Air France offers space available upgrades from business class to first class at check-in. This is true even for customers flying business class on an award ticket.
I recently wrote about a reader taking advantage of this, San Francisco – Paris, and noted something interesting: the buy up cost is eligible to earn miles.
Another reader, Steve, shares that he too bought up from a business class award ticket to first class flying Washington Dulles – Paris. He detailed the first class experience.
- Personal escort from check-in to the lounge. At Washington Dulles there’s a separate La Premiere section of the lounge, and you’re taken into “a private dining room/bar with a 5-course menu ” and he describes is as “very very good.” The lounge has views onto the tarmac.
- They actually give you the sit down dining menu at check-in and can take your order there. They ring the lounge so that your meal is ready by the time you arrive.
- The buy up of course provides not just lounge access at the departure city, but connecting onward as well there’s the La Premiere lounge at Paris Charles de Gaulle which is well-covered and one of the world’s best.
Steve was kind enough to order an appetizer, all three mains, and fruit and cheese in order to sample and share photos.
Lobster and shrimp roulade with saffron aioli
Filet mignon with truffle demi glaze, confit tomato, green been and potato
Menu Says Risotto But This Looks Like Another Pasta
Pecan crusted red snapper with cafe’ de Pais butter, sweet potato puree, carrot and squash
Cheese selection
Does Air France not know what risotto is or am I the one who is confused?
That looks more like orecchiette pasta.
@Steve – I wondered the same thing.
I’m glad it tastes “very very good” but it doesn’t look like a sit-down first class meal.
What was the buy up costs?
If you buy up at IAD and finish at CDG, do you get the F class at CDG as well? or is it only for those going onwards?
I would tell people to buy up at CDG rather than here if only going to Paris
@Ben O +1
Lol, yes, that was pasta, not risotto. We were told that menu item was changed as of 1/1, but they hadn’t received the new printed menus yet.
Was the food as good as the La Premiere lounge in CDG? No. But for a foreign outpost with 2-3x daily flights, it was very good – better than any other lounge at IAD, and better than the buffet in the general lounge.
I agree that overall AF provides a better overall ground experience at Dulles for First Class passengers, but I would argue that (based upon the contents of this post) BA Concorde Dining does provide a wider variety of options and seemingly higher quality dining experience for their First Class passengers at Dulles.
However, I would love to see the wine options for the Air France La Premiere lounge at Dulles. I’ve been quite happy with the BA options recently. High quality French champagne and Jordan Chardonnay.
@ffi – yes you get to visit the La Premiere lounge in Paris on your connection if you buy up at Dulles
@BenO. I did it earlier this year from IAD to CDG and it was around $1200.00 off an award ticket. As well I did it this fall from CDG to GRU which, surprisingly, was even less at $1000.00. Again, off an award ticket.