Vive la Mediocrity

NICK WALTON experiences shoddy hardware, average service and a baggage meltdown on a recent Air France flight to Hong Kong.

CHECK IN

Air France allows passengers to check in up to 30 hours before their flight, which I did. Upon arriving at Paris’ Charles de Gualle airport I was told by check in staff that my booking was for the previous day and I had been a “no-show”, despite having already checked in. After a long wait at the ticketing centre Air France admitted a glitch and rectified the issue.

THE LOUNGE

As I was departing from gate K41, decended to the Air France Lounge K, conveniently located just past security. The spacious lounge features great shower facilities, café and lounge seating areas and a rather curious hot and cold buffet which included vegetable salad, apple pie and beef and onion stew, as well as a selection of French wines and spirits.The lounge caters for approximately 120 guests and was quite busy.

BOARDING

A last minute gate change had passengers a little confused but boarding onto the 777-300ER aircraft was quick once the process started. Soon after boarding began, the captain announced a delay due to “missing luggage”. During this two hour delay on-board crew preferred to chat in the galley rather than make any real effort at service, a point we had noticed on previous flights.

THE FLIGHT

Air France has been slow to roll out its newest business class product across the fleet, leading to two of three different products flown out of Hong Kong – the nicer, newer but already lacking in competitiveness A380 product, and the considerably older style available on some 777-300ERs. Our 777 offered lie-flat but heavily angled business class seats in a 2-3-2 configuration. The business class cabin really showed its age, with a nicotine yellow hue complemented by chipped and scratched surfaces; both my seat and that of my neighbor had lifejacket panels falling open – a crew member used baggage advisory stickers in an attempt to hold the flap closed. Seats offer very little in the way of storage and the headphone jack is a nightmare to reach.

Due to the late hour of the flight and the subsequent delay, I joined many other passengers in skipping the meal and this seems to suit crew well – they promptly dimmed the lights and continued their hibernation in the galley despite call buttons going off across the cabin. Even when it came to ordering duty free, instead of being brought my purchase, I was asked to follow crew through first class to the front of the plane where another crew member languished with the credit card machine.

THE AFTERMATH

After a forgettable breakfast service we arrived in Hong Kong 75 minutes late despite a strong tail wind. At the baggage carousel the first signs of trouble were when the boards stated all luggage had arrived despite a crowd of expectant passengers. A single staff member quietly worked the ranks filling in baggage forms – a total of 200 pieces had been left off the flight despite the two hour delay during which we were supposedly waiting for them. Repeated calls to Air France’s local baggage agents, which had promised delivery by the next night, were met with abuse and were promptly disconnected. My single case was finally delivered two nights after arriving in Hong Kong.

SUMMARY

It’s one thing to have an antiquated product but it’s another when poor hardware is complemented by lackluster service and a total logistical meltdown. Reputations are sometimes well deserved. Hong Kong - Paris return from HK$40,000 (US$5,160). www.airfrance.com

Note: The author travelled as a fully-paid guest without the airline’s knowledge