This is the first part of my review of Air France’s new A350 business class which I flew between Los Angeles and Tahiti as part of my recent holiday. For those thinking about switching from BA after the recent announcements, the review shows that other airlines really are making huge improvements in the customer experience. I have always had some reservations about Air France historically, but all my trips with them have been excellent. You can, of course, credit Air France flights to Virgin’ Flying Club as well as the other Skyteam airlines.
Later this week, I will be looking at the onboard experience.
Location
The lounge is well signposted from check-in, and you can scan to code to get the info to take with you.
The lounge is near the gates that Air France uses at the Tom Bradley International terminal, so head towards the 201-225 gates, and you will find the lounge when you arrive in the area. Be aware it is a long walk, even with the moving walkways. If you don’t feel like it, wait by the shuttle signs at each end of the tunnel and a golf cart will whisk you there!
Once you get dropped off, you must take the lift to the next floor (6th). The lifts are the opposite side to the lounge so you will have to walk around the atrium to the opposite side.
Entry and opening
The lounge is open from 9.30am until 11.30pm.
First Class passengers in La Premiere
Business class passengers flying on Air France and other SkyTeam airlines
SkyTeam Elite Plus members flying on Air France, KLM or SAS
Facilities
Looking past reception into the bar area
As you enter the lounge, there are two sides, which are zones for refresh and relax and then wine and dine (I made those up).
To your right is the area with the showers, a relaxation room and the spa. There is also some seating and a small refreshment area. I was in the lounge late at night at around 9pm and it was virtually empty. If it was busier, the right side may provide a quieter area to sit.
The left side contains the bar, dining area and the main seating area.
Showers
The shower room was generous in size and overall well equipped with a Dyson-type hair dryer, well-lit mirror, and some lovely Clarins toiletries.
However, there were a couple of small quibbles. I would have liked a bench area to unpack a wheelie bag and somewhere to sit to get dressed/ put your shoes on.
I would have also liked some body lotion.
The room also had the same issue as most airport showers as it became very humid very quickly after using the shower.
Spa
The spa was closed when I was there as it was so late. It is open 11am to 8pm. This was a bit of a disappointment, but I do love the idea of a Clarins treatment as a business class passenger. There are two treatment rooms and you can choose from 3 different facials which last 20 minutes. You can choose from “anti jetlag”, “instant detox” and “illuminating eye-care. It’s a shame they don’t have a wider range of treatments, but I can’t complain since most airlines have done away with their spas for business class.
Reservations can be made at the reception desk in the Clarins treatment area of the Air France lounge. La Première customers can also book this treatment by calling their dedicated number.
Next to the spa is the relaxation room. Unless you sleep upright, it would not be a great place to nap as the chairs are quite upright but have a separate footstool. There is a small divider between the chairs and sockets at each one.
Food and drink
On the left-hand side, there is a small refreshment area with soft drinks, a coffee machine, and a few snacks.
Bar area
The highlight of the lounge was the bar area because of its luxurious design and the wide range of drinks that the barman can serve. I stuck with a standard margarita and my friend went for a spicy version. They do serve champagne, which was Lanson when I was there.
There are further help-yourself drinks in the dining area, with wine and beer available there.
In the dining area, there is a good-sized buffet as well as some specials of the day available to order.
Buffet area
Here is a list of what was on the buffet for the whole day.
The “Live action” station was a counter into the kitchen with examples of the food available.
I was quite tempted by the tacos but decided to stick the buffet as it looked great.
All the food I tried was fresh and tasty. This was one of the best business-class lounge buffets I have had outside the Middle East/Asia. I loved how they made the effort to present everything nicely rather than just pots of slop.
La Premiere
At the heart of the lounge, customers traveling in the La Première cabin now have a private area just for them. Designed in the same way as the La Première suites available on board, it features separate dining to the main lounge.
Seating
If you wanted to work there was a communal table by the dining area with power points. Also around the edges of the room were low and high benches with sockets so there should be no shortage of finding a spot to plug in your devices and get some work done.
The dining room had booths, which also had sockets that people were using to work. The sockets were US, USB A and C.
Finally, there are some comfy armchairs with tables.
There were also some comfortable seating areas surrounding the dining area, which also had sockets between the seats. There is natural light surrounding the dining area, but at night, it was hard to tell what the outlook was!
Conclusion
I was there when the lounge was quiet, which may have helped, but overall, I was extremely impressed with the lounge. When you contrast that with some other business class lounges, it definitely feels a step above. The decor felt calm and suitably elegant. I loved the manned bar with the cocktails, the well-presented food, and the chance of a Clarins spa treatment.
Air France has been putting a lot of work into their customer experience, and it is really showing. They also have a new lounge at San Francisco. For me, they are currently my top airline in Europe for long-haul along with Virgin Atlantic.