Forget Air France (even in First Class)
 

I just flew to Paris (from Newark) on Air France. First Class on a 747. Never again. We boarded 45 minutes before flight time and were NEVER even offered a drink! Dinner was served in a tin foil tray. The cabin crew disappeared after dinner service. We returned from Paris on Continental (on a 777). We were in coach, but Continental's coach was FAR BETTER than Air France in First Class.

Davis... <BR> What you said sounds like our flight from Paris to to Los Angeles last May. After the flight attendants on Air France served the main meal, they disappeared into the galley areas and crew rest areas, etc. Reading the fine print as they say: In the Air France magazine, if you scan through it and are lucky, you will find where it tells you what to do if you want something during your flight. You must go to a galley (that has a a flight attendant) and ask for water, drinks, etc. Pressing the "attendant call button" is almost useless.

I just got back from flying Air France Business class from los angeles to barcelona and back. Service was very good and friendly. Food was nice, although strange at times (fillet of ostrich!). My only complaint was that we could never get comfortable in the seat. I much prefer Delta's Business Elite service.

If there airlines are anything like their web site response count me out. I e mailed them six different times in reference to a package plan they were offering to Paris in both english and francais and never got any response but, "yes our web site is working."

Wow - I;ve just read 2 threads about Air France on Fodor's. I am growing worried. I am using frequent flyer points to fly them, business class from JFK to CDG 1 Sept and returning 6 Sept. As I am using Delta points, I had to use Air France because Delta is bloacked out during my fly dates to Paris (lucky me), I will be very upset if, after using more points to fly business calss, versus coach and I have a bad experience. My last 2 flights to Paris, I used points for business class in USAir and they were wonderful! I am flying on a 777 over and a 747-400 back. Will report back on my experiences - wish me luck!

I really like Air France! we (husband, self, daughter) used Delta points to fly round trip D.C. to Paris on Air France last month in Busines Class (L'Espace). Frankly, the first flight was a late one(about 11 pm departure). We got on and skipped food, and just went to sleep. Breakfast was fine, and served individually, as each person awoke, which I appreciated. The staff seemed fine, the seats fine, we were just ready to hit Paris! <BR>On the return, I had the nicest experience: my audio/video/light controls didn't work (some prior passenger had evidently pulled out the controller & cord, perhaps was low on souvenirs?) and I didn't realize it until about 5 minutes before the doors were closing. I hit the call button,and within 2 minutes had 3 flight attendants, the head of maintenance, an assistant maintenance person, and then - the actual pilot! all of them exclaiming things like "C'est bizarre!" "C'est terrible!" The pilot himself finally gathered his English together and apologized, and said that he truly regretted it, would be sure I was recompensed, but that they really had to close the doors and fly the plane to America. <BR>Well, I was a bit put out, figuring I had gotten the brush-off (what, a return of 100 ff miles for the missing movies? My real concern was not having a reading light for my 8hr flight when I had a book I wanted to finish...) <BR>So, I'm sitting there telling myself no biggie, but wondering if there isn't another seat in business or even first that they could let me sit (turns out the plane was indeed full), when all of a sudden the head flight attendant is next to me, saying that "the pilot wondered if you would like to join him in the cockpit for takeoff as a partial apology?" <BR>Well, I am a 50+ woman, I do travel nicely dressed (a hangover from all of my busines travel), and I JUMPED at the chance! I kept telling the flight attendant (a Catherine Deneuve look-alike) "no problem with the lack of controls, thank you, thank you!" We were on an Airbus 340, the pilot apologized again, the copilot introduced himself, they were strictly business about wandering the tarmac in CDG, and the takeoff was one heck of a rush!!! (did you know there isn't a steering wheel, they just use a joy stick with their right hands for that enormous plane???) The head attandant came to my seat 5 times during the flight as she completed various segments of the report she was filing, couldn't not have been nicer, and caught me as I left the plane to apologize again!!! <BR>I have ff accounts with sizable miles in 5 different airlines, fly constantly, am gold level on two airlines currently, and I will tell you: any US carrier that I know would have brushed off my problem as a non-event. This was servicing beyond the necessary and I hope to continue using them each time I return to my favorite city!

Most of the time, you'll be better off on Delta or American. Occasionly Air France is good, but many times they're not. I fly NY-Paris 15 times yr, and have learned from experience to avoid Air France unless there's no other choice.