Did my very first AF itin recently, as well; it was in Y. I normally take KLc/NW on this route, but booked AF to specifically check them and CDG out. Chose this trip, as all of my luggage consisted of a single book. Also, given 60-minute transfer at CDG, booked the earlier flight across the pond, as to have a back-up option.

Being bused to/from a long-haul flight was a new, unexpected experience for me. I find it rather primitive, especially at the carrier's home hub. Makes for good sight-seeing of CDG though, especially in connection with the also-bused feeder flight. Unfortunately the sight-seeing does not work to the advantage of CDG.

The busing experience, the generally-messy impression of CDG and the fact that my outbound flight was 80 minutes and my inbound flight 60 minutes late, is enough for me to not have anything going for this route. Perhaps 1 itin is not statistically significant, although it was random enough. Reading reports by other FT'ers here, I guess things were indeed not so unique.

I was not able to obtain a decent seat at my departing airport on the hop across the watery divide, but that is not unique to AF. They told me to check with a GA at CDG. I didn't think this was going to cut it, given my transfer time, but it actually worked. Got a decent seat, and auto-magically the same one on the flight back to CDG. I found the food a pro, as well as the cute female FA's (as said, this is compared to NW)...


It's not like I haven't had my share of lousy-to-bad-to-horrible experiences with the KLc/NW combo, but the AF option has nothing going for it. In the event of a bad experience, NWA have always made it right for me, and KLM have made it half-right for me, but reading FT I'm under the perception that AF have yet to spend their first Euro or FB Mile on compensation.

I'll reserve the CDG itins for FB award travel (often forced through CDG), I guess.