Three Weeks in South Africa via KLM and Air France business class
Dec 16, 2022, 11:30 pm
#17
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Vancouver
Programs: Aeroplan, BA, QR
Posts: 362
Dec 17, 2022, 12:04 am
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Vancouver
Programs: Aeroplan, BA, QR
Posts: 362
7. Johannesburg to Paris via Air France business class
A week before we left for South Africa I got a text message saying that our return leg from Johannesburg to Amsterdam had been cancelled and that we must have a nice day. I called KLM and asked them what the deal was and they told me that the entire flight had been cancelled. Apparently it was acceptable for them to just leave the flight with us stranded in Johannesburg, somehow making it to Amsterdam and then being grateful to have an intact flight back to Calgary. After a small skirmish they told me they would try and fix it.
The same day they called and said that through a lot of their personal effort we would now be rerouted through Paris, but we would still need to take a flight from Paris to Amsterdam before continuing on to Calgary. I was surprised that they thought that this was a solution but we took it. Considering our flight back from Cape Town was on the same day, it meant that it would take us five flights to get home. Quite the trek, but it was enjoyable in the end.
After landing in Johannesburg we headed to the lounge and waited for our flight to Paris on our 777-300. We were hoping for an A380 flight but Air France stopped flying that to Johannesburg apparently. The business class section in the aircraft was quite large. Row 1 was dedicated to the very exclusive F cabin, but we were in row 16 and there were several rows of business class behind us. The herringbone setup was quite comfortable and after boarding we were soon on our way to Paris for this 10 hour night flight.
The TV screen was significantly smaller than those on KLM but the programs offered were similar. The cabin crew were professional and competent but not friendly.
Goat's cheese ball with toasted almonds with a Rhone valley Syrah
Finely sliced Parma ham, artichoke salad with pesto and parmesan.
Sauteed beef with red wine, potato gratin, broccoli and baby carrots
Trio of mini desserts, strawberry tartlet, lemon financier cake and praline brownie
The food was great and I soon reclined and started watching a few movies. In no time at all the crew started lighting up the cabin before our descent into Paris. I was hungry and decided to have a few items for breakfast.
Paris was completely coated in clouds and a thick mist went down to almost ground level. I was surprised to be in a cloud and suddenly see the runway appear. With one of our bigger flights done, we had a 1-hour layover and quickly ran to the next terminal. I was really impressed with this seemingly busy newer section of the airport with some good shops for goods and food. Soon we boarded for this 1-hour flight to Amsterdam. The flight was uneventful and I didn't really take pictures of the 'faux' business class. We were offered a substantial breakfast which we declined and instead just had a good cup of coffee.
A week before we left for South Africa I got a text message saying that our return leg from Johannesburg to Amsterdam had been cancelled and that we must have a nice day. I called KLM and asked them what the deal was and they told me that the entire flight had been cancelled. Apparently it was acceptable for them to just leave the flight with us stranded in Johannesburg, somehow making it to Amsterdam and then being grateful to have an intact flight back to Calgary. After a small skirmish they told me they would try and fix it.
The same day they called and said that through a lot of their personal effort we would now be rerouted through Paris, but we would still need to take a flight from Paris to Amsterdam before continuing on to Calgary. I was surprised that they thought that this was a solution but we took it. Considering our flight back from Cape Town was on the same day, it meant that it would take us five flights to get home. Quite the trek, but it was enjoyable in the end.
After landing in Johannesburg we headed to the lounge and waited for our flight to Paris on our 777-300. We were hoping for an A380 flight but Air France stopped flying that to Johannesburg apparently. The business class section in the aircraft was quite large. Row 1 was dedicated to the very exclusive F cabin, but we were in row 16 and there were several rows of business class behind us. The herringbone setup was quite comfortable and after boarding we were soon on our way to Paris for this 10 hour night flight.
The TV screen was significantly smaller than those on KLM but the programs offered were similar. The cabin crew were professional and competent but not friendly.
Goat's cheese ball with toasted almonds with a Rhone valley Syrah
Finely sliced Parma ham, artichoke salad with pesto and parmesan.
Sauteed beef with red wine, potato gratin, broccoli and baby carrots
Trio of mini desserts, strawberry tartlet, lemon financier cake and praline brownie
The food was great and I soon reclined and started watching a few movies. In no time at all the crew started lighting up the cabin before our descent into Paris. I was hungry and decided to have a few items for breakfast.
Paris was completely coated in clouds and a thick mist went down to almost ground level. I was surprised to be in a cloud and suddenly see the runway appear. With one of our bigger flights done, we had a 1-hour layover and quickly ran to the next terminal. I was really impressed with this seemingly busy newer section of the airport with some good shops for goods and food. Soon we boarded for this 1-hour flight to Amsterdam. The flight was uneventful and I didn't really take pictures of the 'faux' business class. We were offered a substantial breakfast which we declined and instead just had a good cup of coffee.
Last edited by SAtraveller; Dec 17, 2022 at 12:11 am
Dec 20, 2022, 2:22 pm
#19
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: Alpharetta, GA, USA
Posts: 948
7. Johannesburg to Paris via Air France business class
We were hoping for an A380 flight but Air France stopped flying that to Johannesburg apparently. The business class section in the aircraft was quite large. Row 1 was dedicated to the very exclusive F cabin, but we were in row 16 and there were several rows of business class behind us. The herringbone setup was quite comfortable and after boarding we were soon on our way to Paris for this 10 hour night flight.
.
We were hoping for an A380 flight but Air France stopped flying that to Johannesburg apparently. The business class section in the aircraft was quite large. Row 1 was dedicated to the very exclusive F cabin, but we were in row 16 and there were several rows of business class behind us. The herringbone setup was quite comfortable and after boarding we were soon on our way to Paris for this 10 hour night flight.
.
Dec 22, 2022, 3:50 am
#20
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Boston MA
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 24
I've enjoyed this report a lot; I'm also an ex-pat South African, though I live in the US. We are going out to KZN and then Cape Town in January for 2 weeks, and we have booked Fyn as well! Enjoyed the report. Baie Lekker.
Dec 22, 2022, 11:55 am
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Vancouver
Programs: Aeroplan, BA, QR
Posts: 362
Good to know, thanks pjs.
Dec 22, 2022, 12:22 pm
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Vancouver
Programs: Aeroplan, BA, QR
Posts: 362
8. Amsterdam to Calgary via KLM business class
After landing in Amsterdam we made our way back to the Crown Lounge. With a 5-hour layover I started to get angsty mostly because I can't sleep well on a plane and it was starting to catch up with me after two flights. I was also feeling grimy and immediately used the little electronic kiosk to book a shower. I chose a time and it sent me a QR code to my phone that would activate a few minutes before my scheduled time. I headed off to the shower and opened the door with my code. It was a quaint little bathroom with all the amenities you could need. Fifteen minutes later I exited feeling refreshed but still tired.
I was about to head over to the area where you can book a sleeping room but I noticed many people just sleeping in their chairs or on the sofas. The sleeping rooms can be booked for between 1 and 6 hours but they're not all that cheap and I only really needed a two hour nap. I'm not one to sleep in public, but we found a small little nook and I lay down for a few hours. I felt self-aware because I'm always afraid of being accused of classless behavior, but luckily I was out of sight and woke up refreshed a bit later. After a glass of bubbles and a small snack, we headed over to our gate to board our A330 back to Calgary.
The mist was starting to lift and we headed to the runway for a smooth takeoff.
After taking off I was wondering if we would fly over England a little, but the flight path turned almost due North. I was quite taken back by it as if we were going to fly over the North Pole. While flying over the sea I was quite impressed with the number of sea-based windmill generators I saw. Someone has certainly been busy with renewable energy here.
I was really excited to perhaps fly over Greenland and see something interesting, and flying due North strongly hinted at a more 'northerly' route back to Canada.
We had such a great crew on this flight. It was a duo of veteran male attendants who took great pride in their jobs and who had a great sense of humor. There were tons of jokes and they were always there to top up your drink or ask if you wanted more food. They were really exemplary. One looked like Santa Claus... he'll be a hit in December.
I took the cheese this time and asked if they had a Negroni cocktail in stock. On all our previous flights they said they had supply issues, but not on this one! So they opened the bottle for us... and dear god, I did not enjoy this drink at all. I don't know what I was expecting. It was super strong and made me scrunch up my face with each sip. I decided to switch to wine but being polite, I downed the Negroni as quickly as possible with gentlemanly dignity.
Dutch Solt shrimps on a pickled tomato with a crumb of dried onion, with green olives and a drop of wasabi mayonnaise.
Tasting of delicacies ~ rice Thai chicken with sweet basil, Chu-Chee cod and mixed vegetables with a glass of Weingut Heinrich Naked Red 2018.
Petit grand dessert of cappuccino ganache, caramel crumb cake and sticky toffee tartelette with a glass of Baileys.
The meal was really good again and I still enjoy the KLM presentation. By now I was inebriated - I had ingested too much over too little time, and reclined my seat and slept for a few hours. I didn't struggle to sleep at all. Upon awakening I was disappointed to see that Greenland was dark and I couldn't see anything, but after watching a movie I noticed that the sun was coming up and I managed to get a few glorious shots. It was beautiful and endless ice for miles and miles.
Soon we hit the coast of Canada, which of course means you still have to fly for several hours to get to the west side. The next meal service started and I ate the hamburger again, although I was still quite full from the original meal.
Just a Coke Zero please... no more alcohol!
Soon we reached Alberta and started our descent. We chose another two houses as mementos and stored them away. Alberta had been nicely gripped by winter while we were away, but Canada is best friends with the season so it doesn't take much.
After doing a few turns we landed neatly on the runway. Unfortunately we had a 9-hour layover before our next flight on our regional carrier, so we booked a room at the Marriott that is inside the terminal. With a runway view it was great lying on the bed and watching planes taxi and takeoff.
The view from our room
After a small dinner we headed to the gate and despite another delay we eventually boarded and got home after 35 hours of travel. It had been delightful and not arduous, and it completed a stunning vacation to South Africa.
After landing in Amsterdam we made our way back to the Crown Lounge. With a 5-hour layover I started to get angsty mostly because I can't sleep well on a plane and it was starting to catch up with me after two flights. I was also feeling grimy and immediately used the little electronic kiosk to book a shower. I chose a time and it sent me a QR code to my phone that would activate a few minutes before my scheduled time. I headed off to the shower and opened the door with my code. It was a quaint little bathroom with all the amenities you could need. Fifteen minutes later I exited feeling refreshed but still tired.
I was about to head over to the area where you can book a sleeping room but I noticed many people just sleeping in their chairs or on the sofas. The sleeping rooms can be booked for between 1 and 6 hours but they're not all that cheap and I only really needed a two hour nap. I'm not one to sleep in public, but we found a small little nook and I lay down for a few hours. I felt self-aware because I'm always afraid of being accused of classless behavior, but luckily I was out of sight and woke up refreshed a bit later. After a glass of bubbles and a small snack, we headed over to our gate to board our A330 back to Calgary.
The mist was starting to lift and we headed to the runway for a smooth takeoff.
After taking off I was wondering if we would fly over England a little, but the flight path turned almost due North. I was quite taken back by it as if we were going to fly over the North Pole. While flying over the sea I was quite impressed with the number of sea-based windmill generators I saw. Someone has certainly been busy with renewable energy here.
I was really excited to perhaps fly over Greenland and see something interesting, and flying due North strongly hinted at a more 'northerly' route back to Canada.
We had such a great crew on this flight. It was a duo of veteran male attendants who took great pride in their jobs and who had a great sense of humor. There were tons of jokes and they were always there to top up your drink or ask if you wanted more food. They were really exemplary. One looked like Santa Claus... he'll be a hit in December.
I took the cheese this time and asked if they had a Negroni cocktail in stock. On all our previous flights they said they had supply issues, but not on this one! So they opened the bottle for us... and dear god, I did not enjoy this drink at all. I don't know what I was expecting. It was super strong and made me scrunch up my face with each sip. I decided to switch to wine but being polite, I downed the Negroni as quickly as possible with gentlemanly dignity.
Dutch Solt shrimps on a pickled tomato with a crumb of dried onion, with green olives and a drop of wasabi mayonnaise.
Tasting of delicacies ~ rice Thai chicken with sweet basil, Chu-Chee cod and mixed vegetables with a glass of Weingut Heinrich Naked Red 2018.
Petit grand dessert of cappuccino ganache, caramel crumb cake and sticky toffee tartelette with a glass of Baileys.
The meal was really good again and I still enjoy the KLM presentation. By now I was inebriated - I had ingested too much over too little time, and reclined my seat and slept for a few hours. I didn't struggle to sleep at all. Upon awakening I was disappointed to see that Greenland was dark and I couldn't see anything, but after watching a movie I noticed that the sun was coming up and I managed to get a few glorious shots. It was beautiful and endless ice for miles and miles.
Soon we hit the coast of Canada, which of course means you still have to fly for several hours to get to the west side. The next meal service started and I ate the hamburger again, although I was still quite full from the original meal.
Just a Coke Zero please... no more alcohol!
Soon we reached Alberta and started our descent. We chose another two houses as mementos and stored them away. Alberta had been nicely gripped by winter while we were away, but Canada is best friends with the season so it doesn't take much.
After doing a few turns we landed neatly on the runway. Unfortunately we had a 9-hour layover before our next flight on our regional carrier, so we booked a room at the Marriott that is inside the terminal. With a runway view it was great lying on the bed and watching planes taxi and takeoff.
The view from our room
After a small dinner we headed to the gate and despite another delay we eventually boarded and got home after 35 hours of travel. It had been delightful and not arduous, and it completed a stunning vacation to South Africa.
Last edited by SAtraveller; Dec 22, 2022 at 12:27 pm