For those looking forward to Air France‘s new long-haul cabin, there is not much longer to wait as the airline will take it to the sky on the 20th of January.
The first Boeing 777-300ER equipped with Air France’s latest long-haul cabins will take off from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to New York-JFK. Named “Fontainebleau“, this aircraft will then serve Rio de Janeiro airport in Brazil from 21 January and Dakar in Senegal from 22 January.
The refurbishment will cover 12 Boeing 777-300ERs in Air France’s long-haul fleet, allowing the airline to gradually offer more flights equipped with these new cabins to these first three destinations during the winter season, and then to expand this network during the year.
The Business Class cabin will be fitted with 48 seats, with a seat that features a fully flat bed with aisle access.
A new sliding door allows passengers to create a totally 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.
Moving onto Premium Economy. This cabin is set up with 48 seats, featuring a recliner-type seat model already available on its Airbus A350, while further improving its comfort.
Each seat offers 96cm (37.7″) legroom. The seat cushions have been redesigned and the navy blue herringbone fabric adds further softness. The seat back reclines to 124 degrees and has been widened to provide greater privacy.
A new noise-reducing audio headset is integrated into the seat and is easy to use during the flight. The seat also features USB A and C ports, with a 13.3-inch 4K High-Definition screen with Bluetooth connectivity to allow you to connect your own headset.
Finally, we head to Economy Class, where 273 seats are laid out in the cabin. Each seat has a wide 43cm (16.9″) seat pan, a 119-degree recline and 79cm (31.1″) of legroom.
The backrest is ergonomically designed, offering reinforced lateral support. It is also equipped with a USB A port.
Again, the seat is equipped with a 13.3-inch 4K High-Definition screen with Bluetooth connection to enable you to use your own headphones in flight.
Major moves in the cabin
With the new cabin coming on stream, Air France is on target to ensure its fleet of long-haul aircraft will feature flat-bed seats in business class (compared to 90% today – a move that will bring it in line with its competitors).
Connectivity will be important too, as the mainline fleet becomes fully connected in the air (with the regional fleet being excluded from in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity).
In all cabins, customers have access to the company’s connectivity offer, Air France Connect. The Air France Connect portal offers three passes, including a completely free pass allowing customers to send and receive messages and access information about flight connections.
For passengers, the refurbishment points to the future direction that Air France is going – allowing for those precious flat and private seats at the front, whilst providing connectivity through the cabin, as well as comfort in the rest of the cabin.
All Images – Air France.