Originally Posted by greggyfroggy
I have done a search through the website and have seen the subject has been more or less discussed at various points but could not find exact answers to my questions.
I am actually mostly flying on long hauls and occasionally on very short hauls (CDG-LHR, CDG-BCN...) but I have never been flying on a 3 or 4 hours flight on AF! I have to go to Istanbul in two weeks time and was wondering how the seating and service were in these flights? Is it similar to the very short hauls with only an empty seat to separate passengers or is there a separate cabin with better seats (and service?). Is the menu only composed of a sandwich or is a real meal being served? Generally how are the facilities like in Istanbul (any special check-in area? Also I do not see any lounge listed at Istanbul (is there any partner lounge that can be used?)
Thanks for your help and tips!
You are not specifying which class of service you will be flying ... OK, here is my experience in C on similar flights (CDG-ATH):
- same seat as on other medium-haul flights
- no IFE
- food : a hot meal is served in C and in S (don't know about Y); the hot meal in C has been downgraded to a S type hot meal; not bad, but somewhat lower in quality of the ingredients; the only advantage in C over S is that you have long-haul wines, true Chateauneuf du Pape or Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois, not the basic Merlot Pays d'Oc or other similar horrors; and, concerning service, you are not asked to choose tea or coffee when you are served your sandwich or what is labelled a meal. This is for flights over 3 hrs, not for flights such as Sofia (2h55 if I am not mistaken)
- overall, not as bad as the standard intra-European business class flight, but really nothing special, you no longer have coat hangers on board, nor liquors as it used to be just one year ago
