This was an interesting experience, to say the least. I had no intention of flying Air France business class; however, a missed Emirates flight turned into a last-minute (three hours before the flight!) points redemption using Delta SkyMiles on Air France. The B77W on the CDG-DXB route was old and tired, but Air France still delivered with great food and warm service.
The back story
This was supposed to be my second flight on my journey to Phuket, Thailand! On the morning of Friday, December 23, 2022, the start of the Christmas holidays, I was supposed to take a 10 am Emirates flight from Paris to Dubai (and then onwards to Muscat and Phuket). However, I was careless twice the day before. First, I forgot to use online check-in (I only had Carry-Ons), and on the morning of the flight, I chose the wrong Terminal for my Uber destination and Check-In at CDG. When I showed up to the correct terminal/counter, Emirates Check-In was already closed; unfortunately, I regrettably missed my flight.
Booking Air France Business Class Ticket
With the chips down and my vacation on the line, it was time for a Hail Mary pass. , I checked my Delta App and found a 1:30 pm Air France flight with a ticket still available for 42,500 SkyMiles and $287.50 USD.
Although, generally, SkyMiles suck and are a pretty low-value points currency for most cool trips, but this routing CDG-DXB (Europe to the Middle East) is one of the redemption sweet spots. It was pure luck to find this three hours before the flight, on a peak travel day for Christmas!
While I lost my 45k Aeroplan points and wasn’t able to try Emirates Business in an A380 to DXB, this alternative routing from CDG-DXB is one I’m very familiar with, having tried it many times in the past.
Booking was a challenge; I tried booking this ticket on the Delta app directly, but unfortunately, the booking would not go thru on the app. By this time, it was 9:45 am, and this flight was departing at 1:30 pm. I figured it was probably because the departure was so soon, so I called Delta and tried booking by phone instead.
I was connected in just three minutes; the agent took twenty minutes to make the booking. First, it was denied, but she called Air France, and it was accepted in their system, and thankfully for my vacation, it was confirmed!
Only a single seat remained in business class; I was assigned Aisle seat 3E (at the front of this cabin).
The Ground Experience
The ground experience was interesting and involved going through checking in and rushing to get the flight in the pre-Christmas rush at one of Europe’s biggest airports.
Checking In
Having messed things up once, caution was on the cards after finishing my booking, I opted to Check-In at the counters at CDG. Given the Christmas travel day, the airport was incredibly congested, and there were lines everywhere. I started to doubt if I would have made the Emirates flight in any circumstances.
Business Class has Sky Priority, which is a separate check-in at Terminal 2E. There was a line just to enter this area, but it moved quickly, and I got my boarding pass from just a mobile station. Plenty of friendly agents were ready to assist, but it was chaotic.
It took about one hour total to get through Immigration and Security. I then had to take the shuttle train to transfer to Terminal M for my flight. By the time I got through everything, it was 12:15 and already almost time to board.
The Air France Business Lounge and Boarding
I couldn’t try the Air France Lounge, although terminals M and L have my favorite Air France lounges.
Boarding Air France Business Class
Boarding began soon after I got to the gate area at 12:25 pm. It looked like the flight was packed full – so they started early and got through the process quickly.
I managed to snap a quick picture of our plane parked at the gate; on a side note Air France has one of my favorite liveries.
The Air France Business Class Cabin and Seat
Upon boarding and reaching my seat, I was offered an amenity kit and a pre-departure beverage. Unfortunately, in my rush, I neglected to grab pictures of these.
Seat 3C
I’ve flown this route on Air France a couple of times in 2021 and 2022. Unfortunately, Air France doesn’t operate its newest jets on the CDG-DXB route.
This really showed on this aircraft. I got a particularly tired aircraft interior on the flight, with a torn seat and some food stains. However, Air France is releasing new seats as of 2023 and has started retrofitting old aircraft with the new Suite configuration. So hopefully, the next time it will be the new suites.
The flight featured the standard Air France B77W seat. A comfortable and very spacious herringbone configuration with ample legroom and storage. The seat is fully lie flat, and operated by four basic controls on the side of the seat. The tray table is a single unit and very sturdy.
I like having the right side of the console as a working surface (or mouse surface); it’s very useful for a right-handed person for productive computer work.
There is a storage cabinet on the side of the seat and near the footwell. Shoes can be stored under the Ottoman.
The footwells are narrow at the ends but generally still wide and comfortable – even as a tall person, I had no issues sleeping. The pillow and blanket were very comfortable.
The seats come with power and USB ports; however, Air France turns these on mid-flight after take-off and before landing.
Seat 3E has some nice qualities; being at the front of the business-class cabin, it’s incredibly private. Additionally, there’s a large flat surface just above and front of the seat, which is useful when unloading luggage or returning food service items.
Even though they are dated, I really like the Air France B77W seats – they are fully lie flat and very comfortable.
The Air France Amenity Kit & The Inflight Entertainment & Wi-Fi
Unfortunately, due to the extreme rush, I did not take any pictures of the amenity kit or IFE system. What’s more, being very tired, I spent most of the short flight sleeping.
Air France Paris to Dubai Business Class
While Air France is one of my favorite carriers for the service they provide on their routes, it’s commonly very much a “luck of the draw” airline when it comes to service. However, I lucked out this time and had a great crew and a fantastic food experience.
Before long, we pushed back from the gate, and the take-off roll was uneventful.
Air France Business Class Meal Service
Shortly after takeoff, it was time for the meal service. Air France offers custom menus that come in multiple languages, including English, French, and Arabic. Each menu is customized to a specific route.
The FA team first offers a tray starter course, followed by service with warm fresh bread and a choice of beverages. Finally, after some time, the starter tray is traded for a main course plate.
Menu
- Starter Course: Warm Bread w/ Butter, Salmon and Cheese, Salad, and Garnishing.
- Main Course: Beef filet, Rare Pepper Sauce, Celeriac and Vanilla Mousseline and Asparagus with Almonds.
- Cheese Plate for dessert, I paired this with red wine.
I love that everything is served with real silverware, ceramics, and a wrapped napkin.
Coffee and Chocolate were also served prior to landing. One thing to remember if you are an Air France fan is that the best food tends to be on the routes originating at Paris CDG. This one was no exception, and the meal was utterly delicious.
The crew also took time out to talk to me several times during the flight. They were incredibly friendly and made sure I felt well taken care of.
Arrival at Dubai DXB
This was a relatively short flight, only six and a half hours long, and I slept for most of it. Our flight landed on time, deep in the darkness around midnight in Dubai. Usually, the approach offers a fantastic view; this time, I couldn’t get a window seat.
I did notice my seatmate playing with the seat controls to find a camera view of the landing. I made a mental note to play around with this on a future flight. We taxied to Terminal 1, where being off the plane first, I was able to get on the airport transfer train to the main terminal very quickly and beat the immigration and customs rush.
In the end, it only took about 20 minutes from being off the plane to getting past immigration to the pickup areas at DXB, which is spectacularly efficient! However, I knew that was not the end of my travels. My journey continues the following morning on EK862 from Dubai to Muscat, Oman.
Final Thoughts
Okay, so this was not my typical flight review. Due to the rush and being tired, I didn’t have a chance to review the CDG Air France Lounge, and I didn’t try the Amenity Kit, IFE, or Wi-Fi, instead opting to sleep for most of it.
That being said, Air France is one of my favorite carriers for intercontinental journeys, and I enjoy using them regularly for their excellent service and amazing food. All in all, considering I booked this trip just three hours before the flight itself and the Christmas Holiday weekend, it was a hell of a deal, and I seriously lucked out, and it didn’t disappoint.
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