After a first half under the banner of job cuts, Air France wanted to make its return with a lot of good news. The CEO of the company, Alexandre de Juniac, took the Top Resa tourism professionals in Paris to unveil on new services for, according to him, "reposition Air France as the best global airline".
Among the avalanche of news, which would require a total of 600 million euros investment by the end of 2015, Air France will be the first major European airlines to offer, beginning in 2014, an
Internet connection on board its medium-haul flights. Unlike Lufthansa, which has begun to equip its long-haul aircraft of Wi-Fi. But passengers who want tranquility do not have to worry: telephone conversations remain prohibited. The agreement with Orange is limited to the transmission of data.
Other "world premiere" claimed by Air France: a selection
of newspapers and magazines in digital format, to download before departure for all passengers with smartphones and tablets (in 2013). Air France, which buys 14% of the production of newspapers in France, will continue to offer paper versions.
Hot meals make their reappearance on medium-haul flights of more than 2 hours and half ,in addition to a further decline
in business rates (up to 30%) on certain European destinations. The Flying Blue loyalty program, which had lost much interest, will make possible from January 1st 2013 to
earn qualifying miles on domestic-flights. (...)
One regret: the two symbols of the most anticipated overhaul - new seats in first and business class - were not presented. Tests for which the CEO has mobilized its own relations are still ongoing and the final results will not be released until next spring for a gradual deployment on Boeing 777 from "end of 2013/early 2014." Alexandre de Juniac said that the
future business seats will chair "full flat" "full access" and "full privacy" (each row should have no more than 4 seats). They will be "one of the longest (2 meters) and the broader of the market," he said, adding that they will be manufactured by the French Zodiac group and might equip the entire long-haul fleet late 2015. When its main competitor, Lufthansa, completed the deployment of its new business and first class.
Source:
Les Echos