Air France Boeing 777-300 premium economy PARIS–NEW YORK

BACKGROUND Air France has been upgrading its Boeing 777-300 aircraft with its latest premium economy product, already seen on its A350. The 777-300 features 48 seats in the premium economy cabin, arranged in a slightly staggered 2-4-2 formation.

CHECK-IN I stayed in the Pullman Paris Roissy CDG Airport the night before to make the early morning flight. It was easy to hop on the automated people mover and get to Terminal 2E for 0620.

There were seven Sky Priority lanes at Zone 5. I printed a boarding pass and went through the fast-track immigration lines, arriving at the lounge by 0650.

THE LOUNGE We were given SkyTeam priority access for this flight, which meant we could visit the Air France Lounge (Hall L) in Terminal 2E, located just behind the priority security lanes. The lounge is open 5.30am-11.30pm.

The lounge was enormous, with plenty of seating options and accessible power sockets. There were quite a few people for 7am, but it was by no means at capacity.

The food offering by comparison was fairly basic, with a small selection of hot food (scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages), some bread rolls, continental meats and cheese, fruit, yoghurt and cereal – however these were refilled regularly. There were two service stations, which offered the same choice. Drinks selections included selfservice coffee machines, Heineken-stocked fridges, plus a bar at the end with a selection of wines and Champagne.

Beyond the main room were some interesting smaller spaces. They included quiet rooms, private meeting areas, a nap zone with sleeping chairs and drawn curtains, a Clarins facial station (for 15-minute treatments), plus showers and even a sauna.

BOARDING

Flight AF22 was scheduled to depart at 0830. I left the lounge at 0725 for Gate 34. Priority boarding began at 0740. The overall cabin aesthetic has been designed to reflect the essence of the airline. The result is a mature and elegant look, with clean white walls, dark-blue seats with matching leather headrests and carpets, and small flashes of red. The carpet design has a tessellated pattern to resemble that found in a chic Parisian apartment.

This was not a full flight, so there was plenty of overhead locker space. However, it might have been a tight squeeze if the flight had been full.

THE SEAT I was in seat 25L near the back of the cabin and by the window. Overall I found the seat very comfortable, with a 38-inch pitch and 19-inch width offering plenty of room. The material fabric cover was soft and comfortable to sit in, with a pillow and blanket also provided. Leather headrests could be tilted up for comfort.

The recline was very generous at 124 degrees, with a leg rest and foot bar offering additional comfort for passengers wishing to relax or sleep. However, it did feel very invasive when the person in front reclined into

my space. Even with my tray table drawn as close to me as possible, I had to balance my open laptop on it, as the screen was so far into my personal space. Getting out of the window seat when the two seats in front were reclined required a degree of limbo skills.

Tray tables were stored in the central divider – I found this slightly awkward. It would have been better if these were stored on the opposite side to your neighbour to make it easier to get in and out (if your neighbour uses the central armrest you will disturb them when retrieving your table). It was also a little bit clunky. The armrest opened towards me – rather than the more ergonomic away from me, and then I had to find a metal hook to pull the tray out. The table itself folded out into a good size, although the flipped side had a bit of a bounce to it.

The noise-cancelling headphones were excellent, akin to those found in a business cabin, with full cushioned ear pieces and headband. Bluetooth connectivity also meant you could use your own headphones.

The wifi was surprisingly effective for the entire flight – I had no glitches and was able to chat on Teams, reply to email, use Google images and even stream YouTube videos. This cost €30 for the flight. Only one device could be connected at a time, but it was easy to switch between phone and laptop.

The IFE 13.3-inch anti-glare touchscreen was 4K, HD and “anti-glare”. The entertainment content was a bit lacklustre, and included a selection of “new releases”, older films in “The Collection” and some TV shows (not all had complete seasons). There was a good selection of wellness videos however, with meditation content.

Storage was limited. There was the traditional seatback pocket, a small area to store personal devices under the screen, and another for small items or magazines down the side of the seat. There was also a gap between the seat and the window where you could store bulkier items like coats.

There was both USB A (under the TV) and a USB C port (in the side of the seat).

THE FLIGHT Cabin crew distributed amenity kits at 0827, which was a bonus for a premium economy cabin. These came in a stylish pouch with white and navy stripes and a red tab, while the contents included dark-blue socks and eye shade, bamboo toothbrush and toothpaste, and ear-plugs.

The aircraft pushed back at 0847 while a safety video played, and we took off at 0859.

Breakfast was served at 1007. This was the most disappointing part of my experience, although Sandra Ottavi, inflight experience director for Air France, explained that the premium economy product was being gradually updated with the focus first on the hardware, with soft products to be improved at a later stage. When I flew, premium economy passengers received an economy meal.

There was an option of “eggs” or “apple crumble”. I chose the eggs, expecting an English breakfast-style offering, but instead received a scrambled egg mixture with lentils and vegetables. It was edible, but not particularly exciting, and slightly cold. It also came with wooden cutlery, which I did not enjoy. This was accompanied by a sweet roll, a fruit dish with grapes, orange and grapefruit, and another dish of apricot and cheese.

For beverages there was a selection of fruit juices, soft drinks, tea, coffee, wine and Champagne. (It’s worth noting that passengers in all cabins are treated to a complimentary glass of Champagne with the meal service). The coffee was great and I requested multiple refills during the flight.

Plates were cleared at 1045 and I got on with some work. The cabin was very quiet. This was partly thanks to the flight not being full, but also thanks to the cabin being curtained off with no galley either side.

A light refreshment was served at 1300, which included a tasty vegetable sandwich with a tangy minty sauce, a cake and a lovely mango smoothie. The drinks trolley made another round at 1500.

ARRIVAL

We landed at 1620 (1020 local time) and disembarked shortly after. Thankfully Air France had arranged a special press pass to use the diplomatic channel so we could avoid the long immigration queues.

VERDICT There is a lot to like about Air France’s premium economy upgrade: the seats themselves were very comfortable for both relaxing and working, with a very impressive wifi offering and excellent noise-cancelling headphones. Amenity kits and Champagne service also help add a premium feel. One downside is that the generous recline does impede on the passenger behind, though aiming for a front row would eliminate this. I look forward to seeing the food service improve, as this really does let down an otherwise impressive product. Tamsin Cocks

The seat had a 38-inch pitch and the recline was very generous at 124 degrees