Air France will gradually retire half of its A380 fleet, starting in 2019. The move is sad, but smart. Air France currently operates 10 A380s. Five are owned, five are leased. All are tragically uncompetitive. By that, I mean...
Review: Air France Lounge Frankfurt (FRA)
Before my KLM flight to Amsterdam, I had a half hour to check out the Air France Lounge in Frankfurt’s Terminal 2. Note this lounge is also a Priority Pass lounge, but was not crowded at all around 6:30...
How New Air France-KLM CEO Hopes To Avoid Future Strikes
In a video to staff marking his first day on the job, CEO Ben Smith promised to seek harmony with unions and re-invest half his salary into Air France-KLM. Smith can earn up to 4.25MN EUR in his first...
Air France Returns To Dallas (Great Deal Using Miles)
Air France will return to Dallas for the first time since 2001. The French carrier will offer 3x to 5x weekly seasonal summer service, deploying a retrofitted A330 on the route with the latest in-cabin product. The A330 will...
Review: Air France 777-300ER Business Class Paris To Dubai
My first ever flight on Air France presented a startling revelation, to me at least: not only was Air France acceptable, it was excellent. I arrived in CDG’s Terminal 2 early and proceeded to the “Sky Priority” check-in area....
Review: Air France Business Class Lounge Paris (CDG)
I was very pleasantly surprised by the Air France Business Class Lounge in Terminal 2E, Hall M. My six-hour stay quickly flew by. My original goal was to visit the newly renovated lounge in Hall L, but I was...
Air France Unions May Give New CEO A Chance Before Striking (But Not KLM)
We are still a long way from kumbaya around the campfire, but labor unions at Air France have dialed down the the harsh rhetoric and threats to strike against the new leader. Last week I wrote about the ice cold...
Introduction: A SkyTeam Adventure in the Middle East
I’m closing in on my goal to try every member airline of the three of major alliances. My last trip focused on SkyTeam, with an opportunity to fly three new carriers: Aeromexico, Air France, and Middle East Airlines. Both...
New Air France-KLM CEO Already Has A Target On His Head
Poor Ben Smith has his work cut out for him. The Air Canada President and Chief Operating Officer was named CEO of Air France-KLM today. Already, unions representing Air France are up in arms, threatening strikes and condemning Smith’s...
I Loved Flying Air France (777-300 Business Class)
First it was Aeromexico, now Air France. SkyTeam carriers have really impressed me so far on this trip. I just had a wonderful flight aboard the 777-300ER in business class on Air France. Air France features a reverse herringbone...
Why I Turned Down An Upgrade To First Class On Air France
It was hard to resist, but I turned down a 1079EUR upgrade offer from Air France Business Class to La Premier (First Class) on my recent flight from Paris to Dubai. That is probably the cheapest price I’ll ever...
Air France Profits On The Back Of KLM
The numbers are looking mighty fine for Air France-KLM. The carrier just reported a healthy second quarter profit. But dig deeper and you’ll find a disparity…and a ticking time bomb. With a net profit of 345MN Euros (405MN USD),...
Booked! Aeromexico + Air France Business Class
Last week I wrote about my dilemma over an expiring Korean Air award. I’ve now found a solution and thankfully salvaged the ticket. Since Korean Air SkyTeam partner award tickets must end in the same country as they begin,...
A New Airport Lounge With A Sauna
I’ve written about the sauna available inside the Finnair Lounge in Helsinki before. Now another airport lounge, this one nearly 1,200 miles away, offers not just one, but two saunas. This lounge is in Paris. It’s in the new...
Impressive: New Air France Business Class Lounge at CDG
The new Air France Business Class Lounge in Hall L of Terminal 2E at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) is now fully open. It’s beautiful. The lounge is over 34,000 feet square feet and includes exceptional amenities and finishes. Let’s...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: May 20, 2018
Good evening from LA. For the first time in weeks, it appears I will not set foot on a plane this week. I’m looking forward to it. Honestly. Last week, the Gulf Carriers “kissed and made up” with their...
KLM Increasingly Frustrated With Air France Marriage
While Air France continues to strike and lose money, KLM is growing angrier by the day. Is the marriage in jeopardy? An unnamed source told Bloomberg that KLM is exasperated and is now looking at retooling management structure to...
Is Air France Fighting for Survival?
With the government refusing to intervene, share prices falling, losses mounting, and a strike persisting…is Air France fighting for survival? Bruno Le Maire, the French Finance Minster, told reporters that the ongoing labor dispute “threatens the survival of Air France.”...
American Airlines May Soon Find Itself Locked Out of Venezuela
Last month, American Airlines announced increased service to Caracas, Venezuela. While other U.S. and European carriers have abandoned air service to the beleaguered nation, AA has steadfastly remained. But that could soon change. American flies twice daily to Caracas...
My Air France Trip Cancelled by Strike!
I’m going to have to wait a bit longer for my first flight on Air France…my flight to Paris was cancelled due to a strike. My afternoon flight from Venice to Paris was unceremoniously canceled sometime between 8-12 hours...
