aw

Hi all,

A couple of weeks ago my sister and I planned a trip to Europe in pursue of miles being the "addicts" that we are. We avoided domestic travel dreading the crowds during Thanksgiving wknd so we tentatively chose Prague until I discovered the "DEPART" promotion at the Le Grand Intercontinental Paris over at the hotel forum. For those unfamiliar with this offer, it is basically a 2 for 1 night deal with a complimentary upgrade to a Jr. suite from any room category. I'd like to express my deepest gratitude to fellow member RJB for alerting us to this exceptional offer. I phoned Intercontinental directly and made a reservation for a Club room that included breakfast buffet and afternoon hors d'oeuvres for 277 Euros or about $350 per night. If we apply the promotion, the total cost would be $350 for 2 nights or $175 per night, an excellent value in anyone's book considering the caliber, location and amenities of this deluxe property.

As a Wordperk's Silver member, I welcome the recent addition of NW into the Skyteam alliance thus providing us members with more opportunties to earn/redeem miles and try new carriers, something that I confess is one of my many "cheap thrills". Due to the short nature of this trip, we wanted to take a non-stop from SFO and AF was the only viable alternative under Skyteam. My exposure to AF has been limited in the past (having flown them twice - once from LHR-CDG in J and the second time CDG-MAD in Y0 but based on these previous experiences and positive reports from other flyers, I was excited to sample their Tempo product. I knew AF had a decent Y cabin that is a cut above what US carriers offered these days so I was anticipating this trip with a healthy dose of curiosity and high expectations. This was going to be the first time that I fly in the back on a transatlantic trip after having been spoiled in J or F for almost a decade. This is not necessarily bad since it will keep my perspective in check and make me more appreciative of my next ride up front. Now on with the report.....


AF 83/DL 8955
SFO-CDG Dept 3:45P Arriv 11:35A+
A340 - Seat 37J


Thanksgiving day was very quiet. I woke up early, had a hearty breakfast and then took Caltrain to the airport. I live in Burlingame which is really convenient to SFO (10 minutes drive). The AF counter was semi empty and we were checked quickly. The agent was robotic in his approach and wished us a "Bon Voyage" so devoid of sincerity that it sounded like a recording that has been played many times before. With about 2.5 hours of wait, we decided to try NW's Worldclub and my sister purchased a 60 days membership for $85 that allows 2 companions vs the unattractive 1 day pass for $45 good for the member only. The club is located in the A wing to the left after security. The room is medium sized divided into 2 seating areas and a small business center. There were some Biscoff cookies, Walker shortbreads, Atkins bars, Milanos, Melba crackers, toasts, pre-packaged cheese and apples for snack. The club was nicely appointed with warm tones and a fireplace. I find UA's Red Carpet clubs to have a better selection of snacks. At least in ORD, I saw celery/carrot sticks, Camembert wedges, fruits, crackers, Biscoff cookies and Toblerone chocolates.

At about 45 min. before dept we headed to the gate and we heard a general announcement already. I was told by AF res that this flight was light so I was looking forward to having a row by myself. Upon boarding, there was a cart with newspapers and periodicals by the entrance of the aircraft and two smiling FA's were greeting passengers and checking boarding passes meticulously. They took the time explaining to each psgr the location of their corresponding seats. I did not take my seat and instead situated myself at an aisle seat at the last row of the first Y cabin. I wanted to wait until all passengers were boarded so that I can hunt for an empty row in the back. When I glanced at the second cabin I saw that most rows in front were occupied, so it appears that this flight was not as "light" as I was lead to believe. I asked a passing FA if there were indeed a lot of empty seats in the back and she confirmed this but advised me to stay put as they were doing the counting. At the same time, I saw a gentleman get up from one of the rows in front and walk towards the back. The FA stopped him immediately and asked him to return to his seat. The older gentleman said in English that he wanted to get some water so after he sat down the FA brought him a glass within 1 minute. Once the count was over and the doors shut, the FA came from the back to let me know that it was OK to move at this time. I also saw another FA do the same on the other side. I finally settle by a 2 seater in the last row, next to the galley.

Within minutes after take off, FA's started to distribute the printed menus followed by another FA handing the amenity kits (and this is Y). The kit was a small plastic pouch with the Tempo logo containing eyeshade, ear plugs, earphones, wet towelette and mints. Service was attentive and with a smile throughout. About 30 minutes into the flight, the beverage cart was rolled displaying a bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne, cartons of orange, tomato and apple juice along with soft drinks, wines and other aperitifs. Some time ago AF used to carry pineapple juice and I'm a bit disappointed to find that it no longer carries it as a cost saving measure. Well, I guess everyone is cutting corners these days. The beverage came with a small package of cocktail snack (pretzels and crackers). After the glasses were cleared, the dinner followed. Here's the transcript:

Apppetizer
Prosciutto with melon

Choice of Main course
Penne with salmon in cream sauce
or
Saute of beef with paprika accompanied by rice pilaf

Cheese (wedge of President camembert)
Yogurt (Yoplait peach flavored)
Lemon cake with poppy seeds
Coffee and tea


The food tray was arranged attractively with a small glass for your liquor and a cup of pre-packaged water. The utensils were metal with a sturdy white base. Once the trays were laid out, FA's offered mini-baguettes from a basket and you could take as many as you wanted. They then ask if you wanted more water or something else to drink since the beverages were placed on top of the food cart which was more practical than waiting for the beverage cart to make another round. Once the food cart service is finished, A FA made a second pass with the bread basket again which was a nice touch. The appetizer of sweet ripe cantaloupe wrapped in flavourful prosciutto provided a nice contrast. I opted for the Saute of beef, a decent choice featuring tender pieces of meat with the right proportion of marbling. The amount of sauce could have been more generous to go with the rice, though. The lemon cake was disappointingly dry and saturated with poppy seeds on top that imparted a bitter aftertaste. I personally find it puzzling that AF serves yogurt for dinner/lunch. Is is there as a second dessert choice or perhaps as digestion aid for the culinary extravaganza? Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaning about the extra item on my tray, but I think that a small salad or savory side dish would have been a more suitable choice. Somewhere at AF HDQ there must be a logical explanation for this.

For the oenophiles, here's the wine menu:

Vin Blanc
VDP des Cotes a Gascogne 2002
Louis Eschenauer
or
VDP d'Oc Chardonnnay 2003 Castel

Vin Rouge
VDP d'Oc Merlot 2002
Louis Eschenauer
or
VDP d'Oc Merlot 2003 Skalli

Beer
1664

Digestifs and liqueurs

Once the trays were collected, FA's offered coffee, tea or liquors. Each seat of the A340 had a flipped drink holder, coat hanger, blanket, a firm pillow covered in cloth and individual screen with touch on features that was easy to operate. Entertainment consisted of about 6 movies (French and American), documentaries, games and a map with frequent updates. One word of caution: when accessing the games menu, the system can become idle while downloading certain games and there is no way to reset it. Seats were comfortable but pitch was average (about 31 or 32") and when the passenger in front reclines, it makes for a very tight feeling. If you are on a window seat, then you're trapped.

A beverage cart is placed by the bathroom and in the back of the galley for self service. A very convenient gesture unless you see a psgr walking away with a big bottle of water, which is irritating. One slight negative experience was that the call button was never answered when I tried to summon a FA twice. In the meantime, I saw 2 of them chatting in the back galley. However, when a new crew took their place during rotation, the call button was answered promptly.

to be continued....

francophile

Nice report. I'm very impressed that AF serves Moët et Chandon in economy. By the way, the French eat yougurt for dessert.

The service sounds much better than AA.

Carfield

Thanks for the report so far, aw!

AF service sounds okay... well for the ground staff, at least they say "Bon Voyage"...

Look forward to the rest of the report!

Carfield

synd

francophile,

totally off topic, but is there any other way to eat yogurts?? I have always eaten them in the place of the cheese course, right before desert.

synd

francophile

I forgot to mention that the French also eat yougurt for breakfast.

By the way, since you live in France, perhaps you are familiar with the yougurt-like dessert called fromage blanc. It's white (as the name suggests) and has a consistency that is slightly thicker than yougurt. It is served to me once in Avignon unsweetened but accompanied with a sugar dispenser so that I could sweetenen it according to my taste.

It was an ok dessert. But give me a millefeuille or St-Honoré anyday.

aw

About 1 1/2 hours before arrival, the crew turned on the cabin lights to awaken psgrs for the breakfast service. The tray this time consisted of cold cuts (ham with 2 types of cheese slices), a cup of OJ, butter, jam, a bag of granola mix, La Creme yogurt, a serving of fruit cocktail that tasted canned and a cold croissant. The basket with mini baguettes made another appearance. Service was done front to back in the first Y cabin but on the second cabin where I was seated they proceeded from back to front. Once the meals have been passed, another FA offered coffee or tea. I requested tomato juice and she informed me that she was only doing the above but if I ask at the galley they'd be happy to provide me with one. No big deal, since I had the OJ and drank it. Once the trays were cleared, the FA brought me a glass of tomato juice and asked me if I still wanted it. I gratefully accepted, especially since it came with a nice smile.

With about 25 min before landing I asked a passing male FA which 2? terminal we will be arriving into. He advised me that they were awaiting instructions from the tower and did not know yet. He then came back 10 minutes later to notify me that we will be landing at terminal 2C. As we approached CDG, we were surrounded by gray clouds and I really hoped that this was not an omen for the rest of my stay. I was really praying for at least dry weather if not sunshine. I checked the weather channel site before leaving and it supposed to be partly cloudy. From the looks of it, this is going to be a 100% cloudy weekend. As it happens, the first 2 days were covered in clouds and there was a bit of a drizzling on the third day.

Landing was smooth and soon we were out to catch the Roissy bus that will take us to the Opera. The fare was about 8.6 Euros and we could only buy it one-way from the driver. The bus was packed and there were people standing up. The ride took about 1.20 hours due to massive traffic congestion around the perimeter of the city. Thank God the Intercontinental was a couple of meters from the stop.



Le Grand Intercontinental


The hotel looked magnificent from the outside and it seemed to take the entire block. We were booked at the Club level so we took the elevator directly to the 5th floor to check-in.

We were greeted warmly upon entering and offered drinks while we sat down. Our club rep was pleasant and engaged us in small conversation while she checked for ready rooms. She gave us the option of a Club room on the 2nd floor that was a bit larger than the standard Jr suite or wait until a Jr suite became available later on. At that moment, a lady traveling with children walked in and asked one of the club attendants if she could be checked right away because the children were getting restless. We overheard the attendant tell her that she could not check people in and referred her to our club rep. She appearantly came from a long trip (LHR) and her children were exhausted. Well, I came from SFO on an 11 hrs trip and I wasn't exactly jumping up and down from stamina.

I'm from the school that believes in whatever goes around, comes around, so I told our rep that if she wanted to take care of the lady first, since it is understandably challenging to travel with children, we would gladly wait. The lady thanked us for this gesture and our rep proceeded to check her in. She then conveyed her gratitude by upgrading us to an Ambassador suite on the third floor. She walked us to the room and showed it to us personally. The suite was splendidly appointed with Napoleonic furnitures and warm tones in red & gold. It had 2 entrances, one leading to a closet and a large bedroom and the other to a huge living room with an auxiliary rest room by the entrance. The main marbled bathroom had both a shower and a tub. Two robes and slipper sets were already placed along with Molton Brown toiletries. Every single room had large windows that opened into a balcony offering a glorious view of rue Scribe and Blvd des Capucines with the Eiffel tower at a distance.

My sister is an Ambassador member and this reservation was under her name. Being such, she should have received certain amenities such as bottle water, fruits and gifts that are awarded under this membership. None of these were present in the room when we arrived so we had to call to chase after them, as many others have done under Flyertalk's hotel forum. I called the service desk requesting for an extra blanket and the amenities. The agent apologized about this and said that she will send the items right away.
A couple of minutes later the blanket arrived along with a flower from housekeeping but no Ambassador amenities yet.

We then took a nap and a couple of hours later walked to Galerie Lafayette, Printemps and La Madelaine to see the window's displays. There is something magical about Christmas time no matter where you are and the displays did not disappoint. I liked Printempt's whimsical layout with animals and Lacroix designs. Hediard and Fauchon had amazing food displays as usual. I loved the sensual Fauchon ad on top of the store featuring a seductive pair of lips in glittering pink enveloping a piece of Fauchon chocolate. Afterwards we decided to grab something to eat and headed to Chez Leon, a popular chain bistro specializing in mussels. I ordered the Moules a l'Ardennaise (cooked with smoked bacon bits, mushrooms, cream and white wine) and Carbonade flamande (beef stew in beer). We ate at the Opera branch on Bvld des Italiens. The food was a bit disappointing from the last meal I had about 2 years ago at their branch in St. Germain. For starters, the mussels were a bit overcooked and not as flavourful as I expected it to be. The carbonade pieces were tender and succulent but it needed some salt. The fries were great and the desserts were excellent.

We returned to the hotel and no Ambassador amenities yet. The following day we had breakfast at the Club. I commented to our Club rep about the lack of Ambassador amenities a second time and inquired whether we could take breakfast somewhere else (I was hoping to go to the Cafe de la Paix). She apogolized about the Ambassador amenities and worked on it right away. She also advised me that breakfast for Club guests can only be taken at the Club. I guess they must have changed the policy since I recall reading that some members were offered the Cafe de la Paix as an option. The again, maybe the DEPART offer was not as popular then and they did not have that many people staying under this promotion. Anyways, the breakfast was pretty sumptous with an assorted display of smoked salmon, smoked trout, cheeses, bacon, sausages, fruits, small pancakes, cereal, yogurt, juices, viennoiseries, rolls and many other items that I do not recall. In addition, one could order eggs any style from the kitchen. The only inconvenient is that the Club room can get pretty crowded later on in the morning and utensils are not always on the tables and you either have to ask the attendant for them or get them from the drawer.

We visited Lafayette Gourmet for some meal essentials and then checked out Fauchon for some pastries. Maison du Chocolat was next where we purchased some delectable treats and I was particularly delighted by the attentiveness and treatment of the staff. Later we went to the Arc de Triomphe where we climbed the stairs (quite a workout) all the way to the top for some magnificent views of Paris radiating from the blvds. We then headed to La Defense where I had my first visit to a French mall. It was overwhelming as the mall was pcked with people everywhere. Perhaps it was the weekend or the proximity of the holidays but next time I will stay away from the maddening crowd. A major highlight of this visit was finding an Auchon supermarket where I stocked up on goods and bought dinner at fairly reasonable prices. Personally I think it's always more interesting to experience things from a local's perspective. The beuty of Paris is that it is such a multi faceted city that one can approach it from so many different angles and be rewarded each time with an uniquely Parisian experience.

Upon returning to our room, we found the amenities on top of the table in the living room. It consisted of a bottle of Chablis wine, 2 tangerines with plates and utensils and 2 bottles of Evian water on the night stands by each bed. There was a personal notecard signed by the GM welcoming us. Overall, I found the staff to be accomodating and professional. The only letdown was the lack of status recognition which is mildly irritating considering that one has to pay a fee for being Ambassador. One detail that impressed me was that upon requesting some band aids from room service, a customer service agent knocked at my door within minutes inquring if everything was all right. Upon encountering the staff, we were always greeted by a "Bonjour" or "Bonsoir". The property was luxuriously decorated and the Opera ballroom was decadently magnificent in its opulence and a "not to be missed" experience at this property.

Sunday was museum day and we made our obligatory visit to the Louvre and the Orsay. We arrived by 9:30A and it was fairly easy to get in without hardly any wait. The collections were marvelous as usual and I always enjoy visiting my favorite artist Jacques Louis David. His rendition of male attributes like strength, power and virility are superbly protrayed on his paintings. Just magnificent! We then walked by rue Buci where we passed by the market and stumbled upon Laduree where we puchased some delectable macarons. A lot of connoisseurs consider Laduree to have the best macarons in Paris and I have to agree to that assertion. Each bite was full of flavor coupled by the most delicate melt-in-your mouth feeling.


That evening we went to Chartres for dinner. I have read a lot about this place from different guidebooks and it was featured on Time-Out, which is a pretty reliable British publication. It seems that it was worth a trip just for the ambience if not exactly for the food. While the restaurant is nicely decorated and gives you some feeling of a typical Parisian bistro, the experience was a bit disappointing. On arrival, the place was crowded and noisy. The waiter sat us in a 4 seater table and then to my surprise sat another couple at our table. He then brough a carafe of water and a basket and these were supposed to be shared by everybody. By now I was getting uncomfortable with this arrangement that no publication or site warned me about. The place had a sizable amount of tourists which I expected for a place that is a popular choice in so many guidebooks. Now, I don't mind going to a touristy place as long as there is some redeeming quality in ambience or quality of food. It seems that Chartres' charm derives from its surroundings and very affordable menu, so I gave it a shot. The asparagus appetizer came with a vinaigrette sauce and it had a "canned" taste. The ham appetizer was a bit better. My gigot d'agneau came with roasted potatoes and it was very rare. The potatoes had the right crispiness and flavor, but were a tad greasy. My sister ordered the "steak au poivre" and after I told the waiter to cook it well done in French, it came bloody rare. The champignons side dish was sauteed in butter with a nice touch of garlic and herbs. Once again, the deserts came to the rescue. The Paris Brest was terrific. The light textured chesnut cream was sandwiched by two delicate pieces. I had a hazelnut cake that was just as delicate and satisfying with an intriguing crunchy texture on top.

It's been said over at the Air France forum that French speakers get a different treatment from non-speakers. Although I have not seen this happen onboard AF, I concur with this observation at Chartres that night. My French is not the most advanced, but I can carry a basic conversation and my accent is good (so I've been told by French speakers) thanks in part to private school and an early exposure to the language when I was a kid. The waiter was attentive towards me but the treatment he gave to the Japanese couple to my left was appalling. For starters, it took them a while to order because they had trouble getting the waiter's attention. When the waiter started taking their order, they asked about the rumpsteak and when they took out the dictionary, the waiter kind of rolled his eyes and left the table. He came back about 10 minutes later to proceed with the order. To his credit, he brought their meals quickly and when he guy pointed at my basket of bread, the waiter said that it was for the whole table and meant to be shared in French. I was aghast by such a comment and if I were them I would just get up and leave. I admire the patience that this couple endured during this ordeal and find it a disgrace that tips were included in their bill. I also overhead a comment from a British lady across complaining that her entree was cold. That was it. I will never patronize a place like that ever again. How could a place like this make it to a reputable publication like Time Out? After all, it was Time Out who introduced me to one of my most sublime experiences eating at "Aux Lyonnais" some years ago before Alain Ducasse bought the place.

After this eye opening experience, we called it the night and went back to the hotel for a good night sleep in preparation for our return trip the next morning....

to be continued .....

synd

Great Trip report AW, love all the details! makes me think I'm home right now! well i'll be in a couple days anyway!

thanks for a great read, while taking a break from Finals studies.

synd

danielmhd

Amazing report!

With regard to your disappointing restaurant seating arrangements, some more bourgeois French restaurants traditionally seat parties together at small tables, or along large, communal tables. It takes a bit of getting used to, certainly.

JuPe

Thanks for your report! I was also positively surprised when i traveled with from Rio de Janeiro to CDG a couple of weeks ago in Y.

aw

On my departure date, I woke up early and finished some last minute packing before heading to the airport. I checked out at the Club floor and the agent quickly processed me. He showed me the bill and I noticed some extra charges for meals at the Cafe de la Paix plus drinks taken from the room minibar which we never took. He quickly deleted the charges and printed an updated copy showing the credit for one night from the DEPART promotion. He asked if everything was OK and then signed the bill to validate it. I left the hotel feeling nostalgic already. I had a magnificent stay and considered myself lucky to have enjoyed one of the best deals ever. The Le Grand won me over and I look forward to staying there more often.


At 7:00A there was barely any people waiting for the Roissy bus so it was about half empty. The ride was quiet and in that instance I became an observer catching glimpses of Parisians going about their daily routines oblivious that someone was watching them. Once the bus left the central core of Paris and ventured into the less pretentious 2 digits arrondisements, I was able to appreciate better the drama of life unfolding in front of me. There was a lady at a local boulangerie patiently arranging the freshly baked good in front of the window shop just like a jeweler dispalying his finest collection at the storefront window. On a corner my eye caught a gentleman walking his two dogs; I wonder how long these two unwitting companions have accompanied him in this morning ritual. We passed by a cafe where a group of jolly men were engaged in an animated conversation. What were they talking about that was so engaging? Could it be about sports and how they favorite team performed? or perhaps they were hotly debating a controversial topic? Being a silent witness is a role that has always intrigued me and on more than one occasion I have been willing to assume. I guess there will always be more questions than answers in life.


The bus was soon approaching CDG. With about 2 1/2 hours before departure, I was hoping to score the elusive bulkhead seats. The return trip was supposed to be almost full and I was not looking forward to having the person in front of me recline his seat all the way. One thing that bothers me about this ride is that there are no annoucements as to which terminal 2 certain flights depart from. The boards outside were hard to read since it was still dark. I remembered arriving into 2C so we got off there and fortunately it was the right terminal. CDG is not an user-friendly airport and I can see how confusing this can be for the first timer using this facility. Once inside we made the line for check-in and the AF agent overseeing the queue was very friendly and efficient. We were sent to a security agent who asked us the usual senseless questions: "Where did you come from today?"?, "Did you pack your own bags?", "Did you accepted any items from strangers?" Seriously, do you think you can really catch a terrorist this way other than one with a single digit IQ?


Our check-in agent quickly issued our boarding passes and I asked her if she had any bulkheads available. I mentioned that both my sister and I were Skyteam Elite members if that helped. She did not have any bulkheads and seemed ignorant about the term "Skyteam Elite". She then asked me if I was requesting an upgrade when I said that....I should have replied "only if it is free" to see her reaction. We passed through security where we had to remove our shoes, belts, wallets and metal objects. What's next? underwear? Inside the secure area there were several shops (more like stands) selling food, cosmetics, bags and magazines. The selections were very limited and the stores were small. I was not impressed at all by these facilities and can honestly suggest AMS, FRA or LHR for a far superior duty-free shopping experience. For a country associated with luxury and the fine art of living, it's really shameful to encounter such poor outlets for consumerism.

Pretty soon it was time to board and you could always tell by the crowd surrounding the gate like a beast seizing its prey. The indifference and unhurried attitude of the agents served as a whip that kept the beast tamed. At about 25 min. before departure boarding began. There were no announcements or special lines for F/J/Skyteam Elite members. However, I saw agents making an effort to board handicapped psgrs and families traveling with children. Inside the jetbridge there were a couple more security agents positioned for further searches.


AF 84
CDG-SFO Dept 10:20A - Arr. 1:00P
A340 Seat 40B


Smiling FA's were positioned at the entrance to greet and direct passengers. I stowed my carry-on and took my seat while more people were boarding. At 10:20A the doors were still open and I did not see any FA's doing the count. This flight was going to be delayed, I thought. Sure enough, at around 10:35A the captain made an announcement apologizing for the delay and advising us that our flight was holding for connecting psgrs. My plan to move back to the empty rows behind ended the moment I saw more psgr boarding. We took off about 25 minutes later and the climb was very smooth. Soon the FA's distributed the menus and amenity kits. Half an hour later the beverage cart was rolled and drinks were offered with a cocktail mix (bretzels and crackers, yes, they spelled bretzels). Here's the menu transcript:


LUNCH

Lobster terrine with vegetables, cole slaw

Choice of main course
Saute of beef with paprika sauce, peas and carrots
or
Penne pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and basil, smoked salmon julienne

Camembert (President)
Fruit yogurt (Calin sur fruit)
Plum tart
Coffe and tea


At midflight, beverages, sandwiches and Häagen-Dazs will be available in the self-service areas.


DINNER

Turkey, mimosa-style egg and salad

Smoked-dried chicken, vegetable salad featuring carrots, tomatoes and celery

Pavé frais
Cherry clafouti
Coffe and tea



The small portioned lobster terrine was delicious complemented by the crunchy and flavourful cole slaw. The penne pasta was fine with slivers of dried tomatoes and a generous amount of salmon. As usual, bread was offered from a basket along with drink refills at the same time. The nice plum tart provided a fitting ending with its luscious filling and flaky crust. About 5 hours into the flight I visited the galley and there were snack mixes, hazelnut bars and Häagen Dazs chocolate bars. I inquired about the sandwiches and the FA told me that they were bringing them in about 1 hour but would be glad to give me some if I was too hungry. I thanked him and said that I'll be back later. Anyways, that would give me an excuse to stretch my legs later on. I returned only to find that there was only 1 type of sandwich - curry chicken salad in pita bread with cucumbers. For the sake of reporting I tried it. The chicken lacked some "kick", it tasted a bit sweet and the cucumbers gave it some cruch. What happened to the smoked trout and gouda sandwiches that other flyers have been raving about?

About 1 1/2 hours before landing the second meal service began. Unlike some other carriers that serve only a "snack", AF spends more money by offering a full meal, albeit cold and only one standard meal. The salad consisted of a rolled up slice of turkey over some greens with chopped hard boiled eggs. It came with a small tube of green dressing that made it more palatable. The two pieces of smoked chicken were very tasty and served on top of a bed of julienne celery and carrots with some tomatoes thrown in for color. The pieces had a yellow coating and upon looking at it I thought it was curry but it did not taste spicy at all so maybe it was just turmeric. The usual round of bread and drinks were offered. The cherry clafouti was ok but it lacked the dusting of powdered sugar that I associate this dessert with.

FA's were courteous and smiling throughout the flight. Judging from my past and current experiences, I have to say that AF has one of the most professional crews onboard. Its Tempo cabin is undoubtedly the best if not one of the best in terms of food and amenities provided for a transatlantic carrier. I would not hesitate to fly them again on my next European trip. Upon landing at SFO about 25 minutes late, I exited and said good bye to the attentive and smiling FA's bidding farewell at the door. My Thanksgiving wknd trip has finally concluded. It is said that every ending is a new beginning. I can assure you that the planning of my next trip is already in its infancy and I foresee myself more inclined to select AF in the future as my new preferred transatlantic carrier, only that next time I'll probably be in L'Espace Affaires....

Dianne47

What a great report! Your descriptions and musings made me feel like I was back in Paris, excellent. Good to hear about AF's Economy product. Would like to fly AF again, but hubby is still on his anti-France track and I can't even get him to eat camembert for the last couple of years...

Bretteee

>>I knew AF had a decent Y cabin that is a cut above what US carriers offered these days so I was anticipating >>


I disagree that AF is a cut above US carriers. Personally I prefer AA over AF overall. AF has 31" legroom compared to 34" on AA. For me I prefer the extra space than a paper menu, plastic amenities which I do not use, and the better food. The food on AA is fine with me, though I agree that the food on AF is a tad better and they do give a little more. I may also be somewhat prejudiced as my bag was lost at CDG and soon later my aunt had a similar experience. Maybe the crews have improved as I have not been with AF since 2 years. I remember about 10 years ago when they decided to stop serving the snack on the CDG to JFK flight that left at about 5pm in those days. That really annoyed me; 1 meal on an 8 hr flight. I think after a few years they reinstalled the snack.

Carfield

Thanks for the wonderful report. AF food sounds great, and most importantly, the F/As have great attitudes and meant to be there for you. I love warmed rolls... especially in Y.

About European airlines a cut above US airlines, this is somewhat true, but I think US airlines F/As are less motivated too.

With NW (A330-300 has a couple rows with better legroom), UA, and AA, the advantage is legroom or a Y+ area for elite flyers and full fare Y folks. However, AA will remove MRTC on International flights next summer. The game will be played differently... I guess... So Brettree, I agree that AA offers slight more comfort, but without MRTC, I think Air France seems to be the way to go, especially with no status. But I think CDG is more of the concern to me personally, especially with connections issues.

Thanks
Carfield

francophile

Why would AF be especially the way to go if one had no status?

aw

Assuming that one lacks status with any carrier and is unable to score desirable seats such as bulkheads and emergency exit rows, the extras that AF offers in Y class are obvious:

-free champagne and liquor
-complimentary amenity kit
-printed menus with bread basket offering
-better quality meals (just check www.airlinemeals.net)
-free earphones and individual screens (on select aircrafts)
-thicker pillows and blankets on long distance flights
-more professional FA's (I realize this is a highly subjective view but in my experiences this has been the case)
-more comfortable seats except for the pitch (headrest with adjustable wings, footrest and cup holder)

When compared to US carriers, these advantages are evident. UA would be fine if one scores an E+ seat, but in order to pre-reserved one you have to be a Premier or higher. AA's MRTC concept is being phased out next year as Carfield said and I have heard that the quality of meals have deteriorated. The only other carriers that might offer the same quality product, if not better would probably be Virgin, BMI or BA (unfortunately, I have not flown with any of these three carriers and can't offer a fair comparison).

Finally, I'd like to thank all of you who have read my long report. I hope you found it informative and somewhat entertaining.