Name: American Express® Gold Card
Brand: American Express

Quick summary

Air France is introducing an upgraded cabin configuration on 12 of its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, initially serving the New York (JFK) to Paris route.
The new layout enhances all classes, with Business Class now featuring suites with doors, larger 4K screens and multiple charging options.
Premium Economy adopts the latest seats from the A350, doubling its size and adding more comfort features, while Economy also receives improved entertainment systems.
These upgrades aim to provide a more modern and competitive experience across the Atlantic, with further routes to be announced.

What to consider

The new configuration is currently confirmed only for the New York-Paris route, with additional routes expected in the future.
Bulkhead Business Class seats offer extra space at no additional charge, making them especially desirable for travelers.
Air France has not yet specified the exact date these upgraded aircraft will enter service.

What you'll miss from the article

A detailed walkthrough of the new cabin features, including seat functions, design elements and tips for selecting the best seats.

Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.

If you're flying between New York and Paris on Air France in the not-too-distant future, you could be in for a big upgrade.

The French flag carrier is soon set to roll out an updated cabin configuration on 12 of its Boeing 777-300ERs — the largest planes in its fleet. These 12 aircraft will feature a much-enhanced product across all three of its classes: Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class.

The new business-class seats, from French manufacturer Safran, aren't revolutionary (we're not talking about Qatar Qsuite here). However, they are the best Air France has ever offered and will be a highly competitive "hard product" for North Atlantic crossings. So far, Air France has announced only New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) as a route for this configuration, but the carrier promises more city pairs to come.

If you're not lucky enough to snag one of the 48 reverse herringbone seats that are all angled toward the window, you can still enjoy an upgraded Premium Economy cabin. It's using the same seat that are on Air France's Airbus A350s, and the cabin has doubled in size to include the same number of seats as Business Class — 48. Even those seated in Economy Class will see enhancements.

TPG toured one of the first Boeing 777s to get the new seats on Tuesday at Air France's Orly Airport (ORY) maintenance base, Air France Industries. This aircraft, registration F-GZNS, was nearly complete, with mostly just ceiling panels missing in parts of the aircraft. The airline is converting two other aircraft at the moment, including one at Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport (BOD). Air France has yet to announce when the new configuration will enter service, and didn't provide many new details on Tuesday. Still, the airline implied that these aircraft will be hitting the skies very soon.

Here's your first look from a U.S. outlet showing Air France's new business class, as well as the other cabins in this configuration.

Business Class

The first thing that hits you when entering the new Business Class cabin from door two — the second set of doors on the aircraft that's commonly used for boarding — is the color. Air France's most comparable existing product is the Boeing 777-300ER which features the carrier's First Class product, La Premiere, and a whopping 58 reverse herringbone business class seats that are not dissimilar. However, that cabin uses very bright colors. Many feel it's sterile and lacks personality.

Sterile, this cabin is not.

Across the cabin — and the entire aircraft (even in the lavatories!) — is a primary tone of dark blue; this is something the carrier introduced with its new Airbus A220 aircraft. Also prominent is Air France's longtime symbol, l'hippocamp ailé. Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith is said to be a big fan of the symbol, and wants to see it more prominently featured.

L'hippocamp ailé on the business class cabin bulkhead. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

The carpet inspiration came from the A220 as well — designed to invoke the vibes of a Parisian apartment.

"Parisian apartment" carpeting. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

Parts of the new suites are lined with tan-colored French leather, a secondary color throughout the cabin.

Tan French leather. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

The seat itself will be somewhat familiar if you've flown in Air France's 777s that currently feature 58 business-class seats — common on New York and other premium routes. But, it sports many enhancements to get excited about.

Air France's new business class seat. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

For the first time, Air France is offering a business-class seat with a door — joining the ranks of British Airways, SkyTeam and joint venture partner Delta Air Lines and, most recently, American Airlines.

The Air France business class door. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

Passengers can close the door using a large button inside the suite. It opened with a surprising amount of seemingly spring-loaded force — so be careful when using it. To open the door, it must be pulled back manually.

The inside of the business class door. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

Once you get situated in the seat, the first thing that catches your attention is — not surprisingly — the massive 17.3-inch 4K display.

The 4K screen. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

You can control it via touchscreen, or via a remote, that features a trackpad. The new system features Bluetooth pairing in all cabins.

Air France business class remote. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

The new seat features multiple charging options. First, there's a USB-A charger below the seat's storage compartment.

USB-A charging. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

Then, there's a USB-C and 110 volt outlet in front of the large table surface in the seat.

USB-C and 110 volt charging. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

Finally, Air France is offering wireless charging on top of the table. With all those options, it's unlikely your devices will run out of juice on one of these flights.

Wireless charging. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

The table — not to be confused with the tray table — is also where the seat's control panel is found.

Seat control. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

This control panel features four recline functions. Reclining the seat into a fully flat bed — and vice-versa — was a straightforward process that was comparable to most other business-class seats on the market. The bed is about 28 inches wide and 6.5 feet long when reclined.

Air France business class seat reclined. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

Hit the reading light button on that panel and — get this — it toggles the l'hippocamp ailé symbol on the storage compartment door on and off.

L'hippocamp ailé can be turned on and off. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

A reading light is also available in the seat, and it works exactly the same as the one that can be found in United's Polaris business class — by pressing to open it.

Reading light. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

The final button on the panel is the "do not disturb button," which turns the light outside the seat from green to red.

Speaking of tables, the tray table pulls out from under the storage table, and then folds out.

Air France 777 business class tray table. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

The storage compartment, which is lined in that tan French leather, opens up to a pair of headphones. In practice, I find it a good place to store cables and amenity kits — as long as you remember to take them at the end of the flight. The door of the compartment also features a mirror.

Storage compartment. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

The footwell is largely comparable to the existing one in Air France's 58-seat business class configuration.

However, there are eight incredible seats in this configuration: the four seats in row one and the four in row nine — the first and bulkhead rows of the cabin.

These seats feature extra room given the lack of seats in front of them, and they don't have a cut-out for your feet. The best part? Air France has no plans to charge extra for these eight seats, so be sure to snag them as soon as possible when booking a future Air France flight in this configuration!

Finally, for those who sit in the center two seats of this 1-2-1-configured cabin, a movable divider can be raised and lowered in case you're traveling with a stranger, or have had enough of your travel companion.

Air France 777 Business class divider raised. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

Overall, this new product has enough enhancements that make it worthwhile to book flights on it. More details to come on those flights once they're announced.

More: Air France unveils new business-class seat that now features a sliding door

Premium Economy

Over the years, a number of TPG reviewers have taken issue with Air France's Premium Economy. (One review put it bluntly: "stick to economy.") Now, Air France is bringing its latest Premium Economy product from the A350 to the 777 — and the company thinks it'll be enough of a hit that it's doubled the number of seats from 24 to 48 in this 2-4-2-configured cabin.

The seats, with about 38 inches of pitch, feature a respectable amount of recline. They also feature a leg rest and foot rest.

Air France 777 Premium Economy seat. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

The new seat features a 4K display, like its Business Class counterpart. This screen is 13.3 inches.

Air France Premium Economy screen. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

Each Premium Economy seat is provisioned with high-end headphones. A gooseneck reading light is also available.

Premium Economy headphones and reading lights. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

The seats feature adjustable headrests. The tray table folds out of the armrest, similar to many other Premium Economy offerings.

Economy Class

AF777_EKlapper-65 — Air France Boeing 777 Economy Class. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

Perhaps the most notable feature of Air France's 3-4-3-configured Economy Class cabin is the screens. That's right — you can enjoy 13.3 inches of 4K entertainment, just like your Premium Economy counterparts. The new screens are likely among the best Economy Class screens out there.

Air France 777 Economy Class screens. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

Pitch in this section is around 31 inches — standard for a legacy carrier like Air France. The tray table in this section folds out from the seat in front of you and also has a cupholder — allowing you to enjoy a beverage without having to open the table up.

Air France 777 Economy Class tray table. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY

Bottom Line

Instead of reinventing the wheel with its new business-class product, Air France took an already solid product and added more modern touches — along with some beautiful dashes of color. Things like wireless charging, 4K monitors and doors on the seat make this a desirable and competitive product. Everyone on the plane will benefit from some of these enhancements — at least with the monitors and Bluetooth audio pairing system. I look forward to trying this product out in the near future. It's an enhancement worth your while.

TPG featured card

American Express® Gold Card

TPG editor's rating

Pros + cons

Pros

Valuable dining and food-related credits
Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)

Cons

Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits

More details

You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 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 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.

Pros

Valuable dining and food-related credits
Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)

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 $8,000 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 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.