I often compare the “big three” US carriers to one another in posts, as I find it interesting how the competitive dynamics have changed over time. In this post, I’d like to focus on Europe, and how I think one airline has really differentiated itself, at least when it comes to passenger experience.
I’ve often mentioned in passing how I think Air France has become Europe’s best airline. I’d like to take a bigger picture look at that, and especially reflect on just how much has changed in roughly a decade. The reason I’m bringing this up is because Lufthansa has just launched a new soft product, and claims that this will make it Europe’s best airline. If you ask me, overtaking Air France won’t be that easy, so let me explain why…
In this post:
Air France’s current state & trajectory are impressive
I just took a roundtrip flight to Europe in Air France business class, with both directions featuring the carrier’s new business class product. The experience was excellent, and what I also appreciate about Air France is how consistent the experience is. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten off an Air France flight disappointed, and I can’t say the same about some other European airlines.
As I took these flights, I couldn’t help but think back to a 2014 Air France media event I attended in New York, where the airline unveiled its new (at the time) first and business class.
Up until that point, I’d argue that Air France was almost behind its rivals in Europe — for example, Air France only introduced flat beds in business class well after Lufthansa and British Airways. What’s fascinating is how the dynamics have changed in the 12 years since then. Air France hasn’t just caught up with competitors, but I’d argue has surpassed them in a vast majority of ways.
I think the generally positive direction with passenger experience started in 2014 when those products were launched, but we’ve really seen the acceleration of positive change since 2018, with Ben Smith as Air France-KLM CEO, and Anne Rigail as Air France CEO. Though I’d argue that the third biggest contributor to Air France’s success might be Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr. 😉
Anyway, I digress. Let me share the areas where I think Air France is making it hard for other airlines to close the gap.
The best short haul experience across the board
It doesn’t matter what cabin you’re traveling in, Air France has the best short haul experience, on balance:
- Air France’s primary short haul aircraft is the A220, which is a joy to fly, especially thanks to the 2-3 layout, which is ideal whether in economy or business class
- Air France is further along with installing Starlink Wi-Fi on its short haul aircraft than competitors
- Air France continues to offer free drinks (including wine and beer) and snacks in short haul economy, unlike British Airways, Lufthansa, etc.
The best long haul first class experience
Even though not many people get to fly it, perhaps the product that Air France is most known for is its incredible La Premiere first class, and it creates quite the halo effect for the carrier. This product is just in a league of its own among European carriers, with what’s unarguably the world’s best first class ground experience, plus what’s arguably one of the world’s best first class onboard experiences (my updated rankings are coming soon, I just need to do the new SWISS Senses first class!).
Air France’s first class pricing has massively increased over the years, and it’s now the most consistently high priced first class product out there. While I don’t love that high pricing as a customer (obviously!), it’s a testament to Air France’s success, as the product is reportedly more profitable than ever before. It shows that if you go upmarket enough to differentiate yourself, people will pay a premium for it.
The best long haul business class experience
It’s hard to directly compare business class experiences between airlines, given how airlines almost always have several generations of seats in service. So I tend to think you judge an airline based on where they currently are, and where they might realistically be within the next year or two.
If you ask me, on balance, I’d say Air France has Europe’s best long haul business class product:
- A large majority of Lufthansa’s long haul planes are still in the 2-2-2 pre-Allegris configuration in business class, so that’s still highly uncompetitive
- British Airways has done a good job installing its new Club Suites business class, but at this point those seats are a generation behind in terms of technology (wireless and USB-C charging, bluetooth audio, entertainment screen quality, etc.)
- Air France has been taking delivery of new aircraft and retrofitting existing aircraft with latest generation reverse herringbone seats; remaining planes have previous generation reverse herringbone seats or staggered seats, and only a small number of A330s don’t have direct aisle access from all seats
While people could make a case for British Airways currently having a slightly more consistent hard product, I think the current A380 situation throws a big wrench in that, given the routes those planes fly. Let me put it this way — if I could only fly business class on one of the “big three” European carriers for the next five years, Air France would absolutely be my choice.
No strikes and good labor relations
Europe is known for its strong unions, and in the transportation sector, that tends to lead to a lot of strikes. Labor relations at Air France are as good as they’ve ever been. When’s the last time we saw industrial action at the airline that had huge impacts on passengers? Well, I don’t remember.
That’s quite a contrast to Lufthansa, where strikes are constantly on the horizon. That’s also partly because Lufthansa Group keeps setting up new subsidiaries in order to reduce labor costs. But I’d argue that operational reliability and not constantly having to worry about strikes is a very important factor that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Europe’s fastest Starlink Wi-Fi rollout
Air France was the first major global carrier in Europe to sign up for Starlink Wi-Fi, and the airline is also the furthest along with installing it. Air France expects to have the entire fleet with Starlink by the end of 2026. While I imagine that could slip somewhat, this is a way faster timeline than you’ll find at British Airways, Lufthansa, etc.
The most consistent service in Europe
Admittedly we all have different perceptions of service, and different preference. On balance, I find Air France staff — from ground agents to flight attendants — to be among the most consistently courteous of any airline.
Sometimes you’ll have amazing service on carriers like British Airways and Lufthansa, and sometimes it’ll be really underwhelming. Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but I’ve found there to be a smaller range in service quality at Air France. At a minimum, I’ve found the crews to be efficient, attentive, and polished, and at best, I’ve found them to be super engaging and charming.
The deliberate way that Air France is moving upmarket
I’m not suggesting that this is a pro or con of flying with Air France, but I think it’s interesting to note the extent to which Air France’s focus is on being premium rather than just growing at all costs.
When you look at Air France’s fleet renewal strategy, the airline is actually largely sticking to smaller planes. For example, while carriers like British Airways and Lufthansa are largely taking delivery of A321neos, Air France doesn’t have a single “larger” narrow body on order. For that matter, Air France-KLM’s A321neos are all going to KLM (since Schiphol has capacity issues) and Transavia (a subsidiary where unit costs matter a lot more).
Why? Well, Air France wants to focus heavily on capturing premium traffic. The logic here is pretty simple, which is that Air France is blessed with a very lucrative origin & destination home market, especially in the age of premium leisure. So rather than focusing on carrying cheaper connecting traffic, the airline wants to increasingly focus on point-to-point flying.
We also see this reflected in terms of the layouts of newly delivered and reconfigured aircraft, from the A350-900s with 80 premium seats (48 business class and 32 premium economy), to the 777-300ERs with 108 premium seats (four first class, 60 business class, and 44 premium economy).
Bottom line
While a lot of online discussions about airlines focuses on the things that aren’t going right, I also think it’s nice to sometimes look at the things that are going right. If you ask me, Air France has come a long way over the past 12(ish) years, as the airline has gone from being similar or even partly behind its peers, to coming out as a clear, premium leader.
Is Air France perfect? Of course not, and the airline industry is very complicated. But it’s a nice example of how small investments across the board can make for a meaningfully differentiated experience. Perhaps it’s also a nice example of how if you want to look good, it’s ideal to have Lufthansa as a competitor. 😉
Where do you stand on this — anyone else impressed by how Air France has slowly and steadily been able to transform itself in this way?
Having recently completed my first Air France long haul with connecting short haul I completely agree. The transformation over the years has been quite quiet but I really enjoyed the brand new a350 business and then connecting to a220 brand new short haul. All aircraft have starlink already fitted an excellent experience. The integration with KLM / Air France app is also impressive it looks like they’ve done a lot of the behind the scenes...
Having recently completed my first Air France long haul with connecting short haul I completely agree. The transformation over the years has been quite quiet but I really enjoyed the brand new a350 business and then connecting to a220 brand new short haul. All aircraft have starlink already fitted an excellent experience. The integration with KLM / Air France app is also impressive it looks like they’ve done a lot of the behind the scenes digital work other airlines like BA. / IAG are struggling with
Hi Ben, have you travelled AF Business with your child? We flew AF Business when our one year old was a lap infant. Now we are travelling it with two children on the 777-300 both under the age of 4.
AF policy is you can only book the single window seat for the child, as they deem it is safer for the child across the aisle from the parent, than in the center pair...
Hi Ben, have you travelled AF Business with your child? We flew AF Business when our one year old was a lap infant. Now we are travelling it with two children on the 777-300 both under the age of 4.
AF policy is you can only book the single window seat for the child, as they deem it is safer for the child across the aisle from the parent, than in the center pair of seats.
This seems counterintuitive, but will give it a try. Curious if you have any experience with this now considering how often you travel with your little one.
AF's biggest weakness is CDG. Sure, the lounges are nice, but unless you're in La Premiere, connecting through their hub is a nightmare at best.
I connect through CDG all the time and I had nothing but relaxed experiences. Like every hub it can get messy when stuff hits the fan but 99% it's super easy.
Interesting timing on this article. In the past 24 hours I just booked an AF award in J for the a350. I flew AF J last about 4 years ago and have almost no recollection of the flight itself. I obviously wasn't blown away by it. The biggest downside is the astronomical is the high taxes/fuel surcharges, but my redemption options were pretty limited given the part of France we are flying out of.
Appreciate this balanced assessment. 100% Agree.
AF has definitely done an excellent job over the last 30 years when it comes to the ‘hard product’. Our company usually flies with SkyTeam – we’re based in Germany, so that means with KLM or AIR FRANCE.
Ben, I agree with most of your experiences, as long as we’re not talking about Air France’s cabin crews. They’re definitely not among the most polite in Europe.
I’d put KLM in first place when...
AF has definitely done an excellent job over the last 30 years when it comes to the ‘hard product’. Our company usually flies with SkyTeam – we’re based in Germany, so that means with KLM or AIR FRANCE.
Ben, I agree with most of your experiences, as long as we’re not talking about Air France’s cabin crews. They’re definitely not among the most polite in Europe.
I’d put KLM in first place when it comes to professionalism and friendliness – not least thanks to that kind of authentic Dutch charm.
In a good 95% of my hundreds of KLM flights since 1996 (initially in Economy, then from around 2012 onwards only in Business Class), I’ve had almost no complaints about KLM crews.
With Air France, it’s a completely different story. I distinguish between natural and artificial friendliness. In most of my experiences, I can’t detect the natural friendliness seen in KLM crews in Air France crews at all. Not to mention flight attendants who, on a 14-hour Business Class flight, can’t even remember that I don’t speak French. Not to mention addressing me personally—by name.
Hard Product = best - agree! Crews = best - defenitely not!
FB Ultimate here, I also hold SEN with LH group and (used to) to hold BA Gold, now in the process of switchting to CX Diamond. I travel extensively in Eurobusiness and long-haul between Europa and Asia.
Ben, to make it short: No, you're not wrong. AF definitely is the best airline in Europe atm, but perhaps not by that much you make it out to be, but still considerably. Ben Smith (and Ben Lipsey,...
FB Ultimate here, I also hold SEN with LH group and (used to) to hold BA Gold, now in the process of switchting to CX Diamond. I travel extensively in Eurobusiness and long-haul between Europa and Asia.
Ben, to make it short: No, you're not wrong. AF definitely is the best airline in Europe atm, but perhaps not by that much you make it out to be, but still considerably. Ben Smith (and Ben Lipsey, the FB director) have been a godsend for us very frequent AF flyers. For KL flyers, maybe not, they have been more on a downward trend. The regional AFKL reps here in ZRH also told me that is very deliberate and that they heavily invest in the AF experience, but not in KL that much. And eventually, that will also be reflected in their fares.
The only thing I have to disagree with you is that their short-haul business class is by far the best. That title belongs, very surprisingly in my opinion, to IB (Their long-haul C, however, is a different story).
A long time critic here ... but I would agree today! Certainly their long haul product is the best in Europe, in my view, in all classes. The short haul product is also one of the best, but I still hate the Europe-style Business Class (with just the middle seat blocked; notable exceptions are TK, FI, some EI, TP services) and also in short haul Economy there are better ones (in particular Aegean A3).
But over all, I agree.
I agree with your AF assessment but what about KLM? I find them rather underwhelming which is curious as they are the same company.
Air France, KLM, and Transavia NL/FR all operate as ‘individual’ airlines. They can each choose their own cabin product, soft product, and a lot of other things. Until 2022 KLM was going full Boeing, but that has shifted because the AF-KLM Group now makes the orders. They still have their own financials and strategies largely. This is also enforced by the Dutch government since the merger
Absolutely agree. Flew J & PE late February EWR-CDG-MIA and loved it. My bucket list is Le Premiere. Saving allowance !
Seems like a convoluted way to get from New York to Miami. Life's about the journey, I suppose!
I agree wholeheartedly with your views here. Air France is essentially France at its best: great food, tasteful design, stylish crews, just overall classy. I’ve found the flight staff to be helpful, kind, and friendly.
It varies a lot by the market segment. AF definitely leads in La Première, which doesn't really have an equivalent at most other airlines (it's basically a "premium first class"). Long haul business is very good but with some flaws (bad wifi, inconsistent presence of mattress, no choice of starters and desserts). Shorthaul business with cold food is pathetic. Shorthaul economy is very good, but longhaul economy with paper bags of bird food (also in...
It varies a lot by the market segment. AF definitely leads in La Première, which doesn't really have an equivalent at most other airlines (it's basically a "premium first class"). Long haul business is very good but with some flaws (bad wifi, inconsistent presence of mattress, no choice of starters and desserts). Shorthaul business with cold food is pathetic. Shorthaul economy is very good, but longhaul economy with paper bags of bird food (also in premium economy!) because there's no time for the crews to serve a proper second meal on 13 hrs flights is a joke.
The knocks:
Short Haul: business class: the food is cold. It's not necessarily bad.
Well, breakfast is bad. It's all catered CDG, so if you have an early morning flight, the equipment's been sitting overnight, and your breakfast was likely prepared at least twenty hours prior, and then given enough pressure cycles to get desiccated.
Economy: hey. We get a cookie! Or maybe a sandwich.
Long Haul:
LP: yeah, I...
The knocks:
Short Haul: business class: the food is cold. It's not necessarily bad.
Well, breakfast is bad. It's all catered CDG, so if you have an early morning flight, the equipment's been sitting overnight, and your breakfast was likely prepared at least twenty hours prior, and then given enough pressure cycles to get desiccated.
Economy: hey. We get a cookie! Or maybe a sandwich.
Long Haul:
LP: yeah, I don't want to hear about it. Also, LP capacity is now up to what? 70 seats a day out of CDG? Good for them, but I don't buy the halo. Trickle-down avionics is just not great.
Biz: have you tried the opera 350s? 48 J seats, which are almost always occupied. Service takes a _long_ time. I fell asleep before dessert the last time, and that was well over three hours past takeoff, flying eastbound. Premium-heavy is okay, but their PNC are just saturated.
PE: the old shell seats are the worst in the business. Most people prefer a straight economy seat. The second meal is still the Economy Bon Appetit bag.
Eco: yeah, the first meal is bad. But have you seen the second? The Bon Appétit bag? The best thing in there is literally baby food!
Lounges : 2E-K is still a pit, 2F can get full at certain moments. Celebrity chefs sign off on Servair combining protein and starch in a pot and running it through security only for guests to fish all the protein out of the pot. The soft cheese is always pasteurized.
CDG itself: most of it, T1-T3 was designed by the same architect. That dude may have had some cool ideas in the '60s, but he never figured out how to make a building work for passengers.
Right, so that's my roast, and AF is my go-to airline.
Wait, I thought Delta's 767-300s were the most premium aircraft in Europe. That's what Tim Dunn told me.
AF J flight attendants often close off one of the two lavatories for CREW ONLY the whole flight long, leaving just one lavatory for 40+ J passengers. Completely unacceptable and definitely the worst sort of lavatory management I have ever seen on any airline, let alone major European carriers.
Agree with your points. While AF is not perfect, its definitely the best Europe airline and one of the best around the world.
Who is #2? Swiss? ITA? KLM? Austrian?
Please don't rate airline employees by good or better, it's the bad experiences, even if infrequent, that can break you. My experiences have led me, a francophile, to swear to never fly air france again! "Oui msieu, your carryon is not overweight, but take off your leather jacket, put it on the scale, NOW voila! You are overweight...pay E50
Ben states, “Air France Has Become Europe’s Best, Most Premium Airline” Then asked “Am I Wrong”?
Even after we enjoyed a fantastic AF La Premiere flight to SIN, recently. I would not be honest if I said, Yes or No. That is not due to any fault whatsoever on the part of AF, it is simply that I have no experience of their European products.
Had Ben not been live commenting upon the...
Ben states, “Air France Has Become Europe’s Best, Most Premium Airline” Then asked “Am I Wrong”?
Even after we enjoyed a fantastic AF La Premiere flight to SIN, recently. I would not be honest if I said, Yes or No. That is not due to any fault whatsoever on the part of AF, it is simply that I have no experience of their European products.
Had Ben not been live commenting upon the AF LP inaugural flight, I would not have become interested in the prospect of even trying AF for myself. Be assured that it will not be our last AF LP flight. For that Ben, I must thank you.
This comment is only for economy class, not posh lux with AF.
The AF A350 is the way to go for long haul with Starlink.
For price AF is far less flexible when booking multi-city tickets ie. with a different beginning and ending city.
CDG is not smooth (buses hassle), food options are not great and it is generally crowded.
Lufthansa in Munich is very nice. If you have time, you...
This comment is only for economy class, not posh lux with AF.
The AF A350 is the way to go for long haul with Starlink.
For price AF is far less flexible when booking multi-city tickets ie. with a different beginning and ending city.
CDG is not smooth (buses hassle), food options are not great and it is generally crowded.
Lufthansa in Munich is very nice. If you have time, you can go to the Rewe market outside and stock up with healthy food.
The immigration lines at MUC are generally ok, but the security line can be long.
Lufthansa does have the A350 however without the free Starlink (for now).
Lufthansa also has a larger schedule all over the US with competitive prices for multi-city tickets.
I do find both AF and LH very good. Flight Staff seem happy, positive and professional for the most part.
Virgin is flexible for booking one way tickets and they are generally ok. BA is a last choice however they do try.
Personally, I think Virgin Atlantic has a little bit more of a posh feeling. There's just a bit more of a refined feeling end to end. The Upper Class Wing for check-in, a la carte dining at all Clubhouses, Revivals lounge upon arrival.
In contrast, the Air France business class lounges are generally just meh. No a la carte dining, buffet slop quality food.
It's a real 'posh feeling' when you realise they're the only airline in Europe (and possibly one of very few in the world) that discriminates between its own elites and those of partner airlines. Never mind not being able to use the LHR clubhouse as an Elite Plus travelling on an expensive premium economy ticket, the Aspire lounge to which they send you doesn't even let you in until 3 hours before departure, even if...
It's a real 'posh feeling' when you realise they're the only airline in Europe (and possibly one of very few in the world) that discriminates between its own elites and those of partner airlines. Never mind not being able to use the LHR clubhouse as an Elite Plus travelling on an expensive premium economy ticket, the Aspire lounge to which they send you doesn't even let you in until 3 hours before departure, even if you're on a much longer connection. And they then keep you out of outstation contract lounges to which Virgin's own golds do have access.
It's especially galling when you think that they don't even fly short haul - no VS passenger will be on an £89 'light' fare like the ones on TP or SN that let *G pax visit four lounges before a LHR departure.
I can't complain because I am Virgin Gold. But I can see that being unpleasant.
Perhaps that's what gives it the luxurious feeling though, the exclusive quality and access requirements keep it that way
Yes, but the point is that your Gold card entitles you to the same access to AF services as a Flying Blue Gold one!
It's unreal that an airline with just a handful of routes can so blatantly ignore policies that had been established for 15+ years before it joined the alliance. The fact that some people may benefit from the inconsistency can't be good because it undermines confidence in the system and gives an incentive for other members to copy that behaviour.
I agree with your assessment, and AF certainly upped its game recently. Recently I bought a ticket for PE and I had the choice of AF vs BA, with BA being a bit more expensive because of the direct flight. So I went for BA because I could upgrade with avios, with which I am familiar but I have no idea how to upgrade on AF with miles. Not many blog posts on this so...
I agree with your assessment, and AF certainly upped its game recently. Recently I bought a ticket for PE and I had the choice of AF vs BA, with BA being a bit more expensive because of the direct flight. So I went for BA because I could upgrade with avios, with which I am familiar but I have no idea how to upgrade on AF with miles. Not many blog posts on this so it would be great if you cover it. Another big thing that shocked me was that I have to pay for my seat in BA club world but apparently, seat selection for AF and KL is completely free even for PE!! Let's talk about the customer friendly approach. Then I realized that BA has this old sandwich seats for business class on their 787-9. Can you believe that???
But there is only one hesitation to book AF. Compared to BA and LH, AF experienced a lot more deadly incidences, so there is that.
Seat selection on AF/KL is only free in business and premium to/from the US.
One BIG downside of Air France is immigration lines at CDG. Its awful even for premium pax traveling with kids who can't use e-gates, elites traveling in Y, etc. AF desperately needs to get the government and airport to fix this.
Terrible safety record. Their pilots don’t know how to manually fly airplanes. Autopilot turns off and the plane falls off the sky.
Examples please?
I agree on the development of improvement seen on Airfrance.
Simple elegance and functional product
Even if you count Turkish Airlines as a European airline (I personally don’t), Air France still beats them overall in most metrics from a passenger standpoint.
really? Turkish has real international business class seat on short/medium haul, connections to more countries than airport on earth, top tier food and service, and arguably Europes best business class lounge. I get that you can ding them for not having First (I'm not paying first class fares and cant get first awards so a bit irrelevant for me. I guess theres some planes with middle seats in biz, not ideal but if I'm flying...
really? Turkish has real international business class seat on short/medium haul, connections to more countries than airport on earth, top tier food and service, and arguably Europes best business class lounge. I get that you can ding them for not having First (I'm not paying first class fares and cant get first awards so a bit irrelevant for me. I guess theres some planes with middle seats in biz, not ideal but if I'm flying those its with my kids so I dont mind them being trapped in anyway. To each his own.
Air France’s food in air and lounges are just as good consistently (if not better) across the board as Turkish. Yes, the seats inter-Europe are better on TK, but that’s about it. Hence me saying AF beats then OVERALL in MOST metrics.
Air France & KLM are the only airlines that will not offer special meals in Business Class on their local Intra Europe flights, while all European do offer special meals and respect their Business customer’s needs Air France wouldn’t care at all.
They generally serve only vegetarian food. Air France offers a vegan option on medium haul over 2h30. All flights within Europe are catered in CDG or AMS.
For long haul it pretty well may be the case. On intra European flights in business I clearly see no difference between AF and LH.
Ben, why don't you ever mention (I don't think you have, you can correct me if I'm wrong) the fact that the data they collect from Starlink is used to train xAI models? That's the real reason mandatorily free in all airlines.
Zut alors! AF exceeds expectations on food and beverage; newer suites on 773, a350, 787 are excellent. The issues are CDG, long-waits on jet-bridges, reliability, delays, etc.
A very serious question for you 1990Bot …. Your experience of AF is based upon how many AF flights?
"Air France continues to offer free drinks (including wine and beer)"
That's the beauty of France: no one here views wine (nor Champagne) as a premium product. It's just called life.
Your point regarding labour is particularly a testament to Air France where you factor the overall state of labour relationships in France. You'd expect way more strike in Air France (and for what it's worth, 20 years ago they were way more!)
I feel like I live in a vacuum where I'm the only person on Earth who thinks BA is great.
If you're an Emerald, the lounge situation at LHR is markedly better than at CDG. You also have way more fleet consistency, no regional jets, and no RJ terminal. The First wing at LHR is literally seamless, and security at LHR is way simpler than CDG even for economy passengers.
BA is getting Starlink too,...
I feel like I live in a vacuum where I'm the only person on Earth who thinks BA is great.
If you're an Emerald, the lounge situation at LHR is markedly better than at CDG. You also have way more fleet consistency, no regional jets, and no RJ terminal. The First wing at LHR is literally seamless, and security at LHR is way simpler than CDG even for economy passengers.
BA is getting Starlink too, but their existing wi-fi is very fast, reliable, and often inexpensive. BA crews are generous with drink refills, and unless you're being catered out of CAI, the food is generally not bad.
Club World Suites are fantastic, and even when comparing it to the newest A350s on AF, other than tech (which is a big deal), you're splitting hairs on seat differences. Generally ex-US, BA sends you to better lounges than AF.
LP beats BA First. No question there, but I also think IB beats KL on basically every metric as well.
Agree on your point regarding the first wing. Regarding the security at LHR, I also agree, but arguably, that's down to the airport not the airline (but I also accept the objection that the CDG mess is part of the passenger experience on AF).
Now I find BA's short-haul product not exactly competitive. Service in Club often lets a lot to be desired.
@GRkennedy, I think the reason I live in a vacuum is that I always get good service on BA in Club Europe. I probably only fly 5-10 segments in Club Europe annually, but I fly that much every year, and I honestly can't think of a bad crew I've ever had up front.
Dear Lucky - I was considering writing the CEO of Air France the following message. And to make it short: you are 100% right!!
Dear Mr. Smith,
as a deeply loyal – almost domesticated – Lufthansa customer for over 30 years, holding HON Circle status more then 20 years and being a Senator Lifetime member, at times, flying more frequently than some part-time Lufthansa pilots, I feel compelled to write to you.
To the best...
Dear Lucky - I was considering writing the CEO of Air France the following message. And to make it short: you are 100% right!!
Dear Mr. Smith,
as a deeply loyal – almost domesticated – Lufthansa customer for over 30 years, holding HON Circle status more then 20 years and being a Senator Lifetime member, at times, flying more frequently than some part-time Lufthansa pilots, I feel compelled to write to you.
To the best of my recollection, the last time I flew Air France must have been sometime in the early 2000s. Last Thursday, however, I had the unexpected pleasure due to a Lufthansa strike (!!) of flying from Paris to Munich with your airline.
Allow me to confess: I was genuinely shocked.
Shocked by the extent to which Air France outperforms Lufthansa on what is, after all, a short-haul European flight – and not in one isolated aspect, but consistently across the entire customer journey.
It began with the digital experience: booking and check-in were intuitive, elegant, and frictionless – almost suspiciously so. Boarding was conducted in a manner that actually respected the booking class, a concept that appears to have become somewhat aspirational elsewhere.
On board, I encountered a level of attentiveness and natural friendliness from your cabin crew that felt refreshingly authentic. The catering – on a short-haul flight, no less – was remarkably well thought through and of a quality that one hesitates to describe as “short-haul standard.” And then the details: proper presentation, aesthetic coherence, and, unless my eyes deceived me, Christofle cutlery. On a flight of barely one hour.
I must admit, I was quite literally taken aback.
As someone who holds Senator status for life and has built two decades of loyalty around the Lufthansa Group, it is not a small statement when I say that I will, from now on, consider Air France far more frequently.
At the same time, I find myself genuinely concerned about the competitive positioning of Lufthansa – even in light of its much-communicated quality offensive. Competition at this level is not incremental; it is structural.
In any case, please accept this note as a sincere compliment. Excellence, especially when unexpected, deserves recognition.
With kind regards,
If you're *G, you should try flying Aegean, TK, or even TAP. All of them are better than AF on short haul. I haven't flown LOT or ITA recently, but I suspect they'll at least be better than Lufthansa (who isn't?).
yes, you are wrong.
AF is not so great, especially within Europe, but economy class often does have a tiny ham sandwich for free
Disagree. Their A220 is a beauty. 2-3 seating is excellent.
2-3 in 2026 is an abomination. 2-3should have died with Douglas. All glory to tge E195-E2 and its 2-2.
Not directly relevant to your point but as a regular and reasonably well-informed traveller who has a choice of airlines I avoid AF. Customer experience is important, but not as important as safety. If you look back over the last 10 or 20 years AF seems to have a lot more incidents and near-misses than BA, LH, KL, IB and SK for example
Just be careful that you aren't connecting to/from an Air France and a Hop-operated flight within Europe. It's not always obvious from the flight number but you'll notice when you have to make the painful schlep out to Terminal 2G.
I’m mostly with you.
You’re right about AF having the best overall product — including first class, network, and all of the items you list — but I would still rather fly Virgin Atlantic business class than any other European or U.S. premium product, because the food and service are on another level. I just feel good when I fly them.
Bottom line, given the choice, I would fly:
1) VS
2) AF
3) TK
Virgin Atlantic are a joke of an airline. Just yesterday they cancelled RUH after barely a year (full blown cancellation, not a suspension). They've also managed to axe GRU twice in the space of a couple of years, and the customer service is atrocious - 5 or six emails in and they still can't understand a simple request. Once they managed to take three weeks to deliver me a suitcase which hadn't even been loaded...
Virgin Atlantic are a joke of an airline. Just yesterday they cancelled RUH after barely a year (full blown cancellation, not a suspension). They've also managed to axe GRU twice in the space of a couple of years, and the customer service is atrocious - 5 or six emails in and they still can't understand a simple request. Once they managed to take three weeks to deliver me a suitcase which hadn't even been loaded on the flight in the first place (so it's not like it went to the wrong destination). Most of their staff that I've come across are genuinely nice people who are just way out of their depth when it comes to running a complex business.
I do think that they have a decent frequent flyer programme, but you've got to be really selective when it comes to redemptions on their own metal as an one-way from the USA to LHR in business class now comes with $700 of charges!!
I was just on Virgin Atlantic. Much of the aircrafts have those terrible business seats New Zealand has and the food was meh...Not consistent at all.
TK isn't bad on board but what a hell of a ground experience it is!
What’s really wild is the transformation of the aviation industry in the US vis-a-vis Europe. Going back ~10 years, it was widely accepted that virtually any major European carrier was better than the big 3 US carriers, particularly in business class. Now, if you consider the holistic experience (including business class lounges), the opposite is basically true. Delta, United and AA are basically all superior to the major European airlines with the possible exceptions of...
What’s really wild is the transformation of the aviation industry in the US vis-a-vis Europe. Going back ~10 years, it was widely accepted that virtually any major European carrier was better than the big 3 US carriers, particularly in business class. Now, if you consider the holistic experience (including business class lounges), the opposite is basically true. Delta, United and AA are basically all superior to the major European airlines with the possible exceptions of Air France and BA.
Literally lol at the idea AA is superior to most Western European flag carriers (LH and maybe SAS perhaps, but that’s about it). With DL and UA you have a point that they have massively closed the gap and do quite a few things better than European competitors.
Oh no no no. Hands down the US has the worst FA when it comes to service. “We’re here for your safety primarily” attitude is a huge detractor. And given that we aren’t sitting here taking about which airline is the safest to fly, and that most airlines are ranked on product and service, the US airlines are truely awful… still.
Service is extremely subjective.
There’s nothing subjective about United/Delta/AA’s all-aisle access business class being better than Lufthansa’s 2-2-2 garbage or Swiss’s 1-2-2 garbage.
Business class is about seat comfort above all. But by all means, pick the airline you think offers the best service (over best seat) the next time you’re taking a transatlantic red eye.
(Reposting as usual...)
@Greg , the fact that thousands of business class ticket holders fly in Y seats every day, and a decent proportion of those aren't even connecting to/from long hauls, means that there's no shortage of people who value the extra service. The only question is how much value they place on it, both in monetary terms and relative to the hard product.
As long as one's able to choose a seat...
(Reposting as usual...)
@Greg , the fact that thousands of business class ticket holders fly in Y seats every day, and a decent proportion of those aren't even connecting to/from long hauls, means that there's no shortage of people who value the extra service. The only question is how much value they place on it, both in monetary terms and relative to the hard product.
As long as one's able to choose a seat in the middle pair when flying solo, a 2-2-2 configuration isn't quite the end of the world as far as comfort is concerned. While I have no desire to take any intercontinental LH flights in any cabin (well, I might go for an F award if it's the only way of avoiding a long flight in Y), I have really enjoyed 2-2-2 on Ethiopian planes, and even Aerolíneas Argentinas managed to meet my (admittedly low) expectations of them on the A330. The fact that I would have preferred a window seat with aisle access doesn't mean that I ended up arriving at my destination in a worse shape.
It's fine if you are US or Canada based and fly them Transatlantic.
However, if you are based in Europe, there is hardly anything premium about high J fares coupled with only cold meals on flights that can be over 2h. Also, operationally they can be hit or miss with IRROPS handling, and their consistency leaves something to be desired. And their Europe to Asia pricing is often silly.
If you don't count Turkish Airlines as a European airlines (or discount them due to the lack of First) I guess this would be a reasonable argument.
agree 100%
Much of their layouts are 2-2-2. AF is more consistent.
Does every post on OMAAT need to have a Ben Smith mention these days?
Turkish Airlines would like to have a word
Have you ever flown turkish airlines?! The product is nice, food is good but the staff is horrendous at all levels (ground and in the air).
TK cabin crew is one of the warmest ones out there.. And the food is great!
Agree. Turkish has horrible ground handling. And, I have yet to experience the warmth and friendliness of their flight attendants many seem to be thrilled about. Overall, AF beats Turkish by miles except for Turkish's superior short haul business meals and seat configurations.
In the last two years TK long haul crews have improved a lot (or I had luck that the best crew was on all my flights), but if they could extend such attitude on short and medium haul flights they could become a serious contender for the best in Europe.
Have flown Turkish a ton and never had a single bad service experience. Admittedly a few of the older planes without direct aisle access is a drawback but those are being replaced.
Let alone that Turkey isn't in Europe, their ground staff is horrible. But the food is good
Time to learn geography. Turkey is mostly in Asia but partly in Europe. That includes Istanbul which is split between the two continents.
I do think AF have improved, but their onboard catering in European business class is a disgrace. Even during the four hours from IST, where they compete against the airline with the best catering in the region, it was some miserable cold cuts and no espresso machine onboard (while Air Dolomiti can find space for them in Embraers). I also think they restrict drinks service on morning flights (though probably not as tightly as a...
I do think AF have improved, but their onboard catering in European business class is a disgrace. Even during the four hours from IST, where they compete against the airline with the best catering in the region, it was some miserable cold cuts and no espresso machine onboard (while Air Dolomiti can find space for them in Embraers). I also think they restrict drinks service on morning flights (though probably not as tightly as a few years back when I flew them from MAD and they had no sparkling water on offer!).
On the way there I had flown TK in Y, again for about 4 hours and on a very similar A320. They brought us a delicious hot meal, a couple of refills on the complimentary wine, and IFE screens were also available for all pax.
AF may be better than LH and BA, and of course KLM, but I don't think they are in a different league to TK, A3, LX, IB etc.
I should have mentioned that I don't consider P to be a meaningful product as it's only available on a few routes and it's invariably priced at a level that I couldn't justify buying a ticket even if I could technically afford it- paying thousands of euros to go to the same rubbish outstation lounge that I visit on €100 fares feels pretty off to me.
Unfortunately surcharges in J ex-Europe are now approaching $500 USD, comparable to BA at this point. Yikes
Air France excels when it performs well. The products, the refurbishments, and the experience can be great and I would agree, among the biggest European carriers, it is (almost) in a class by itself. But, like every other airline, things can and do go wrong. Mechanical issues are things I've experienced. Not unique to AF. CDG remains a challenging airport to navigate for connections though the more I travel to and from it, the more...
Air France excels when it performs well. The products, the refurbishments, and the experience can be great and I would agree, among the biggest European carriers, it is (almost) in a class by itself. But, like every other airline, things can and do go wrong. Mechanical issues are things I've experienced. Not unique to AF. CDG remains a challenging airport to navigate for connections though the more I travel to and from it, the more I get used to it. I'd argue the food in the new business class cabin could be a touch better. Overall though yes, it is a very good product.
Until something goes wrong…
Within the same few days earlier this month, I had TWO mechanical delays (flying business) resulting in misconceptions at CDG, and had a completely 100% inoperable new La Première suite from CDG to SIN.
I am Platinum, the Plat line “cannot” (be bothered) protecting you on the next available flight when you already know you’re so delayed you will misconnect, and you’re told the only way to work out a...
Until something goes wrong…
Within the same few days earlier this month, I had TWO mechanical delays (flying business) resulting in misconceptions at CDG, and had a completely 100% inoperable new La Première suite from CDG to SIN.
I am Platinum, the Plat line “cannot” (be bothered) protecting you on the next available flight when you already know you’re so delayed you will misconnect, and you’re told the only way to work out a connection is queuing up at the hopelessly slow and understaffed customer service desks in CDG. LH Group does this better for premium pax.
I will say that it is less of a fight with AF to claim EU261 compensation on these issues than other European airlines.
Then, never in my life have I had a COMPLETELY inoperable suite in First (and I fly at minimum twice a month on various airlines), but with AF I just did. An absolute joke for their flagship ‘best in class’ product. No power, movement, AV, window or light controls. After posting it on my insta story, I got responses basically saying every time someone flew the new LP product, at least one aspect was very broken.
Honestly, the bloggers can keep it. SWISS might not be as chic or exclusive, but at least works every. single. time.
The embarrassingly tight compensation offers and fights from Air France about a refund for the LP flight is a disgrace. It’s still ongoing.
I had one aspect (lights) of an LH Allegris F flight not working earlier this year and LH instantly refunded me 45% of the flight in CASH. We all know LH as tight, but it seems they’re at least taking faults in their new product seriously, unlike AF.
I am sure that when something goes wrong, and you have the kids in tow, you’ll be thinking twice about this post.
Air France usually gets a worse rep in PEY than they do in first and business class - I've yet to fly them firsthand so need to check them out, though everyone who's flown both and KLM PEY far prefer KLM. Would be curious to know if any readers have experience with Air France PEY.
AF might have good relationships with its union, yet it still uses CDG as its hub and the airport / ATC employees have their own agenda....
True - to AF's credit, given France's geographical location, it's also a problem for LHG (and for BA to some extent)
This works only if you're not considering Turkish European....
Their 777 business class is still sort of lacking though, at least they are debuting a new product very soon.
Well if you go that way, that also works if you're not considering JAL European...
Turkish's hub airport IST is in Europe...
I've always loved Air France and more than ever I do agree that its product is excellent. Especially its premium products. That said, a bit of a year ago I had to fly Air France Economy for work from Washington to Paris. I use to travel AF Economy quite a bit and it always use to be a stellar product with great food. The food has definitely come down a significant notch, but at least...
I've always loved Air France and more than ever I do agree that its product is excellent. Especially its premium products. That said, a bit of a year ago I had to fly Air France Economy for work from Washington to Paris. I use to travel AF Economy quite a bit and it always use to be a stellar product with great food. The food has definitely come down a significant notch, but at least they still serve champagne in coach. But the food use to be so much better. This was an especially brutal come down as just the month before I was in AF First from CDG to Washington.. and that was fantastic. But yes, overall I'd agree with your assessment, but do think that on long haul at least the gain up front has come with a noticeable decline in the back. I had to fly home from that work trip on British Airways in Economy from London back to DC, and would absolutely say that was a better economy product than the AF product in economy.
100% agreed. It really isn't close in Europe. Air France for the win.
While "best" is subject to opinion, your characterization is fair and reasonable.
Worst premium economy class in Europe though
May I ask why? I know the hard shell seats were a problem for a while, but other than that I wasn't under the impression that there were any problems with it.
Have you flown BA?