Jul 21, 2015, 3:15 am

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

Last edit by: FN-GM

LIST OF ROUTES/FLIGHTS WITH BEST SEATS - update 21 April, 2017. Flights looked up for week of June 12, 2017
IMPORTANT NOTES :
- This is the list of "BEST"-operated routes for a typical week during the summer season in June 2017.
- Some of the routes listed below may see a non-BEST aircraft operating the flight some day(s) of the week
- Last minute aircraft substitution is always possible

NORTH AMERICA

- BOS (AF334/333) : on days the flight operates with a B772
- IAD (AF026/027)
- IAH (AF636/639)
- JFK (AF032/019) : operating from ORY
- JFK (AF022/023)
- JFK (AF008/009)
- LAX (AF072/073)
- LAX-PPT (AF076/077)
- SFO (AF082/083)
- YUL (AF342/345) : on certain days
- YUL (AF344/345 B787-9)
- YVR (AF374/379)

CENTRAL & LATIN AMERICAS
- EZE/MVD (AF394/393)
- EZE (AF228/229)
- SCL (AF406/407) : on certain days
- GRU (AF456/459)
- GRU (AF454/457)
- PTY (AF474/475)
- CAY (AF852/853)
- CUN (AF650/651)
- HAV (AF820/825)

ASIA
- BOM (AF218/217)
- HKG (AF188/185)
- HND (AF274/293)
- KIX (AF292/291)
- NRT (AF276/275)
- NRT (AF272/271)
- PEK (AF382/381)
- PVG (AF112/117)
- PVG (AF116/111) : only on days when the flight is B777-operated (A380 has no BEST cabins at the moment)
- CAN (AF102/107)
- SIN (AF256/257)
- SGN (AF258/257)

AFRICA
- ABJ (AF702/703) : only on days when the flight is B777-operated (A380 has no BEST cabins at the moment)
- BKO-ABJ (AF520/521)
- ACC (AF780/781)
- DLA-NSI (AF982)
- BGF-NSI (AF775/775)
- NSI (AF900/901)
- LBV (AF976/977)
- LAD (AF928/929)

MIDDLE EAST
- BEY (AF566/565)
- CAI (AF570/567 B787-9)
- DXB (AF662/643)

CONFIGURATIONS OF THE B777 FLEET
Note : this list is not up-to-date
Boeing 777-200ER 309 seats J-W-Y without new cabins : 4/25

Code:

F-GSPA – NEV4
 F-GSPE – NEV4
 F-GSPM – NEV4
 F-GSPZ – NEV4

Boeing 777-200ER in modification process : 2/25

Code:

F-GSPD
 F-GSPP

Boeing 777-200ER 280 seats or 316 seats "quick change" J-W-Y with new cabins : 16/25

Code:

F-GSPB – BEST
 F-GSPC – BEST
 F-GSPF – BEST
 F-GSPG – BEST
 F-GSPH – BEST
 F-GSPI – BEST
 F-GSPJ - BEST
 F-GSPK – BEST
 F-GSPQ – BEST
 F-GSPR – BEST
 F-GSPS – BEST
 F-GSPT – BEST
 F-GSPU – BEST
 F-GSPV – BEST
 F-GSPX – BEST
 F-GSPY – BEST
 
 
 or

Boeing 777-200ER 312 seats (28J) J-W-Y with new cabins : 3/25

Code:

F-GSPL – BEST
 F-GSPO – BEST
 F-GSPN – BEST

Boeing 777-300ER 303 seats P-J-W-Y without new cabins : 0/43

Code:

All Converted to BEST

Boeing 777-300ER 381 seats J-W-Y without new cabins : 5/43

Code:

F-GSQD – NEV4
 F-GSQE – NEV4
 F-GZNH – NEV4
 F-GZNI – NEV4
 F-GZNJ - NEV4
 F-GZNK – NEV4

Boeing 777-300ER in modification process : 0/43

Boeing 777-300ER 296 seats or 322 seats "quick change" P-J-W-Y with new cabins : 20/43

Code:

F-GSQA – BEST
 F-GSQB – BEST
 F-GSQC – BEST
 F-GSQF – BEST
 F-GSQG – BEST
 F-GSQH – BEST
 F-GSQI – BEST
 F-GSQJ – BEST
 F-GSQK – BEST
 F-GSQL – BEST
 F-GSQY – BEST
 F-GSQM – BEST
 F-GSQU - BEST
 F-GSQV – BEST
 F-GSQY – BEST
 F-GZNA – BEST
 F-GZNB - BEST
 F-GZNC – BEST
 F-GZND - BEST
 F-GZNE – BEST
 
 
 or

Boeing 777-300ER 468 seats J-W-Y "CIO" without new cabins : 12/43

Code:

F-GSQN – NEV4
 F-GSQO – NEV4
 F-GSQP – NEV4
 F-GSQR – NEV4
 F-GSQS – NEV4
 F-GSQT – NEV4
 F-GSQX – NEV4
 F-GZNF – NEV4
 F-GZNG – NEV4
 F-GZNL – NEV4
 F-GZNN – NEV4
 F-GZNO – NEV4

Boeing 777-300ER 381 seats J-W-Y with old J and new W-Y : 6/43

Code:

F-GZNP – NEV4 (delivered new from Boeing in April 2015)
 F-GZNQ – NEV4 (delivered new from Boeing in May 2015)
 F-GZNR – NEV4 (delivered new from Boeing in November 2015)
 F-GZNS - NEV4 (delivered new from Boeing in March 2016)
 F-GZNT - NEV4 (delivered new from Boeing in March 2016)
 F-GZNU - NEV4 (delivered new from Boeing in April 2016)

777 New Cabins - Deployment Schedule

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Jul 1, 2015, 4:09 pm

#286

Goldorak

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Quote:

Originally Posted by plbplb

Is that what it looks like then ?

Yes it seems.

Quote:

Originally Posted by plbplb

But actually, wait a minute... is Premium Economy missing from those new BEST cabin ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by plbplb

Or does the "summer change" mean that a special Economy section is created between Premium and what is left from Business ?

Yes. Read this for more info
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-f...il-2015-a.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by plbplb

Or does the change mean that all Premium + 5 rows of Business are removed from 777-300 ER ?

Jul 16, 2015, 3:44 am

#287

bodory

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FWIW, AF latest Boeing 777-300ER registered F-GZNQ has been delivered on 6th of May 2015. One might think that 3-class aircraft (Y-W-J) is equipped with the new "best & beyond" cabins?

Well, Y and W feature indeed the "best" seats.

But forget about "beyond" : the J cabin has been equipped with brand new NEV4 seats [oxymoron inside].

And that ship flies insignificant routes such as YUL, GIG, DKR, ICN...

Jul 16, 2015, 5:10 am

#288

brunos

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Quote:

Originally Posted by bodory

Are you serious?
F-GZNP was delivered two weeks before. Also with NEV4?

Jul 16, 2015, 5:36 am

#289

bodory

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Hello brunos,

I am afraid I am serious if I trust the author (not me, and I do not know the him) of this trip report : http://flight-report.com/fr/report-10860.html

Probably the NP ship has been equipped the same way as she flies the same routes.

Jul 16, 2015, 11:55 am

#290

saraoutou

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Quote:

Originally Posted by bodory

For sure same configuration.

In the last powerpoint p 2 and 12:
"Flotte long courrier à compter de 2017
Boeing 777
Au total, 44 des 62 avions seront équipés BEST avec 2 configurations (3 et 4 cabines). Les 18 Boeing restants (42J et 14J) conserveront leur produit vol actuel (V4)"

Jul 16, 2015, 3:43 pm

#291

brunos

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The decision to install BEST J seats was taken a long time ago. The first plane with BEST appeared mid-2014. It would have seemed logical that new planes delivered a year later be equipped with the new seats rather than the old ones. It seems strange to send "old" planes to retrofit while newly delivered ones have the old seats.
But the delivery of 777s has been delayed (even cancelled) due to AF financial problems. It could be that the seats were already ordered before the decision to introduce BEST was taken. And the seat manufacturers are different ones. Or they could be some other obscure AF reasons.

Jul 16, 2015, 5:31 pm

#292

cshel

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Anyone fly AF10 recently? Was booked on AF8 when it was the refurbed 777, now they swapped it to the older 777.

I changed to AF10 and the seat map shows 1-2-1 but equipment type shows 772. I thought the CDG-JFK AF10 was operated by a 4 cabin 773, has this changed? I am going in November so maybe they don't see a need for F. My JFK-CDG segment was already swapped from AF9 to AF7 on the a380

hopefully I don't get screwed on this segment either.

Jul 16, 2015, 6:40 pm

#293

SFO777

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Quote:

Originally Posted by cshel

Anyone fly AF10 recently? Was booked on AF8 when it was the refurbed 777, now they swapped it to the older 777.
I changed to AF10 and the seat map shows 1-2-1 but equipment type shows 772. I thought the CDG-JFK AF10 was operated by a 4 cabin 773, has this changed? I am going in November so maybe they don't see a need for F. My JFK-CDG segment was already swapped from AF9 to AF7 on the a380

hopefully I don't get screwed on this segment either.

Looks like the 77W back to AF8/9 but not every day at least in September. We're booked on AF8 on a day in September when AF shows the 77W. Hoping I don't get screwed on this one either since LH First Class was $1,000 cheaper.

Jul 17, 2015, 10:24 am

#294

brunos

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Quote:

Originally Posted by SFO777

This is a very big risk knowing that AF has very few planes with new F and they swap the various 777s quite often.

Jul 17, 2015, 10:34 am

#295

SFO777

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Quote:

Originally Posted by brunos

This is a very big risk knowing that AF has very few planes with new F and they swap the various 777s quite often.

What are the odds that it will fly as scheduled? 50/50? And is there anyway to tell with any certainty within 48 hours of departure which plane is going to be operating on a particular day? It's a refundable fare so I would definitely want to bail if it's not new F as long as I have a day or two notice.

Jul 17, 2015, 12:57 pm

#296

Zembla

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Quote:

Originally Posted by SFO777

What are the odds that it will fly as scheduled? 50/50?

There is absolutely no benchmark available to predict that. My educated guess is that the chances are better than 50/50.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SFO777

And is there anyway to tell with any certainty within 48 hours of departure which plane is going to be operating on a particular day?

The closer you get to departure the less likely it is that a plane-deployment-shuffle forces them to change the plane. However, a technical glitch or a late arrival of an incoming plane may still cause changes only hours before the plane departs...

Frankly, if you want to be 100% sure you'd have to wait until the entire fleet has been refurbished with new F.

Last edited by Zembla; Jul 17, 2015 at 2:42 pm

Jul 17, 2015, 1:09 pm

#297

GucciVersace

Join Date: Feb 2015

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Does anyone happen to know which planes have the new BEST seats (J class, that is)?

Been looking everywhere.. No luck

Jul 21, 2015, 3:19 am

#298

bodory

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I have created a wiki similar to the one on the KL board. Data is based on AF communication (notably the one available on this thread), flightradar24, AF website, published trip reports and personal sources.

There are mistakes : for example, I am sure some 77W have been retrofitted in 3 cabins (J-W-Y) but cannot trace them. The quick change process is not helping either.

Feel free to amend it. I hope that will be helpful for everyone.

Jul 21, 2015, 5:32 am

#299

brunos

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In terms of number, AF seems to follow their schedule updated in January 2015.

The way I read their plan for 77W:
- All 77W currently with three cabins will keep the old NEV4.
- All 77W currently with four cabins (with F), will keep F but only one row of 4 seats rather than two rows of 8 seats.

Jul 21, 2015, 7:24 am

#300

TrojanTraveler

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Quote:

Originally Posted by cshel

hopefully I don't get screwed on this segment either.

As another data point, I flew AF10 a few weeks ago. It was a 772, no F, and about 12 or so rows of Business (I can't recall the exact number of rows). It was the 1-2-1 flat bed configuration. The seat was very nice, great FA service as well.