Air France 777 La Premiere First Class: In A League Of Its Own

Hello from Paris, as I’ve just kicked off my quick trip to Versailles. I just flew Air France’s Boeing 777-300ER La Premiere first class, on the eight hour flight from Miami (MIA) to Paris (CDG).

Historically, I’ve ranked La Premiere as one of the world’s best first class products. I hadn’t flown it since before the pandemic, so was looking forward to revisiting it, and seeing how it’s holding up (especially with the airline soon introducing a new first class).

Well, I was happy to see that the product is as good as ever. What’s so interesting to me is that the airline excels with first class in areas where other airlines don’t even try, specifically on the ground. On top of that, I think that Air France offers one of the most comfortable first class beds out there, simple as the seat may be.

In this post, I want to share my impressions of the flight (roughly in the order of what impresses me about the product), and then soon I’ll have a full trip report.

Air France makes first class travel seamless

The single thing that sets Air France La Premiere apart from other first class experiences is the ground service. This doesn’t just apply at the carrier’s Paris hub, but also at outstations. Like, no other airline even tries one-tenth as hard as Air France when it comes to this.

For example, when we arrived at Miami Airport, there was someone just standing in front of the La Premiere check-in counter with the rope closed, waiting for us to arrive.

As we approached he opened it, checked us in, escorted us to the lounge (where he stayed throughout our visit), drove us to the gate in a golf cart, and then pre-boarded us. There was another couple in first class, and they also had that exact service, with another agent.

In some ways, the first class service is almost embarrassing. Now Air France uses the Delta Sky Club in Miami (an upgrade over the LATAM Lounge Miami), and there’s an area with red velvet ropes that’s roped off for La Premiere passengers. You can also order any drinks from the bar at no cost, including the premium ones that ordinarily have to be paid for. This is such a contrast to the outstation ground experience offered by any other airline in the world.

On arrival in Paris, we were greeted by a friendly La Premiere agent who took us in an elevator down to the apron level, and then drove us in a Porsche, all the way to the arrivals lounge. The car briefly stopped so that we could clear immigration without even exiting the car.

This was also my first time checking out Air France’s new La Premiere arrivals area, which is essentially part of the La Premiere check-in complex. It’s extremely well executed.

At a minimum, passengers can wait here and have a coffee, while La Premiere agents pick up their checked bags and handle ground transportation. But you can even have a full meal here, with an Alain Ducasse menu, similar to what you’d find in the La Premiere Lounge.

This is the single area where Air France puts every other airline to shame in first class, and offers an experience more in line with private aviation than commercial aviation. Like, Emirates first class is amazing in the sky, but the airline doesn’t even board first class ahead of business class, let alone offer any level of personalization on the ground.

Air France’s first class seat & bed are sublime

Air France’s La Premiere first class cabin on the 777 is remarkably simple yet brilliant. It’s a single row of seats, in a 1-2-1 configuration, and it feels elegant and intimate in its simplicity (compared to some of the boxy suites you’ll find on other airlines). I also love the heavy use of the winged seahorse symbol.

What is so brilliant about these seats is that they have curtains, so that you have full privacy once you’re airborne. It kind of amazes me that other airlines haven’t considered curtains, as it’s probably the most practical concept for offering privacy in first class — they’re lightweight, easy to use, and offer way more privacy than traditional airplane seat doors, all while not reducing the width of the seat.

Aside from the ground experience, the single other thing that’s most remarkable about La Premiere is the bed comfort. I don’t know why, but I find it to be one of the most comfortable beds in the sky. The seat width is great, the bedding is heavenly, and the curtain almost makes you forget that you’re on a plane.

Air France’s first class food is delicious

Air France’s La Premiere first class catering is very good, especially when you consider I was departing an outstation (it’s typically even better when departing from Paris, the carrier’s hub). This had to be some of the best catering I’ve had out of Miami. The meal service began with caviar and blinis with crème fraîche.

Next up was a cream of leek soup with croutons.

That was followed by the appetizer, watermelon aspic with grilled shrimp and herbs.

For the main course, I selected the lobster with pico de gallo and tea sauce.

Then there was a salad course, which could be customized nicely, and I went all-out.

Last but not least was dessert, where I selected the truffon cake.

It was an excellent meal, with every dish being very well executed.

Given that Air France is the national carrier of France, you’d of course expect the airline to have a very good wine list. It’s definitely solid, with the current champagne being Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle. That being said, it’s hard for any airline to compete with Emirates on the alcohol front.

My only real disappointment with the Air France first class soft product is the cappuccino situation, as the airline doesn’t serve proper ones, but instead has a powdered version. So yeah, don’t order cappuccinos on Air France (I only ordered one because I was curious if that had changed since I last flew the product).

Air France’s first class amenities are luxurious

I’ve gotta say, Air France’s La Premiere first class offers some gorgeous amenities. I love the amenity kit, with Sisley products, which is definitely a keeper.

I’m also a huge fan of the pajamas, which are both comfortable and stylish (and again, have the winged seahorse logo).

Then there are well padded slippers, along with socks, a shoehorn, and a bag for shoes.

Air France’s first class service is well intentioned

I find that Air France has among the best flight attendants of any western airline, and in particular, the La Premiere flight attendants are consistently great. We had a friendly flight attendant working in first class, though I’ve gotta say, the service pace wasn’t great.

I’m not sure if this is standard, but there was a single flight attendant working first class, serving four passengers. That might not sound like a bad ratio, but the challenge was that he was working both the galley and the cabin.

On most airlines you have at least two flight attendants in first class, with one working the galley, and one working the aisle (admittedly most airlines have a bigger first class cabin). Our flight attendant did a great job and tried hard, but there’s only so much one person can be expected to do, especially with a full cabin, when food has to be heated, plated, cleared, etc.

In the past, I feel like I’ve seen a second flight attendant (or the purser) helping in first class during the meal service, but that wasn’t the case here. So the service pace was on the slow side, and empty plates would often sit on the tray for longer than you’d expect in first class. It wasn’t an issue at all, and it wasn’t the guy’s fault, but you definitely notice the staffing level.

Then again, perhaps fully staffing two flight attendants for four passengers would be an overkill? And perhaps typically the cabin isn’t full, and/or most people go straight to sleep?

Bottom line

Air France’s La Premiere first class continues to impress, even a decade after it was introduced (and with a new product on the way soon). If you ask me, the two things that really set La Premiere apart are the ground experience and the bed.

There’s not an airline that offers as seamless of a ground experience as Air France, regardless of where you’re originating or terminating. That removes one of the biggest frustrations that many people have with flying. On top of that, the first class cabin is elegant and intimate, and the curtains provide a lovely level of privacy (and it’s amazing that more airlines haven’t adopted that simple concept).

Beyond that, Air France offers tasty food and nice amenities, and continues to be an incredible way to fly.

What’s your take on Air France’s La Premiere first class?