Air France offers its customers solid products on the ground and in the air. The flag carrier of France touts one of the best business-class cabin products in the world. Business class is a mainstay on Air France’s passenger fleet, both wide-body, and narrow-body. Earlier in May, the carrier raised the bar for business class by unveiling a new reverse herringbone product on its 777-300 fleet. It will offer the new business class seats with direct aisle access and doors on 12 of its Boeing 777-300s. What does the latest business cabin upgrade include? Let’s dig deep into the Air France 777 business class details.
Background: Air France business class offerings
Air France delivers robust business-class products to high-end passengers across its narrow-body and wide-body fleet. The Tremblay-en-France-headquartered carrier has a narrow-body fleet of Airbus A220-300s, A318-800s, A319-100s, A320-200s, and A321-300s. Similarly, its wide-body fleet includes state-of-the-art Airbus A330s, A350s, Boeing 777s, and Boeing 787s.
In May 2022, Air France revealed new business-class seat designs with sliding doors on select B777-300ER jets. The carrier is set to make a splashy debut for its new business-class offerings on dozen 777-300ER aircraft. Initially, the carrier will retrofit 12 of its 777 jets with the much-enhanced product across the business class.
Air France 777 business class: What’s new?
The 12 refurbished Boeing 777-300ER jets will feature new reverse herringbone seats angled toward the window. Air France will offer whopping 48 Safran Versa seats, an upgraded version of existing Safran seats on these aircraft. These French-made seats have noble and soft wool, brush aluminum, and full-grain leather.
Once these planes are entirely reconfigured nose-to-tail, they will have a three-class layout with 369 seats. Premium economy cabin will have the same number of seats as business at 48, and the rest 273 will be standard economy seats.
The new Air France 777 business class features
- 48 reversible herringbone ‘Safran Versa’ seats
- 70cm wide (27.6 inches) seats with a staggered four abreast 1-2-1 configuration
- Direct aisle access
- Sliding doors that close fully to ensure privacy
- A massive17.3K-inch in-flight entertainment screen with 4K HD and anti-glare technology
- Wireless charging abilities
The new business-class seats are designed based on the 3 ‘F’s, i.e., Full flat, Full access, and Full privacy. The luxurious full-flat beds aren’t new to affluent travelers, yet they are crucial in long-haul travel for good sleep. The travelers can recline their seats into a flatbed to get quality sleep. The flatbed is almost 2 meters long and 28 inches wide, so you can enjoy space to rest well.
The enhanced business-class cabin gives customers direct aisle access so they can remain undisturbed by people stepping over them. The direct aisle access allows you to get out of your seat easily and avoid the ‘midnight clamber’ situation. Your slumber is guaranteed uninterrupted on overnight flights; no one will step over you to get out. Each 48 reverse herringbone, Safran Versa suite faces towards the window, ideal for solo travelers.
The next F is full privacy, i.e., Air France business passengers will get a significant amount of privacy, thanks to sliding doors. Each suite has a door to enhance the sense of seclusion and improve privacy and sleep on a long flight. Adding doors creates personal space and freedom and enhances the flight experience.
The new Air France 777 business class seats will feature a massive in-flight entertainment screen at 17.3″. It’s a 4K High Definition display with anti-glare technology, controllable via touchscreen or a trackpad remote. Each business-class customer will get a noise-reducing headset and a new Bluetooth pairing system to connect their headsets.
Furthermore, the new cabin features multiple charging options (USB-A, USB-C) and wireless charging on the table. You can transform your space into a work area, keeping your laptop on a table alongside the seat’s control panel. With wireless charging capability, your electronic gadgets won’t run out of battery in the sky.
Moreover, you’ll be more comfortable with one-touch controls, reading lights, seat pockets, and an ottoman. A backlit winded seahorse also decorates a side storage option. You will get Clarin’s cosmetic amenity kits, sumptuous onboard meals, and an option to pre-select the main dish before departure.
New Air France 777 Business Class routes
Air France Boeing 777 jets with the updated business cabin configuration will fly between Paris and New York. In line with the massive tourism appeal France offers to America, the flag carrier will launch new offerings on the Paris-New York route. The enhanced business offering is set to be a highly competitive ‘hard product’ for the carrier’s North Atlantic segments.
Passengers can look forward to flying up front in the new business class-equipped Boeing 777s. Initially, Air France was set to roll out the refurbished jet on the Charles De Gaulle (CDG)-John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) route in September 2022. But the French flagship airline has pushed back the debut date for some reasons. It may launch the new product in the coming weeks, although the exact official timeline is unclear. Once Air France debuts new cabins in New York, other destinations will soon follow.
Air France 777 business class current offerings
Now we know Air France is retrofitting select Boeing 777-300ERs with new business class seats, but how about other aircraft? Apart from 12 777-300ERs, what’s the context of business class products on the rest 777s? Let’s find out.
There are two variants of Boeing 777 in Air France’s fleet, i.e., Boeing 777-200ERs and Boeing 777-300ERs. Air France has 17 Boeing 777-200ERs configured in business class, premium economy, and economy seats. Similarly, there are 43 Boeing 777-300ERs, 19 of which feature a 4-class-seating configuration (including first class). The ten 777-300ERs have high-density configuration, and the rest features outdated cabins with angled business-class suites.
- Air France Boeing 777-200 business class overview
Air France’s Boeing 777-200s have 40 reverse herringbone business class seats. Laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration, the forward cabin accommodates 28 passengers across seven rows. The rear mini-cabin is spread across three rows to accommodate 12 business-class passengers.
Although Air France 777-200 business class seats aren’t revolutionary, they are well-maintained and suit every stage of the journey. The in-flight amenities include Wi-Fi connectivity, a packaged blanket, a pillow, noise-canceling headphones, a travel safety kit, an amenity kit, etc.
Business-class passengers can dine on a complete menu with a starter, main dish, cheese, dessert, and a hint of freshness. Besides, the flight attendants will also serve pre-departure drinks and pre-arrival snacks to keep them energized.
- Air France Boeing 777-200 business class routes
If you travel on the France-US route, you’ll likely fly onboard a Boeing 777-200 aircraft. You will find Boeing 777-200 business class seats on the following routes:
Minneapolis (MSP)- Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
New York John F. Kennedy (JFK)-Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
Pape’ete (PPT)-Los Angeles (LAX)-Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
San Francisco (SFO)-Paris (CDG)
- Current Air France 777-300ER business class overview
Out of 43 Boeing 777-300ERs, 19 are in a four-class layout, with first-class, business class, premium economy, and economy. These aircraft have a seating capacity for 296 passengers in 4 first-class, 58 business class, 28 premium economy, and 206 economy seats. Air France won’t retrofit these aircraft with a new product across their cabin classes.
It deploys four-class Boeing 777-300ERs on US destinations like Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Washington, etc.
Likewise, Air France has a sub-fleet of 10 Boeing 777-300ERs with high-density cabins. They accommodate 472 passengers; 14 in business class, 28 in premium economy, and the rest in standard economy. Like 4-class Boeing 777-300ERs, Air France also won’t go along with these ten jets for new product refurbishment.
You can find these high-density 777s on Air France’s leisure networks, including the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean.
The remaining Boeing 777-300ERs have a total of 381 seats which cater to 42 business, 24 premium economy, and 315 economy customers. Air France will reconfigure 12 of these 777-300ERs with new all-suite business-class + doors.
Air France 777 business class benefits
Travel with peace of mind and enjoy a relaxing start to your trip with Air France 777 business class. At the airport, you’ll get easy access every step of the way with SkyPriority. There’s an exclusive check-in area and priority boarding lines for business-class customers to ensure a seamless travel experience. Besides, you can comfortably relax even before take-off at Air France business lounges. Relish the peaceful atmosphere, try a rich assortment of elaborate dishes, and enjoy privacy at these lounges.
Once onboard, you will get a personalized cabin with elegant décor. You can use the cabin space as an office or a bedroom. Besides, Air France 777 business class will round off your culinary experience with an exquisite Minchelin-starred chef menu.
