When it comes to first class, the difference between the few airlines offering this product often comes down to details and personal taste. But in this competition, Air France’s La Première cabin is undeniably among the very best.

It had been many years since I last flew La Première, and I hadn’t planned to do so this year, but attractive fares and affordable upgrade offers using miles won me over, and that’s how I’ll be travelling to Singapore.

As a reminder, the air routing for this trip.

You will find a summary of the articles on these holidays in Singapore and Bali at the bottom of the page.

Ground experience

Arriving from Gothenburg in the early afternoon, I was greeted by an Air France agent in a Porsche SUV who drove me to the exceptional La Première lounge, which I missed at least as much as the cabin and in-flight service, if not more.

After a very pleasant wait and having enjoyed Chef Ducasse’s cuisine, my escort came to collect me and accompany me to the plane. When we arrived at the lounge, he took my passport to go through immigration and would return it to me before departure, so I didn’t have to worry about anything except filling out the online immigration form for Singapore on my phone.

And it is in the same way that I arrived at the lounge that I will leave it to catch my plane.

We climb the stairs to the jetway that leads to the front of the aircraft, which is completely empty.

My chaperone hands me over to the crew, introducing me, and I return to the cabin that I love so much.

The cabin

It has a 1-2-1 configuration with four suites closed off by semi-rigid curtains. This was a controversial choice at first, but I find it better than the walls and sliding doors found elsewhere because, for what I believe to be safety reasons, the curtain extends to the ceiling of the cabin, whereas I believe this is prohibited for other types of configuration. A big plus in terms of privacy.

In front of me is the large screen and the ottoman where a potential guest can sit down to eat with me.

On the side, there is a bedside lamp and a welcome note from the head cabin attendant.

Right next to them are the seat and window blinds controls, which are very easy to use.

Just below is a storage space where you will also find noise-cancelling headphones, the remote control and various sockets.

They bring me the comfort kit provided by Sisley. It’s a beautifully crafted box.

It contains a night mask, various creams and goodies.

They also bring me my pyjamas for the night.On m’apporte également mon pyjama pour la nuit.

The legroom is more than comfortable.

Finally, there is a coat rack built into the back of the seat, which will prevent my jacket from getting creased.

We are also given the menu, which we will discuss later.

It really is a very pleasant cabin, and I really like the colours and atmosphere. A more modern version has since been announced, which I would describe as a change in continuity. Like Olivier, we might have liked something more disruptive and radically new, but I’ll wait to judge until I see it. Why change everything and risk disappointing everyone when there is so much room to improve and develop a product that people like and whose style perfectly matches the airline?

In any case, things have changed significantly at Air France, where it was customary to introduce new cabins and then take a century to roll them out: the first aircraft equipped with this new suite took to the skies just a few weeks after the product was unveiled.

The flight and the service

Here I am, comfortably settled in, waiting for the passengers to board.

The captain comes to introduce himself and we chat for a while. The steward offers me a glass of champagne.

Much better quality than in the lounge, where it was already very good.

We are ready to depart 10 minutes early. The cabin is full, and since it was empty this morning when I purchased my upgrades, I assume they managed to sell all four upgrades.

I am served more champagne before take-off. Finally, air traffic control tells us we have to wait 40 minutes, which we use to have a few more glasses.

It is at nightfall that we speed down the runway and take off.

Shortly afterwards, we are brought oshiboris.

We are offered an aperitif. I’ll have a whisky, Bellevoye, which is served at the Elysée Palace.

I didn’t know it, but it’s good and peaty, just the way I like it.

It will be accompanied by appetisers with caviar.

After being absent for some time, caviar made its comeback on Air France many years ago. But the debate continues between those who favour this type of service and those who prefer the Lufthansa style, where it is served in a ladle as a generous starter.

Very good in any case, and it must be said that this quenelle is much more generous than the few grains scattered on the appetiser that the airline used to serve. It just goes to show that even an excellent product can always be improved.

My neighbours have closed their curtains.

I make myself comfortable. Air France has improved the quality of its slippers, but not the size!

In any case, everything is fine for now.

Service is about to begin, and here is the menu created by Michelin-starred chef Glenn Viel.

I can also show you the wine and drinks list. Xavier Thuizat has replaced the former sommelier Paolo Basso, whom I had the pleasure of meeting several years ago in the La Première lounge when he was organising a wine discussion for passengers during the festive season.

Aviation enthusiasts will note with a smile that one of the beers comes from the Toga brewery….

A beautiful menu that showcases French products, including alcoholic beverages, with only one criticism: the lack of a snack menu available at any time.

I’ll have another whisky while we wait to get out of the turbulence and the table is being set.

I’ll start with the tomato and melon gazpacho.

A seasonal dish that appears simple but is fresh and perfectly balanced between the flavours of tomato and melon.

We continue with a selection of melons and Bayonne ham IGP.

Once again, excellent quality and fresh. Some might say that this dish isn’t particularly ‘first class’, but it was very good, and when you add in the meal served on my flight from Gothenburg, my meal in the lounge and this meal, opting for lighter fare isn’t always a bad idea.

My dish is then brought to me covered, as it should be.

I chose the beef confit in red wine with ravioli and lightly crisp vegetables.

Very nice presentation.

Tender meat, crisp vegetables that aren’t hard, truly excellent. You can really see the touch of a Michelin-starred chef, despite all the constraints of airline catering.

I’ll then have a salad, choosing the ingredients from a long list, which will be prepared to order: parmesan, asparagus, quail eggs and courgettes. I’ll add a little cheese, but not too much as my stomach is almost full.

For dessert, I’ll have the apricot tartlet with rosemary whipped cream and a sorbet. The flight attendant adds a fruit salad, sensing that I need something refreshing…

All of this is fresh, light, and refreshing.

I finish with a cup of tea and, for once, no digestif.

There are worse ways to eat on a flight.

I then head to the bathroom to put on my pyjamas. There are a few products that will come in handy the next morning to help me look my best.

When I return, the flight attendant is making my bed.

Two minutes later, I’m under my duvet and pulling the curtain closed. Air France still offers Sofitel Mybed bedding in first class, with a very comfortable mattress topper in addition to the duvet.

I will request some water to accompany me during the night…

I will fall asleep very quickly and will not wake up until shortly before breakfast. I had asked the staff not to wake me until the last minute.

I’m going to get changed and when I come back, my seat will be back to normal thanks to a very attentive flight attendant.

The table is set for breakfast.

The dish will also be brought to the table under a cloche.

And here’s the result: tea, pastries, cottage cheese, apple compote, lime date chutney, pear and speculoos, scrambled eggs, chive cream sauce, sautéed carrots, hazelnut crumble.

I have regularly criticised the omelettes on Air France when compared to those of other airlines, but these scrambled eggs were simply divine. And the croissants weren’t rubbery, as is often the case.

It is now time to prepare for landing.

Arrival

The cabin is being prepared for landing and in a few minutes we will be in Singapore.

The ground is now visible.

We park, drive to our parking spot, and the staff comes to greet us and say goodbye.

When I disembark from the plane, an agent is waiting to accompany me in a buggy through the airport.

In my past experiences, this is where things ended, but once again Air France has improved its service. He accompanied me through immigration, helped me retrieve my suitcase, which had been brought through ahead of the other passengers’ luggage, and then took me to the taxi rank.

It should be noted that in Singapore, everything is now biometric for entry, and once you have completed the formalities online, you no longer have to go through a human immigration officer. It is impressively smooth.

The La Première suitcases arrived before the others and were placed next to the baggage carousel.

It’s only been 20 minutes since I got off the plane and I just have to get to my hotel.

The crew

Travelling in La Première class means enjoying an exceptional cabin, a lounge that is perhaps the best in the world in its category, and meals worthy of a Michelin-starred restaurant, but there is one thing that no photo can convey.

wIt’s also a kind of bubble with a very special relationship with the crew, who are more like the staff of a 5-star hotel or a 3-star restaurant. A bubble with its own codes, a bit like being out of time and out of this world, with very friendly staff with whom you develop a kind of complicity, with whom it is easy to chat, with whom you take the time to talk and joke, who are very attentive and adapt to your expectations. If you are in the mood for conversation, they will even make excellent travelling companions.

Bottom line

Comparing first class is often difficult, and everyone has their own preferences when it comes to the little details that make them choose one airline over another. For example, I also really enjoyed Singapore Airlines (but who wouldn’t?).

But ultimately, La Première Air France remains something emotionally unique, and I don’t think there’s anything more to add.

Articles about these holidays in Singapore and Bali

#	Type	Post
1	Diary	Preparing for a trip to Singapore and Bali
2	Lounge	Air France lounge, Roissy Terminal 2G
3	Flight	Paris-Gothenburg, Air France, Business Class
4	Hotel	Radisson Blu Scandinavia Gothenburg
5	Restaurant	Koizen Goteborg
6	Lounge	The lounge, Goteborg
7	Flight	Gothenburg-Paris, Air France, Business Class
8	Lounge	Air France La Première lounge, Roissy 2E
9	Flight	Paris-Singapore, Air France, La Première
10	Hotel	Aloft Singapour Novena
11	Lounge	Marhaba Lounge, Singapore
12	Flight	Singapore-Denpasar, Garuda, Business Class
13	Hotel	Le Méridien Bali Jimbaran
14	Restaurant	KO Bali
15	Hotel	The Laguna resort and spa, Bali
16	Lounge	Garuda International Lounge, Denpasar
17	Flight	Denpasar-Singapore, Garuda, Business Class
18	Hotel	The Singapore Edition, Singapore
19	Restaurant	Jumbo Seafood Ion Orchard, Singapore
20	Restaurant	Kotuwa, Singapore
21	Diary	Stroll around Singapour
22	Lounge	Qantas First Class Lounge, Singapore
23	Flight	Singapore-Paris, Air France, La Première
24	Lounge	Air France La Première lounge, Roissy 2E
25	Flight	Paris-Amsterdam, KLM, Business Class
26	Flight	Amsterdam-Gothenburg, KLM, Business Class
27	Hotel	Draken, Gothenburg
28	Restaurant	Bulot, Gothenburg
29	Lounge	The Lounge, Goteborg
30	Flight	Gothenburg-Paris, Air France, Business Class
31	Diary	Debriefing of the trip to Singapore and Bali