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Old Nov 29, 2016, 10:50 pm
  #9  
San Gottardo
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: Eurostar Carte Blanche, SBB-CFF-FFS GA-AG, SNCF Grand Voyageur LeClub
Posts: 7,832
Thank you FrenchMerican, what a thoughtful post ^

Whilst I share your overall enthusiasm, and whilst I am personally somewhat indifferent about some of the observations (just things that I don't care that much about, such as having a car for myself or the brand of gin) I subscribe to many of the proposals that you make.

My P experience with Air France is on different destinations than you (JFK only once, and that was arriving there. Other than that mostly GRU, also BEY and SFO on the old-style A380) and I am a less frequent guest than you (eight legs this year), but still I'd like to add some observations/ideas for improvement.

Ground service in CDG is top notch as you said. Outstations something should be done for transfers to/from other flights in general (not just alliance partners). For instance, connecting to DL at JFK I skipped the escort servive because I was told that bascially I'd be on my own once I left T1, so I left it at that and walked faster than she would have and used Global Entry, which makes queue-jumping unnecessary. THere are positive examples: in GRU for instance, I was once picked up by an escort from Terminal 1 and she rode with me in a taxi to Terminal 3. My arrival was on Azul, not an AF or Skyteam partner at all. Similarly, at some airports other airlines organize escort services for you even when arriving on a different ticket. Air France should do the same for their P passengers.

Continuing on ground services: not overwhelming at outstations, with JFK being a positive albeit not outstanding exception thanks to the P section of the lounge. Line cutting at immigration and security works well in some places (USA on departure is a positive experience) but in the other places I've arrived they didn't offer it. On departure often there is no cutting of lines at security or passport control, and then lounges often range from mediocre (GRU) to really underwhelming (BEY). In some AF-opreated lounges they have private rooms which are nice (BOS). Something could be done on the ground, and my experience from LH and LX shows that more is possible.

For ground services at mediumhaul outstations: Air France tries to offer some special attention for instance at places like GVA or ZRH, but I found that rather to be a nuisance than a help. I was stressed and pushed to arrive at the gate super early by some over-panicking ground agent, which would have meant sitting around and waiting for the plane to land, dock, disembark, get cleaned, before boarding starts. I rather go to one of the nice airport cafes or to a lounge and then turn up when the plane really does board.

On board catering: yep, not much choice, and quality not on same levels as others (Lufthansa or Swiss in First, Qatar in Business).

Last wish/proposal: WiFi on board. It does make a difference to me. Some travelers are against it, arguing that flying is for them a moment where they don't want to be reached. To me those are cases of people who can't manage their connectivity in general: if they feel that having a network connection means that they *have* to respond to calls/mails, then that is something that will make their life horrible not just in the air but also on the ground. I rather prefer having the choice to connect or not respond whenever I want and do the things that I want. On a 10 or 12 hour flight I can very well see myself doing some work for 2 or 3 hours rather than arrive at destination with my inbox exploding and me having to deal with it after a long flight and jet lag. Also, since airlines do invest into making time fly by, it is only logical to offer some past-times that rely on connectivity. On recent flights I have planned my holiday by browsing through web pages, downloading travel guides, emailing with tour operators, etc. Or Live TV: I have watched one of the US presidential debates on a flight between California and Germany. Air France should invest into that for their long haul fleet (I believe they actually are).
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