I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Air France A350-900 premium economy ain’t all that. It was easily the most cramped I’ve ever felt in a long haul premium economy seat.
It wasn’t completely terrible though. The dinner service was decent. The in-flight entertainment (minus the ultra cheap headphones) was quite good. And the mood lighting? I can’t decide if it was “sexy chic” or “totally kick a**.” It works either way.
Unfortunately, all of that stuff means little when the total stranger in front of you is lying in your crotch for the entire flight. Seat recline is that good bad.
AF137
Chicago, IL (ORD) – Paris, France (CDG)
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Aircraft: A350-941
Registration: F-HTYF
Duration: 7 hours 2 minutes
Seat: 11H (Premium Economy)
Air France A350-900 (F-HTYF) side view illustration by NorebboStock.com.Our route from Chicago to Paris this evening as AF137.
My full review of Air France A350-900 premium economy from Chicago to Paris
The nice thing about flying to Europe in the dead of winter is how cheap it is. I paid just $922.10 for this 4153 mi (6684 km) flight, which I consider low for long haul premium economy these days. At least on a major airline such as Air France.
Arrival at Terminal 5 (O’Hare Airport)
Staying the night at the ORD Hilton required nothing more than taking the train from Terminal 3 to 5. It was exactly the kind of short and sweet airport commute that I like (minus the bitter cold).
I won’t even comment about the fact that I arrived 5(!) hours before the scheduled departure time to Paris. There’s nothing I could say that would fully justify that type of insanity.
Welcome to Terminal 5 at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport! FYI, there’s a butt-clenchng (and nipple-hardening) 70° temperature difference between the outside and the inside today.“Aaahhhhhhhh….” Not only did I make it through the security checkpoint in less than five minutes, feeling the butt cheeks unclench (and the ‘ol nips stand down) made this a moment to remember.Here I am having flashbacks to my last Terminal 5 experience (right before flying Turkish Airlines 777-300ER economy to Istanbul). I’ll spare you the details, but I was disappointed in myself for not remembering how dull this terminal is. Pro tip: you’ll be bored to tears if you show up too early.Gate M20 is where this flight to Paris will be departing from today. I wonder what the rationale was for trying so dang hard to make this look like the psych ward down at the local penitentiary? They succeeded magnificently.There she is! Fashionably late, but as stunning as ever. Typical of most French females, I guess.Call me weird (and perhaps culturally insensitive based on my last comment), but I love the simplicity of the Air France livery. It looks fantastic on the A350-900.I didn’t know it at the time, but these seats here at gate M20 look a bit like the premium economy seats I’m about to show you. Keep scrolling…
The boarding process for AF137 to Paris
Of course the flight was delayed. A late departure is almost guaranteed whenever I show up embarrassingly early for a flight, so I had no reason to be surprised by this. Boarding started 45 minutes behind schedule – but it looked to be a fairly light load of passengers in the gate area. It’s hard to feel frustrated with the prospect of open middle seats, right?
OK, yeah, we’re about an hour behind schedule so far. But the caviar and champagne we’ll be served once onboard will no doubt right this mildly annoying wrong.Sorry, no, I have no idea what kind of champagne and caviar they serve in premium economy. But I hold up my boarding pass in giddy anticipation nonetheless!Just as how a watched pot never boils, why is the jet bridge always clogged when you’re about to try something fun and exciting?
The seats
Upon first glance, the Air France A350 premium economy seats look fantastic. The colors and textures appear to be fairly high-end, and very much on brand. It was unmistakably “Air France”.
I’ve arrived! This 3 row mini-cabin (in a 2-4-2 configuration) represents the entirety of Air France A350-900 premium economy.This is the bulkhead row (row 10). See? I wasn’t kidding when I said that these seats kinda look like the ones back in the gate area.This one is mine. Seat 11H (and that poor old lady) have no idea what’s in store for them over the next 7 hours.Nice! These look to be halfway decent blankets and pillows. No sign of caviar yet.
Also worth noting was that I wasn’t able to fully appreciate how tight the leg room was at first. It seemed fine, though not as spacious as what other airlines are offering. The severity of the situation didn’t hit me until after takeoff (when the guy in front of me went full recline).
Uh oh. This is definitely less leg room than what I experienced in Lufthansa A350-900 premium economy. How will I ever survive?Seat width is pretty good though. I’m going to be quite comfortable when indulging in that caviar!“Let’s see…I can put the champagne on that tray table while holding the caviar. OR… I can put the caviar on the tray table, and hold the champagne.” Decisions decisions…Hmm. It seems as if the bulkhead row (10) is the solution to the legroom problem. Noted for next time.Those of you thinking something along the lines of “Hey, this doesn’t look so bad!” need to keep reading. Spoiler alert: it gets bad.The seats themselves are actually fairly feature-rich. There are huge video screens and adjustable lights in the headrests……USB-A charging ports in the center armrests (which may or may not be a little grimy)……and another USB-A charging port (plus a 3.5mm audio jack) beneath the video screen. I’m especially fond of the graphic depicting the large DD bra located beneath every seat.Oh – and let’s not forget the adjustable foot rests, cheap (non-noise canceling) headphones, and a closer look at that thicc a** blanket. I could’ve lived without the foot rest and headphones, but I wouldn’t have given up the blanket without a fight. #comeatmebroAmenity kits too! The most surprising thing about this is the fact that it was just about as nice as the amenity kit that I got in Air France 777-300/ER business class last year. Merci very much!Champagne and caviar update: they came by with champagne, water, and orange juice a few moments ago. They must need more time to prepare the caviar…
The departure from ORD
Just when I was starting to realize how difficult it would be to get departure footage from the vantage point of an aisle seat, they fired up the mood lighting machine (and cranked it up to 10). That’s one way to get me to forget about the fact that we took off 47 minutes late.
At least he’s comfortable, right?Holy crap! That’s some serious mood lighting. Thus begins Act II of this long-haul premium economy review.The mood lighting was so intense that I could feel it in my body, mind, and soul. Who needs LSD when the Air France A350 exists?Wanna know what would go great with all this mood lighting? Hint: it starts with “cav” and ends with “iar”.Lift off! Looks like we’ll be Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeering our way all the way to Paris tonight.
In-flight entertainment
To any non-Air France airline executives who may be reading this review (I have a vivid imagination, eh?), take note. The Air France A350 in-flight entertainment system is what you’re competing against. It’s good. Real good.
Well, that sucks. Just as I was beginning to get footage of the in-flight entertainment system for this review, the guy in front of me slammed his seat all the way back. I’ll spare you the expletives and just tell you that the screen will be REALLY close to your face (and genitals) in this situation.I refuse to accept defeat. Here’s an extreme close-up of the main menu. Count those pixels baby!
The screens are large, highly adjustable, and super crisp. The user interface is extremely intuitive. Most importantly, the catalog of content contains everything that you would expect on one of the world’s greatest airlines.
The clean and simple user interface easily offset the pure hatred negativity I was feeling towards the guy sitting in front of me. This is one of the better in-flight entertainment systems I’ve tinkered with recently.Having a dedicated section for the menu is a feature I quite liked. No mention of caviar – which makes total sense IMHO, because this is a French airline after all (and it’s a given that caviar will be served at some point).I’ll talk more about seat recline later in the review (I can’t freaking wait), but rest assured that the video screens do pivot to offset the angle of recline.The headphones? They don’t suck quite as bad as how tight this seat feels right now.Dang it. Perhaps I should have showed you where the audio jacks (and full-size electrical outlets) were before recline bro did his thing.I can’t say that I’ve ever seen an entertainment system remote control with a digital display before. At least not on an airline. And definitely not before eating caviar.
The dinner service
Most airlines seem to be in a race to the bottom when it comes to premium economy food. I was feeling a little anxious seeing that meal cart rolling down the aisle, but I we made hopeful that the French still care about this sort of thing.
Long story short: they do! Food quality was excellent, portions were decent, and the service was friendly (although noticeably rushed).
They kicked off the meal service this evening with a little DOUCE FRAICHEUR action. Nope, these little towelettes may not be hot, but that name sure is. I’m curiously aroused by this.Ok. I haven’t even peeled the cover off the entrée yet, but I’m already declaring this to be better than the food I was recently served in ANA 777-300/ER premium economy. It’s just giving me that kind of vibe.It’s veal (arguably the most inhumane kind of meat there is). Why did it have to taste so damn good?Salad, I think? The intensity of the mood lighting has rendered my food identifying skills null.This stuff goes good with caviar, right?I’m not a vegetarian (and I have no plans of becoming one), but…the fact that a baby cow had to sacrifice it’s life for my sorry a** was not making this easy. I should’ve went with the Pumpkin Gratin option instead.Cheers to the impending caviar (and the a**hole in front of me who left his seat fully reclined during the entire meal service).
Seat recline (and cabin comfort)
So yeah. Let’s talk a little more about that seat recline. It all comes down to this: if you’re the person doing the reclining, it’s nothing short of fantastic. If you’re the person being reclined into, it’s frustrating as all hell. I don’t tend to get claustrophobic, but I was definitely starting to feel it about halfway through the flight.
This is easily the most cramped long-haul premium economy seat I’ve ever experienced. For context, even Delta A350-900 Premium Select is more spacious than this!Here’s a better picture showing the full extent of the annoying (yet admittedly glorious) seat recline. RIP to anyone not privileged enough to be in the bulkhead row.Maybe I should’ve went with British Airways A350-1000 premium economy instead? Nah. They don’t serve caviar on BA.
These seats were so cramped that the sweet old lady sitting next to me couldn’t even get out to use the lavatory because of the reclined seats in front of her. Which, if I’m being honest, shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who flies this airline on a regular basis. Did you see how tight the legroom was in my Air France A321 economy review? They are notoriously stingy when it comes to seat pitch – no matter what type of aircraft it is.
FYI, they eventually turned off the mood lighting (because it can’t be hot ‘n sexy all the time I guess).Screw premium economy. Maybe I’ll just bring a lawn chair and camp out here in the galley instead. This is kinda nice!Is there anything more French than seeing perfumes and flowery lotions in an airplane lavatory? Not as much as seeing caviar on my tray table when I get back to my seat, that’s for sure.
The breakfast service
Muffins and orange juice for breakfast. Welcome to premium economy in 2024! It wasn’t all that long ago when I remember getting a full plate of eggs and sausage for breakfast in economy class on long haul lights. Now? Well… all I can say is that at least Air France is being consistent with what most other airlines are offering.
There are exceptions though. How is it that you’ll get more food in Norse Atlantic Premium Class than Air France premium economy? Make it make sense!
Here we go – not only has the mood lighting returned, it looks like it’s gonna be carbs (and coffee) for breakfast. Mmm!For some reason or another I was expecting the breakfast service to be somewhat on par with what I was served in Air France A220-300 business class. Swing and a (big fat) miss.And for those of you who think I complain too much, go have a look at the breakfast service in my EVA Air 777-300/ER premium economy review. I’m not wrong to be a little salty about this.At least I had some nice scenery to look at as I dribbled dry muffin crumbs into my lap.
The descent and arrival into the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
God bless technology! Even if the breakfast service wasn’t all that great, having a high resolution camera feed of the outside world directly in front of my face during the descent and landing was pretty cool. I didn’t miss a thing (except for the 29 minutes lost in our delayed arrival into CDG of course).
Aha! It took about 6 hours, but I finally discovered something about the bulkhead row which isn’t as good as the other seats. Tiny video screens! Sitting next to that huge window (looking out to some of the most spectacular scenery Mother Nature has to offer) must’ve been miserable as well.I’m not even kidding about them views. Here we have mother nature trying her absolute best to out-sexy the mood lighting. Ooh la la!Bienvenue à Paris! 19 minutes late, eh? That’s actually not bad considering our 45 minute late departure from Chicago.So what’s the verdict on the premium economy seats? Judging by how badly that sweet old lady is fighting to get out of her seat, I (we) recommend springing for business class instead.Honestly, my only real gripe was the lack of leg room. The breakfast service was disappointing (for sure), but the caviar they’ll be serving us as we exit the plane is going to make up for it.Blurred for your convenience (because the impending caviar had me drooling in a not so attractive way).That’s all folks! One last pic before the caviar (which I assume is coming right before we enter passport control).
Pros and cons of the premium economy experience on the Air France A350-900
Let me just leave you with this: this isn’t a horrible long haul premium economy product. It’s also pretty darn far from being the best. The only way that I would do it again is if I found an incredibly good deal (one that would be borderline criminal to pass up).
Pros
It’ll be a very good experience if you can score a bulkhead row seat. Not having someone in front of you reclining into your lap will make all the difference!
Seat recline (as the person doing the reclining) is fantastic.
The main meal service (served immediately after departure) is quite good.
The in-flight entertainment is what I consider to be class-leading.
Cons
Seat recline (as the person being reclined into) sucks harder than you can possibly imagine.
Leg room is quite tight compared to other long-haul premium economy products.
The breakfast service was quite disappointing. Make sure to bring your own snacks if a substantial pre-landing meal is important to you.
Cleanliness might be an issue. The aircraft I was on was filthy AF. (See what I did there?)
You’re very welcome! Yeah, Lufthansa and British Airways have definitely got Air France beat when it comes to A350 premium economy. And yes – that is indeed snow! Too bad I didn’t have a window seat on this flight.
It’s kind of interesting how this is basically the opposite of the last long-haul Premium Economy product you reviewed. The two are similar in that both have a big glaring flaw that tarnishes the whole experience, but in ANA’s case, it was the food, whereas Air France’s fatal flaw is, of, course the lack of space.
I’d much rather fly on an airline with lacking food over one with a lacking seat, but I have to say that AF A350 Premium Y doesn’t look that bad overall. At least they didn’t skimp on the entertainment or food (well, dinner at least), and the cabin overall looks fantastic. So does the seat recline, at least for those in row 10. lol.
I totally agree Peter! I much preferred the ANA (crappy food) experience over the Air France (crappy legroom) experience. However, there were enough good things about it which would prevent me from avoiding it in the future. I think the lesson to be learned is that row 10 is the jam. 🙂
I’m not sure what’s happening with long-haul premium economy lately, but I don’t like it. My EVA 777-300/ER premium economy experience (just weeks before the Covid bomb hit) was nothing short of amazing! Unfortunately, I’ve heard from several people recently that it’s not as good as it used to be.
Great review and I’m glad you enjoyed the caviar! I’ve only flown the BA premium economy (Vancouver to London) on the 350-900 and it was fantastic. I’m tall so will definitely avoid AF. Keep up the good work.
You’re very welcome Dave! I’d be willing to send you some of that caviar, but there was none left by the time I got finished with it lol. But yes, I agree with you about British Airways A350 premium economy – I much preferred that over what Air France is offering.
Thank you! I have reserved 10J and 10L for my upcoming trip to Paris. I was almost about to switch seats with AF because the bulkhead has a weird screen. I absolutely will enjoy 10J and 10L much more now♡♡♡ My daughter and I are 5’1 so we should be absolutely comfy♡♡♡♡
☆I am keeping my fingers crossed that closer to our departure date some seat upgrades in Business Class open up☆
You’re very welcome Misty! Yeah, you made a good choice – those are the good seats. Honestly though, being only 5′-1″, you’ll be just as comfortable in the bulkhead row of premium economy as you will in business class IMHO. Of course the PE seats won’t lie fully flat, but you’ll still have plenty of room to stretch out.
Appreciate your video review. I just booked the bulkhead seats for my first trip across the pond in 30 years. My old bones and grump old man personality wouldn’t welcome the space invasion of the recline. Thanks so much for your advice! Cheers
Thank you for commentary. I laughed twice. I guess I’ve always thought of caviar as Russian.
My cousin and I are flying Prem from HOU to CDG in October. I wish three things: most important, a comfortable seat without someone in my lap, a nice nutritional breakfast with something fresh; especially considering we’re on Air France… Last, a good deal to upgrade to Business Class.
You’re very welcome Tibber! Maybe the reason why I associate caviar with the French is because of how fancy it seems. In my mind, any fancy food is automatically French. 🙂
I definitely recommend upgrading to business class if you can. If not, the first row of premium economy will be your best option. Have a great trip!
Is it truly that bad? Would you prefer being in the middle bulkhead row with your spouse or in the private two seater rows? If money isn’t a concern is it still better than normal economy?
It’s really good (and worth the extra money) if the person in front of you doesn’t slam their seat all the way back. If they do, it’s basically just like being in economy.
A middle seat in the bulkhead row would be better IMHO.
Flew A350 premium economy on BA. Same experience. Good amenities, meal etc., but everything was destroyed by incredibly tight space with seat in front reclining into my face. Getting from BA’s window seat to the aisle under this circumstance was a nearly impossible task. The A350 has 8 seats abreast, even though it is a smaller jet than the 777’s cabin which also has 8 seats abreast.
Vastly preferred premium economy on 777s and 787s with wider and more comfortable seats. Of course this can all be placed in the lap of the airline, and their choices, I won’t fly premium economy on any A350 configured like BAs.
Totally agree with you about BA’s A350 premium economy product (I did it once from London to Dubai). Even though the food was much better than what I had on this Air France flight, the seat was just as bad when the person in front of me reclined into my lap.
Thank you for the review and the witty commentary. I am scheduled to fly from Paris to Seattle next year, and as someone who is 6’3″, the recline and legroom are important to me. I noticed one thing that I don’t you about the bulkhead: the in-flight entertainment screen is not in the seat but rather mounted on the wall ahead. That seems like it could be a bit inconvenient if you’re trying to watch a movie on a long flight, right? If the legroom in the bulkhead is so good how far away is the scree? Am I overthinking this?
You’re very welcome Sam! Actually, there are individual video screens that fold out from the armrests in those bulkhead seats. You can see this if you scroll down towards the end of the review.
Jazzsd19
Thanks for this review Scott. I will be sure *not* to book premium economy on AF! By the way, is that snow on the ground in Paris?
Scott (SANspotter)
You’re very welcome! Yeah, Lufthansa and British Airways have definitely got Air France beat when it comes to A350 premium economy. And yes – that is indeed snow! Too bad I didn’t have a window seat on this flight.
Peter
It’s kind of interesting how this is basically the opposite of the last long-haul Premium Economy product you reviewed. The two are similar in that both have a big glaring flaw that tarnishes the whole experience, but in ANA’s case, it was the food, whereas Air France’s fatal flaw is, of, course the lack of space.
I’d much rather fly on an airline with lacking food over one with a lacking seat, but I have to say that AF A350 Premium Y doesn’t look that bad overall. At least they didn’t skimp on the entertainment or food (well, dinner at least), and the cabin overall looks fantastic. So does the seat recline, at least for those in row 10. lol.
Scott (SANspotter)
I totally agree Peter! I much preferred the ANA (crappy food) experience over the Air France (crappy legroom) experience. However, there were enough good things about it which would prevent me from avoiding it in the future. I think the lesson to be learned is that row 10 is the jam. 🙂
I’m not sure what’s happening with long-haul premium economy lately, but I don’t like it. My EVA 777-300/ER premium economy experience (just weeks before the Covid bomb hit) was nothing short of amazing! Unfortunately, I’ve heard from several people recently that it’s not as good as it used to be.
Adam
Cool shoes, who makes them?
Scott (SANspotter)
Those are Xero Prio’s. Very comfy!
Dave
Great review and I’m glad you enjoyed the caviar! I’ve only flown the BA premium economy (Vancouver to London) on the 350-900 and it was fantastic. I’m tall so will definitely avoid AF. Keep up the good work.
Scott (SANspotter)
You’re very welcome Dave! I’d be willing to send you some of that caviar, but there was none left by the time I got finished with it lol. But yes, I agree with you about British Airways A350 premium economy – I much preferred that over what Air France is offering.
Misty
Thank you! I have reserved 10J and 10L for my upcoming trip to Paris. I was almost about to switch seats with AF because the bulkhead has a weird screen. I absolutely will enjoy 10J and 10L much more now♡♡♡ My daughter and I are 5’1 so we should be absolutely comfy♡♡♡♡
☆I am keeping my fingers crossed that closer to our departure date some seat upgrades in Business Class open up☆
Scott (SANspotter)
You’re very welcome Misty! Yeah, you made a good choice – those are the good seats. Honestly though, being only 5′-1″, you’ll be just as comfortable in the bulkhead row of premium economy as you will in business class IMHO. Of course the PE seats won’t lie fully flat, but you’ll still have plenty of room to stretch out.
Enjoy it!
Will
Appreciate your video review. I just booked the bulkhead seats for my first trip across the pond in 30 years. My old bones and grump old man personality wouldn’t welcome the space invasion of the recline. Thanks so much for your advice! Cheers
Scott (SANspotter)
You’re very welcome Will! Hope you have a great trip – sounds like a fun one considering how long it’s been.
tibber
Thank you for commentary. I laughed twice. I guess I’ve always thought of caviar as Russian.
My cousin and I are flying Prem from HOU to CDG in October. I wish three things: most important, a comfortable seat without someone in my lap, a nice nutritional breakfast with something fresh; especially considering we’re on Air France… Last, a good deal to upgrade to Business Class.
Scott (SANspotter)
You’re very welcome Tibber! Maybe the reason why I associate caviar with the French is because of how fancy it seems. In my mind, any fancy food is automatically French. 🙂
I definitely recommend upgrading to business class if you can. If not, the first row of premium economy will be your best option. Have a great trip!
Jose
Is it truly that bad? Would you prefer being in the middle bulkhead row with your spouse or in the private two seater rows? If money isn’t a concern is it still better than normal economy?
Scott (SANspotter)
It’s really good (and worth the extra money) if the person in front of you doesn’t slam their seat all the way back. If they do, it’s basically just like being in economy.
A middle seat in the bulkhead row would be better IMHO.
Ed
Flew A350 premium economy on BA. Same experience. Good amenities, meal etc., but everything was destroyed by incredibly tight space with seat in front reclining into my face. Getting from BA’s window seat to the aisle under this circumstance was a nearly impossible task. The A350 has 8 seats abreast, even though it is a smaller jet than the 777’s cabin which also has 8 seats abreast.
Vastly preferred premium economy on 777s and 787s with wider and more comfortable seats. Of course this can all be placed in the lap of the airline, and their choices, I won’t fly premium economy on any A350 configured like BAs.
Scott (SANspotter)
Totally agree with you about BA’s A350 premium economy product (I did it once from London to Dubai). Even though the food was much better than what I had on this Air France flight, the seat was just as bad when the person in front of me reclined into my lap.
Sam
Thank you for the review and the witty commentary. I am scheduled to fly from Paris to Seattle next year, and as someone who is 6’3″, the recline and legroom are important to me. I noticed one thing that I don’t you about the bulkhead: the in-flight entertainment screen is not in the seat but rather mounted on the wall ahead. That seems like it could be a bit inconvenient if you’re trying to watch a movie on a long flight, right? If the legroom in the bulkhead is so good how far away is the scree? Am I overthinking this?
Scott (SANspotter)
You’re very welcome Sam! Actually, there are individual video screens that fold out from the armrests in those bulkhead seats. You can see this if you scroll down towards the end of the review.