Tag Archives for air france.
Air France canceled a family’s confirmed award tickets after check-in, forcing them to buy $8,354 in replacement flights. Internal emails accidentally sent to the customer show staff struggling to justify the fraud claim after the fact.
NIH researchers working with high-containment viruses were charged after arriving in Detroit on an Air France flight with 113 undeclared biological sample vials from Congo, including monkeypox. One allegedly told officers, “I do this all the time.”
An Air France flight from Paris to Detroit diverted to Montreal after passengers were told U.S. authorities refused landing over a “virus” concern. Crew reportedly put on masks, onboard service stopped, and the diversion comes just as the CDC has started enhanced screening and entry restrictions tied to Ebola-related outbreaks in East and Central Africa.
Air France canceled a valid last-minute business class ticket after issuing it and charging the card, then told the customer he had 24 hours to call if he wanted to keep the itinerary. He called within hours, did exactly what the airline instructed, and was still told the only way to travel was to buy the same trip again for $1,800 more. Air France doesn’t dispute this, but says they won’t do anything to make it right.
A streaming CEO turned an Air France La Première cabin into content when a lone fellow passenger objected to being filmed and repeatedly asked, “Don’t record me.” The confrontation escalated fast—both sides recording each other and accusations of racism flying—while the broader issue is familiar: airlines have rules about filming other passengers that rarely get enforced. And it’s not even the first time he’s brought a camera-and-commentary routine into a first class cabin.
An Air France passenger flying from Paris to Washington Dulles switched seats to a new coach middle because her seat back entertainment screen wasn’t working. She’s black, and the passenger next to her was uncomfortable with her taking the seat beside him. Air France made her move because he was uncomfortable.
There’s not a single American or European carrier amongst the world’s top business class offerings. However if we were to pick one to include it would have to be Air France? And their best business class is onboard Airbus A350s with their newest seat.
There won’t be doors. Instead, like the current seat, there’s a privacy curtain for the seat. What’s nice is that the center seats feature a “full-height, electric sliding partition” for total separation or allow passengers to more fully travel together.
They’ve removed overhead bins from the cabin – something other carriers do in first class, as well, to create a more spacious feel. For storage there’s a sliding drawer that holds carry-ons, a drawer for footwear, and a compartment for personal items and a wardrobe.
This lounge was renovated shortly before the pandemic, and while I guess it is… different than before I also wonder, given what it’s like now, why did they bother?
Air France KLM’s Flying Blue program has made award space wide open across the Pond for nearly all of their transatlantic routes, starting this summer (when space has been scarce!) and through the end of their schedule.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
