I have a beautiful metal luggage tag, a leather passport holder, and a leather key chain (the one that you can see in Samuel's picture). I know there's at least another version of the luggage tag that I never got.
I ended up asking my PA before my flight yesterday, although I didn't directly ask for anything but tricked her into talking about it
, and she said that they basically don't really have anything left at all, and they're not giving swag away anymore unless you have, maybe, some kind of commercial relationship with AF. Based on
Samuel Hotchkiss ' picture, my assumption is that they probably only have the key chain left anyway. Oh well! Quite a missed opportunity in my opinion, it doesn't really cost anything and makes aviation enthusiasts happy but I guess it's quite on brand for La Première
.
Speaking my flight yesterday, had a pretty good time on my CDG > JFK in the new suite (my 2nd time on the product, my first time was just a few weeks after they launched it). First time using the chauffeur service as well, since I usually connect instead of departing from CDG. I got picked up at the Park Hyatt right on time, very nice Mercedes S Class EQ. It was also my first time using the new check in facilities, and honestly it looks way better in person than on the pictures!
I had a great time in the lounge, I gave myself 3-4 hours there which is the sweet spot in my opinion, enough time to eat upon arrival and digest before the flight, get a spa treatment, get a little work done, and not get too bored. I'm team croque volaille (I think the coquillettes may be just a little bit overhyped
), and the vanilla flan is really excellent. Drinks wise, the waiter initially offered me Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle, but it's not really my favorite and I find it rather unremarkable. Turns out they're currently also serving Duval-Leroy Femme de Champagne 2002 - at first I cringed a bit because I'm very used to the Duval Leroy NV which I think is borderline undrinkable, but this one... omg! Absolutely sublime, probably the best champagne I've ever had from Air France. Just beautiful, if you have a chance to try it go for it. I may have definitely over indulged a little bit, knowing that there would be Rare 2015 on board, which I'm also not a big fan of
.
Another note is that I really wish the spa technicians were less pushy about trying to sell extra product after a treatment, it's kind of exhausting.
On board, the new suite still impresses when you board, really quite visually stunning. I got lucky and we were only 2 passengers, meaning we each had 2 suites. I definitely had a pinch me moment during the flight, with both suites curtains open, but the J and galley curtains closed, realizing I had this gigantic private space for myself! Who needs to fly private when you can get that
. Both the seat and lounge chair are very comfortable. The only issue is, as seems to be the norm, the tech. Once again, the tablet was not working well, and the movies/TV show page would not load on the tablet. The crew was at a loss and couldn't fix it, and it was broken for all 4 seats. Thankfully, I had a faint memory from my flight earlier this year, where the same problem occurred and there is a whole sequence of things that have to be done to reset the system successfully, so I showed the crew how to do it. They were able to fix it for the other passenger too as a consequence. They really need to figure this part out, IFE is really over engineered IMHO anyway.
The food and beverage part: I was quite pleasantly surprised by the food! The langoustine starter was tasty, and the main was quite delicious (the scallop). I'm usually a bit disappointed with the LP food so it was a nice surprise, and presentation looked good too. I still think they could be more generous with the caviar, I know we won't get AYCE like on Emirates but still, a little bit more would be nice. Beverage wise I didn't bother with the wine, I only had some of the pre made cocktails which I think are quite good!
Service was nice although a little odd? My FA was very young and she was definitely newer, so it wasn't super polished but she was extremely kind and friendly, which I appreciated. 2 more senior FAs came to talk to me extensively, one was the purser and the other one I'm not sure, but I definitely got a lot of attention for some reason. I also got a HUGE surprise from the crew, although I can't really talk about it here but feel free to DM me.
Arrival at JFK nothing special, I just feel bad for the LP ground folks who don't really have any added value since I already have Global Entry and I don't check bags. I really would love it if they had the chauffeur service in JFK, but I ended up taking the LIRR as usual, which is quite a reality check
.