Air France's "Millennial Airline" Joon Begins Flying in December; Fares Start at €39 One-Way
Joon, the millennial-targeted Air France subsidiary, will take flight beginning December 1, 2017. The carrier, which its parent company Air France describes as a hybrid between low-cost and traditional carriers, will target 18-35-year-olds as it launches service in Europe.
The carrier announced that beginning December 1, 2017, Joon will launch service from its base in Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to four European cities: Barcelona (BCN; 51x weekly flights), Berlin (TXL; 37x weekly flights), Lisbon (LIS; 28x weekly flights) and Porto (OPO; 3x weekly flights). Fares for these new routes start at 39 euro one-way. Then, beginning summer 2018, Joon will extend its route network to two long-haul destinations: Fortaleza, Brazil (FOR; 2x weekly flights) and Mahe, Seychelles (SEZ; 3x weekly flights). The long-haul routes will start at 249 euros and 299 euros for FOR and SEZ service, respectively.
For the carrier's launch, Joon will employ Air France flight attendants and pilots. The carrier's fleet will consist of A320, A321, A340 and A350 aircraft.
Joon's strategy in targeting millennials seems a bit forced. In its most recent press release, Joon CEO Jean-Michel Mathieu said, "To create Joon, we worked together to define a new offer in the air transport industry, in a spirit of creativity, innovation and agility. Joon is Air France's little sister, who breaks tradition and takes inspiration from the new expectations of travellers to offer an experience that goes beyond the aircraft doors." The carrier then goes on to tell potential customers that "Joon is a fashion brand, a rooftop bar, an entertainment channel, a personal assistant... and Joon does flying too!"
(Joon is pronounced somewhat similarly to the French jeune, or "young.")
The carrier has two planned classes of service, business and economy. Business-class passengers will get free catering with a paid option for economy passengers. Travelers will get free non-alcoholic drinks and access to YouJoon, the carrier's in-flight streaming service. Each seat will offer a USB port, and business-class passengers will get a virtual reality headset on long-haul flights.
As for the look of the carrier, it's emphasizing its electric blue and white color scheme. Flight attendants will be outfitted in a uniform that it's calling "chic sportswear," made up of "classic and modern garments."
If you're interested in trying out Joon, tickets to its first four destinations are now bookable. We're seeing many fares at the carrier's 39-euro level. For example, you can fly round-trip between Paris (CDG) and Berlin (TXL) for 77 euro.
Joon doesn't have a website itself. Instead, you'll book through Air France. If you're looking to continue your trip past any of Joon's destination offerings, you'll be able to connect at CDG via Air France. Joon said in its press release that there is the possibility of earning and using Flying Blue miles when traveling with the carrier. However, at the time of writing, that option is not yet available.
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