rosensfole

Honk all you want, the kid with the headphones ain't gonna shift. Those buggies need a tickling stick attachment for those occasions.

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laf747

Last November I had the pleasure of flying La Premiere JFK-CDG and CDG-JFK connecting to and from flights from GOA. What I was most impressed with was the superb meet and greet transfer assistance at CDG for the CDG-GOA and GOA-CDG flights. This was especially important since the GOA flights are out of Terminal G.
My question is whether this transfer service is automatic as long as I am ticketed through JFK-GOA and GOA-JFK or is this something I need to request in advance?

lloydah

It comes automatically with the la P ticket AFAIK.

laf747

Thanks. FYI, I had to google AFAIK

Goldorak

Yes, automatic

toastedcafe

A couple of updates on the lounge. During my last two visits, the champagne bar was empty.. maybe it is there just for display ? Food great and staff super friendly (although they forgot to pick me up upon arrival on my last visit). However, the lounge is looking a bit worn out. I know many do not consider Al Safwa to be at the same level, but IMHO I think La Premiere lounge is losing the race.

delanotre

2 weeks ago, there were only 2 choices, Ducasse and one I didn't know Mailly "l'intemporelle", delicious and fruity.

San Gottardo

Al Safwa? Obviously tastes differ but I find the architecture too "pharaonic", and the food is at least two leagues below the AF lounge in Paris.

Add some experiences which may not be the norm but should in fact never happen: "we only have one shower", resulting in two hour wait (= too much to make connecting flight).

There are certain elements that are superior in Dubai at the EK FCL, in Doha at Al Safwa or at the FCL/FCT in Frankfurt/Munich/Zurich. But Paris is still up there among the very very best.

laf747

I recently completed a roundtrip in La Premiere. Just to give a little background, I flew AF to connect at CDG for a flight on HOP to GOA. I used to fly Emirates to MXP and then have a 2 hour drive to Genoa but last year I tried AF and found the service to be excellent so I flew La Premiere again this year. My initial impression at JFK was very positive. Though AF doesn't participate in PreCheck the representative at the La Premiere counter walked me through so that I was able to cut the long security line at T1. Also, I found the small La Premiere lounge to be much brighter and better looking as compared to how it looked last year. AF7 was sold out and delayed 30 minutes but once I boarded I was offered a pre-flight drink and immediately settled in. I don't remember the menu but my dinner was excellent but I did skip the breakfast.
For me what makes La Premiere such an excellent service is the ground assistance at CDG especially, since for my flight to GOA, I had to transfer to Terminal 2G. I along with the other La Premiere passengers was met at the jetway. Though it was too early to go through customs in the lounge I was, as at JFK, able to cut what was an extremely long immigration line and then escorted to the La Premiere lounge where I ordered the scrambled eggs which were as delicious as I remembered from the year before.
I was then driven to Terminal 2G and allowed to board my flight to GOA before my fellow passengers. All in all it was a 10 out of 10.
Upon my return to CDG I was met when I disembarked at the jetway and then escorted to the lounge where I was able to have the immigration formalities completed since it was already the afternoon. Additionally, I also had an excellent lunch, the highlight of which was the most delicious chocolate madeleine that I have ever eaten!!! I along with the only other 2 passengers in La Premiere on Flight 10 were driven to the gate where we then boarded.
Now comes the bad part. No welcome beverage was offered and the service went downhill from there. If you thought the service should be excellent given that there were only 3 passengers in La Premiere you would be wrong. When I was handed a lunch menu I asked could I order then eat at 4:30 p.m. and was informed it would be no problem at all. At 4:45 p.m., when there was no indication that lunch was coming I rang the call button and when the FA came over and I asked about lunch I got an "oops' expression and told that lunch would be served shortly. That it was though my entrée was stone cold and they forgot the salad course. When i asked to speak with the purser I was told he was busy but he would come and speak with me later. Surprise, surprise, he never showed up. Then when we landed, when I was met at the jetway the AF representative asked if I had Global Entry and when i said yes she promptly took off. So the return was a 5 out of 10 and that's being generous!

Goldorak

I hope you complained about your return flight because this is unacceptable in P. The do-not-care attitude of the JFK staff on arrival clearly reminded me my bad departure experience in august that I have reported in the FB Ultimate thread. This is incredible for the main AF station abroad and the "most premium".
I'd like also to ask you for a clarification about the parts of your post I have bolded : since when there is a time to have immigration formalities at the P lounge ? I never had to go through the "regular" immigration counters when transferring to/from P in CDG Could this be due to short-staffing of police ?
thanks for your report

laf747

The way it was explained to me was that there are no police available to staff the La Premiere lounge in the morning but that they are available in the afternoon, hence my ability to clear immigration in the lounge for my return flight but not my arrival. Funny that you ask about complaining but, while I did receive an AF email questionnaire for my arrival flight into CDG, I did not receive one for the return flight. Concerning the arrival experience at JFK last year was also poor when there was no one to greet any La Premiere passengers and when I was at the baggage carousel waiting for my luggage I was called on my mobile from someone at AF asking if I needed any assistance.

rosensfole

I've been through La Premiere security at CDG in the morning with no issues - twice - so I find this experience a little strange and also disconcerting, one was at 6am! I'm due to do so again in a couple of weeks time and will report anomalies here if there are any.

toastedcafe

Perhaps a coincidence, but It was the same with me. After my outbound flight I received the questionnaire. However on the return, when they forgot to pick me up when disembarking the plane and left me standing there for almost an hour, no questionnaire received...

laf747

Quite a coincidence!

San Gottardo

I presume arrival and departure immigration in the P lounge is one and the same? I've been through there several times in the last couple of months to be on the 8.20 departure to JFK. Never an issue.