Review : Air France Business Post COVID-19, Stockholm-Paris, Airbus A320

A business trip took me to Stockholm, Sweden. I decided, with a colleague, to take advantage of this window of freedom abroad to return on Sunday afternoon, especially as Air France was operating, at the time of the trip, only 4 rotations per week between Paris and Stockholm, so one on Friday and one on Sunday.

I was a little apprehensive about this flight, which was going to be quite different from my last trips because of the health precautions announced by Catherine Villar, Air France-KLM Vice President in charge of Customer Experience:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08MR3owXOdY&feature=emb_title

Check-in

Initially booked in economy class, we found that a more or less usual service on board was retained, the flight lasting more than 2h30 (2h40 very precisely). Late Saturday morning, as I was checking in, I noticed the following upgrade offer:

99 for a medium-haul business upgrade is a lot of money, but after some hesitation, the fact that we hadn’t flown in two months and the good experience on the outward journey convinced my colleague and I to move up to seats 1A and 1C.

On Sunday morning, after a hearty breakfast, my colleague and I headed to Arlanda Airport, located northwest of the city.

On arrival in the terminal, most shops are closed. This is not due to government measures, as Sweden has not imposed any interruption of commercial activity, but is probably a strategic measure in view of the reduced activity at the airport.

We observe this SAS A330-300 parked at the contact, it has recently been doing cargo flights to Beijing but also a rotation to Copenhagen (1h flight from Stockholm), probably to allow the crews to keep their qualification.

All remaining activities have been relocated to Arlanda Terminal 5, as Air France usually uses Terminal 2. The airport is, of course, very quiet as travel is very limited.

It’s only halfway through the day, but the departure list is very thin. Apart from local destinations to ensure territorial continuity (some locations in northern Scandinavia are very isolated), there are a handful of services to European capitals and a flight to Doha with Qatar Airways, which has only partially limited its flights.

The only commotion in the terminal comes from the two counters assigned to the departure of the Air France flight to Paris-CDG. I have to drop off a piece of luggage, so I make a stop there.

The wait is long, because most of the travellers seem to make “heavy” departures (repatriation, removal…) with several luggage, and are probably not French. The French authorities imposed, at the time of the flight, a strict control of the certificates of re-entry into the territory. Foreigners travelling to France or any other country where entry is restricted are requested to show proof of residence or business travel to check-in staff. As French citizens, the formalities for my colleague and myself will be expedited.

Signs reminding of social distancing are everywhere

However, as a result of the airport’s “reduced” mode of operation, the baggage carousels at the check-in counters are inoperative and baggage must be dropped off at the “oversize baggage” counter.

With these formalities completed, we head for the security checkpoint, where there is no crowd.

The airside area of the terminal is just as quiet as the landside area, despite the few shops that remain open to allow the few passengers to eat.

We see our steed in the distance, F-HEPI, an A320 with sharklets in SkyTeam livery

Most of the lounges in Arlanda are closed due to the drop in traffic. However, two lounges remain open: the Centurion Lounge, for American Express Platinum and Centurion cardholders, and a Menzies lounge. The lounge usually used by Air France is operated by Menzies, but a different one from the one that is open. We decide to try our luck but we are informed by the gatekeeper that Air France and KLM no longer pay the lounge to their high contribution customers… So be it.

Boarding

So we decide to wait at the gate.

Boarding is chaotic. Passengers board from the rear to the front in 8 zones. As we are seated in the first row of the plane, we will inevitably board last. Since masks are not widely worn in Sweden, boarding attendants remind people that they must wear masks on board. But many passengers don’t have one, which leads the attendant to catch a cabin crew who has gone for a smoke break in the terminal and ask if they have any extra masks for dizzy passengers…

The first passengers to board will undergo a meticulous verification of identity, proof of residence if necessary, the certificate of re-entry into French territory, as well as a second form called “déclaration sur honneur d’absence de symptômes” (declaration on honour of absence of symptoms), a formality of which only the French administration is capable. We had never heard of this form, apparently required for any entry into France since May 14th. Ironically, it turns out that many of the flight’s customers have never heard of it either, and the boarding attendants want the paper formats “because it needs to be signed”, so there is no form for everyone. One of the employees is then asked to go and print the missing forms!

We finally manage to get on board. The process took about 40 minutes for about 50 passengers.

Cabin and Reception

We will be the only customers in Business for 5 rows.

The boarding is logically finished, and we push back as soon as possible. A cabin crew comes to us and gives us a bottle of water and oshibori. He will also inform us that the front toilets will be reserved for the crew, something that was not required on the outward journey.

We take off about 20 minutes later than scheduled.

Service and Catering

The service begins shortly after take-off with the offer of an aperitif. We ask for Champagne. The bottle is presented to us by the crew member in charge.

We are also asked if we want to have lunch right away or later. A real on-demand service! We have wanted this at Air France for years!

Not having had breakfast, we decide to eat immediately. We are informed that there is a vegetarian choice and a meat choice, so my colleague and I will have to share it.

The vegetarian option is a kind of ratatouille. I notice by the smell that there is celery, which I cannot stand, and my colleague kindly accepts to let me have the meat.

The meat is a lamb-polenta, with some peas unfortunately burnt. The meat, on the other hand, is quite well cooked. The starter is a Grisons meat/pasta salad, and the dessert is a prune far. The lids have been removed except for the one of the appetizer.

The bread is offered by the basket, but is blister-packed and cold due to health measures. It is not good. Another consequence of the COVID is that the load is reduced, and the wine offered in Business Class is limited to the mignonettes offered in Economy Class.

We will be offered hot drinks after the collection of the tray. I really like the Medoc vine shoots with chocolate.

The flight continues and our cabin crew, who is not the purser, makes sure to stay up front in case we need anything. A sense of professionalism that does not go unnoticed at a time when the airline profession is undergoing considerable turbulence.

We fly over the city of Brussels and take the opportunity to ask for a last glass of champagne.

Arrival

We will be landing with a little delay. In Paris, a final scrutiny of credentials is carried out in the arrival level of Terminal 2F, a remnant of the state of emergency introduced by the Valls government after the 13 November 2015 attacks in Paris. This formality completed, I retrieve my luggage.

So I can leave CDG airport, but not without wanting to travel again.

Bottom line

Flying during an epidemic and a general decline in air travel is always a bit special. But in spite of all this, the crews, from what I have observed, are keen to maintain the maximum service as much as possible; this is not only pleasant, but honourable. Note that the wifi was working during the whole flight.