Air France Cairo to Paris in Business Class
Aug 12, 2017, 11:24 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Programs: MileagePlus, AAdvantage, Delta Skyteam
Posts: 7
Air France Cairo to Paris in Business Class
This the first leg of my summer trip to the States to visit my parents. I chose Air France because I've flown them before twice in Premium Economy and the service was good. I've always wanted to fly them in business class but I never had the chance. I also chose them because they have a convenient schedule out of Cairo: a nighttime flight that doesn't require me to arrive at the airport in the wee hours of the morning, and a same day morning arrival in New York. Air France now flies out of Terminal 2 in CAI, the Terminal that now serves most of the airlines formerly housed in Terminal 1. I chose seat 2A, a window seat.
The 1-2-1 seating is a huge upgrade for this route, which used to be served by an A340-300, one of the oldest planes in the Air France fleet.
About 10 days before I was scheduled to fly, Air France sent me a flight reminder email. Air France reminders are tailored to the destination and the class of service: so it was super useful: I got information about connections, ESTA (for traveling to the US), the business class cabin, Daniel Bouloud (their celebrity chef for business class dining), and lounges.
Finally, it was time to prepare for the trip. When my uncle isn't free to drive me to the airport, I take a taxi, but fuel prices in Egypt have skyrocketed since the devaluation of the pound and the gradual lifting of fuel subsidies. The last time, the fare was 85 Egyptian pounds (EGP) for the 20 minute ride. So, I decided to try something different and booked Uber Select. Newer car, guaranteed air conditioning, and the fee won't be hiked as soon as I tell him I'm going to the airport. It was important for me to arrive early because it's the start of hajj season. I knew there would be traffic on the way to the airport and long security lines with all the people going on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
Uber Select only cost 66 EGP, and it got me to the airport by 9:30. Then, the difficulties started. I entered the airport, and was about to go through the first security screening. I put my bags on the belt, and so did the woman in front of me. She also took off her shoes. We were then informed that the line we were in was for men only and that we had to go to the women's and children's line. That line was 15-20 minutes long, and there was no way I was having my bags out of sight for that long. So I watched the woman in front of me to see what she would do. She pushed her way to the front of the line to explain to the police officer what had happened. He told her to go to the back of the line, so she started yelling. I decided to just get my bags back, so I went to the first officer, and told him to just give me my bags and I'd wait in the other line. He then realized I was serious and motioned over a female police officer so she could pat me down. I went merrily on my way and the woman who had been in front of me was still screaming at the other police officer. New terminal, same people...
Then, I got to the Skypriority line in the Air France counter and the REAL troubles started. I had already checked in online and printed my checkin confirmation. I expected to receive my business class boarding pass. Instead, I was told that I had been involuntarily downgraded to premium economy. I asked the employee how that could be the case when I had ALREADY checked in, and I was early. He said that the system had done it. So I asked to speak to his supervisor, who was standing nearby, and in her supercilious and arrogant tone, she informed me that there was nothing she could do and I should sit in the lounge and take the 200 Euro voucher and if someone decides not to fly, then I'll fly. So I called the Air France customer service number after looking it up online. Turns out that the Air France customer service number is actually the Delta reservations number. The first person I spoke to asked to speak to the supervisor and the supervisor continued her arrogant attitude with the reservations rep, who could see my ticket and boarding pass on the computer. The supervisor refused to change my seat. Then I called the same number again. The process repeated, except this time the reservations rep called someone from Air France who could also see the ticket. Still no solution. So I asked how many seats were open: he said 18. I told him that I'd wait at the ticket counter instead of the gate. So I did. And I watched as some people were checked in and other people....were downgraded to premium economy. The downgrades seemed to be more appearance based than system-based. Meanwhile, I was messaging Air France on Facebook and explaining the problem, mentioning my confirmation number and the name of the employee. As I was watching, the "supervisor" got a call. A few minutes in and she was glancing at me, then she decided that maybe she didn't want to be the supervisor anymore and handed the phone to another employee. Ten minutes later, my name was called and my premium economy boarding pass was exchanged for a business class boarding pass. The only difference is that my original seat, 2A, was now 8A. Still, business class!!
I went through immigration, which had a long line, then I was in the Al Fursan lounge (it's the Saudi Airlines lounge but all Skyteam airlines use it, except Alitalia, because the Egyptian airport services lounge is terrible) for about 2 minutes. (The boarding time was 11:50). I grabbed some Perrier and some Lipton Iced Tea and headed over to Gate E4 for priority boarding.
I walked on to the plane and into the business class cabin. I wasn't greeted until I entered the cabin, no one even told me the usual "left" or "right". When I got to my seat, I was welcomed aboard and my boarding pass was checked. I settled in, and 15 minutes later I was offered a choice of orange juice or champagne. I chose orange juice- I don't drink. The Air France entertainment system works on the ground, so I started watching the movie Le Ciel Attendra, which was pretty interesting. Then I got a lukewarm towel, the menu, and an amenity kit. The slippers were already there.
I know that Air France supposedly has the same seat as Qatar Airways does on their 787, but the AF seat felt more cramped, there was no armrest, and there was no storage.
Here's the menu:
The 1-2-1 seating is a huge upgrade for this route, which used to be served by an A340-300, one of the oldest planes in the Air France fleet.
About 10 days before I was scheduled to fly, Air France sent me a flight reminder email. Air France reminders are tailored to the destination and the class of service: so it was super useful: I got information about connections, ESTA (for traveling to the US), the business class cabin, Daniel Bouloud (their celebrity chef for business class dining), and lounges.
Finally, it was time to prepare for the trip. When my uncle isn't free to drive me to the airport, I take a taxi, but fuel prices in Egypt have skyrocketed since the devaluation of the pound and the gradual lifting of fuel subsidies. The last time, the fare was 85 Egyptian pounds (EGP) for the 20 minute ride. So, I decided to try something different and booked Uber Select. Newer car, guaranteed air conditioning, and the fee won't be hiked as soon as I tell him I'm going to the airport. It was important for me to arrive early because it's the start of hajj season. I knew there would be traffic on the way to the airport and long security lines with all the people going on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
Uber Select only cost 66 EGP, and it got me to the airport by 9:30. Then, the difficulties started. I entered the airport, and was about to go through the first security screening. I put my bags on the belt, and so did the woman in front of me. She also took off her shoes. We were then informed that the line we were in was for men only and that we had to go to the women's and children's line. That line was 15-20 minutes long, and there was no way I was having my bags out of sight for that long. So I watched the woman in front of me to see what she would do. She pushed her way to the front of the line to explain to the police officer what had happened. He told her to go to the back of the line, so she started yelling. I decided to just get my bags back, so I went to the first officer, and told him to just give me my bags and I'd wait in the other line. He then realized I was serious and motioned over a female police officer so she could pat me down. I went merrily on my way and the woman who had been in front of me was still screaming at the other police officer. New terminal, same people...
Then, I got to the Skypriority line in the Air France counter and the REAL troubles started. I had already checked in online and printed my checkin confirmation. I expected to receive my business class boarding pass. Instead, I was told that I had been involuntarily downgraded to premium economy. I asked the employee how that could be the case when I had ALREADY checked in, and I was early. He said that the system had done it. So I asked to speak to his supervisor, who was standing nearby, and in her supercilious and arrogant tone, she informed me that there was nothing she could do and I should sit in the lounge and take the 200 Euro voucher and if someone decides not to fly, then I'll fly. So I called the Air France customer service number after looking it up online. Turns out that the Air France customer service number is actually the Delta reservations number. The first person I spoke to asked to speak to the supervisor and the supervisor continued her arrogant attitude with the reservations rep, who could see my ticket and boarding pass on the computer. The supervisor refused to change my seat. Then I called the same number again. The process repeated, except this time the reservations rep called someone from Air France who could also see the ticket. Still no solution. So I asked how many seats were open: he said 18. I told him that I'd wait at the ticket counter instead of the gate. So I did. And I watched as some people were checked in and other people....were downgraded to premium economy. The downgrades seemed to be more appearance based than system-based. Meanwhile, I was messaging Air France on Facebook and explaining the problem, mentioning my confirmation number and the name of the employee. As I was watching, the "supervisor" got a call. A few minutes in and she was glancing at me, then she decided that maybe she didn't want to be the supervisor anymore and handed the phone to another employee. Ten minutes later, my name was called and my premium economy boarding pass was exchanged for a business class boarding pass. The only difference is that my original seat, 2A, was now 8A. Still, business class!!
I went through immigration, which had a long line, then I was in the Al Fursan lounge (it's the Saudi Airlines lounge but all Skyteam airlines use it, except Alitalia, because the Egyptian airport services lounge is terrible) for about 2 minutes. (The boarding time was 11:50). I grabbed some Perrier and some Lipton Iced Tea and headed over to Gate E4 for priority boarding.
I walked on to the plane and into the business class cabin. I wasn't greeted until I entered the cabin, no one even told me the usual "left" or "right". When I got to my seat, I was welcomed aboard and my boarding pass was checked. I settled in, and 15 minutes later I was offered a choice of orange juice or champagne. I chose orange juice- I don't drink. The Air France entertainment system works on the ground, so I started watching the movie Le Ciel Attendra, which was pretty interesting. Then I got a lukewarm towel, the menu, and an amenity kit. The slippers were already there.
I know that Air France supposedly has the same seat as Qatar Airways does on their 787, but the AF seat felt more cramped, there was no armrest, and there was no storage.
Here's the menu:
Last edited by NWIFlyer; Aug 13, 2017 at 10:51 pm Reason: Remove employee name per FT privacy policy
Aug 12, 2017, 11:27 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Programs: MileagePlus, AAdvantage, Delta Skyteam
Posts: 7
Continued
Here's the appetizer, cheese, and dessert, all on one tray:
Here's the main course:
The appetizer was average. The main, cheeses, and dessert were excellent.
After finishing dinner and the movie, I took a well-deserved sleep. I woke up as the plane was preparing for landing and landed in Paris at around 5:15 AM.
Here's the main course:
The appetizer was average. The main, cheeses, and dessert were excellent.
After finishing dinner and the movie, I took a well-deserved sleep. I woke up as the plane was preparing for landing and landed in Paris at around 5:15 AM.
Aug 13, 2017, 12:55 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
Oh My Gosh. All that effort to stay in the cabin that you booked. I would not be a happy person if that happened to me!!
Aug 13, 2017, 3:37 am
#6
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: LAX and LHR. UA lifetime Gold 1.9MM 1K , DL Gold Medallion, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, Avis President's Club
Posts: 3,592
Presentation of main course looks distinctly crappy! And with appetizers, cheese and dessert all on the tray together, is this really a business class product?
Aug 13, 2017, 3:52 am
#7
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
First off, welcome to Flyertalk, and thanks for posting a trip report. I look forward to seeing more.
What a harrowing experience with the seat assignment. Good for you in persisting. Out of curiosity, did the business class cabin look full when you departed?
What a harrowing experience with the seat assignment. Good for you in persisting. Out of curiosity, did the business class cabin look full when you departed?
Aug 13, 2017, 6:01 am
#9
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: North of Carlisle
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 1,538
My thoughts exactly. Looks like an economy / premium economy meal to me. Well done for seeing the downgrade through to being reinstated to Biz but based on the presentation of that meal, you should have taken the €200
Aug 13, 2017, 7:15 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: YYZ
Programs: A3&O6 Gold,IC AMB & HH Diamond
Posts: 14,132
What an unfortunate experience, what I really despise is arrogance of the check in staff, they could have explained in a sincere way why you were downgraded. Well I of course only fly star alliance and preferably LX and LH.
Aug 13, 2017, 9:50 am
#11
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 32
Probably totally unrelated... but reminds me of an experience with RJ also at CAI. Checked in, business class, CAI-AMM-FCO and was met with "no, it says your sector is flown". Obviously it wasn't... (it was part of a OneWorld Explorer). Took half an hour of stern talk with the contract staff before it magically fixed itself.
Given what a total hole CAI is, and how corrupt it is, I wonder if there is some kind of a bribery scam going?
Given what a total hole CAI is, and how corrupt it is, I wonder if there is some kind of a bribery scam going?
Aug 13, 2017, 10:15 am
#12
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,300
Wow, what an absolute mess at CAI. Security sounds like a nightmare and your downgrade to PE absolutely baffling. Thank goodness you were so proactive and fought to get Business reinstated.
fyi: there is an armrest, but I can see in that pic above that it's in the lowered position (for sleeping).
fyi: there is an armrest, but I can see in that pic above that it's in the lowered position (for sleeping).
Aug 13, 2017, 11:29 am
#13
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Marietta Georgia
Programs: Sky Miles
Posts: 74
flyingcariene your experience infuriates me!
I've had similar issues with airline staff and absolutely despised hearing "the system did it" or "I can't help you - this is the rule" or the worst "It's not my fault"!!!
The problem is that all airlines do this, even when the customer is flying Business Class or First. Most of the problem lies with the individual employees who interact with the public. Some are so kind and caring, while others (like example in your story) seem to be on a power trip.
Since I got that off my chest, I'm glad you were able to get the issue resolved. However, it is ridiculous how much you had to go through for the result.
I think that going through Facebook or Twitter is the best way to communicate with the airlines and getting situations resolved. Good thinking.
So I asked to speak to his supervisor, who was standing nearby, and in her supercilious and arrogant tone, she informed me that there was nothing she could do and I should sit in the lounge and take the 200 Euro voucher and if someone decides not to fly, then I'll fly.
The problem is that all airlines do this, even when the customer is flying Business Class or First. Most of the problem lies with the individual employees who interact with the public. Some are so kind and caring, while others (like example in your story) seem to be on a power trip.
Since I got that off my chest, I'm glad you were able to get the issue resolved. However, it is ridiculous how much you had to go through for the result.
I think that going through Facebook or Twitter is the best way to communicate with the airlines and getting situations resolved. Good thinking.
Last edited by kathykathy; Aug 13, 2017 at 1:18 pm Reason: spelling
Aug 13, 2017, 2:03 pm
#15
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Marietta Georgia
Programs: Sky Miles
Posts: 74
