Air France is preparing to update its premium seating, with new seats for both their Business Class and Premium Economy products.
The new products will be progressively rolled out on 12 Boeing 777-300ERs from September 2022, each aircraft will be equipped with 48 seats in Business class.
The company is also installing its latest Premium Economy (48 seats) and Economy (273 seats) seats onboard these aircraft for optimum comfort. Each cabin is elegantly decorated in the brand’s signature colours: navy blue, white for light and contrast, and hints of red.
Let us start in Business Class – which on the first examination looks to be one manufactured by Safran Seating, based on the Versa seat.
This seat’s design is based on the 3 “F”s – Full Flat, meaning that the seat transforms into a real bed almost two metres long, Full Access, providing all passengers direct access to the aisle, and Full Privacy, ensuring optimal privacy.
The seat features a sliding door that allows passengers to create a private space, out of sight from the other passengers in the cabin.
To create a greater sense of privacy for passengers travelling together, the seats located in the centre of the cabin are now equipped with a central panel that can be lowered by pressing it down, thus creating a convivial space in which to make the most of the flight together.
The seat also features a wide 17.3-inch 4K High-Definition anti-glare screen with a noise-reducing headset, a new Bluetooth connection allowing passengers to use their own headphones and several electric sockets.
As you board the aircraft, you are greeted by a backlit winged seahorse, embodying the company’s founding myth and rich history.
The seat’s padding adds softness and a feeling of cosiness.
Moving on to the Premium Economy and Economy Cabin, Air France is introducing its latest recliner-type seat model already available on its Airbus A350, while further improving its comfort.
Each seat offers 96cm (~38″) legroom. The seatback reclines to 124 degrees and has been widened to provide greater privacy.
The seat cushions have been redesigned and the navy blue herringbone fabric adds further softness. A new noise-reducing audio headset is integrated into the seat and is easy to use at any time during the flight. The seat also features USB A and C ports.
Finally, in the Economy cabin, each seat has a wide 43 cm seat pan, a 119-degree recline and 79 cm of legroom.
The backrest is ergonomically designed, offering reinforced lateral support. It is also equipped with a USB A port.
Both Premium Economy and Economy Class seats will feature a wide 13.3-inch 4K High-Definition screen with Bluetooth connection, ideal for enjoying over 1,000 hours of on-demand entertainment.
First flying
The first aircraft with the new configuration will operate in September 2022. As well as the cabin upgrades, it will feature onboard Wi-Fi too.
The aircraft will be named “Fontainebleau” – with the first target market being the Paris to New York-JFK route.
Innovation continues
Whilst some airlines are considering deploying seats announced 5 years ago onto brand new aircraft, Air France has taken the chance to see the trends in business class seating – with privacy now being the big watchword.
And there’s one way to add privacy – install a door on a seat.
This is in addition to the space and flatbeds that are expected by passengers.
With the airline rounding out the product with updated Premium Economy and Economy Class, Air France is trying to move its passenger experience forward across its entire aircraft.
That is to be welcomed, as some parts of the aircraft do get left behind when the upgrades hit – and only one cabin gets an experience upgrade.
Whilst 12 aircraft isn’t a lot (considering Air Frances fleet of 19), it will be interesting to see if these changes filter down across the rest of the long haul fleet (with lessons learned from the A350 seating being ported forward to the Boeing 777-300ER).
All Images – Air France.
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