Why was an Air France A330-200 shot at twice after landing in Congo-Brazzaville? The working theories are interesting…to put it mildly. On April 11th, an Air France A330, registration number F-GZCK, landed at Point-Noire in the Republic of the Congo...
Air France Sends Me A Note…
Yesterday afternoon, an unexpected email popped up from Air France in my inbox. Actually, it came from KLM, Air France’s Dutch partner, and was signed Airfrance (sic), not Air France. Anyway, here’s the letter: Dear Customer, Due to a...
Review: Air France Lounge Houston (IAH)
I stopped by the Air France Lounge during my last connection in Houston. While not a bad place for a quick snack, the Priority Pass lounge felt a bit like a dungeon. The lounge is located in the far...
Air France Downgrades Me From First Class To Business Class…
It goes without saying that there are far more important issues going on today than my Air France ticket. Still, consider this a diversion. As feared, Air France has re-issued my A380 and 777-300 tickets, knocking me out of...
Booked! Air France A380 + 777 La Première First Class…For Now?
I took advantage of a cheap fare offered out of Algeria last weekend to confirm two trips in first class on Air France. But will Air France honor the tickets? Flying Air France First Class on the 777-300ER was...
Hot Deal: Air France La Première First Class For Under $600
UPDATE: This fare is no longer available. Always dreamed of flying in first class on Air France? Now may be your chance…but you need to act quickly. Delta/Air France have filed a cheap one-way fare from Algiers, Algeria (ALG)...
American Express Conspires With Air France To Rip Off Consumers, Break Law
Air France and American Express seem to be engaging in a conspiracy to rip off customers in contravention of EU law. This is really an upsetting story that may have ramifications in the United States if flight restrictions remain...
First Impressions: Air France A350 Business Class
I enjoyed a lovely flight from Paris to Toronto onboard the new Air France A350-900. The food and service was excellent onboard, cementing Air France as one of my favorite airline soft products. Air France used the same seats...
Lufthansa Grounds Entire A380 Fleet. Is Air France Next?
Last week, I reported that Lufthansa was considering grounding its entire Airbus A380 fleet. It’s now official: all 14 Lufthansa A380s will soon be grounded. Who’s next? Air France? British Airways? Aero Telegraph (via OMAAT) reports it viewed an...
The Grim Future Of The A380
We know Airbus is stopping A380 production. We also know that airlines are accelerating the retirement of them. But unlike past airframes, there appears to be absolutely no secondary market for them. A Grim Future For A380 Leaseholders I’ve...
Air France + Lufthansa Strike Updates
It’s 2020 and strikes are in the air at both Air France and Lufthansa. What is the current status of strikes at both carriers? Air France Strike Update France is trying to change its national pension system, which has...
Air France Retires First A380…My La Premiere Clock Is Ticking
Air France quietly retired its first of 10 Airbus A380s last week. I’m still on the fence as to whether to invest in such an outdated product. F-HPJB continued onto Malta Saturday after arriving in Paris from Johannesburg. The...
Even A Fancy Onboard Shower Or Bar Would Not Have Saved Air France A380
Sir Tim Clark, the President of Emirates, argues that other carriers like Air France blew their chance with the Airbus A380. He’s not wrong, but the reality is a bit more complicated. Sitting down with AirlineRatings, Clark was asked...
Air France First Class Awards: Sensible Or Foolish?
Air France First Class awards were never for the parsimonious, but were still reachable and in some cases valuable. With new restrictions and increased pricing on La Première awards, is there any value proposition left? Effective October 15, 2019, Air...
How Delta And Alitalia Saved The Day After Air France Delay
Delta and Alitalia really saved the day after an Air France delay my clients in jeopardy of missing an important family event. My Award Expert clients were flying from Washington to Tel Aviv via Paris on Air France in...
Air France-KLM CEO Contradicts KLM Climate Campaign
KLM made waves last month by encouraging passengers to fly less. But as it turns out, the carrier actually wants you to fly more…just be conscious about it. In a video message, KLM asked: Do you always have to...
Six Reasons Air France Is Retiring A380
Air France will retire its Airbus A380 fleet ahead of schedule for at least six unique reasons. In a wide-ranging interview with Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith, Skift’s Brian Sumers brought up Air France’s recent decision to retire the...
My Strong Desire To Fly The Air France A380…
Call me crazy, but I have a strong desire to fly on the Air France A380 while still in service. Yesterday I wrote about the decision by Air France to retire its entire A380 fleet by 2022. This move...
Air France A380 Retirement Is Hardly A Surprise
As I predicted, Air France will not bother to retrofit its A380 fleet, but instead retire it by 2022. The writing was on the wall. Last November, Air France announced it would return half of its A380 fleet rather...
Air France May Retire A380 Even Earlier
Air France may not bother to upgrade its outdated premium cabins seats on the A380. The exorbitant price tag is difficult to justify. But that creates a serious problem for the carrier’s five-year plan and may lead to an...
