Wednesday newsletters always feature a hotel or flight review.
A few weeks ago, I enjoyed a holiday in St Barths, the Caribbean’s most exclusive island. You can read my trip reports here:
- Review: Air France Business Class Airbus A330 from Paris to St Martin (today)
- Review: Winair Twin Otter flight from St Martin to St Barths
- Review: Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barths
- Review: Le Sereno St Barths
- Review: Cheval Blanc St Barths
- Review: Air France Business Class Airbus A330 from St Martin to Paris
Today: Review – Air France Business Class Airbus A330 (Paris to St Martin)
A few weeks ago, I flew in Business Class onboard an Air France Airbus A330-200 from Paris to St Martin in the Caribbean. The experience was nice, although Air France’s A330s Business Class hard product is not exactly industry leading. In 2019, Air France completed a retrofit of its A330 fleet, with each aircraft now featuring a total of 36 Business Class seats in 2-2-2 configuration. The logic for this less-private seat arrangement made sense at that time since Air France intended to mainly deploy its A330s to leisure destinations (in which couples traveling together generally prefer to sit next to one another). But since then, a lot has changed and Air France now primarily flies its A330s to St Martin (the only remaining leisure destination) and major cities in Africa (almost all business destinations).
While the Business Class hard product on Air France’s A330 is in keeping with the A330 aircraft of its partner KLM (which I reviewed here), it is not nearly as good as the one installed on the carrier’s Boeing 777 (which I reviewed here) and Boeing 787 (which I reviewed here). The soft product is the same though, with gourmet cuisine designed by Michelin starred chefs, a carefully selected wine and Champagne list, and a wide selection of in-flight entertainment. FYI, Air France still has 11 Airbus A330s in its long-haul fleet with an average age of 22 years. Air France has no plans to update the Business Class product on these aircraft, but it will replace them by next-generation and larger Airbus A350-900s (which also feature a much better Business Class product).
Have you ever flown in Air France Business Class? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment.
- Trip: Paris (PAR) to St Martin (SXM)
- Airline: Air France
- Aircraft type: Airbus A330-200
- Aircraft registration number: F-GZCN
- On time departure: 10 am (yes)
- On time arrival: 3 pm (yes)
- Miles: 4170 miles (6710 km)
- Flight time: 9 hours
- Seat: 4A
- Class: Business Class
In this review (more information & photos below my Youtube clip & slideshow):
- Cost of my ticket
- Lounge
- Business Class cabin
- Business Class seat (+ best & worst seats)
- Amenities & bedding
- Meals
- Entertainment
- Onboard internet
- Other inflight experiences
- My verdict (score)
1. COST OF MY TICKET
I paid 2400 euros for my return Business Class flight from Paris to St Martin. I booked the ticket directly on the Air France website and also used a 75 euro discount coupon (which was sent out by email by Air France a few days earlier).
2. LOUNGE
I booked the cheapest Air France Business Class fare, a so called “Business Class Light” ticket. The “Business Class Light” fare option offers the comfort of flying in the Business Class cabin but without the luxury of lounge access or a second checked bag. In comparison, those on Business Standard and Business Flex tickets get lounge access and two checked bags of 32kg each, while those on Business Flex fares also get free seat selection before check-in and refunds if they cancel the trip.
FYI, I have previously published my detailed review of the excellent Air France Business Class lounge at Paris Charles De Gaules Airport, which you can read here.
3. BUSINESS CLASS CABIN
Business Class on Air France’s Airbus A330 aircraft features 36 seats in a 2-2-2 layout. These seats are distributed over two Business Class cabins: a front cabin with 24 seats (4 rows) and a rear cabin with 12 seats (2 rows).
The 2-2-2 layout means that there is no direct aisle access from every seat. This isn’t an unusual Business Class layout for airlines or aircraft that fly to leisure destinations (where travel partners often want to be seated together). However, Air France is predominantly operating its A330 aircraft on business routes (with St Martin being the only leisure destination) with a higher percentage of solo fliers, meaning this 2-2-2 seating configuration is less appealing.
Despite its suboptimal seating plan, the Air France A330 Business Class cabin does have a bright, airy and sleek look. The cabin’s ambient lighting emphasizes the details of the decor where high quality fabrics, leather and the Air France brand’s symbolic accent have pride of place.
4. BUSINESS CLASS SEAT (+ BEST & WORST SEATS)
Air France installed Equinox 2D Business Class seats by Stelia Aerospace on its Airbus A330 fleet. This particular type of seat has a width of 22 inch (56 cm) and a pitch of 78 inch (198 cm); the latter is defined as the distance from any point on one seat to the exact same point on the seat in front or behind, and thus a good indication of the legroom.
Each pair of Business Class seats shares a console in the middle, which can be used by both passengers as a small table for a drink and which also holds the tray tables. This side of the seat also features a retractable privacy screen, a reading light at eye level, a power plug and the passenger service unit (remote control for IFE). Also on this side of the seat, behind the head rest, is a small cubby for storing headphones, water and small items (such as a wallet, mobile phone or glasses).
In front of each seat is a 18.5 inches, high-resolution, touchscreen TV in 16:9 format and a small footrest. The latter becomes part of the flat bed when the seat is reclined in its horizontal position. The fully flat bed is a massive improvement over Air France’s older A330 Business Class product (which featured angled lie flat seats). With its length of 78 inches (198 cm), the bed is quite comfortable, even for taller passengers, albeit a bit on the narrow side. Unfortunately, contrary to similar seats on other airlines, the seat’s arm rest can not be lowered to increase the bed width and to enhance the sleeping comfort.
The only storage space around the seat is the small cuby near the head rest and the space under the footrest (you need to store all your carry-on luggage and larger items in the overhead bins).
What are the best Business Class seats on Air France’s Airbus A330-200?
- All seats in the cabin, except for the first and last row, are quite good, especially for couples. Make sure to prebook your seat online (which can be done free of charge) to avoid disappointment at the airport, since KLM’s flights are often fully packed.
- The rear cabin and is smaller and more intimate, so it might be preferred by some travelers (although it is also located right in front of the Economy Class, making it more exposed to noise disturbance)
What are the worst Business Class seats on Air France’s Airbus A330-200?
- The 2-2-2 Business Class layout does not make Air France’s A330 Business Class cabin very attractive for solo travelers, since you will always end up sitting next to a stranger. There is a large screen though between paired seats, which provides a considerable amount of privacy.
- Window seats do not have direct aisle access.
- Passengers seated in the first row may be bothered by the noise of the galley and passengers going to or returning from the lavatories.
- I also suggest to avoid the last row of seats in the rear Business Class cabin, which is located right in front of the Economy Class bassinet seats.
Click here for a seat map of the Air France Business Class layout on the Airbus A330.
5. AMENITIES & BEDDING
Air France offers the following amenities to its Business Class passengers on longhaul flights:
- A comfort kit made of 96% recycled material. Its plastic packaging has been removed in favor of an integrity seal. Sober and refined, it is available in two colors, navy blue and beige. Each kit contains a toothbrush and a pen made from maize straw, as well as earplugs wrapped in kraft paper to avoid plastic. A large sleep mask, socks, toothpaste and Clarins cosmetics complete the kit.
- A hanger
- A soft microfiber pillow and a soft blanket
- Air France branded noise-cancelling headphones, which are hard wired into the storage cubby and of decent quality
Unfortunately, Air France did not provide a quilted mattress during this flight. However, there is some good news on the horizon since Air France has announced the launch of new mattress toppers for its long-haul Business Class passengers. The flag carrier has partnered with the Sofitel MY BED collection to design the new bedding, which will be rolled out across the airline’s A330, A350, 777 and 787 fleet starting in July.
6. MEALS
Air France has a long history of collaborating witch Michelin-starred chefs. In fact, it’s the only airline in the world to partner with so many Michelin-starred chefs, reaffirming more than ever its role as an ambassador for fine French dining and expertise throughout the world. On long-haul flights departing from Paris, Air France has entrusted the menu in its Business cabin to Michelin-starred French chefs. The greatest names in French haute cuisine, including Régis Marcon, Anne-Sophie Pic and Michel Roth, take it in turns to offer vegetarian dishes as well as refined dishes with red or white meat or fish. These meals are enhanced by tableware signed by French designer Jean-Marie Massaud. The wine and champagne list is selected by world famous sommelier Paolo Basso.
During this day flight to St Martin, two meals were served: a multi-course lunch after takeoff and a light meal prior to landing. The onboard cuisine was created by Jérome Banctel, the chef of three Michelin starred Le Gabriele Restaurant in Paris. Menus were nicely executed (with all options mentioned in English and French), the dishes were lovely plated (except perhaps for the main course), and the meals tasted excellent.
I choose the following selection from the lunch menu:
- Appetizer: cream of smoked sweetcorn soup, girolle mushrooms and toasted buckwheat
- Starter: Camargue red rice, sweet potato, and rainbow trout salad with raspberry vinaigrette
- Main course: beef chuck, peanut sauce, celery, Taggiasca olives
- Cheese: Cantal, Fourme d’Ambert, Chabichou du Poitou cheeses
- Dessert: crispy hazelnut and caramel cake
Snacks & drinks were available in the Business Class galley throughout the flight. The self-service bar was bedecked in a champagne and blue color scheme.
A light meal was served on one tray about 90 minutes prior to landing in St Martin and included the following items:
- Starter: a salad
- Main course: smoked salmon, tangy creamy sauce, and pearl pasta with vegetables
- Dessert: orange & pink grapefruit
7. ENTERTAINMENT
Each Business Class on Air France’s Airbus A330 features a large 14,5-inch high-definition TV screen. A state-of-the-art graphic interface available in 12 languages makes it easy to choose from a wide variety of programs. More than 350 films are available, including a large selection of French movies, as well as TV series, documentaries, music and podcasts. A specific section on well-being also allows young and old alike to learn about meditation and seated yoga during the flight. Finally, kids have their own navigation interface to easily find all the entertainment specifically dedicated to our younger passengers. Air France’s Airbus A330s are also equipped with a nose and belly camera, streaming live footage to the inflight entertainment system.
8. ONBOARD INTERNET
In all cabins, passengers can use Air France Connect, the airline’s in-flight Wi-Fi offer. The portal offers three passes, one of which is completely free of charge and allows passengers to send and receive messages via WhatsApp, Messenger, WeChat, and similar services, although you cannot send or receive photos, videos, or audio files.
Two other internet packages are available for purchase on Air France’s longhaul flights:
- The Surf Pass is available as 1-hour voucher for EUR 10, or a full-flight voucher for EUR 22. With this pass, you can surf the internet, and send & receive e-mails.
- The Stream Pass costs EUR 38 for the entire flight and lets you surf the internet, send and receive e-mails including (large) attachments, send & receive messages including photos, videos, & audio files, and stream music, audio, & video.
9. OTHER INFLIGHT EXPERIENCES
# CREW: The flight attendants on this flight were very friendly and the service was efficient (although they did forget to offer me a pre-departure drink, but that’s a minor detail of course).
# LAVATORY: Air France’s Airbus A330 features 2 lavatories for Business Class passengers: one is located behind the cockpit and the other one in the galley between both Business Class cabins. The lavatories were stuffed with Clarins toiletries.
10. MY VERDICT
- Seat comfort (upright): 7/10
- Seat comfort (bed position): 8/10
- Privacy: 7/10
- Food (quality): 8/10
- Food (quantity): 8/10
- Inflight entertainment : 9/10
- WiFi: 8/10
- Service: 8/10
- Cabin design: 8/10
- Overall experience: good: 7.8/10
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