Since Friday, Air France has been offering its customers and the press the opportunity to fly over France in a festive atmosphereto discover this new aircraft which has joined the French carrier’s fleet.

Before its online launch today to Cairo, Air France has flown6 discovery flights (4 of which were commercialized).

TravelGuys was not invited to this event, so it is as a paying passenger that we made this loop

Booking

The reservation for this flight was made by phone.

The fares for this flight were prohibitive: €250 in Economy class, €379 in Premium Economy and, brace yourself, €787 in Business class. As a result, there were still available seats almost until the last moment.

Once the payment was made, I received my travel memoas usual.

It was not possible to change the seatsafterwards.

Before D-Day

A program was sent to us5 days before the flight, presenting the different events around the flight:

Check-in

I arrived at the airport around 10:45 am witha group of aviation enthusiasts who were booked on the same flight as me.

The big question is: will we have access to the loungebefore the flight? Being almost all Platinum, the chances were great because finally, it is a “normal” flight…

We checked in in the SkyPriority zone.

Some known heads at check-in, and indications given for a quick passage through the police and security checks, via dedicated areas different from the usual SkyPriority areas.

The FIDS with our flight… to Paris CDG!

Our boarding pass was given to us, with an inscription “Inaugural flight“, as well as a press kit in postcard format.

Waiting and festivities

After a fast passage through the police controls, the Lisa train to the M gates and an equally fast passage through thesecurity checks, we were instructed to go to the M44 gate at 11:30 for the photo on the tarmac.

After a visit to the lounge, we went to the gate for the photo, waited for about 30 minutes and then turned back because it was impossible to access the tarmac. The 80 person limit was ridiculous and the order of passage very very badly organized.Zero points.

Lounge

The lounge to which all Business and Elite Plus passengers had access was the M hall lounge, definitely the best Air France Business lounge.

Even if the services are of good quality, it is obvious that the chronic clearing problemsseen in the other lounges have spread here, and that the buffet is not too often restocked.

From the lounge, we will see the previous flight land:

Boarding

As for a classic flight, the priorities were respected, and the boarding took place inSelf Boarding. Note that it is unusual to board a flight to Paris when you are in Paris!

The welcome at the gate was warm, with the cabin crew guiding the passengers to their respective seats.

Flight

The first impression is excellent: the progress of the Premium Economy cabin is clear, and the pitch in the Economy cabin is comfortable.

The Economy cabin:

Thepremium economy cabin:

The atmosphere is exceptional, thanks to the many aviation fans of which we are obviously part.

Some friends who are aviation enthusiasts:

Souvenir bags are waiting for us: they contain some goodies, including a nice cap.

The captain and the purser take the floor to welcome us and to give us some explanations on the course of this exceptional flight.

Note that by chance, the middle seat will remain empty between me and my neighbor, significantly increasing the perceived level of comfort.

During the flight, Bernard Chabbert, a famous journalist and aviation enthusiast, will comment on the landscapes flown over and give the technical characteristics of the plane.

After a takeoff on the south doublet, we break through the cloud layer above 8000 feet, where the weather is always nice…

The Wifi seems to work well, even if I won’t go beyond the home page of the captive portal… The prices seem prohibitive: 5 € for 20 Mo, 30 € for 200 Mo.

The service starts a few minutes later. This is an exceptional service with a business class meal and bottled champagne for all.

Very good catering.

The flight continues in a good mood,all the passengers exploring all the cabins to test the seats and their comfort. The small group of enthusiasts that we form toast with the flight attendants!

End of flight and disembarkation

The end of the flight will be a bit hectic, the weather having deteriorated considerably at CDG, with a landing close to the regulatory minimum.

Aflight certificatewas given to us proving our presence on board!

Conclusion

A very good experience, whose price however limits its popularity. There is no doubt that, even if it is not revolutionary, this aircraft will be Air France’s new spearhead, which is launching it today to Cairo!