MXP-DXB-MXP in AF J
Dec 21, 2008, 10:24 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Auckland, NZ/New York, NY/ATL
Programs: DL DM MM, BIS 2.4MM, EK Gold, SQ Gold, Marriott Gold, HH Gold,
Posts: 5,221
MXP-DXB-MXP in AF J
Well, it has taken me a few weeks to get to this report typed, but I decided it was finally time to sit down with a glass of wine and get to work.
Routing: MXP-CDG-DXB-CDG-MXP
Class: Business
Equipment:
MXP-CDG: A320
CDG-DXB: A330-200
DXB-CDG: 777-200
CDG-MXP: A320
With a few weeks left during my 4 month long stay in Milan, Italy I became a little restless. I had seen the bordering 7 countries (+Greece) in Europe and my 3 month Eurail pass had just expired, so I was looking to fly somewhere. Problem was that this specific weekend seemed to be producing some fairly high prices. I decided to see what I could find in J on AF or KLM using my DL skymiles. I found a couple of options over to China, but having just been there twice this summer, and not really envisioning a rushed 3 day trip there, I declined the offer. Next I stumbled across Dubai. I found fairly low redemption options in J on AF through CDG, with quite a bit of flexibility in the schedule. I checked some hotels and was able to score 2 nights at the 4 Point Sheraton Downtown Dubai for a fairly reasonable price (reasonable for Dubai, that is). After booking the hotel I headed back over to DL.com and finalized the redemption.
Now, routing wise MXP-CDG I could pretty much get on any flight I wanted to throughout the day. Needing to be in MXP all day on Friday, I opted to take the later evening flight out of MXP, allowing for just over a 3 hour layover and more then enough time to use the lounge in CDG. From CDG-DXB, I had to choose between the 777 and the A330. Having traveled on neither with AF before, I decided to take the A330 overnight flight on the way down, and return on the 777. With the booking finalized on Wednesday, I spent the next 2 days finishing up some work and attempting to take my mind off the anticipation of a weekend in the Las Vegas of the Middle East.
Once Friday rolled around I was more then ready to go. I packed my things and headed off to the airport at about 3pm. The 40 minute ride from Cadorna to Malpensa was uneventful and I arrived with about 2 hours to spare before my flight. There was no one waiting at the Business Class check in counter and within 3 minutes I had my confirmed seat in 2F for MXP-CDG and 2A CDG-DXB (which I had pre-chosen online). I was handed my Air France lounge pass, which also doubled as the fast track security card in this case. Through security in about 5 minutes I made my way to the AF/Skyteam lounge. Having been in this lounge a few times before, I was familiar with the layout, and walked over to my favorite area of chairs just to the left of the check in desk and settled down with a glass of white and a newspaper to kill some time before the flight.
AF lounge:
I made my way to the gate about 45 minutes before departure and was boarded soon thereafter. As is typical with inter-European business class, there is not much to speak of seat wise. AF’s layout is 3 seats across with the middle seat blocked with a table. Today’s Business class layout had 3 rows on the left side of the aircraft, and 2 on the right. Load in Y was about 90% while J was about 75% (I had the seat open next to me).
Pre-flight champagne and hot towels were distributed prior to departure, and once airborne, a snack box was handed out, along with your choice of drink. Side note: I always love northward departures out of MXP as you will almost always take off to the north, facing the Alps, but lacking the immediate altitude to cross them, you must make a full 360 degree turn to allow time to gain the sufficient altitude. Today was no exception and allowed for some fantastic views of Lake Como.
Business Class cabin:
Como from the air:
The flight itself was uneventful and we were soon touching down at CDG. We arrived into terminal 2F today which was also due to be my departure terminal for Dubai later that night. After exiting the plane and making my way through the “Access 1” additional security screening and passport control, I was soon back airside and in the Air France Salon. I decided to grab a couple snacks before taking a quick shower just to freshen up before the flight to DXB.
The lounge in CDG was nice, not overly crowded, and had enough snacks and drinks to tide me over before the full meal onboard.
CDG Lounge:
At about 1015pm, one hour before scheduled departure, I made my way up the departure gate. About 10 minutes later boarding began and I settled down into seat 2A onboard this Airbus A330-200 bound for DXB. With about 15 minutes left in the boarding process, I knew this was going to be an extremely light load in J. In fact, at the completion of boarding, I counted only 8 people upfront. Needless to say, I had no one seated to me, again.
AF A330-200 Business Class seating:
After a very short taxi (we followed a 777-300ER bound for PVG) we were airborne and banked hard left for our turn south, which provided fantastic views of downtown Paris and the Eiffel tower. Soon after hot towels were distributed and pre-meal drink orders were taken. The menus had been distributed earlier, so I already knew what I was going to have.
For the first course we were served the “Plan and herbed fillet of Salmon, savory tomato-almond macaroon, lentil salad with oyster and mushrooms and fava beans”
For the second course I opted for the “Veal with honey accompanied by steamed French green beans and sautéed potatoes.”
The meal was finished off with a chocolate croissant.
After the meal I finished watching “Pineapple Express” on the IFE (which began to have audio problems at my seat about mid way through). I freshened up and decided to try and get a little shut eye on this rather short (6 hour) overnight flight to DXB.
I suppose I dozed off for an hour or so, but never really fell into a deep sleep. I don’t blame this on the seat, which was actually quite comfortable, but more on the fact that I have trouble relaxing when I know I am going to be waken up within the next 3 hours to eat again.
Double screenin':
Route around Iraq but over Iran:
Flying over the Persian Gulf:
With about 1 ½ hours prior to landing the breakfast service began. Breakfast consisted of Juice, Coffee, Cereal Yogurt, a “fresh bakery selection”, and a breakfast pastry (not exactly sure on the different between these last two). Soon after the completion of breakfast we began our decent and landed right on time into DXB. After an excruciatingly long taxi, we finally made it to the gate on the far end of the terminal. I was the first off, which only meant I was the first one to make the LOOONNGG 10-15 minute treck just to reach passport and immigration. Being the first one off did have its advantages however, and within 5 minutes I was street side and on my way to the Sheraton.
Breakfast:
Landing in Dubai:
After 2 days of excitement, I was ready to get back to Europe and finish up my remaining time in Milan. I checked out of the hotel at about 9pm and made my way to the airport. DXB was crazy at this time of the night, but luckily the area that was serving as the check in area for AF was not too busy. After a 5 minute wait for the pre-security screening I was allowed into the check in area. Y check in looked to have about 30-40 people in line, while J and Premiers had 1 person. Since that 1 person was currently being helped by the business class check in desk, the Premiers desk agent called me over and checked me in. I inquired as to securing seat 3L, which was in the front row in J on the 777-200 and afforded the most amount of extra room. The agent responded this row was blocked. I then noted that I was a Skyteam Elite Plus. His face immediately changed, he called someone on his phone, and a minute later had me in 3L. I was through security fairly quickly and hurried to the gates to catch a partial view of Delta’s own 777-200 bound for ATL. There is something cool to me about seeing your base airline in a far away destination; Creates a sense of home and familiarity for me I suppose.
Soon after that I decided to do some lounge hopping. I was actually glad I did as the KLM lounge I found to be more comfortable then the AF lounge. After doing a bit of shopping in the mall that makes up Dubai International Airport, I made my way to the boarding gate just in time for last call. I boarded through the forward door on the 777, reserved for Premier and Business Class passengers. As I passed through Premiers class, I noted one seat taken out of the 4. The next thing I noticed when I got to my seat in J was that the seat next to mine was open. I was very surprised at this since the load in J was about 90%. I settled into my seat just as the FA came around to take my coat, assured that I was going to have someone seated next to me. Sure enough, 10 minutes later the door closed, and yet again I had an open seat next to me.
DXB airport mall:
A view of Premiers class on my way to Business Class:
Dinner tonight consisted of Smoked Halibut and Salmon with a fennel orange salad, selection of cheese, fresh fruit salad, and expresso served at the bar between the first and second J cabins.
I declined the coffee but accepted about 4 hours of solid sleep on the 7 hour flight back to CDG.
Breakfast was much the same as the outbound flight and soon afterward we began our decent into CDG.
After clearing immigration I made my way back over to terminal 2F and showered up before my return flight to MXP. Due to a schedule conflict I opted to be put on the earlier flight and thus was not accommodated in Business, but on a 1 hour flight, I have little complaints.
Overall impressions:
Everything was top notch. The lounges were nice (albeit the AF lounge on the morning of my return was EXTREMELY crowded), the J seats were comfortable, and the food was good. The only note I would make is that the cabin in the A330 was quieter, but it was honestly hard for me to make a fair judgment since my outbound load was so substantially light. The one thing I will go out of my way to state however is how nice and accommodating the AF flight crews were. I have heard so much on these boards about how the AF FA’s are often good but not particularly friendly. After this experience I have to disagree. Just to give you an examples, the incredibly helpful (and quite cute) FA that I had on my outbound flight did everything she could to make sure I was satisfied. In fact, when I asked her if she had any English papers on board, she disappeared for about 5 minutes and returned with 3 different papers all in English, which she handed to me with yet another big smile on her face.
Would I travel AF J again? Yes
Would I recommend it? Yes
A330 or 777? A330 for quietness, but honestly, very comparable.
Routing: MXP-CDG-DXB-CDG-MXP
Class: Business
Equipment:
MXP-CDG: A320
CDG-DXB: A330-200
DXB-CDG: 777-200
CDG-MXP: A320
With a few weeks left during my 4 month long stay in Milan, Italy I became a little restless. I had seen the bordering 7 countries (+Greece) in Europe and my 3 month Eurail pass had just expired, so I was looking to fly somewhere. Problem was that this specific weekend seemed to be producing some fairly high prices. I decided to see what I could find in J on AF or KLM using my DL skymiles. I found a couple of options over to China, but having just been there twice this summer, and not really envisioning a rushed 3 day trip there, I declined the offer. Next I stumbled across Dubai. I found fairly low redemption options in J on AF through CDG, with quite a bit of flexibility in the schedule. I checked some hotels and was able to score 2 nights at the 4 Point Sheraton Downtown Dubai for a fairly reasonable price (reasonable for Dubai, that is). After booking the hotel I headed back over to DL.com and finalized the redemption.
Now, routing wise MXP-CDG I could pretty much get on any flight I wanted to throughout the day. Needing to be in MXP all day on Friday, I opted to take the later evening flight out of MXP, allowing for just over a 3 hour layover and more then enough time to use the lounge in CDG. From CDG-DXB, I had to choose between the 777 and the A330. Having traveled on neither with AF before, I decided to take the A330 overnight flight on the way down, and return on the 777. With the booking finalized on Wednesday, I spent the next 2 days finishing up some work and attempting to take my mind off the anticipation of a weekend in the Las Vegas of the Middle East.
Once Friday rolled around I was more then ready to go. I packed my things and headed off to the airport at about 3pm. The 40 minute ride from Cadorna to Malpensa was uneventful and I arrived with about 2 hours to spare before my flight. There was no one waiting at the Business Class check in counter and within 3 minutes I had my confirmed seat in 2F for MXP-CDG and 2A CDG-DXB (which I had pre-chosen online). I was handed my Air France lounge pass, which also doubled as the fast track security card in this case. Through security in about 5 minutes I made my way to the AF/Skyteam lounge. Having been in this lounge a few times before, I was familiar with the layout, and walked over to my favorite area of chairs just to the left of the check in desk and settled down with a glass of white and a newspaper to kill some time before the flight.
AF lounge:
I made my way to the gate about 45 minutes before departure and was boarded soon thereafter. As is typical with inter-European business class, there is not much to speak of seat wise. AF’s layout is 3 seats across with the middle seat blocked with a table. Today’s Business class layout had 3 rows on the left side of the aircraft, and 2 on the right. Load in Y was about 90% while J was about 75% (I had the seat open next to me).
Pre-flight champagne and hot towels were distributed prior to departure, and once airborne, a snack box was handed out, along with your choice of drink. Side note: I always love northward departures out of MXP as you will almost always take off to the north, facing the Alps, but lacking the immediate altitude to cross them, you must make a full 360 degree turn to allow time to gain the sufficient altitude. Today was no exception and allowed for some fantastic views of Lake Como.
Business Class cabin:
Como from the air:
The flight itself was uneventful and we were soon touching down at CDG. We arrived into terminal 2F today which was also due to be my departure terminal for Dubai later that night. After exiting the plane and making my way through the “Access 1” additional security screening and passport control, I was soon back airside and in the Air France Salon. I decided to grab a couple snacks before taking a quick shower just to freshen up before the flight to DXB.
The lounge in CDG was nice, not overly crowded, and had enough snacks and drinks to tide me over before the full meal onboard.
CDG Lounge:
At about 1015pm, one hour before scheduled departure, I made my way up the departure gate. About 10 minutes later boarding began and I settled down into seat 2A onboard this Airbus A330-200 bound for DXB. With about 15 minutes left in the boarding process, I knew this was going to be an extremely light load in J. In fact, at the completion of boarding, I counted only 8 people upfront. Needless to say, I had no one seated to me, again.
AF A330-200 Business Class seating:
After a very short taxi (we followed a 777-300ER bound for PVG) we were airborne and banked hard left for our turn south, which provided fantastic views of downtown Paris and the Eiffel tower. Soon after hot towels were distributed and pre-meal drink orders were taken. The menus had been distributed earlier, so I already knew what I was going to have.
For the first course we were served the “Plan and herbed fillet of Salmon, savory tomato-almond macaroon, lentil salad with oyster and mushrooms and fava beans”
For the second course I opted for the “Veal with honey accompanied by steamed French green beans and sautéed potatoes.”
The meal was finished off with a chocolate croissant.
After the meal I finished watching “Pineapple Express” on the IFE (which began to have audio problems at my seat about mid way through). I freshened up and decided to try and get a little shut eye on this rather short (6 hour) overnight flight to DXB.
I suppose I dozed off for an hour or so, but never really fell into a deep sleep. I don’t blame this on the seat, which was actually quite comfortable, but more on the fact that I have trouble relaxing when I know I am going to be waken up within the next 3 hours to eat again.
Double screenin':
Route around Iraq but over Iran:
Flying over the Persian Gulf:
With about 1 ½ hours prior to landing the breakfast service began. Breakfast consisted of Juice, Coffee, Cereal Yogurt, a “fresh bakery selection”, and a breakfast pastry (not exactly sure on the different between these last two). Soon after the completion of breakfast we began our decent and landed right on time into DXB. After an excruciatingly long taxi, we finally made it to the gate on the far end of the terminal. I was the first off, which only meant I was the first one to make the LOOONNGG 10-15 minute treck just to reach passport and immigration. Being the first one off did have its advantages however, and within 5 minutes I was street side and on my way to the Sheraton.
Breakfast:
Landing in Dubai:
After 2 days of excitement, I was ready to get back to Europe and finish up my remaining time in Milan. I checked out of the hotel at about 9pm and made my way to the airport. DXB was crazy at this time of the night, but luckily the area that was serving as the check in area for AF was not too busy. After a 5 minute wait for the pre-security screening I was allowed into the check in area. Y check in looked to have about 30-40 people in line, while J and Premiers had 1 person. Since that 1 person was currently being helped by the business class check in desk, the Premiers desk agent called me over and checked me in. I inquired as to securing seat 3L, which was in the front row in J on the 777-200 and afforded the most amount of extra room. The agent responded this row was blocked. I then noted that I was a Skyteam Elite Plus. His face immediately changed, he called someone on his phone, and a minute later had me in 3L. I was through security fairly quickly and hurried to the gates to catch a partial view of Delta’s own 777-200 bound for ATL. There is something cool to me about seeing your base airline in a far away destination; Creates a sense of home and familiarity for me I suppose.
Soon after that I decided to do some lounge hopping. I was actually glad I did as the KLM lounge I found to be more comfortable then the AF lounge. After doing a bit of shopping in the mall that makes up Dubai International Airport, I made my way to the boarding gate just in time for last call. I boarded through the forward door on the 777, reserved for Premier and Business Class passengers. As I passed through Premiers class, I noted one seat taken out of the 4. The next thing I noticed when I got to my seat in J was that the seat next to mine was open. I was very surprised at this since the load in J was about 90%. I settled into my seat just as the FA came around to take my coat, assured that I was going to have someone seated next to me. Sure enough, 10 minutes later the door closed, and yet again I had an open seat next to me.
DXB airport mall:
A view of Premiers class on my way to Business Class:
Dinner tonight consisted of Smoked Halibut and Salmon with a fennel orange salad, selection of cheese, fresh fruit salad, and expresso served at the bar between the first and second J cabins.
I declined the coffee but accepted about 4 hours of solid sleep on the 7 hour flight back to CDG.
Breakfast was much the same as the outbound flight and soon afterward we began our decent into CDG.
After clearing immigration I made my way back over to terminal 2F and showered up before my return flight to MXP. Due to a schedule conflict I opted to be put on the earlier flight and thus was not accommodated in Business, but on a 1 hour flight, I have little complaints.
Overall impressions:
Everything was top notch. The lounges were nice (albeit the AF lounge on the morning of my return was EXTREMELY crowded), the J seats were comfortable, and the food was good. The only note I would make is that the cabin in the A330 was quieter, but it was honestly hard for me to make a fair judgment since my outbound load was so substantially light. The one thing I will go out of my way to state however is how nice and accommodating the AF flight crews were. I have heard so much on these boards about how the AF FA’s are often good but not particularly friendly. After this experience I have to disagree. Just to give you an examples, the incredibly helpful (and quite cute) FA that I had on my outbound flight did everything she could to make sure I was satisfied. In fact, when I asked her if she had any English papers on board, she disappeared for about 5 minutes and returned with 3 different papers all in English, which she handed to me with yet another big smile on her face.
Would I travel AF J again? Yes
Would I recommend it? Yes
A330 or 777? A330 for quietness, but honestly, very comparable.
Last edited by DLATL777; Dec 23, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Dec 22, 2008, 3:35 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Nairobi
Programs: LX, AZ, BA, LH, SA
Posts: 316
Great report, thanks.
Recently flew 4 sectors in AF J and it is great, seat, food and service are very nice. It is such a shame that if you are flying with a connection from Europe to CDG first, AF has such basic and poor service in European J. Also, some of the lounges in CDG tend to be full to the brim during peak hours and you either cannot find a seat or if you are lucky to score one the atmosphere is not much quieter than the regular departure lounge.
Recently flew 4 sectors in AF J and it is great, seat, food and service are very nice. It is such a shame that if you are flying with a connection from Europe to CDG first, AF has such basic and poor service in European J. Also, some of the lounges in CDG tend to be full to the brim during peak hours and you either cannot find a seat or if you are lucky to score one the atmosphere is not much quieter than the regular departure lounge.
Dec 22, 2008, 4:43 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: BA Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,809
Thanks for the report and I enjoyed the photos. It's great when you get an excellent crew, it really makes all the difference.
I know what you mean about seeing your 'home' aircraft in a far away land. Whenever I drive past Newark and see a Virgin or BA plane it definately feels good.
I know what you mean about seeing your 'home' aircraft in a far away land. Whenever I drive past Newark and see a Virgin or BA plane it definately feels good.
Dec 24, 2008, 12:24 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: SYD+TYO+GFK
Programs: UA 1K, QF Plat, VA Gold, IHG Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, Coles FlyBuys
Posts: 2,805
Nice TR. Pictures were in just the right quantity and perfectly sized!
I hear AF slagged off a lot my many on FT, but I've yet to have a bad experience with them. I have six sectors with them in the next six weeks, both long- and short-haul J and Y, hope to do a TR.
I hear AF slagged off a lot my many on FT, but I've yet to have a bad experience with them. I have six sectors with them in the next six weeks, both long- and short-haul J and Y, hope to do a TR.