Wednesday newsletters all the time function a lodge or flight evaluation.
A number of weeks in the past, I loved a vacation in St Barths, the Caribbean’s most unique island. You’ll be able to learn my journey studies right here:
- Assessment: Air France Enterprise Class Airbus A330 from Paris to St Martin (in the present day)
- Assessment: Winair Twin Otter flight from St Martin to St Barths
- Assessment: Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barths
- Assessment: Le Sereno St Barths
- Assessment: Cheval Blanc St Barths
- Assessment: Air France Enterprise Class Airbus A330 from St Martin to Paris
At present: Assessment – Air France Enterprise Class Airbus A330 (Paris to St Martin)
A number of weeks in the past, I flew in Enterprise Class onboard an Air France Airbus A330-200 from Paris to St Martin within the Caribbean. The expertise was good, though Air France’s A330s Enterprise Class onerous product isn’t precisely trade main. In 2019, Air France accomplished a retrofit of its A330 fleet, with every plane now that includes a complete of 36 Enterprise Class seats in 2-2-2 configuration. The logic for this less-private seat association made sense at the moment since Air France meant to primarily deploy its A330s to leisure locations (through which {couples} touring collectively typically want to sit down subsequent to 1 one other). However since then, so much has modified and Air France now primarily flies its A330s to St Martin (the one remaining leisure vacation spot) and main cities in Africa (nearly all enterprise locations).
Whereas the Enterprise Class onerous product on Air France’s A330 is consistent with the A330 plane of its accomplice KLM (which I reviewed right here), it isn’t practically pretty much as good because the one put in on the provider’s Boeing 777 (which I reviewed right here) and Boeing 787 (which I reviewed right here). The tender product is identical although, with connoisseur delicacies designed by Michelin starred cooks, a rigorously chosen wine and Champagne checklist, and a wide array of in-flight leisure. FYI, Air France nonetheless has 11 Airbus A330s in its long-haul fleet with a mean age of twenty-two years. Air France has no plans to replace the Enterprise Class product on these plane, however it’s going to exchange them by next-generation and bigger Airbus A350-900s (which additionally function a significantly better Enterprise Class product).
Have you ever ever flown in Air France Enterprise Class? If that’s the case, what was your expertise? Depart a remark.
- Journey: Paris (PAR) to St Martin (SXM)
- Airline: Air France
- Plane kind: Airbus A330-200
- Plane registration quantity: F-GZCN
- On time departure: 10 am (sure)
- On time arrival: 3 pm (sure)
- Miles: 4170 miles (6710 km)
- Flight time: 9 hours
- Seat: 4A
- Class: Enterprise Class
On this evaluation (extra data & images beneath my Youtube clip & slideshow):
- Value of my ticket
- Lounge
- Enterprise Class cabin
- Enterprise Class seat (+ finest & worst seats)
- Facilities & bedding
- Meals
- Leisure
- Onboard web
- Different inflight experiences
- My verdict (rating)
1. COST OF MY TICKET
I paid 2400 euros for my return Enterprise Class flight from Paris to St Martin. I booked the ticket straight on the Air France web site and likewise used a 75 euro low cost coupon (which was despatched out by electronic mail by Air France a couple of days earlier).
2. LOUNGE
I booked the most affordable Air France Enterprise Class fare, a so known as “Enterprise Class Gentle” ticket. The “Enterprise Class Gentle” fare possibility provides the consolation of flying within the Enterprise Class cabin however with out the posh of lounge entry or a second checked bag. As compared, these on Enterprise Commonplace and Enterprise Flex tickets get lounge entry and two checked luggage of 32kg every, whereas these on Enterprise Flex fares additionally get free seat choice earlier than check-in and refunds in the event that they cancel the journey.
FYI, I’ve beforehand revealed my detailed evaluation of the wonderful Air France Enterprise Class lounge at Paris Charles De Gaules Airport, which you’ll learn right here.
3. BUSINESS CLASS CABIN
Enterprise Class on Air France’s Airbus A330 plane options 36 seats in a 2-2-2 structure. These seats are distributed over two Enterprise Class cabins: a entrance cabin with 24 seats (4 rows) and a rear cabin with 12 seats (2 rows).
The two-2-2 structure implies that there isn’t a direct aisle entry from each seat. This isn’t an uncommon Enterprise Class structure for airways or plane that fly to leisure locations (the place journey companions usually need to be seated collectively). Nevertheless, Air France is predominantly working its A330 plane on enterprise routes (with St Martin being the one leisure vacation spot) with the next proportion of solo fliers, which means this 2-2-2 seating configuration is much less interesting.
Regardless of its suboptimal seating plan, the Air France A330 Enterprise Class cabin does have a shiny, ethereal and modern look. The cabin’s ambient lighting emphasizes the main points of the decor the place prime quality materials, leather-based and the Air France model’s symbolic accent have satisfaction of place.
4. BUSINESS CLASS SEAT (+ BEST & WORST SEATS)
Air France put in Equinox 2D Enterprise Class seats by Stelia Aerospace on its Airbus A330 fleet. This explicit kind of seat has a width of twenty-two inch (56 cm) and a pitch of 78 inch (198 cm); the latter is outlined as the space from any level on one seat to the very same level on the seat in entrance or behind, and thus a very good indication of the legroom.
Every pair of Enterprise Class seats shares a console within the center, which can be utilized by each passengers as a small desk for a drink and which additionally holds the tray tables. This facet of the seat additionally contains a retractable privateness display screen, a studying gentle at eye degree, an influence plug and the passenger service unit (distant management for IFE). Additionally on this facet of the seat, behind the top relaxation, is a small cubby for storing headphones, water and small gadgets (similar to a pockets, cell phone or glasses).
In entrance of every seat is a 18.5 inches, high-resolution, touchscreen TV in 16:9 format and a small footrest. The latter turns into a part of the flat mattress when the seat is reclined in its horizontal place. The totally flat mattress is an enormous enchancment over Air France’s older A330 Enterprise Class product (which featured angled lie flat seats). With its size of 78 inches (198 cm), the mattress is kind of snug, even for taller passengers, albeit a bit on the slender facet. Sadly, opposite to comparable seats on different airways, the seat’s arm relaxation cannot be lowered to extend the mattress width and to boost the sleeping consolation.
The one cupboard space across the seat is the small cuby close to the top relaxation and the area underneath the footrest (you should retailer all of your carry-on baggage and bigger gadgets within the overhead bins).
What are the finest Enterprise Class seats on Air France’s Airbus A330-200?
- All seats within the cabin, apart from the primary and final row, are fairly good, particularly for {couples}. Be certain that to prebook your seat on-line (which could be executed freed from cost) to keep away from disappointment on the airport, since KLM’s flights are sometimes totally packed.
- The rear cabin and is smaller and extra intimate, so it is perhaps most popular by some vacationers (though it is usually positioned proper in entrance of the Financial system Class, making it extra uncovered to noise disturbance)
What are the worst Enterprise Class seats on Air France’s Airbus A330-200?
- The two-2-2 Enterprise Class structure doesn’t make Air France’s A330 Enterprise Class cabin very engaging for solo vacationers, since you’ll all the time find yourself sitting subsequent to a stranger. There’s a massive display screen although between paired seats, which supplies a substantial quantity of privateness.
- Window seats don’t have direct aisle entry.
- Passengers seated within the first row could also be bothered by the noise of the galley and passengers going to or coming back from the bathrooms.
- I additionally recommend to keep away from the final row of seats within the rear Enterprise Class cabin, which is positioned proper in entrance of the Financial system Class bassinet seats.
Click on right here for a seat map of the Air France Enterprise Class structure on the Airbus A330.
5. AMENITIES & BEDDING
Air France provides the next facilities to its Enterprise Class passengers on longhaul flights:
- A consolation equipment manufactured from 96% recycled materials. Its plastic packaging has been eliminated in favor of an integrity seal. Sober and refined, it’s out there in two colours, navy blue and beige. Every equipment incorporates a toothbrush and a pen made out of maize straw, in addition to earplugs wrapped in kraft paper to keep away from plastic. A big sleep masks, socks, toothpaste and Clarins cosmetics full the equipment.
- A hanger
- A tender microfiber pillow and a tender blanket
- Air France branded noise-cancelling headphones, that are onerous wired into the storage cubby and of respectable high quality
Sadly, Air France didn’t present a quilted mattress throughout this flight. Nevertheless, there may be some excellent news on the horizon since Air France has introduced the launch of latest mattress toppers for its long-haul Enterprise Class passengers. The flag provider has partnered with the Sofitel MY BED assortment to design the brand new bedding, which will probably be rolled out throughout the airline’s A330, A350, 777 and 787 fleet beginning in July.
6. MEALS
Air France has a protracted historical past of collaborating witch Michelin-starred cooks. In actual fact, it’s the one airline on this planet to accomplice with so many Michelin-starred cooks, reaffirming greater than ever its function as an envoy for fantastic French eating and experience all through the world. On long-haul flights departing from Paris, Air France has entrusted the menu in its Enterprise cabin to Michelin-starred French cooks. The best names in French haute delicacies, together with Régis Marcon, Anne-Sophie Pic and Michel Roth, take it in turns to supply vegetarian dishes in addition to refined dishes with purple or chicken or fish. These meals are enhanced by tableware signed by French designer Jean-Marie Massaud. The wine and champagne checklist is chosen by world well-known sommelier Paolo Basso.
Throughout this present day flight to St Martin, two meals have been served: a multi-course lunch after takeoff and a light-weight meal previous to touchdown. The onboard delicacies was created by Jérome Banctel, the chef of three Michelin starred Le Gabriele Restaurant in Paris. Menus have been properly executed (with all choices talked about in English and French), the dishes have been beautiful plated (besides maybe for the principle course), and the meals tasted glorious.
I select the next choice from the lunch menu:
- Appetizer: cream of smoked sweetcorn soup, girolle mushrooms and toasted buckwheat
- Starter: Camargue purple rice, candy potato, and rainbow trout salad with raspberry French dressing
- Predominant course: beef chuck, peanut sauce, celery, Taggiasca olives
- Cheese: Cantal, Fourme d’Ambert, Chabichou du Poitou cheeses
- Dessert: crispy hazelnut and caramel cake
Snacks & drinks have been out there within the Enterprise Class galley all through the flight. The self-service bar was bedecked in a champagne and blue colour scheme.
A lightweight meal was served on one tray about 90 minutes previous to touchdown in St Martin and included the next gadgets:
- Starter: a salad
- Predominant course: smoked salmon, tangy creamy sauce, and pearl pasta with greens
- Dessert: orange & pink grapefruit
7. ENTERTAINMENT
Every Enterprise Class on Air France’s Airbus A330 options a big 14,5-inch high-definition TV display screen. A state-of-the-art graphic interface out there in 12 languages makes it simple to select from all kinds of packages. Greater than 350 movies can be found, together with a big number of French motion pictures, in addition to TV sequence, documentaries, music and podcasts. A selected part on well-being additionally permits younger and outdated alike to study meditation and seated yoga through the flight. Lastly, children have their very own navigation interface to simply discover all of the leisure particularly devoted to our youthful passengers. Air France’s Airbus A330s are additionally outfitted with a nostril and stomach digital camera, streaming dwell footage to the inflight leisure system.
8. ONBOARD INTERNET
In all cabins, passengers can use Air France Join, the airline’s in-flight Wi-Fi supply. The portal provides three passes, one among which is totally freed from cost and permits passengers to ship and obtain messages by way of WhatsApp, Messenger, WeChat, and comparable providers, though you can not ship or obtain images, movies, or audio recordsdata.
Two different web packages can be found for buy on Air France’s longhaul flights:
- The Surf Go is accessible as 1-hour voucher for EUR 10, or a full-flight voucher for EUR 22. With this go, you’ll be able to surf the web, and ship & obtain e-mails.
- The Stream Go prices EUR 38 for the complete flight and allows you to surf the web, ship and obtain e-mails together with (massive) attachments, ship & obtain messages together with images, movies, & audio recordsdata, and stream music, audio, & video.
9. OTHER INFLIGHT EXPERIENCES
# CREW: The flight attendants on this flight have been very pleasant and the service was environment friendly (though they did overlook to supply me a pre-departure drink, however that’s a minor element in fact).
# LAVATORY: Air France’s Airbus A330 options 2 bathrooms for Enterprise Class passengers: one is positioned behind the cockpit and the opposite one within the galley between each Enterprise Class cabins. The bathrooms have been filled with Clarins toiletries.
10. MY VERDICT
- Seat consolation (upright): 7/10
- Seat consolation (mattress place): 8/10
- Privateness: 7/10
- Meals (high quality): 8/10
- Meals (amount): 8/10
- Inflight leisure : 9/10
- WiFi: 8/10
- Service: 8/10
- Cabin design: 8/10
- Total expertise: good: 7.8/10
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