In September 2020, I first wrote about what it looked like Air France was going to install First Class on some upcoming A350s (which is exciting because Air France has one of the best First Class products in the world). While this has not yet been officially confirmed, we now have more details on the theoretical schedule for this event thanks to some new information. Air France’s shrinking premium footprintAir France First Class (known as “La Premiere”) is one of the most exclusive first class products in the world. Historically, First Class was available on the following aircraft:
Air France has just discontinued its entire A380 fleet Air France retired its entire A380 fleet in 2020, leaving more than half of La Premiere’s seats. In fairness, Air France’s first class was much better on the 777 than it was on the A380 so I don’t see this as a huge loss without the cabins being reconfigured. At the same time, I feared that after the A380 First Class was withdrawn, the airline might cut first class completely, as it might have been difficult to justify this with a small footprint. Some Air France A350s are likely to be top-notchIt is believed that Air France will install La Premiere First Class on part of its Airbus A350-900 fleet. Air France has ordered a total of 38 A350s, 11 of which have already been added to the French airline’s fleet. There were questions about when Air France’s first A350 would be delivered with First Class. There is a fantastic Wikipedia page for Air France’s fleet that has been very historically accurate. As a result, Air France’s 20th Airbus A350-900 will be the first to feature a world-class cabin from La Premiere. Air France A350 This aircraft would have the registration code F-HTYT and is already in production. Based on the current delivery schedule, I would estimate Air France will be delivering this aircraft in 12 to 18 months. Let me reiterate that this is all speculation and that Air France, in one way or another, has not confirmed it. Even if it’s true, it remains to be seen: For anyone wondering the original source of this rumor (since last year), it was first revealed on a blog for Air France’s flight attendants union. Allegedly there had been a meeting regarding changes to the A350 configuration. Air France’s flight attendants union was not particularly pleased with the addition of first class to the A350, claiming:
While I can appreciate the frustration in general, this is a common multiple aircraft challenge and I’m not sure any airline has come up with a great solution to this. Air France’s A350 Business Class What could Air France’s A350 first class look like?At this point we are way ahead of ourselves considering how little detail there is, but who doesn’t like a bit of speculation? ? Initially, I would assume that the A350’s first-class cabin will be very intimate, similar to the 777’s. I would suspect that we will only see one row of seats, probably with a total of four seats in the cabin. Air France 777 First Class Air France’s premium 777 product is a genius. The design is quite simple: each seat has curtains to give full privacy to the passengers (and not just a door that is not very high). This is a product that can be easily installed on the A350.
Could we see Air France developing a new product? I suppose we haven’t seen much innovation when it comes to the first class of the A350, although we haven’t seen much else. Malaysia Airlines was the only airline to install First Class on A350, and that product has since been renamed Business Suites. While Malaysia Airlines has doors in the cabin, the seats feel pretty tight, so personally I prefer the Air France concept by far. A350 Business Suites operated by Malaysia Airlines
I don’t know of any top-notch products in existence that would otherwise make sense on the Air France A350, but who knows, some très chic is probably being worked on behind the scenes. Starlux Airlines is also planning to install First Class on its A350, which will be delivered from the beginning of 2022. In addition, Lufthansa is planning to install First Class on some of the upcoming A350s. Bottom lineWhile we have to wait for the full details, it seems increasingly likely that Air France intends to install its premium product La Premiere on some A350s. The current theory seems that the airline will begin installing first class for the 20th Airbus A350 delivery, which I would expect in just over a year. We hope that this information is correct and that Air France’s first class will live on for the long term. It’s interesting to see that both Air France and Lufthansa are reportedly planning first class cabins on A350 when it was previously an aircraft in which airlines avoided first class. I think this reflects the airlines that are retiring larger planes but are still seeing first class demand. What do you think of Air France, which is installing First Class on the A350? (Hat tip to Clem) Via https://globalconnekt.com/report-air-france-will-install-first-class-on-a350/
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