Many posts online say that getting a free business class upgrade is a rare thing. Even typing “free business class upgrade Air France” doesn’t really yield any search results.

In my case, however, my Economy ticket was upgraded to Premium Economy, and then at the gate, it was changed to Business Class during my 16-hour layover at Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport in Paris, on my way from Mauritius to Seattle

Like a fool, I thought this upgrade was just the Delta Comfort+ equivalent on Air France. Meaning that I thought these were just seats with extended leg room and fancy night lights near the headrest.

I mean I even walked to the front of the plane looking for 7D. And then I realized that there was no more ‘front,’ and that my seat was right next to me, and came with a full cubby area and a sliding door. I was just shocked. I think I hadn’t quite processed the heavy upgrade since I was already rushing to get to the airport after frolicking in Paris and ended up being one of the last people to board the aircraft (of course, behind a group of people).

I guess I should offer a disclaimer that I have Delta Platinum status. What does that mean? Air France is part of SkyTeam and as a result, they honor SkyTeam status across its partners.

I’ve had First Class upgrades (similar to Business in a way, but not La Première) on domestic flights in the States, but never internationally. I did have one Delta First Class lie-flat upgrade going from Honolulu, Hawaii to Salt Lake City, Utah but that was on an older aircraft.

Getting Settled

Here I was on an Airbus A350-900 with a 1-2-1 configuration. That meant I was in the middle and had a “next door neighbor.” However, I never saw them due to the seat configuration. The other bonus is that this plane was brand new (9 months old according to Flighty) and had the new Air France upholstery, which looked beautiful.

I will just start by saying—after this flight—there is no other way to travel than Business class. It should be a sin. But alas, we all can’t afford to live that life. And Air France is not the same as other airlines.

Before we even take off, you’re greeted with an amenity kit that comes with a toothbrush, Clarins products, toothpaste, socks, and an Air France pen.

The cubby area has a place to store your items. There’s also a small enclosed storage area near the seat that has Evian water (of course), USB A and C ports, and premium, noise-cancelling headphones. It’s a far cry from the flimsy ones you get in Economy—or worse, when the Economy headphones don’t work, or there’s a parental lock on your headrest.

None of those proletarian issues are to be found here. Instead, everything is presented as it should be. Form following function. And it was beautiful.

The other thing I found out? Each seat has its own storage unit. Foolishly, I had my bag under the foot rest area, not realizing I had ample real estate right above my head for my items.

You also get a hanger that flight attendants can then carry away with your jacket or whatever you wish to hang.

All in all, a beautiful cabin space. However, I was disappointed to see that the “wall” of my cubby facing my neighbor had streaks of some gunk, which hadn’t been cleaned up. However, this wouldn’t dissuade my high spirits on the flight, nor would the next thing I found during service.

Nevertheless, I definitely enjoyed that you get a fold-out 20-inch screen and an “iPad” like device, which also acts like a headrest infotainment system would. And if you’re like me, then you can always see where the plane is going (which is sometimes how I plan my next destination), and watch a movie at the same time.

Gear Used

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Entertainment

The best part, as I’ve mentioned in a previous post (on my way to Mauritius), is that by flying a different air carrier—especially that of the host nation—you can get drunk off all the entertainment that nation provides and get a better glimpse into the culture, language, or just interests of that nation.

France is no exception. And with a 20-inch screen that can be angled toward you, I barely touched my Jack Reacher novel and instead indulged in no less than four French films.

You really miss out on the beauty of cinema from other countries when you’re flying one carrier exclusively. But thanks to SkyTeam, you have the benefit of flying many national carriers.

I recommend the following films I checked out:

The first one that surprised me was “Un Ours Dans Le Jura,” which translates to “A Bear in the Jura” (a forested region in France). For some reason, the title was translated horribly into English and reads as “How to Make a Killing.” This was definitely a funny movie and it made me add the Jura to maybe a winter travel destination (last year was Les Vosges).

The other film that required I had enough time to get situated was “Ni Chaine, Ni Maitres” (No Chains No Masters). I originally wanted to watch the movie on the flight to Mauritius, but finally had the time to watch it now.

The irony? The film is about Mauritius, in fact it’s about slavery in Mauritius, and highlights aspects that happen around Le Morne. I found it to be a very powerful movie (one that you can’t watch while eating)—and gave a more illuminating aspect about Mauritius. I figure it should be recommended viewing.

When I reached stateside, I tried to find the movie, but it’s still in cinemas in France, and super hard to find for streaming. And of course you can’t stream it if you’re in the States. I do feel that movies that bear important historical significance to big travel destinations like Mauritius should be available when they have an educational purpose.

The other movie that proved entertaining was “Le Fil,” which translates to “An Ordinary Case.” Also hard to find in the States. Fun Fact: One of the main actresses in this film is Sidse Babett Knudsen, an amazing Danish actress who apparently also speaks French—and she’s in a super amazing political thriller from Denmark called “Børgen,” on Netflix. The other actor is Pilou Asbæk who plays Euron Greyjoy in Game of Thrones. Small world!

Like I said, there’s a beauty to flying international carriers.

Service

The service on Air France—in business class—was great.

You start off with some crackers and pre-flight drinks that you can select from the menu curated for your particular flight.

I thought it was amazing to see the chefs, with their bios and the accompanying dishes they prepared.

I’m a beer person and often visit microbreweries when I travel. However, who can pass up French wine? I like reds, preferably from Argentina, Italy, and Spain. Yet, these red wines were delicious.

As a result, I kept rotating between the Haut-Medoc 2019 Château de Malleret from Bordeaux and the Minervois 2022 Chateau De Tholomies GCC from Languedoc. I thought both were excellent. And of course I had to try the beer, which in this case was Anosteké from the Brasserie du Pays Flamand, a New England IPA (NEIPA). If you’re a beer lover, here’s a travel tip: if you find yourself in Boston (New England), then be sure to check out Tree House Brewery, Aeronaut, and Lone Pine Brewery in Portland, Maine.

You then get a larger menu presentation filled with nuts, a baguette with delicious butter and a side salad. Unfortunately, my spoon had gunk caked on it. It’s like somebody mixed protein powder with granola and had it sitting out in the sun.

And then, by nature of its hardening, it somehow manifested its strength through a dishwasher cycle (I’m assuming it was washed) and still appeared in a more hardened form on the spoon. But still, the spoon should have been out of commission and never entered into circulation.

Once I brought that to the attention of the flight attendant, she whisked it away and said she would take care of the “specimen” in a joking manner.

After a while, you’re then presented with the main course, which gets accompanied by an assortment of cheeses. For the main course, I selected Échines de porc, sauce miel et soja, purée de pommes de terre, compote d’oignons—Pork loin, honey and soy sauce, mashed potatoes, and onion compote. As the menu states, this meal was designed by Chef Jerome Banctel from Le Gabriel, a 3-star Michelin restaurant in Paris. I found the meal to be quite delicious, even if the presentation looked like over-microwaved cheese.

After this meal, you’re then presented with a few assortments of dessert—including a mousse.

And right before your arrival, about two hours out, you are then presented with a pretty fancified pre-lunch meal. In this case, it was chicken with potatoes, bread, and fruit. Also quite tasty as far as airplane food goes.

And then before you know it—you’ve now arrived at SeaTac.

Conclusion

All in all, I have to say, there’s no other way to travel on a long-haul flight than Business Class—especially on Air France, despite the few issues surrounding cleanliness.

The peacefulness of having your own “cubby hole” with lie-flat seats and tasty menu items just made it the icing on the cake. I tried the lie-flat seat for around 30 minutes, but then got claustrophobic. I’d rather have the seat angled than feel trapped in an area, especially on a tube-shaped airframe—and this is coming from someone who loves flying and planes, from passenger jets to fighter jets.

But to summarize, the service was great. Additionally, if you wanted service you could always press the call attendant button from your many devices—or—you could make your way to the galley and take part in the “buffet,” which was essentially an assortment of drinks and snacks.

I definitely would fly business class on Air France again. Would I pay for an upgrade with points and miles? Ehh…maybe not. Unless it’s a really, really good deal. I just can’t rationalize spending several hundred dollars (€230+/$250+) for business class—when I know that could get me a round-trip flight from Seattle, WA to Honolulu, HI on Delta or spend just under €460/$500 to fly roundtrip on SAS from Chicago O’Hare to Venice, Italy. Just do a quick search online and see some of the prices that travelers feel comfortable paying for business going one-way. Blasphemy!

Maybe I’m not at that point in life yet. I’d rather spend that money chasing a new destination or travel experience. If not, then I’d dump the money in an ETF.

But, what’s the saying? Never say never? I guess I’ll hold my tongue on that one.

À bientôt.

Air France Business

Tips, Tricks, and Logistics

• Join SkyMiles: Start earning miles with Delta and SkyTeam partners (like Air France) to work towards Platinum status. From there you can: enjoy priority boarding and free upgrades once you hit Platinum status.
• Indulge in the wine selection: Don’t overlook the wine! Air France offers a variety of French wines, including reds from Bordeaux and Languedoc. Also do note that wine varieties change depending on the flight segment.
• Pay attention to small details: While Air France provides top-tier amenities, cleanliness can sometimes be overlooked. Don’t hesitate to bring any issues (like dirty utensils or unclean surfaces) to the attention of the flight crew to ensure a more comfortable experience.
• Explore films from other cultures: Flying with international carriers, especially those from the host nation, is a fantastic opportunity to discover films and media you wouldn’t usually encounter, expanding your cultural horizons while you travel.

Trip Soundtrack

Because every adventure needs a soundtrack, each of my trips comes with a theme song. And for this trip's anthem? Well, it's...

Marie Laforêt - L'amour comme à 16 ans (Audio Officiel)