First look inside Air France's Airbus A350
On Friday, Air France became the latest carrier to take delivery of an Airbus A350-900. The carrier has 28 of the aircraft on order, which it expects to complete delivery of by the end of 2025.
The exterior of the aircraft is painted in traditional Air France livery, though with some added elements. The carrier painted the name of the aircraft, "Toulouse", on the exterior, bringing back a classic element. Additionally, Air France opted to bring back a livery element by way of the hippocampe, a seahorse painted both on the side of the engine and on the A350's iconic wingtips.
On the inside, Air France has also introduced some new products. Both the business-class seat and the premium economy seat are new products for the carrier.
Business Class
The business-class cabin on Air France’s A350s features a total of 34 Safran Optima seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.
This configuration is a change from many of the carrier's business-class products, which feature a 2-2-2 configuration. With the preferred configuration on the A350, each business-class passenger has direct aisle access.
Each of the seats features 79 inches of pitch. When in its lie-flat position, the seat measures nearly two meters, or 78.8 inches.
The cabin feels light and fresh, with bright upholstery and design elements. Earlier this year, Air France began retrofitting some of its A330 aircraft with an entirely new business-class product.
While the A350 business-class seat is not the same that passengers can expect to find on Air France’s retrofitted A330s, this product is better. The retrofitted A330 product features a 2-2-2 configuration, whereas this new product is 1-2-1, meaning each passenger gets aisle access.
So while the upholstery of the seat looks the same as its relatively new counterparts in the A330, the A350 will be the business-class product you’ll want to select if given the choice between the two aircraft.
Each of the seats features an 18.5-inch inflight entertainment system. In addition, each features in-seat power by way of a full power outlet and USB ports.
There’s a small storage area next to the shoulder of each of the passengers with enough room to store a water bottle, headphones and some smaller items.
In the business-class cabin — like the rest of the aircraft — there are no cathedral ceilings, meaning there are overhead bins throughout the cabin. In addition, there are no individual air vents for passengers.
Windows in the business-class cabin are a nice improvement. Window shades are automatic, allowing you to customize how much — or little — light you want.
Interestingly, Air France opted not to go with a suite option for this business-class cabin. The carrier's close partner Delta Air Lines features a suite by way of the Delta One Suite on its A350s and select other aircraft. Additionally, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, which both took delivery of their first A350s earlier this year, both feature a suite product in their updated business-class cabins.
Premium Economy
The premium economy cabin, which is on the rather small side, features just 24 Recaro seats, which are spread across a 2-4-2 configuration.
Each of the seats features 38 inches of pitch and nearly 19 inches of width.
The premium economy product on the A350 is entirely new for Air France. The seats are lighter than any predecessors, which means less weight and therefore less fuel burn.
With a completely new product also comes additional recline. Each of the 24 seats in the cabin features a full legrest, which is complemented by a footrest. Additionally, the seat itself reclines 124 degrees, which, when testing, felt incredibly generous.
Upon trying the seat, each of the three aspects put together meant an incredibly comfortable journey. The recline is very generous, but coupled with a legrest and footrest at each seat, you’ll get a comfortable experience on long-haul flights.
Each of the seats also features an 13.3-inch inflight entertainment screen. The screen can be operated by both touchscreen and remote control, which also has a touch scroll functionality. The screen can be tilted in order to accommodate when the passenger seated in front is reclined.
In addition, each of the seats in premium economy have plenty of power supply opportunities. Each seat has its own universal power port in addition to two USB ports. One USB port is located on the IFE screen, while the other is built into a small cubby alongside the hip of the passenger.
Like in the business-class cabin, Air France opted to not go with individual air vents for passengers.
Economy
Farther back in the aircraft, you’ll find the economy cabin, which is made up of 266 Safran seats, arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration.
Each of the seats in the economy cabin feature a generous 31 inches of pitch.
The seats each have their own 11.6-inch inflight entertainment screen, which is touchscreen controlled.
Unfortunately, Air France opted not to give passengers seated in economy the option of a full power outlet. However, each passenger has the option of recharging their devices via a USB connection built into the inflight entertainment system.
Across all three cabins, passengers will have access to two live camera views — a tailcam and a front-facing camera.
Overall, Air France's A350 cabin will surely be a comfortable way to fly. In business, passengers can look forward to aisle access and a bright, airy cabin. However, the lack of a suite door could prove to be less-than-ideal for passengers looking for supreme privacy. The premium economy cabin is surely comfortable, with each seat offering plenty of recline.
Beginning Oct. 7, Air France’s A350 will begin flying its route from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to Abidjan, Ivory Coast (ABJ), via Bamako, Mali (BKO), for crew familiarization. For the winter season, beginning Oct. 27, Air France will fly the A350 from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Toronto (YYZ). Then, as Air France gets its third of the A350s, it’ll begin flying to Cairo (CAI), Seoul (ICN), Mumbai (BOM) and eventually Bangkok (BKK) in Summer 2020.
Photos by Emily McNutt/The Points Guy.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.