Air France -magnifique Or Garbage

[wileycoyote]

Can anyone who has flown them recently,please give their views ?

[Patsycat]

I flew with them a few years ago and found that it was a comfortable flight - movie screen in front of me, a choice of menus, good wine etc. The only downer was coming back - I only had 1 hour to get off the flight from Bangkok to catch my flight to Geneva. I had to run and had no time to have that "dreamed of for 4 hours" cigarette!!

[thaibear1]

Garbage is a hard word if you don't get wooden seat in airplane.

Sincere I prefer the mother (or sister) KLM if fly from Switzerland etc. because first change flight in Charles de Gaulle is a marathon and not very frindly airport. Air France fly with Airbus and KLM still with the Jumbo 747 Combi in which you have more space and fly more quiet. Transfer in Schipol more easy. Sometimes KLM much cheaper as now close 700 CHF return.

[ClaytonSeymour]

I last flew long haul with them a few weeks ago. Food is good for economy class, free champagne offered on pre-dinner drinks run, good wines & cognac. IFE not great, mine crashed twice & had to be rebooted (both occasions whilst trying to exit a game). Can't comment on leg room as I had the exit seats in both directions. AF, or perhaps I should say CDG has a reputation of misplacing baggage & they duly obliged - my luggage was still in CDG & was delivered by courier the following day. I wasn't the only one either; a lengthy list of names were advised to report to the missing baggage counter.

In my opinion the biggest problem with AF is CDG - an airport I'd always choose to avoid if possible. I've never flown to Thailand with them & despite my Flying Blue membership, it's unlikely I would do so in future; there are usually cheaper & better options.

[Dontdisturb]

Don't panic in CDG or Roissy, you're really in France and not in any (North) African country as you could think.

[Krungbin]

Not impressive anymore...

Flew a lot with them in the past and have seen it "going down, slowly, but surely.

Flew with them last year, in emergency, as my mother had just passed away and I had to make it to Belgium as quickly as possible... Bankgok to Paris....the crew is non existant (too tired to take good care of the passengers after 5 days in Bangkok, including a return leg to/from Vietnam), food is terrible, seating is really not confortable, and the arrival at Paris...well, Roissy Charles de Gaulle has not been elected "one of the worst airports on earth for nothing! Paris to Bangkok...starts, unfortunately in Roissy Charles de Gaulle again... Ground staff, whether airline or security positively unpleasant, unfriendlty - not to say plain rude - and feign to ignore that, eventually, the passengers are those who are somehow paying their salaries...

Flying Business class...? somewhat better. But their "sleeping seats are not 180° flat, this make you slip down when you (try to) sleep, and I have seen some (and been told it often happens) ending up on the floor, or almost. Wine, for "the" French airline leaves a lot to desire...schedule? Not really the best one!

The bottom line is where do you have to go to? If you do not go to France, choose another airline!

[samtam]

I thought their inflight service in Business was good. The rest was appalling, with no consideration taken for the fact that you are paying a business class ticket. If you don't have to use them, use someone else.

[fatfather]

I flew quite a lot with them on business trips, because our customers provided the tickets from AF. Flew from Germany to Brazil and from France to Thailand several times. CDG in Paris is a nightmare (long ways, bad lounges and waiting areas) and my luggage always arrived at my destinations in steps, once it took almost one week to get all pieces. From my experience I cannot recommend it. I prefer to pay a little more to get a comfort, direct flight and my luggage arrive with me together.

[KhunDave]

I've used them on and off in business for about 10 years. Cabin service is variable - sometimes really quite good, sometimes the crew rush the meal and then disappear until 90 mins before landing. The food is pretty good for airline food I would say. Wines mediocre, but good Champagnes from time to time.

The latest variant of the lie-flat seats, which I think is on most aircraft except a few 744s now, is perhaps the least-worst example of the "slip down" seat design I have encountered, well padded, and quite possible to get six or seven hours' sleep between Thailand and Europe.

CDG is never going to be the world's best, but I think it has improved considerably in the last two or three years. Terminals E and F, where BKK flights operate from, are light years ahead of the older terminals, and the Access No1 lanes for business class and Flying Blue elites are quick and well policed. Overall I'd say AF is fine - not in the same league as SQ, but often half the price.

[Patsycat]

Just remembered!! They lost my luggage as well!!

[ukrules]

I'm off to Brazil with them in a couple of weeks time, maybe I'll pack a couple of spare t-shirts in my carry on luggage just in case. According to my itinerary they're using a 747 on the Rio route now since the Airbus crashed a couple of months ago.