Yes great story. And it is true. When I do get an AF op-up it is something very special. Can't say the same for the 1000 upgrades I have had on US carriers. Upgrades are always nice of course, but nicer when it is completely unexpected and rare.
I flew CDG-LAX recently and biz looked zeroed out. So I was hoping for a upgrade to P, but in the end there were about 6 empty biz seats. And only a single person in P!