline people fly. Their crappy old planes, the seat layout where you cannot look out the windows so you spend your time staring at another person because you are angled facing that person, the truly awful meals for a business class product. But the KLM lounge people rearranged things and got me in 1A again, which, for a day flight, was fine even in the older seat, with more legroom than the new one would have afforded. If you fly from Miami, only AirFrance operates that code share flight. Bistro fare is available on the first floor as well. If youre going to Paris I might still choose Virgin Atlantic and a connection over old Air France business class, but for smaller European cities youll be looking at multiple flights. The fuel surcharges can be a bummer on Virgin, but the others are pretty reasonable. Perhaps not as impressive. time because they are twice as expensive on my route. The airline was recently ranked second among the worlds largest airlines by the number of scheduled passengers carried, fleet size, and revenue passenger-kilometers flown. On occasion, you might spot high-end toiletries stocked here. However, Alitalia flies to dozens ofdestinationsfrom Rome,including many of the smaller cities in Southern Europe, and award space is typically quite good. Seven-across business class seating is just embarrassing nowadays, particularly in an angled-flat seat. Air France operates several different Boeing 777-300ER interior configurations, but this flight was operated by the airline's most premium-heavy aircraft, featuring four seats in the La Prmiere-branded first class section and a whopping 58 business class seats. Premium Economy: Price. The interior features 30 lie flat Business Class seats, 21 Premium Economy seats, and 225 standard Economy seats. Next to the shower is a relaxation pod where you can take a nap. Your email address will not be published. Tiffany - enjoy your style and posts. (My flight in the suites was noisy because during the flight the crew got word that France was going into lockdown and our flight would be the last for many months. Diarrhea isnt what she was necessarily referring to. I want to go back to South Africa again, and would happily use KLM, but options seemed to be better for VS, ergo my seeking out this site. I able to compare the two last year with Virgin on the flight to Manchester (old plane, crap seating and running out of choices to eat and being told that if I really wanted beef that they'd get me a beef stew from coach. Book ahead because this runs out fast. A white tablecloth is laid out first a simple but often overlooked touch in other business class cabins. This class of service offers significantly more comfort and amenities than standard Economy, Premium Economy, and Domestic First Class, which usually include: Double the seat pitch (legroom) compared to Economy Its not as personalized as you would find in premium first class cabins but its a lot more attentive as opposed to a regular premium economy. Totally agree on the AF 7 across. While first class guests receive Carita Paris amenity kits, the business class kits are brandless but still look quite trendy. Air France has La Premire, Business, Premium Economy, and Economy. The second meal, or breakfast, is served an hour or so before landing. While Delta also has fantastic seats, Air Frances new seats on their business cabin have the added edge of being beautifully chic! Discover the Business cabin: an exclusive, convenient and peaceful space, available on our intercontinental flights. I did find that, for all hour KLM flights, my stranger-seatmates were delightful. What are the connecting flights and airports if any? The airport wasalready unpleasant, crowded, and prone to industrial action (again, Italian), and the recent terminal fire has only exacerbated that situation. He is the chef ofLe Grand Vefour,a 3-star Parisian restaurant. Just a small tip of advice: do NOT fly AF B. Required fields are marked *. Although I tried their Prem Econ onboard the 777 it's kind of better in terms that it is cheaper, you still get champagne, entertainment, and a seat that reclines well for a day flight (or night if you are like my wife who can only sleep in an airplane seat of its in the nearly upright position.) The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered. Do you prefer Airbus A350 to Boeing 787? Two Adults and one three year old child. Stay connected with the latest travel, aviation, and credit card news. Is the flight just sold-out on miles, or is Delta hiding non-Delta inventory? I had a rather unpleasant flight on a discount Air France brand's plane (Joon, now a discontinued brand). For the last (and shortest) of these flights, KLM switched equipment, moving from a 777 with new World Business Class to one with old (Northwest product). I've typically only found DL availability on flights to the weirder European destinations so unless your final destination is one of those or a SkyTeam hub, the partners are probably the most realistic option. Air France flies the A350-900 model, which it configures with 34 business seats in a 1-2-1 layout. These are comfortable and go a long way toward giving you rest. I don't want to transfer and load up CX or KrisFlyer and then not be able to get the flights. I booked a roundtrip flight on KLM for the outbound (Dusseldorf - Amsterdam - Los Angeles), and Air France on the inbound (Los Angeles . Both airlines operate globally, and they offer luxury and comfort irrespective of the type of fare class. If you don't happen to be flying from Paris, Air France is a partner in SkyTeam alliance, which has lounges in most major airports. Youll find hundreds of movies, television shows, music, podcasts, and even Live TV on their 18.5-inch monitor. I would say Delta has a faster service than KLM or Air France. I very much enjoy reading it and all of your posts before. The airlines cancellation policy entails that the tickets fare conditions determine flight cancellation. However, on the A330-300, the center aisle only has partial dividers. We've flown a number of times on Delta, Air France, and KLM and I feel that plane amenities and customer service are comparable on all our flights. The majority of these cabins have chairs measuring anywhere from 19 to 22 inches in width in a 1-2-1 configuration. Looking for a NYC - AMS flight in early August. @ Sergey -- I actually haven't flow Aeroflot yet. My family is considering a trip to Paris in August. Best Business Class Airline Seats 2022 1 Qatar Airways 2 Delta Air Lines 3 Singapore Airlines 4 ANA All Nippon Airways 5 JetBlue Airways 6 British Airways 7 Japan Airlines 8 Oman Air 9 Etihad Airways 10 Gulf Air Best Business Class Airline Lounges 2022 1 Virgin Atlantic - LHR 2 Qatar Airways - DOH 3 Turkish Airlines - IST 4 Singapore Airlines - SIN The service and food on the return 777 was awful. We earn Skymiles when we book on Delta even when the flight is on a partner airline, but I believe that if you book directly with the partner airline, you don't. Otherwise, it's a wash. BA, American, Delta, Air Canada perhaps need to rethink their offering. I've been to Europe each of the last 4 summers, all on Skymiles partners. As maddening as the program is, we probably redeem more Delta miles fortransatlantic tripsthan any of the other major programs, so SkyMiles can certainly come in handy. If you are skyteam elite/plus and you notice that Air France sells 'light' fares and a standard fare that both are listed as having 'no skypriority benefits', don't worry about that. Going to Asia, Korean Air and Delta's own metal (flights to Tokyo and Hong Kong via Seattle) present good options. Else, you will get one or two checked bags free regardless of what fare you book, depending on your combination benefits. If you want something more robust, you can purchase The Stream Pass or The Surf Pass. Of course, theres coffee. Look forward to your thoughts. He has traveled to France many times and is ready to share the knowledge in this travel guide for France. All of these are fitted with the Delta One Business Class seat, but the product can vary wildly as the airline has updated its fleet in stages leaving some planes with more archaic seats than others. I would fly Delta just so you don't have to deal with the possibility of a strike. I have the Delta credit card, so that also inspires me. I could be on an old (is there any other kind) KLM craft. It's due to the amount of miles required for Delta that my flights are now in AF or Virgin Atlantic, both Sky Team members that charge many fewer miles or $. You can connect to the free Wi-Fi aboard the business cabin provided you only need to use Facebook Messenger or any messaging app. In terms of comfort they're about the same; If you're a real entertainment buff then you might find the Delta One screens on the 767 a little bit small and distant. The 777 is older. Maybe the EU is less litigious, but for whatever reason, it was a pleasant surprise to have common sense prevail. Nice post! Get a full 180-degree flatbed on board the Delta One. Instead, take your pick from this amazing list of travel credit cards to get the most points value for every use. Delta One Service Delta's business class service is very good, it's usually prompt and friendly. Throughout the space, freestanding buffets with drink and food options are in strategic spots. Hope this helps! There's also the overlooked Air Europa for Skyteam although there may be a good reason why they are overlooked Nice article! Criteria Delta 777-200 Air France 777-200; Cabin Arrangement: 1-2-1 Herringbone: . @ Ben -- I love first class! Beware that the KLM 747 Combi has an inferior AVOD system with low-res screens and no USB charger (though there is AC charging). If you prefer using your own devices, there are USB and charging ports within easy reach. Similarly, if Air France operates a long-haul flight from Paris (CDG) to Denver (DEN), its lie-flat seat is also called business class. I was in pain by the end of the flight. One on Air France that flies a 777-300ER. Any additional tips/recommendations would be greatly appreciated. It's night and days between the two! Stop applying for credit cards with high-interest rates and bad deals for points. It also operates international scheduled cargo services to 78 countries in 175 destinations. When you fly Air France business class from their hub in Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), you receive free access to the newest Air France lounge at Terminal 2E. Honestly, what we did was have a payed revenue fare on AA from ORD-JFK (I live in Chicago, so that is why we flew out of there) and then connected on CX to HKG after a nice overnight in NYC. Guests get either one or two lavatories dedicated to the cabin. Definitely a consideration when looking at your overall routing. The meal service starts shortly after takeoff. Selected movies are available too in Hindi, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. -When you say KLM's service is "adorably Dutch," what you mean to say is "indifferent, gruff, borderline German". Learn more about our points consulting services! But if you fly via Atlanta, there are currently 4 flights to Paris (2 operated by Delta and 2 by AF) Also if you fly via JFK, there are 6 AF/DL flights to Paris, 4 operated by AF and 2 operated by Delta. I fly economy on both of them going back and forth and literally haven't even paid enough attention to be able to tell you what the difference(s) is/are. In front of each seat is an 18.5-inch monitor with a multitude of shows and movies for entertainment. One thing you can count on when you get onboard the Delta One is that youll get beautiful and stylish seats. For any tickets purchased this year, if you later cancel the flight, you get full credit for the amount you spent, valid through 12/31/23. If you are on a long-haul flight, you will be served complimentary champagne and drinks in every class. If you get hungry in between, theres a small self-service area where you can grab beverages and light snacks if you fancy. Our return trip was on Air France. A tailor-made Business cabin For travel within France, there is three types of fare: Business Leisure: non-refundable ticket, modifiable for a fee of 70; Business Flex: refundable ticket, modifiable at no extra cost; I arrived at the boarding gate for CDG-LAX while the A380 was still there, but I was told I was too late and nothing could be done. Welcome to your private Delta One business class suite. Image Credit: Air France. The latest seats on the Boeing 777-200ER have sliding doors and lie flat seats creating a pod-like feel for guests. After the merger, Airbus aircraft from Northwest was added to the fleet. People discount Delta because the lack of "prestige" airline partners like Lufthansa, Cathay, Singapore, Emirates, the perceived lack of availability of premium award space, and a previously broke award calendar. Delta One business class guests receive top priority when it comes to ground services. However, its the highest and most premium cabin offered on long-haul and international routes. Alitalia is poised to get some hand-me-downs a makeover from Etihad, which will result in a more stylish cabin, Wi-Fi, and some updates to the catering. Second that! Have fun in Aukland and I hope you enjoy your trip as much as I did! Check-in Air France, like its SkyTeam partners, has standardized premium passenger services around SkyPriority.
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