A few weeks ago, I flew with Air France B777-300ER in Business Class from San Francisco to Paris. Even though this wasn’t the latest and greatest Air France Business Class product, business class on the Air France triple 7 is still a solid product. In fact, it’s one of my favorite business class products in the market and it seldom disappoints. So, I was curious to see whether this trip would meet my expectations, or even exceed it!
Air France Business Class Cabin
Air France is using different seat configurations with their triple 7 planes. The triple 7’s flying to and from San Francisco always have a 4-class layout; First Class (La Premiere), Business Class, Premium Economy and regular Economy. Air France’s La Premiere experience is definitely an experience to remember especially when flying out of Paris. I was lucky enough to try it out once when flying from Paris to Dubai half a year ago.
This time, I’m flying Business Class. Business Class consists out of 15 rows in a 1-2-1 configuration and each seat has the same distance to the aisle. Seats are placed at an angle which I think is the best set-up for business class because it gives you a sufficient level of privacy even though this product doesn’t come with doors. For this flight I’ve seat 9L. Fortunately, I could still pick a window seat even though I only upgraded myself at check-in, 24 hours before departure. The disadvantage to this specific seat is the fact that it’s very close to the galley which does come with some noise.
The seats do show some visible wear but it’s still a nice place to be. There is enough storage space around the seat and slippers and a blanket are provided. The entertainment screen is on the small side and doesn’t have the resolution of the latest and greatest screens you’ll find in more modern products.
AF Business Class Experience
The Air France Amenity kit looks nice however I’m surprised lip balsam is missing. Before take-off, champaign is offered and there is time to study the menu. I have great memories of the Air France Business Class wines and deserts, so these are definitely things I’m looking forward to. The Pouilly Fuissé wine from the burgundy is already high on my list!
There is a choice of 4 main dishes. One of the chef’s specials is stone bass and that’s probably the best option. However, last minute, I decide to go for the tournedos and that wasn’t a great choice. As with most airlines, meat such as tournedos is often overcooked and that’s also the case here. The Pouilly Fuissé chardonnay is excellent though as is the semi-cooked tuna from the starter.
But I’m really looking forward to the desert which, in the past, always came in the form of 3 little deserts. However, this time it’s just one chocolate desert with fruit salad. The chocolate lingot and fruit salad are nice but they don’t stand out as much as the deserts I remembered from the past…
So, the food was OK but I did expect a little bit more….
What is excellent this trip though is the service. Crew is really friendly, and they really make the difference this trip. This is a crew enjoying their work, who want to make sure every passenger is enjoying their flight. Brilliant!
When putting the seat in a lie-flat position, the space is OK. However, 1 or 2 inches more lie-flat space would be better for me – I’m 6 feet 4. No mattress pad is provided – as with most European business class cabins – but the seat is not too hard and that’s probably because it’s aged pretty well!
Shortly before arrival, breakfast is served. I go for the cold option and the Salmon bagel is excellent and so is the fresh fruit salad.
Conclusion
Even though the main dish of the lunch was not perfect, and the desert was not what I had expected, the wines were great, as was the breakfast. The seat can still compete with most business class products even though it does show some wear. Service was great though and that made all the difference this flight. For me, Air France Business Class is still one of the top Business Class products out there. Hopefully I can try out their latest hard product soon. With an upgraded Business Class cabin, it will be a tough product to beat.
Also please check out my YouTube channel where I have a review on this exact same trip. And don’t forget to like and subscribe if you like the video!
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