During my layover at Paris CDG Airport last year, I had the opportunity to visit a new Air France Lounge. I was flying from Montreal to South Africa with a layover in Paris. Air France runs several lounges to accommodate flights departing from each of CDG’s Terminals but my flight was departing from Terminal 2E Hall K so I headed to that lounge as it is the closest to my departure gate. The lounge is located just to your left after passing through Hall K security. You can walk right in and just scan your boarding pass at one of the many kiosks at the entrance otherwise the attendant at reception can scan your boarding pass. Access is complimentary for all Air France business class passengers. The lounge is spread out on two levels so you can head either upstairs or downstairs after the entrance.
Seating
There are lots of seats available throughout plus some private enclosed work areas as well. The seats by the walls have plugs to charge your electronic devices. They also have USB plugs directly in the wall outlets. I suggest bringing an adaptor if you’re coming from elsewhere, especially North America as the prongs is different (something like this works well).
The Lounge was very busy on this Sunday evening.
Food & Dining
The food was buffet style with hot and cold choices. There were 2 buffets, one in the centre and one at the far right of the lounge.
It was difficult to find a high protein option. I ended up trying a lemon chicken dish which had a lot of bones and skin. It tasted all right. I tried a pastrami sandwich after and I found the food a bit disappointing overall considering this is Air France’s hub and this is a lounge for business class passengers. The food on the plane (read more about the flight) tasted far better and felt more fresh than what I experienced at the lounge.
An ok dinner
One noteworthy detail was this chart below that listed the country of origin for every meat product they served! Whether that’s to support local French agriculture or EU agriculture, it was nonetheless a great initiative to inform consumers (based on the disclaimer, it looks like this is due to a law). I really wish this was a law in Canada too!
Drinks
Next to the buffet was a tea and coffee station where I got a cappuccino. It was alright, cappuccino machines like these often tend to brew watery cappuccinos.
There was also a self serve bar offering up wine and champagne. No cocktails were available.
I spent about two hours here before my flight. While I didn’t go hungry or thirsty, I much preferred the Air France Lounge in Hall L. It had better food, more drink options and better rest areas. It was also more open and spacious which made it feel less crowded. Overall this lounge was a decent place to spend a hour or two before my flight but I expected a bit more from Air France. At boarding time, I headed out and made my way downstairs to board my flight to South Africa. You can read my review of that flight here.
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