Air France unveils its new La Premiere suites in Paris
Don't tell Air France that international first class is a relic of yesteryear.
At a time when many airlines have abandoned the first-class experience of long-haul flying, France's national carrier is doubling down on it. This move was on full display Tuesday in Paris, where Air France rolled out the latest update to its posh La Premiere suites. The carrier is touting the experience as akin to flying private.
More space, greater comfort and complete privacy are among the features that stand to win over travelers — particularly those who have shown an increasing propensity to buy premium seats, even when flying on their own dime.
"We've seen that leisure travel has increased by 24% in 10 years, with a more recent surge in demand for luxury experiences," Air France CEO Anne Rigail explained.
Apparently, this demand extends to the ultrawealthy, whom Air France says is the audience buying La Premiere international first-class fares that can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
That was the message Air France executives portrayed as the carrier unveiled its latest product update in Paris on Tuesday. The prominent placement of the iconic Hotel de Crillon, one of the city's finest Palace Hotels, in its new La Premiere promo video was a clear sign of the demographic Air France is targeting: ultraluxe travelers who tend to fly private.
"We have clients who typically fly private but they experience the La Première product and they say, 'Well, it's a lot cheaper to get to Los Angeles and Tokyo this way,'" noted Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith. He added that the environmental optics and complete confidentiality in the experience are also key factors for the airline's clients.
The new suites, entering service on select Boeing 777-300ER aircraft this spring, are part of a strategy Smith says began five years ago. The plan is to secure the airline's future by emphasizing what Smith and Rigail insist has distinguished Air France for over nine decades: "Made in France excellence."
"We're spending $1 billion per year on retrofitting and renewing our medium-haul and our long-haul fleets, plus another billion on new lounges, new food offerings on board and staff training," Smith said.
Such improvements include a wholly reimagined ground experience for La Premiere passengers at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), making the process as smooth and seamless from arrival to boarding as it would be when flying private, according to the airline.
Despite continued investment in what Air France believes is a successful business-class offering, Smith said demand for even more luxury presented an opportunity.
"These passengers are looking for privacy and a great experience on the ground," he added. "And it's durable — the luxury hotels right around us have seen their rates go up almost 300% since COVID."
Smith also expressed confidence that demand for Air France's international first class would hold up, even amid the economic uncertainty currently roiling Western markets.
"La Premiere in its existing iteration is already profitable, and the demand is high; we don't see that changing," Smith said. "We know some of our competitors use [first-class] for marketing purposes of halo effect on brand. Our policy is that every single product we have has to stand on its own two feet. That's why you don't see La Premiere everywhere. Not every market can support this type of product."
Smith said U.S. demand for Air France premium products is growing fastest, with Miami leading the market.
These top-tier passengers will discover that the updated La Premiere suites have more space and several first-class firsts. Developed over three years, each of the four suites features around 38 square feet of modular space (25% more than the previous design); the space includes an ergonomic reclining armchair and a chaise lounge, both in full-grain leather and soft wool, that turns into a full-flat bed. At about 6 1/2 feet, it is among the longest seats in commercial aviation.
The cabin is arranged in a single-row, 1-2-1 configuration, with one suite at each window and two suites adjacent to each other in the center.
The exterior suites boast five windows per passenger, a feature exclusive to Air France. They also have thick floor-to-ceiling curtains for sound and light insulation. The airline completely removed overhead bins, allowing for a more spacious feel and easy movement inside the suite.
Instead, travelers will find storage space in a console that doubles as a side table and a drawer that holds up to two cabin-size suitcases. Another drawer beneath the chaise lounge is meant to store shoes, while a narrow closet is reserved for each guest's belongings. Central cabin suites may not have window views, but they have floor-to-ceiling electric sliding partitions for complete privacy.
When passengers are ready for shut-eye, they can slip on Le Pyjama, the cotton poplin loungewear collection designed by Simon Porte Jacquemus. Travelers can also hydrate their skin with products from the Sisley amenity kit.
Meanwhile, a specially trained cabin crew member transforms the chaise lounge into a bed, adding a mattress topper, a fluffy pillow and a duvet from the French bedding company Dumas Paris.
When they're not sleeping, La Premiere passengers can access not one but two 4K 32-inch inflight entertainment screens, a wireless touchscreen tablet to control suite functions, high-speed Wi-Fi and a wireless charging option (in addition to the USB-A and USB-C ports available).
The ground experience at CDG — which was overhauled last summer before the Olympic Games — makes this a particularly compelling offering for high-net-worth travelers accustomed to flying private.
La Premiere passengers get private access to a ground-level, check-in lobby to go through customs and security checks. They can then relax in a dedicated new lounge, which features a culinary offering by Alain Ducasse, a Sisley spa and three private suites complete with double beds and patios. When it's time to board, a Porsche Cayenne hybrid transports passengers directly on the tarmac right to the aircraft's door.
"Paris is a unique destination in Europe with a very big luxury element to it," Smith said. "This product fits right into that spirit."
Air France will gradually deploy the new La Premiere suites on select Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The inaugural flight is scheduled for spring 2025, with the first aircraft, named Epernay, set to connect Paris to New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Other destinations — such as Los Angeles, Singapore and Tokyo — will follow in the summer of 2025.
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