Secret VIP routes through the airport, Porsche courtesy cars that take passengers to the plane, giant armchair seats and caviar bites.
Travel expert Nicky Kelvin, from The boy with the pointsreveals in a fascinating video what it’s like to travel from Paris to Dubai in Air France’s premium first class cabin: La Premiere.
And it is something extraordinary.
on youtube videocolleague Liam Spencer offers an intriguing comparison, with a review of Air France’s newest business class seat on an A350 flight to New York.
He declares it one of the best business class flights he has ever taken. And he knows a thing or two about business class flying. Read on for the full verdicts and watch the trailer video, featured above.
BUSINESS CLASS – CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT FROM PARIS TO NEWARK LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL. TYPICAL one-way cost: £3,404/$4,351
The Points Guy’s Liam Spencer puts Air France’s A350 business class to the test
A little special: Liam declares his trip was one of the best business class flights he’s ever taken
Liam told MailOnline Travel that overall his Air France business class experience was “excellent”.
And from the first moment.
He said: “Business check-in was quite elegant, the lounge had tons of seating and food options and overall a perfect place to relax before a flight.”
On board, Air France continued to impress, with its seat a substantial portion of the property.
Liam continued: ‘I had a lovely big window seat with plenty of room for me.
‘The seat itself was very comfortable and had a nice fresh blue design. It had plenty of space and a super wide seat, adjustable armrests and a modern, super comfortable tablet designed for ordering food, changing seats and controlling entertainment.
Above: Liam sits in the footwell to demonstrate how big the seat is.
‘My space came with an adjustable reading light and vanity mirror, which were lovely additions. I also received some very nice headphones and a beautiful glass of champagne, which is always a very nice touch. My entertainment screen was absolutely huge and very responsive.”
Additionally, Liam received “a big, fluffy pillow… a soft duvet” and a “nice” amenities kit with “a sleep mask, flight socks, a pen, an eco-friendly toothbrush, a moisturizer and a Clarins beauty balm.
Air France also got it right with its food and drink offering.
Air France got it right with the food and drink offering (above the three images). Liam said: “The food itself was delicious and faultless.”
Points Guy travel guru tested seat in sleeper mode and found it to be ‘super comfortable’
Air France’s A350 business class, Liam said, competes with Qatar’s renowned Qsuite.
Liam said: ‘Air France passengers can order their food before the flight. The menu had many options to choose from. The way the food was displayed made the dining experience feel more like a first class experience than a business class experience. Furthermore, the food itself was delicious and had no flaws.
Travel guru Points Guy tested the seat in sleeper mode and found it to be “super comfortable.”
And in conclusion?
Liam said: ‘A fantastic business class flight, up there with the best business class flights I’ve ever taken. It really competed with companies like Qatar’s Qsuite in terms of luxury, space, food… it really had it all.’
FIRST CLASS – CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT FROM PARIS TO DUBAI. TYPICAL COST One way: £4,443/$5,680
Nicky revealed that he was “blown away” by the Air France La Premiere experience. He is pictured above in the La Premiere lounge at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.
Having a good time in the beret: Nicky said the lounge (above) had a “calm, exclusive atmosphere.”
Nicky revealed that he was “blown away” by the Air France La Premiere experience.
It all started with an exceptional welcome.
He told MailOnline Travel: ‘I received a very special welcome at the door. They took me straight to the entrance of La Premiere. Check-in was one of the most seamless and impressive experiences I have ever had.
‘The salon really blew me away. It had elegant lighting and even a Sisley Spa. It had everything you could want with a quiet and exclusive atmosphere. Once my flight was ready to board, I was directed to a private Porsche, ready to take me directly to the plane.’
Nicky gives his blanket a hug La Premiere
Brief belief: Nicky said first class seats were ‘next level’
Nicky said: ‘There’s only one row of first-class La Premiere, with giant armchair-type seats. I just couldn’t believe how much space there was’
Champagne is dispensed
Once on board, Nicky remained delighted.
He said: ‘The ground experience was incredible but the seats really were next level.
‘In the first class La Premiere there is only one row, with seats like giant armchairs. I just couldn’t believe how much space there was.
‘The seats fold down to form huge, spacious and completely flat beds. My seat also came with a curtain that closed off my section, floor to ceiling, so it feels incredibly private when closed.
‘The seat also came with a large, sturdy table and a huge screen for a variety of entertainment.
‘One feature I really loved was a gorgeous lamp featuring the hippocampus seahorse, the Air France motif. These little details add an extra touch of class that you don’t usually find on a normal flight.
“In addition, the seat included an additional privacy divider, a fluffy pillow, some very stylish slippers and a signature red Air France blanket.”
What about the amenities kit? Luxury? You bet.
Nicky said: ‘La Premier passengers also receive a lovely kit, which included an eye mask, pen, earplugs, comb and a range of Sisley products. I also received some beautiful pajamas.’
Nicky’s On-Demand Dinner Experience Begins
La Premiere passengers offered a ‘wide variety’ of menu items
Tasty on the Seine: Nicky looks at his caviar starter
Meanwhile, the offering of food and drink was delicious.
Nicky continued: ‘With La Premiere, you can dine to order, so you can choose to dine whenever you want. There was a wide variety of options, from caviar to champagne, and from soup to cheese, salads and desserts. I tried everything I could. I had super luxurious dishes including caviar to start the meal which made the experience very special. This dining experience was heaven. The food was delicious and super luxurious.”
Was the seat in reclined mode dreamy?
Nantes: Reason for complaint: The four images above show Nicky’s food. He concluded: “This dining experience was heavenly, the food was delicious and super luxurious.”
Nicky said: ‘This was one of the widest, most comfortable and spacious beds in heaven. With a soft mattress underneath, totally flat and amazing.’
And in conclusion? We guess it’s a go-ahead…
Nicky confirmed: “I was very impressed by this experience. The land experience in Paris was next level, the lounge was elegant, the food incredible and there were tons of quirks that made the experience so special for me.
‘Features like the Sisley lounge and the Porsche to the plane were next level. On the flight, the service was also very friendly, very fun and absolutely top notch from all the crew I encountered.”
For more information about The Points Guy, visit thepointsguy.com/uk-travel. For more information about Nicky, visit his Instagram account. www.instagram.com/nickykelvin. Liam posts this profile on Instagram: www.instagram.com/liam_spencer.
Nicky’s flight to Dubai was operated by a Boeing 777
