Flying La Premiere first time
#61
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Over the North Atlantic
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 494
Summary of this thread
Provide incomplete information about your travel plans in small trickles and then let thread marinate in a concoction of confusions and misunderstandings.
Imagine if the OP succintly provided all the relevant information in the first post:
1. Booked an itinerary involving a AF premier leg (JFK-CDG) with only $1800 worth of Wells Fargo points.
2. It is only that cheap if it ends in LCY and includes a return from TLV.
3. Actual final destination is the MegaDo. Everything else doesn't matter except for the La Premiere leg.
This thread would've been over in a couple of replies.
Provide incomplete information about your travel plans in small trickles and then let thread marinate in a concoction of confusions and misunderstandings.
Imagine if the OP succintly provided all the relevant information in the first post:
1. Booked an itinerary involving a AF premier leg (JFK-CDG) with only $1800 worth of Wells Fargo points.
2. It is only that cheap if it ends in LCY and includes a return from TLV.
3. Actual final destination is the MegaDo. Everything else doesn't matter except for the La Premiere leg.
This thread would've been over in a couple of replies.
#65
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: East Anglia UK
Programs: BA-S UA LH-Sen KLM/AF-Plat.
Posts: 1,627
#66
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 193
Would people here say that the ground experience is a big part of flying La Premiere? Thinking about trying it for the first time, but it'd be next year at the earliest. It's a toss up between AF and another carrier at the moment.
My choices are IAD, shorter flight but 4 hour connection in CDG, or SFO, longer flight but only an hour in CDG.
Thinking that maximising time during the connection is best.
My choices are IAD, shorter flight but 4 hour connection in CDG, or SFO, longer flight but only an hour in CDG.
Thinking that maximising time during the connection is best.
#67
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Paris, France
Programs: AF/KL Flying Blue Platinum for life/Club2000 Ultimate, Accor ALL Diamond
Posts: 21,940
Would people here say that the ground experience is a big part of flying La Premiere? Thinking about trying it for the first time, but it'd be next year at the earliest. It's a toss up between AF and another carrier at the moment.
My choices are IAD, shorter flight but 4 hour connection in CDG, or SFO, longer flight but only an hour in CDG.
Thinking that maximising time during the connection is best.
My choices are IAD, shorter flight but 4 hour connection in CDG, or SFO, longer flight but only an hour in CDG.
Thinking that maximising time during the connection is best.
#68
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Hong Kong, France
Programs: FB , BA Gold
Posts: 15,568
Would people here say that the ground experience is a big part of flying La Premiere? Thinking about trying it for the first time, but it'd be next year at the earliest. It's a toss up between AF and another carrier at the moment.
My choices are IAD, shorter flight but 4 hour connection in CDG, or SFO, longer flight but only an hour in CDG.
Thinking that maximising time during the connection is best.
My choices are IAD, shorter flight but 4 hour connection in CDG, or SFO, longer flight but only an hour in CDG.
Thinking that maximising time during the connection is best.
I would never want to spend 8 hours in any lounge.
I don't know where you connect to and your arrival time. I find the lounge much ore attractive in the other direction.
I am not a big fan of having to spend a lot of time (say 3 hours) in a lounge after arriving early morning from a short night in the plane and then having another short flight to Europe in uncomfortable short/medium haul business seats.
After a nice shower and a lovely breakfast (that takes an hour), I start to get restless or sleepy. And at any time, 2 hours is the maximum that I can enjoy in a lounge, even the superb P lounge.
Also be aware that if you book a year or 10 months ahead you might have an ac change. It might from a 77W with P to an A388 with P, to a 772 without P, or worse to a 77W without P and with angled J seats.
Last edited by brunos; May 21, 2018 at 8:37 pm Reason: changes A333 to A388
#69
Join Date: Sep 2016
Programs: Flying Blue, Accor Le Club, Hilton HHonors, Hertz Gold Plus, Avis Preferred
Posts: 477
If you booked a P flight and the ac is changed to a 77W without P, I hope AF will agree to rebook you on another flight with P free of charge or refund part of the ticket.
#70
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: East Anglia UK
Programs: BA-S UA LH-Sen KLM/AF-Plat.
Posts: 1,627
[QUOTE=brunos;29773951]Optimizing would be a better word than maximizing time
. I find the lounge much ore attractive in the other direction.
I am not a big fan of having to spend a lot of time (say 3 hours) in a lounge after arriving early morning from a short night in the plane and then having another short flight to Europe in uncomfortable short/medium haul business seats.
After a nice shower and a lovely breakfast (that takes an hour), I start to get restless or sleepy. And at any time, 2 hours is the maximum that I can enjoy in a lounge, even the superb P lounge.(QUOTE)
My thoughts exactly, more or less an hour. I usually time the outward from LHR to give me a max of 5 hours in the lounge - breakfast, massage, shower,(all the things I could do at the hotel if I bothered to get up early enough) maybe a wander round the shops if I need anything, back for some lunch then off. Returning, it's the showers again, then breakfast then I want to be away to get those biz seats with. But I'll admit that the CDG P lounge is the only one I'd want that amount of time in.
ps - brunos, apologies for getting the format of your quote mixed, fat fingers here.
.
. I find the lounge much ore attractive in the other direction.
I am not a big fan of having to spend a lot of time (say 3 hours) in a lounge after arriving early morning from a short night in the plane and then having another short flight to Europe in uncomfortable short/medium haul business seats.
After a nice shower and a lovely breakfast (that takes an hour), I start to get restless or sleepy. And at any time, 2 hours is the maximum that I can enjoy in a lounge, even the superb P lounge.(QUOTE)
My thoughts exactly, more or less an hour. I usually time the outward from LHR to give me a max of 5 hours in the lounge - breakfast, massage, shower,(all the things I could do at the hotel if I bothered to get up early enough) maybe a wander round the shops if I need anything, back for some lunch then off. Returning, it's the showers again, then breakfast then I want to be away to get those biz seats with. But I'll admit that the CDG P lounge is the only one I'd want that amount of time in.
ps - brunos, apologies for getting the format of your quote mixed, fat fingers here.
.
#71
#72
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Arlington, VA
Programs: DL DM, 1.5 MM; AS MVP Gold 100K; HHonors Diamond; AMEX Platinum
Posts: 489
Just booked La Premiere for my first time. IAD-CDG-MAD then BCN-CDG-IAD. I've got only 1:20 for my first connection, but over 5 hours for the connection with the return. Hopefully that works out well. I'm really looking forward to the experience.
#73
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 193
Very nice. IAD is the same route I would probably be going for too. Let us know how it goes
#74
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: MAN
Programs: FB Platinum
Posts: 500
And so you should. I think these connection timings are just right as well, perhaps another 30 mins on the 1st visit might be better but you can't help that. I booked my first P trip 5 months before going and was giddy right up to the day - they didn't let me down Enjoy!
#75
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Paris, France
Programs: AF/KL Flying Blue Platinum for life/Club2000 Ultimate, Accor ALL Diamond
Posts: 21,940
And so you should. I think these connection timings are just right as well, perhaps another 30 mins on the 1st visit might be better but you can't help that. I booked my first P trip 5 months before going and was giddy right up to the day - they didn't let me down Enjoy!