Originally promised for fall 2022 back in May, the new Air France long haul product launches for the first time from Paris to New York JFK on Friday, January 20, 2023.
"Fontainebleau", le premier Boeing 777-300 ER équipé de nos nouvelles cabines long-courrier s'envolera le 20 janvier 2023 vers New York JFK.
C'est l'aboutissement d'un travail de longue date pour toutes les équipes engagées dans ce projet. Un grand merci à elles ! pic.twitter.com/Z1aN1bxhZz— Anne Rigail (@AnneRigail) January 17, 2023
Qatar Airways was the first airline to offer a business class seat with doors inflight. Delta was second. The new British Airways business class seat puts doors on a Super Diamond. American Airlines plans to put doors on its new business class seat. And even United has been looking at door options for its next seat after Polaris.
Air France’s seat is a decade old, and a bit drab. But it’s been the same basic Cirrus seat that Cathay Pacific uses and that American Airlines uses on its Boeing 777-300ER, among others. It’s an excellent seat.
Current Air France Business Class
Current Air France Business Class
Air France is retrofitting 12 Boeing 777s with a new business class offering doors. It was promised for September 2022.
The new seats will be Cirrus reverse herringbone products – so very similar to what Air France offers today – with doors added. However Air France calls it a complete redesign of the seat. The bulkhead seat is clearly more desirable than those behind it (as is the case in many new business designs).
New Air France Business Class, credit: Air France
New Air France Business Class, credit: Air France
New Air France Business Class, credit: Air France
The planes will have 48 business class, 48 premium economy, and 273 economy seats. Premium economy and economy seats will match what Air France is using on its Airbus A350s already. This project will likely mean more inconsistent seat offerings for some time to come, but at least we should see the product in the air in a matter of months.
Finally!!! Something that really looks and feels premium. About time!!!
What makes the bulkhead seats more appealing? Thanks!
@Eric Pease – more spacious
An improvement but the white / blue color palate is mistake. The white is going to be hard to keep clean, a gray would be a better choice without darken the cabin. Overall, AF and DL playing catch up on the long haul market while BA/AA and LF/UA have the superior hard products.
@ sunviking82 — I assume by “LF” that you mean “LH”. If so, you are sadly mistaken, as LH’s businsss class is among the worst business class hard products and BA’s most common business seat is THE aboulte WORST business class hard product. Not sure what seats you’ve been flying in…
Shots fired!!!
I can never find pictures of how the seats look when they are extended into beds. Are there any sites that would show that?