Air France Business Class Review - Boeing 777 JNB to Paris CDG

In this post, I’ll be reviewing my flight from Johannesburg to Paris on Air France. After an amazing 10 day safari in South Africa, it was sadly time to fly back home to Canada. I had a short hop on AirLink Airlines from Skukuza Airport to O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB). After landing at JNB, I had to pick up my luggage then head to the Air France check-in counter for luggage drop-off. This was because my two flights were booked on separate tickets so AirLink would not automatically transfer my luggage to Air France. If you are interested in the review of my flight from Paris to Johannesburg 10 days earlier, you can find it here! That review also has some more detailed info that I won’t cover again below in this post.

Prior to my flight, I received this notification (pictured right) on the Air France app notifying me of a food and beverage voucher due to a disruption. There was no other information provided.

Check-In

The Air France check-in desk is located upstairs in Terminal A. There was a SkyPriority line for business class passengers. Luggage drop-off was fast and smooth. Note that business class passengers are allowed to check in 2 suitcases weighing up to 32kg each.

Keep in mind that there is no priority security or passport control line so don’t linger around for too long outside the terminal especially if it’s too busy. You are better off going airside ASAP where you can relax at the lounge.

The Air France check-in counter at JNB

The SLOW Lounge

Air France passengers flying in business class are entitled to complimentary access to the SLOW Lounge at JNB. This lounge also accommodates passengers from AirLink, KLM and Delta Airlines. Once you are past security, the lounge will be upstairs; follow the signs to the entrance. The lounge entrance looked very upscale and welcoming.

The SLOW Lounge Entrance

The lobby

The wine selection

This is one of the nicer lounges that I have been to. There was even a wine tasting bar with a wall covered in wine racks. The food selection was extensive. There was also an awesome looking pancake machine which I regret not trying! Keep in mind that there are no flight announcements so make sure to keep track of your boarding time.

Boarding

Boarding started on time with a separate line for zone one (business class) passengers. I always leave an AirTag in my suitcase so before boarding I used the Find My app to make sure it’s loaded on the plane (AirTags only work with iPhones but you can also use a Samsung SmartTag or a Tile). They are also useful to locate your luggage in case the airline loses your luggage).

The boarding line

Seats

The new Air France business class has a revamped cabin with new seats. Air France has added several new features including a USB-c charger, a large 4K personal TV and a sliding door for more privacy! There is also Bluetooth to connect your wireless headphones directly to your TV and a wireless charger for your phone.

Not all the seats in this cabin are identical. The first row most spacious and couples travelling together should opt for the middle seats and put down the separator completely. This forms a side console with a table between the 2 seats. If you are flying solo then I would just go for a window seat.

At my seat was a blanket, pillow and a bottle of Evian water. There was also a hanger to hang my coat and the flight attendant stowed it away for the flight.

Noise Cancelling Headphones

The side console opens up to reveal a pair of complimentary noise cancelling headphones but I always travel with my own Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones as they do an excellent job at turning the engine rumble and cabin noise into a quiet whisper. You can also find the full list of Air France’s business class features here.

We were mostly ignored for the first 20 minutes of boarding. A flight attendant distributed amenity kits followed by a glass of champagne. This was followed by an in-flight menu.

WiFi

The free Wi-Fi only gives you access to messaging apps just like an economy. I thought this was disappointing for business class. However according to the infotainment system, they will be rolling out high-speed Wi-Fi progressively which may include normal Wi-Fi in business.

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Food and Dining

Dinner was served shortly after takeoff. The meal was ok… The salad was limp and the bread cold but the ravioli were decent. I did not eat the carrots. I find that Air France usually has better than average airline food so perhaps this had to do with them flying out of JNB. My AirLink flight out of JNB served a decent sandwich though.

Dinner started with champagne and delicious goat cheese balls

The fish starter was flaky

I found the main course lacking

Lie-Flat Seats

After dinner, I turned the seat into a lie flat bed using the softly illuminated button on my right. The bed was comfortable and spacious enough for me at 5 ft 10. I passed out for the night and woke up with only 2 hours left to go.

Unfortunately my partner's privacy door would not close even after calling over a flight attendant to help us. He tried his best for a while and he was all “putain mais c’est ça voyager avec Air France". We were dying at this man’s funny attitude. Eventually we managed to loosen the door just enough that it worked and we were able to slide it shut.

Overnight, there was a minibar set up in front with snacks and drinks for hungry fliers. You could also ask the flight attendant for a hot snack like a sandwich that they'd heat up.

Breakfast

As we approached France, the cabin lights started to glow brighter and brighter until they were fully on. At that time, the breakfast service started. Note that if you want to sleep through the flight, you can let them know and they won't wake you up for breakfast service. Breakfast consisted of a cheese omelette, yogurt, granola, fruits and some warm croissants.

I enjoyed this 12 hour flight and it felt short since I slept through most of it. I arrived in Paris after a good night’s sleep and ready for my layover and last flight back home to Montreal! Looking forward to flying Air France again!

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Air Canada Premium Economy Review - Tokyo to Montreal (Boeing 777)

After an amazing 2 weeks in Japan, it was time to fly back home to Canada. To reach NRT Airport from Tokyo, we took the Airport Limousine coach bus which offers pickup from several areas in Tokyo including right in front of our Hyatt Hotel. The bus does take longer than the train but you don’t need to lug your luggage through the subway and carry it up and down stairs while hoping there’s a free seat on the train which is unlikely during rush hour.

We enjoyed a scenic ride of endless skyscrapers through Tokyo and the suburbs until we reached the airport. For the 13 hour flight, we had booked a premium economy seat on Air Canada's Boeing 777. The upgrade to business class was approximately $4000 which is so not worth it for Air Canada unless you absolutely need a lie-flat seat.

Premium economy increases your luggage allowance to 2x 32kgs suitcases which was beneficial as we ended up buying a lot of snacks and souvenirs in Japan.

Air Canada uses Terminal 1S near Gate 43 and all the other Air Canada gates were in the same vicinity. At the terminal, there is a self bag drop service with no priority line. Security and immigration were blazing fast as there was no line. We had some time to visit the NOA lounge which we were granted access into using my Wealthsimple lounge pass. Note that premium economy passengers are not entitled to complimentary lounge access. The lounge had some tasty food including a beef rice bowl and a selection of sake and Japanese beers. They had a robot/automated machine that tilted the glass at an angle for the beer pour. The Japanese always out there living in 2050!

The lounge meal was good and far nicer than what I ate on my Air Canada flight

Boarding

Boarding started on time and it was very fast starting with zone one for business class passages, followed by two for premium economy. As usual, people in zone 5 stand up at the first boarding announcement then crowd the gate. It’s nice that Air Canada now checks boarding passes to ensure that people in the proper zones are boarding at the correct time. For example, there was someone verifying that passengers in line only included those in zone three and asked all others to step aside and go sit down. 

The boarding gate was very crowded. Boeing 777 is my least favourite plane to fly on in economy

Seats

Once on board, I settled into my seat. The seat was quite old, and the recline button was clunky. We had the bulkhead row with ample legroom. The TV came out from the compartment near my left foot. It was an old thick tablet with a slow and unresponsive touchscreen. 

My charging port was hanging out of the socket so I pushed it back in. Very premium! The headphone port was broken and mostly played sound out of one side of my headphones at a time. It also produced a lot of static noises.

The TVs were old and slow. I could not keep it at a straight angle towards me, as soon as I let go of it would fall back and face my partner instead.

Tried holding it in place

It would fall back as soon as I let go

Food and Dining

At my seat was an amenity kit. If you’d like to read more about the inflight amenities, read my previous review of my flight from Montreal to Tokyo. The menu today included a salad, a main course of beef and a green tea dessert. The meal service would also include a snack mid flight and breakfast before arrival. A flight attendant came by to take our dinner order with a choice of chicken or beef

The menu is available ahead of time on the Air Canada app with the choices of chicken and pasta or beef with rice. While for my flight to Japan 2 weeks earlier, the app alerted me ahead of time to place my meal order. However it didn’t do so on this flight.

Dinner was alright. I enjoyed the beef and rice but my salad was frozen.

I tried to watch Coco to pass the time (wonderful Mexican movie, highly recommend!). Unfortunately, it sounded like this: You must make a choice crack crack Miguel but family is crack crack supposed to support crack crack you. According to Air Canada, one of the perks of premium economy is “A next generation entertainment system”. In between the crackling noises, the audio would also cut out as the headphone jack would play music only on one side and I had to keep moving it. The touchscreen was awful and would register random clicks.

I tried to use the remote to control the TV but it was stuck. I asked for help from a flight attendant who looked exasperated and said yes it does that, sometimes it helps if you try to wedge a piece of paper in the headphone port. She offered me another glass of wine as an apology. I also tried to connect to the WiFi which did not work.

I eventually gave up and just turned everything off, unplugged my headphones and closed my eyes. Make sure not to fall asleep with your headphones connected as the in flight announcements are deafening 

Breakfast

For breakfast, I opted for the stir fried noodles.

The screen was broken and would not hold up

This was such a low quality product that I’m almost ashamed to admit that I paid double the price of economy for this ticket. I would give Air Canada’s premium economy a 2/5 at best. As we approached Montreal, I began to wonder if I was part of the problem because as long as someone is willing to pay for this then Air Canada can get away with it. There was nothing premium about this flight other than the wider (broken) seats, more legroom and the price tag. I would pick flying in Emirates’ economy seats upstairs on the A380 over this. This flight was a reminder that we lack competition in Canada.

If you are interested in reading about my experience flying from Montreal to Tokyo 2 weeks earlier, you can find it here.

Related blog posts:

Is Air Canada Premium Economy worth it? (Review: Boeing 777 Montreal to Tokyo)

It's been close to 10 years since we last visited Asia and for our trip back, we decided to travel in premium economy on the 13 hour flight from Montreal to Japan to treat ourselves. Unfortunately Air Canada is the only airline that flies direct to Tokyo from Montreal so that was our only option. Prices for economy were hovering around $1500 CAD while premium economy was roughly double at around $3000 depending on which days of the week you fly. It's a steep increase and for all that extra cash, Air Canada claims you get the following:

• Bigger seats (wider and more legroom)

• Priority airport services (Check-in, Security, Boarding, Luggage)

• Increased luggage allowance (2x 32kg) 

• A unique inflight dining experience (note it does not claim to be better than economy)

Air Canada also claims to offer the following which I found was just outright false advertising as you'll see below:

• A next generation entertainment system* featuring your own personal touch-screen TV

• A single-pin audio jack for your own headset

I booked the premium economy cabin primarily for the space and to avoid the dread that flying economy has become nowadays (cramped seats, chaotic boarding, charged for every add-on and long lines for everything). Premium economy also entitles you to two suitcases, something that I thought might come in handy if I end up doing a lot of shopping in Japan.

I knew full-well that the food may be subpar, considering that even the food on my previous Air Canada business class flight was terrible and I did not have expectations of an improved inflight entertainment system but boy was I wrong (more on that disappointment below). A few days before my flight, I was notified via the Air Canada app that I could preorder my inflight meal.

Check-In

Check-in and security was a breeze using the automated baggage drop-off booths at YUL Airport. The old physical orange priority tags are no longer used as it's all handled electronically now. I did have access to the priority security line thanks to my Wealthsimple Visa (wealthsimple.com/invite/LHV6SQ) but I didn’t even bother using it because the airport was so calm at this time (an unexpected surprise for YUL these days). After dropping off my luggage, I received these notifications below that my bags were being tracked. It was a nice surprise and added a bit more confidence that my luggage wouldn’t get lost. Later on, I also received another notification when the bags were loaded on the aircraft. I felt confident that lost luggage situations were becoming rare but Air Canada managed to disappoint me on my next flight where my luggage was sent to Toronto instead of Montreal. My suggestion is to always put an AirTag in your luggage and keep an eye out on these notifications and verify the bag # and the destination as their system doesn’t do any checks, it merely sends you updates.

Premium economy passengers do not get complementary lounge access so I used my free lounge access provided by Wealthsimple to enter the National Bank Lounge. The lounge was pretty quiet on this beautiful morning. If you want to read more about the National Bank Lounge, check out my review here. Note that this lounge gets very busy in the late afternoon and evening, especially on Fridays, and Saturdays. If you are flying to Europe on those days, expect to be waitlisted and not actually get in by the time your flight boards.

Boarding

Boarding started on time with zone one for business class passengers. The line moved swiftly and I was next to board as part of zone two. There was no wait time to board and as soon as I entered, I turned right and found my seat in row 14. The overhead bins were pretty much empty with plenty of space still left after placing our two backpacks.

Seats and Entertainment

The premium economy seats were spacious and wide with just two by the window instead of the three across in economy. The seats looked old and tired. As I sat down, I realized the my seat was leaning back and the seat recline button was broken and would not move my seat in the upright position. It had to be manually adjusted by holding the button while pulling the seat in place. Very premium. 

There was ample legroom and a footrest

The screen was old and smaller than Emirates' A380 economy screens

The entertainment system looked outdated, like a screen from the early 2000s. The touchscreen lagged and required physical force while pushing and holding my finger to register a click. Sometimes a quick tap would register a click somewhere else on the screen and stop my movie when I was trying to change the volume. It was a big disappointment and a direct lie from Air Canada’s claim that premium economy offers “A next generation entertainment system* featuring your own personal touch-screen TV”. The TV could also be controlled by this worn out remote that has definitely seen some better days.

The 3.5 mm headphone jack (shown below) was either broken or not set up for personal headphones as claimed. Every time the wire moved slightly, the sound switched from stereo to only a single ear and introduced loud static and crackling noises. This occurred during the entire flight and made it very difficult to enjoy watching anything. I had to leave the headphone jack hanging half out in order for the sound to come from both sides. The socket was loose and sometimes the cable would just fall out. This was so disappointing for the price I paid. It was a sad reminder that Air Canada does not have any competition when flying direct to Japan. If I compare these Air Canada premium economy seats and entertainment screen to what Emirates provides in its economy class aboard the A380, it’s quite embarrassing. Do better Air Canada!

By the end of my flight, my AUX cable had become so damaged from the constant adjusting that it stopped working. Can you feel the premium on this premium economy flight?

Amenity Kit

Waiting for me at my seat was a pillow, a blanket, a bottle of water and an amenity kit. The amenity kit was designed as a plastic tote bag and I ended up using it daily during my trips to 7 Eleven. Inside were a pair of socks, a toothbrush and toothpaste. 

I quickly checked on my AirTag to ensure that my luggage has been loaded on the plane before takeoff. I could also see the status directly on the Air Canada app.

Food & Dining

The flight attendant came by to confirm our preordered dinner choice of Japanese chicken katsu and asked whether we were still comfortable with our choice. I recommend pre-ordering on the app a week before since the passengers in front of me wanted the chicken katsu as well but it was no longer available.

We also received a hot towel, a drink and snack after takeoff. Dinner was served soon after. The meal was decent though a bit sweet and I think it's the same as what is served in economy but just plated on china and the drinks served in glassware. I found the service actually attentive, something which varies a lot with Air Canada and shockingly both the meal and service were much better than my recent experience on Air Canada’s business class to London.

Chicken Katsu

I found myself much more comfortable than in the tight economy seats. As the cabin lights turned off after the meal which was around 3:30 pm, it was too early to sleep yet so I watched a movie. The biggest annoyance during the flight was having to constantly readjust my headphone jack and making sure it didn’t move. Every time I changed positions, I would accidentally hit it and the sound would cut out so I had to keep fidgeting with it. Tapping on one area of the screen would register a tap on a different area which made it difficult to pause the movie while my headphones fell out. If you’re old enough to remember the Walkman and iPod days then you know what it was like to twist your headphones cord and hold it in just the right position so the audio would work. Though as I found out after my flight, doing so ruined my headphones and I had to replace the cable.

Further into the flight, a tuna wrap and biscuit were served as a snack. It was basic.

I am surprised they could not find a locally made snack to serve

The vodka was local though!

I fully reclined the seats to sleep and although this was no lie-flat seat, it was significantly more comfortable than in economy. My seat was broken so it required some manual pushing and pulling but once I got it reclined all the way, it was fine. The inflight announcements always came on at full volume making me yank out my headphones every time it happened so make sure to disconnect your headphones before falling asleep so you can actually stay asleep. It was very hard to sleep anyway other than a short nap as this was a daytime and evening flight 

Breakfast was finally served closer to landing and I chose the omelette.

The washroom situation was less than ideal as the premium economy cabin does not get its own washroom or one that is shared with the sparse business cabin. Instead, it shares 2 washroom with the entire economy cabin and is not exclusive to premium economy. I did find however that the lines were shorter than the economy cabin. 

Conclusion

This flight reminded me why we need more competition in the airline industry in Canada and especially on a route to Tokyo considering how much tourism has increased recently. While I enjoyed the additional space that premium economy provided along with the priority lines and luggage handling everything else felt meh with the personal TVs and broken seat being the biggest disappointments. For me, the main advantage was the space and calmer cabin but if you don’t value that or any of the priority perks (boarding, security) and extra luggage then you are better off saving your money for Japan!

Look at this cute Japanese plane!