This is part 3 of my trip from Montreal to Mauritius via Paris CDG. You can read more about my review of Air France Montreal Airport Lounge and the Air France Terminal 2E Lounge Review Gates L that I visited prior to boarding my flight.
I arrived at Terminal 2E Gates K after spending a wonderful time relaxing at the Air France Lounge at Gates L. Access to this lounge is complimentary for all Air France business class passengers. Paris CDG has multiple lounges at each terminal and they do not all have the same amenities so choose wisely!
Hot Tip: Paris CDG Terminal 2E has 3 satellites terminals known as K, L and M. To change between each satellite terminal, you must go through security again so keep that into consideration during your layover. Gates K was a lot more chaotic than L; it seems many flights were leaving from there that night. The boarding lines were extremely long as they had to check everyone’s vaccine and PCR test. The Skypriority line (zones 1 & 2) was very long as well but still shorter than the regular boarding line.
The Flight
The gate agents eventually made it to me. I boarded soon after and I was offered champagne immediately after being seated. My long-haul flight today was on the Boeing 777-200 with a flight time of 12 hours. Unlike on the Airbus A350, this is one of the older business class seats in Air France’s fleet. The TV definitely showed its age (more below). You can always check which aircraft your flight is scheduled on to determine what type of seat you will be getting. Last minute changes can happen though so it is never a guarantee. Before getting too comfortable, I quickly checked my AirTag to find out the location of my suitcase just to make sure it has been loaded on board. (AirTags only work with iPhones but you can also use a Samsung SmartTag or a Tile so you don’t lose your luggage)
All settled in
The Air France boeing 777-200 has a single business class cabin, separated from other sections by the galleys and toilets. The seats are laid out in a 1-2-1 pattern and when travelling alone, the window seats offer more privacy. However, the middle seats are better for couples travelling together. The seats are very spacious and convert into a fully lie-flat bed.
Your complimentary noise cancelling headphones for the flight
I received an Air France travel pouch that contained some toiletries including a toothbrush, toothpaste, eye mask, shoehorn and socks. I did change into the socks for the flight and they were subpar. The eye-mask and shoehorn were of decent quality. There was a small compartment to the side of the seat that when opened, revealed a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. I can’t comment on their quality since I always travel with my own Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones as they do an excellent job at turning the engine rumble and cabin noise into a quiet whisper but the Air France ones they did look sturdy and they tend to work very well from prior experience.
A flight attendant had left a hanger at my seat to hand my coat on. It is then stored away and returned to you before landing. I had forgotten about the hanger and halfway through the flight when I asked if they had space for my coat, the flight attendant kindly replied with a smile “monsieur, on a toujours de la place”, which means “Sir, we always have space”.
My seat included a shelf to store my accessories and a double window view. I watched as the plane was being refuelled while waiting for takeoff. Something new I learned, you are not supposed to wear your seat belt while the plane is being refuelled.
The TV screen seemed a bit outdated as the bezels were almost as large as the screen. However the seat was very comfortable. The controls to convert it into a bed were on the armrest. There was a huge selection of TV shows and movies available including a meditation section. Unlike Air Canada’s Business Class seats however, there was no massage option or the ability to adjust the mattress firmness.
A pleasant surprise from Air France is that they provide free basic Wi-Fi on board for all passengers (including economy) that is limited to messaging apps such as WhatsApp. This means you can keep up with friends and family and update them on your flight status in the air. Takeoff was smooth and was followed by a flight attendant handing out menus for the night’s dinner.
Dinner
Welcome Champagne.
Dinner Menu
Dinner Choices. “Cheese” was its own course.
Drinks Selection Menu
The drink selection included red wines, white wines, champagne, aperitifs, digestifs and spirits.
Champagne and a light appetizer of stuffed crepes
After taking the food and drinks order, the flight attendant laid out my tablecloth before the meal service. Dinner is served on real ceramic plates and silverware.
The smoked salmon starter was delicious.
They were unfortunately out of the lamb dish so I chose the pollock with rice.
I was so hyped for dessert. It came on a separate covered tray and included my favourite: macarons!
This being Air France, there was a also a full cheese plate which included goat cheese and camembert.
Air France’s business cabin on the Boeing 777-200 has a single large bathroom in the front instead of the usual two smaller sized standard airplane bathroom. This made it very easy to change clothes in the bathroom. There was also an indicator light in the cabin that alternated between red and green to notify you when the bathroom is occupied to avoid you having to get up from your seat unnecessarily.
Ready to sleep
The seat extends fully flat into a bed. A complimentary blanket is offered to every passenger.
The seatbelts were somewhat heavy but were heavily padded so that they felt soft against your body. It was still comfortable to sleep with them on.
The night went by fast. I woke up to this beautiful view of the Indian Ocean
Breakfast
Breakfast was a collection of fresh warm croissants and smoked salmon bagel with cheese. I also ordered a fresh cappuccino, something I always do ever since I’ve found out there is usually an espresso machine in business class.
Air France Breakfast. Fresh croissants, smoke salmon bagel with cheese, yogurt, granola and a cappuccino.
As we approached Mauritius, we had a beautiful view of Le Morne Mountain.
Hot Tip: Choose a seat on the right side of the plane if you want a view like the one above on landing!
The rest of the trip was a breeze. As we docked at the gate, we were first to exit the plane and first to arrive at customs. There were no other arrivals at the same time so the lines were all empty. Some passengers were subjected to a very quick temperature scan. I then passed through immigration and had my PCR test on site. At MRU Airport, business class passengers get a dedicated luggage conveyor belt so my luggage arrived pretty quickly.
This was such a pleasant flight with plenty of food and drinks and I will definitely be flying Air France business class again.
If you are visiting France or Mauritius, you can purchase your esim on the Airalo App so you're connected as soon as you land and can call your Uber, use Google Maps and Whatsapp without searching for WiFi. If you sign up with my referral code C0887, you’ll get $3 USD off your first purchase!
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