Are you considering flying Air France's Premium Economy class on your next adventure? Join me as I share my firsthand experience and impressions of my flight from Paris CDG to Montreal from Terminal 2E, gate L22. My journey began in Mauritius where I boarded a 12 hour flight to Paris. That flight felt very cramped and long and to treat myself for the rest of the journey, I decided to upgrade my seat to a premium economy ticket for my second flight.
NO LOUNGE
The first thing you should know is that Air France Premium Economy passengers are not granted complimentary lounge access. There are several Air France Lounges at the Charles De Gaulle Airport but unfortunately you will need to pay to access them. (more details in this post). Even with a priority pass membership, lounge choices are slim at CDG Airport.
BOARDING
This is where you start to get some value for your money. The flight today was on a high-density Boeing 777. This layout has over 450 seats! (It’s also referred to as the Caribbean Layout). The line at boarding extended far past not just our gate but even past the gate next to us. Fortunately, you can use the priority boarding line as a premium economy passenger! This helped make the upgrade worthwhile. Boarding started first with the priority line which consisted of a few business class and premium economy passengers. The line was short with only about 15 people compared to over 400 in the economy line!
This Boeing 777 has a layout with over 450 seats! The premium economy cabin was newly refreshed with only 4 rows of seats and only 2 seats instead of 3 on the window aisles.
The boarding line of close to 500 passengers extended far down the terminal for over 2 gates!
CABIN & SEATS
As I entered the cabin, it felt very bright and airy. This cabin had clearly been renovated with new modern seats and TVs. The seats were very comfortable! I chose the aisle seat and there was enough space for my window-seat neighbour to get up to use the bathroom without me having to move at all! That’s a level of comfort that’s not always available in premium economy. The seats also reclined with a footrest that extends out for extra comfort. This premium economy section was separated from the other cabins, which gave it a more exclusive feel than when airlines just velcro a curtain in the aisle.
The 2-4-2 seating arrangement felt more spacious than the cramped 3-4-3 in economy. For those who appreciate extra legroom, you won’t be disappointed here. At around 5 ft 10”, I could fully stretch my legs straight out. The bulkhead seats were the most spacious, complete with a remote control for in-flight entertainment since it was a bit of a stretch to reach the touchscreen.
The premium economy seats were very spacious!
So much legroom!
INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT & AMENITIES
Waiting for me at my seat was an amenity kit consisting of a toothbrush, toothpaste, sleep mask and socks. There was a remote attached to my seat with a touchpad that allowed me to control my screen. I believe these touchpads were only available for the bulkhead rows due to the TVs being so far away on the wall. The TVs were still touchscreens but this was a nice added touch so you didn’t have to reach out of your seat all the time. There were also complimentary noise cancelling headphones at my seat. These are a much welcome addition if you don’t travel with your own noise cancelling headphones! They tend to block out most of the engine rumble and cabin noise, making for a very peaceful flight. I have been noticing lately that it makes me feel less tired, specially on long haul flights and it alleviates my headache as well. There was also a cozy sealed blanket at my seat for later on when the flight starts to get cold.
While settling into my seat and starting a movie, I encountered an annoying issue with a static buzzing noise coming from my own headphones when I plugged them in. This buzzing noise was not present during announcements. This made watching TV quite annoying. I pulled out my headphone jack about halfway out of the socket and this seemed to have fixed the problem. Although this meant that every time I moved around a little, the headphone cable would end up falling out and the movie would go silent.
The entertainment remote control with a touchpad like surface to control the screen
Complimentary noise cancelling headphones are provided to each premium economy passenger
FOOD & SERVICE
During the first hour of the flight, we were basically ignored by the cabin crew. The absence of an in-flight menu also left me curious about the meal offerings. This is below the expected level of service in premium economy. By this time you can usually expect to be offered a drink and possibly a light snack or at the very least a menu.
Service eventually picked up with the flight attendants coming by to offer lunch. Hot tip: Air France offers champagne as an aperitif to all passengers so make sure to ask for some on your flight, regardless of the class you are flying in. I started with a glass of champagne, followed by chicken and baked potatoes for lunch! I am pretty sure this is the same food that is offered in economy so I don’t feel like you get your money’s worth if you pay for premium economy expecting better food or drinks.
Chicken and baked potatoes, with camembert cheese, bread, a light salad and pudding for dessert
Air France also offered a "digestif", which is a liquor often consumed after meals that help with digestion
After the lunch service, the flight went by pretty fast as I eventually fell asleep once the pill my neighbour gave me kicked in. I woke up a few hours later. About an hour before landing, we were served a light snack which was a disappointment because it consisted mainly of sugary, packaged junk food. The yogurt drink was the only palatable thing in my opinion.
The light snack that was offered before landing
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CONCLUSION - WAS IT WORTH IT?
✅ Spacious and Comfortable: Enjoy wider seats, ample legroom, and priority boarding made the entire experience so much more calm and hassle free.
❌ Missing Amenities: No complimentary lounge access and standard economy food offerings may disappoint some travelers.
In conclusion, Air France's premium economy class offers a very comfortable and spacious flying experience but not much else when compared to regular economy. The spacious seating and priority boarding make it an attractive option for travellers seeking a bit of comfort and skipping the lines without the hefty price tag of business or first class. Premium economy transformed this flight from 7-hour journey I was dreading into a much more comfortable experience. However, don’t expect better food or drinks. It’s up to you to decide if the upgrade is worth it!
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