Air France - Paris to Dubai - Flight AF526

Air France - Paris to Dubai - Flight AF256

Check-In: When we arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris (click here to read Paris hotel and restaurant reviews) we realized we had been told to check-in at the wrong terminal. Terminal 2E has the dedicated First Class Lounge however, they told us to check-in at a different terminal, which only had Business Class check-in and lounge. Once we realized the mistake, we went to the Tickets counter and an agent there went out of her way to get us checked-in fast and efficiently. We then headed to the lounge to relax for our flight. (Click here to read our Paris hotel and restaurant reviews and click here to read our Dubai resort and restaurant reviews.)

The Lounge: The Business Class Lounge was crowded, crowded, crowded, but when the Air France Representative at the lounge found out what had happened she jumped in and made us feel extra welcome and even helped us find seats together in the lounge and then went the extra mile and got us glasses of Champagne. We had a very short time in the lounge before she came back and escorted us to the gate and to the front of the line so we could board early. Service this over-the-top good is cherished at times like this.

The Cabin: The First Class cabin of the Boeing 777-200 was decorated in calming shades of tans that helped make the four-seat cabin not feel as claustrophobic feeling as a cabin that small could have felt. The seats were a nice 24" wide and fully reclined into a flat bed that made sleeping that much more comfortable.

The Flight (Service/Food/Drinks): The flight was scheduled to Paris (click here to read Paris luxury hotel and restaurants) leave at 1:15 PM and arrive in Dubai at 10:45 PM (local time), making it a 6 ½ hour flight. As with so many flights today, we left thirty minutes late but arrived almost on time. Prior to take off, the attendant offered us the customary glass of Champagne. It was a 1997 Taittinger Blanc de Blanc Brut. Shortly after take-off, the first class service swung in to action with cocktails and lunch orders taken.

Lunch consisted of three options for starters and four for the main course. I opted for the lightly breaded scallops to start followed by the day's special offering, a fillet of duckling with sweet and sour sauce, as my main course. A selection of cheeses and deserts rounded out the lunch. Although I can easily say, the food was as good as you would get at any little French bistro; the wine list was as basic as it could be for First Class, with just two reds and two whites offered.

After lunch, the attendant offered turn-down service and turned my comfy chair into my own heavenly bed complete with feather pillow and duvet, and before I knew it, I was sound asleep in my designer Christian Lacroix, Air France sleepwear.

Service throughout the flight was consistently professional and friendly. However, with only four passengers, the availability and timeliness of the attendant was not as it should have been.

Overall Impression My overall impression with Air France's First Class is that its somewhere between Bombastic and Not. It is safe, it is average, it is commonplace. They do not offer anything that sets them apart from other carriers. Had I had the chance to experience the First Class lounge, maybe I would have a different opinion, but I didn't so I can't.

So that you do not make the same mistake, if you are flying First Class on Air France, be sure to check-in at the First Class terminal so that you can enjoy the whole first class experience.

Be sure to read our Paris hotel and restaurant reviews and our Dubai resort and restaurant reviews.

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