Review of Air France flight Paris Stockholm in Economy

Airline Air France
Flight AF1062
Class Economy
Seat 28F
Aircraft Airbus A321
Flight time 02:30
Take-off 15 Jun 16, 16:00
Arrival at 15 Jun 16, 18:30
AF   #26 out of 95 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 5929 reviews
marathon
By GOLD 859
Published on 18th June 2016
This was another short business trip to Stockholm :

CDG –ARN : AF 1062 You are here, I translated it in French there
ARN – CDG : AF1063 To be posted soon

The story of this flight begins with the OLCI. Air France has recorded that I prefer window seats, and had preassigned me Seat 7A. What AF’s data base cannot record is that I prefer window seats with good lighting conditions for photographic reasons, which means on the right side when flying north in the afternoon.
photo choix de sige vol aller
No problem, you can change (but no earlier than ETD-30h) the seat, and you can do it for free if it is not an exit row. I do not care for exit rows because the extra leg space does not compensate the various constraints. So I changed to Seat 8F, which should have a nice wing view, but then had a doubt and checked Seatguru.com.
Bingo ! Seats 8A and 8F don’t have a window in an AF A321, and that was a no-no. So I changed again to Seat 10F, although the wing might be partly in the way looking aft.
And then I checked again Seatguru.com and bingo! Row 10 does not have windows either.
photo seat guru - siges sans hublot
The only acceptable seat was way back, but I was not going to be in a rush when landing in ARN, and taking an extra quarter of an hour to deplane was not an issue.
When I boarded the plane the day after, I had a look at these seats in Rows 8 and 10 : no window indeed at Row 8, but how did Seatguru not see the window at Row 10 ?
photo img_3723a
I dutifully received three BPs by e-mails in French. What was amusing was that AF sent me a reminder in English to check-in half an hour after I had already received the first BP. Obviously, these e-mails are generated by computer systems which do not communicate with each other.
photo olci
Getting to Terminal 2F’s parking lot requires driving beyond the terminals and turn back, and since the parking lots of Terminal 2E and 2F actually communicate with each other, I thought it would save time to take the Terminal 2E parking lot entrance. Bad idea : it is a continuous parking lot at Level -2, but this level was nearly full, and at Level -3, there is a solid partition between both levels.
photo img_3667a
I had plenty of time, parked close to the access to Terminal 2E , and decided to walk, actually a long way, because I missed the shortest way between the terminals , so much so that the only signage was for buses.
photo img_3670a
It took all the longer that I stumbled on that barrier (you can’t see the forty-odd travelers waiting behind in that picture), possibly because of a suspicious item being investigated – I did not ask for a confirmation.
photo img_3671a
My best option was to wait, since I could afford wasting the time needed to check a suspicious item, and took a picture of that AF A321.
photo img_3673a
There was not much waiting, and I stayed ahead of the forty-odd pack pf passengers to avoid sudden crowding. It was early afternoon on an ordinary day, and the waiting was very reasonable at the security check.
photo img_3676a
My flight was announced on time at the FIDS
photo img_3678aphoto img_3680a
Paul Andreu designed Terminal 2F so that it be brightly lit by the overhead glass. In theory, it should look like this
photo img_3706a
But he had forgotten that planes carry passengers, or rather that passengers are often waiting for planes to carry them, so that instead of looking like this
photo img_3682a
… there are often lots of soon to board passengers blocking the way
photo img_3698a
Priority one for me was to go to the toilets, at the lower level, going down these escalators
photo img_3681aphoto img_3684a
The toilets were clean, but they were as usual too few (again, the architect underestimated the traffic), and the one for handicapped passengers was unavailable (but there was probably another one on the ladies’ side).
photo img_3685a
I did not find a water fountain in the terminal, and the only place way to drink water for free is by using these taps. (In China, tap water is not safe for drinking, but you have cold and hot water fountains in all airports).
photo img_3699a
Air France offers free copies of a reasonable array of mostly French newspapers. They used to be alongside the corridor, but that was too much in the way and they are now in the bridges connecting both sides of the jetty. (You can also download electronic versions of magazines, but I do not have a tablet, and a smartphone's screen is too small for that use IMO).
photo img_3690a
I guess many passengers aren’t aware that they are there, so there was an ample supply, enough reading matter to handle the waiting time of both flights, when typing this flight report on my laptop was not an option.
photo img_3691a
Empty seats at a gate without departing flights around. Three pairs of power ports for 28 seats is not many, but I know a number of airports which do not provide any to their passengers.
photo img_3707a
Two PS4 game stations, unusually with patronage
photo img_3694a
AZ A320 spotted in the distance
photo img_3689a
The plane had arrived
photo img_3688a
It was not going to be on time, since the loading of the catering ended a couple minutes before ETD.
photo img_3713a
CDG is not very spotter-friendly : getting a side shot of the aircraft was impossible, but at least I got the registration number.
photo img_3703a
A screen close to the gate displayed the seating layout of Jet Airways Flight 6829, a.k.a AF1063
photo img_3697a
Free wifi internet access (requiring some navigation to validate that I only wanted the free option), with enough bandwidth for displaying FR’s home page.
photo img_3716a
A longish line had formed before boarding had started.
photo img_3717a
That is when I wondered again why I had this red SkyPriority logo on the top right of my BP
photo bp-floute
Bingo ! I was flying in Economy and I have no status with FB, but my Economy Flex fare was in the “We also welcome” list of second class priority passengers.
photo img_3718a
Going down the jetbridge with wide clean windows
photo img_3719a
The cabin was not going to remain that empty : AF’s flight to/from ARN are notoriously full.
photo img_3724a
I could have had a window seat further in front, but this was a window seat on the correct side, and that was all what mattered to me.
photo img_3725a
These were the old, but comfortable seats
photo img_3726a
I seldom if ever recline my seat, but you could
photo img_3731a
The seat width between armrests was a decent 45 cm
photo img_3727a
But a window seat has an 8 cm space, beyond the armrest
photo img_3728a
Seat pitch is a standard25 cm from seat limit to the magazine pocket. OK, but a couple centimeters less than what you get on a Chinese domestic flight.
photo img_3729a
Marathon carpet cleanliness test : passed
photo img_3862a
The safety card, both sides
photo img_3736aphoto img_3737a
Same plane spotting while waiting for the pushback : Hop! E-170
photo img_3734a
AF A318
photo img_3749a
AF A320, in standard and Skyteam liveries
photo img_3720aphoto img_3745a
Air Europa 738
photo img_3738a
An ANA 787 landing in the distance
photo img_3740a
AF 777-300ER
photo img_3747a
Pushback at ETD+22’, and taxi past these idle snow plows in tiger livery
photo img_3751a
Alignment on Runway 27L
photo img_3753a
The runway was wet ; this was the water vapor created by the reactors before lifting off.
photo img_3756a
G-GTAK was airborne at ETD+42’
photo img_3762a
The town of Louvres. Its name predates by many centuries that of the unrelated Louvre Museum, but both names may derive from the Latin word lupus which evolved into loup in French, meaning “wolf”, of which there were certainly many there in the early Middle Ages.
photo img_3763a
The town of Goussainville
photo img_3764a
The cloverleaf interchange of freeway N104 with Highway D316
photo img_3767a
The strangely triangular leaves makes it an easily recognizable landmark
photo img_3768b
Turning towards ARN above the Oise River, an affluent of the Seine River
photo img_3769a
The locks at Bruyères sur Oise
photo img_3771a
The golf Club du Lys Chantilly, and the town of Chantilly in the background
photo img_3772a
The posh city of Chantilly is famous for its castle and it horse racetrack
photo img_3773a
Close up on the castle
photo img_3776aphoto img_3777-2a
The meal, as served
photo img_3782a
The hot wrap was labeled “Mozza champis”, presumably the abbreviation of “mozarella – champignons”, the latter word being mushrooms, in French.
photo img_3783a
There was indeed a lot of melted cheese inside, but I didn’t detect the presence of mushrooms. The rest, yogurt and cut apples, could not go wrong because these are so basic supplies.
photo img_3784a
Some clouds initially
photo img_3785a
There was a nearly full moon, but a thick cloud cover on most of the way
photo img_3787a
This attempt at an air-to-air shot was doomed : the other plane was really too far away
photo img_3789a
A white body with a dark band around the front section of the fuselage, and dark wingtips : any suggestion for the identification of the airline ?
photo img_3790a
Hultsfred airport, a former Swedish air base, has been privatised and is now used by a flying club only.
photo img_3792aphoto img_3793a
The town of Hulstfred
photo img_3797a
The town of Gamleby, in the lower left corner of the picture, and Västervik in the top right corner, at the far end of the long fjord connecting Gamleby to the sea
photo img_3802a
Close up on Västervik
photo img_3803a
The maze of islands around Krakmarö Island. the dark line in the picture is the contrail of a plane that I either missed or never caught up with
photo img_3808a
Utö and Nattarö islands
photo img_3812a
Drevviken lake
photo img_3815a
This was the route when approaching ARN, tracked by Flightradar24.
photo flightradar24-1a
A distinct set of buildings in Bollmora, in suburban Tyresö municipality.
photo img_3816aphoto img_3817a
The ferries which serve Stockholm, leaving towards Åland and Helsinki, for instance, take a long and winding channel until they reach the open Baltic sea.
photo img_3820a
Three of them could be seen on that route
photo img_3821aphoto img_3827a
One ship (a tiny white dot) under the winglet, and a closer one to the right, with the city of Åkersberga in the foreground.
photo img_3830a
The Österåker prison, clearly divided into two sections
photo img_3831aphoto img_3832a
Crossing ARN’s Runway 08/26
photo img_3839a
Poor lighting conditions for a Caravelle in poor condition.
photo img_3843a
A Flybe Dash 8 lifting off
photo img_3845a
A Falcon 7X
photo img_3846a
Approaching ARN’s Terminal 2
photo img_3847a
There were three 767s there (including a freighter) :
photo img_3851aphoto img_3865aphoto img_3859a
This old 747-200 transformed in a hotel is a landmark of ARN
photo img_3854a
You can buy your rail tickets from the machines alongside the wall behind the passengers, while waiting for your checked luggage. Why don’t we have similar SNCF (French Railways) ticketing machines in the luggage delivery rooms in CDG?
photo img_3866a
I could not ignore that there are buses to Stockholm’s central stations
photo img_3868a
But since my company is OK for paying 540 SEK round trip on the much faster (and presumably more comfortable) Arlanda Express train
photo img_3870a
… why not take it ?
photo img_3871a
This was not the last presumed suspicious package in my trip : these escalators down to the subway were blocked by staff, like in CDG. But there were ways around it, and I did not wait until they were released
photo img_3872a
This is the end of this flight report, and the beginning of as much of a tourist bonus as I could make in a short and busy business trip.

I was surprised to see this long line of runners from the subway before reaching Gamla Stan station
photo img_3874aphoto img_3875a
I did not identify what this race was – what surprised me most was that it was scheduled on a weekday, which never happens in France.
photo img_3876a
My hotel was between the Ericsson Globe (the round structure left) and the Tele2 Arena (the stadium on the right), seen here from Flight AF1062, back in March 2014.
photo img_8221c
This is was it looks like when you are next to it. The twin tracks are for cabins which run all the way to the top of the structure to provide a panorama of the area.
photo img_3884a
Next to it, this is the short side of the Tele2 Arena
photo img_3897 panoa
The Tele2 Arena, the Quality Hotel Globe and the Ericsson Globe
photo img_3889a
The Quality Hotel Globe ? I had a small room with a view downward to a canvas cover inside the atrium , upward to the non-transparent cover of the atrium and sideways to a tiny portion of the sky through atrium windows.
photo img_3880a
And when an Australian guest asked if the hotel would bring her party’s half dozen of piece of luggage to their rooms, the receptionist said “yes, but this is charged extra”. She could not believe it, and, within hearing range, couldn’t either.
photo img_3879a
I thought I might end this bonus with a plane shot when I took a walk outside, but bad luck, the only plane I saw departing from the domestic Bromma airport turned just overhead, so I could only identify the type as a probable Dash 8-400
photo img_3891-2-3a
Thanks for reading me up to here !
See more

Verdict

Air France

7.6/10
Cabin8.0
Cabin crew8.0
Entertainment/wifi6.5
Meal/catering8.0

Paris - CDG

8.6/10
Efficiency8.5
Access8.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness10.0

Stockholm - ARN

9.0/10
Efficiency10.0
Access8.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness10.0

Conclusion

The flight was slightly late; it was going to be much worse on the way back.
The catering was not the kind of food that I would buy for myself, but it does its job of keeping you from being hungry during the flight without providing a real dinner.
No IFE on board, but the newspapers made available in CDG and my laptop for starting writing this were enough.
In short, this was a typical intra-European flight, convenient, but never meant to be the highlight of a trip.

Information on the route Paris (CDG) Stockholm (ARN)

Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 78 avis concernant 2 compagnies sur la ligne Paris (CDG) → Stockholm (ARN).


Useful

La compagnie qui obtient la meilleure moyenne est Air France avec 7.5/10.

La durée moyenne des vols est de 2 heures et 44 minutes.

  More information

4 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 353846 by
    Rl 777 802 Comments
    Thank you for sharing another FR to/from ARN with us!

    Nice spotting shots at CDG!

    Absolutely fantastic aerial shots, the weather seemed to be great that day.

    The plane you spotted in-flight was a Norwegian 737-800. The band in front is dark because it's backlit, otherwise it's red.

    Great shots before arrival and nice spotting shots at ARN!

    Thank you for the bonus from my home city.

    Have a good one, see you!
    • Comment 353883 by
      marathon GOLD AUTHOR 10116 Comments
      The weather had been great in Stockholm until my arrival, and I had sunshine in Paris too. It deteriorated soon afterwards in both cities.

      Thanks for the identification of the Norwegian plane, and for your comment !
  • Comment 354392 by
    jetsetpanda 2283 Comments
    Thank you Marathon for sharing this intra-European FR with always interesting aerials.

    "… there are often lots of soon to board passengers blocking the way"
    - I had the "pleasure" of using 2F a few years back on a flight by AZ and thought that it was a bit unpleasant.

    "There was indeed a lot of melted cheese inside, but I didn’t detect the presence of mushrooms."
    - Perhaps it was mozzarella with mushroom essence. :P Similar to seafood dishes with "lobster" sauce at some Chinese restaurants.

    Nice bonus of Stockholm.
    • Comment 354410 by
      marathon GOLD AUTHOR 10116 Comments
      What beats me is that the designers of Terminal F overlooked the fact that the passengers always stand in line at the gate when boarding is announced, and that they did not leave any space for that. Did they visit an airport before starting at the drawing board ? ^^

      Better not take airline food in Economy as a reference of a country’s gastronomy. In all fairness, there are quite similar wraps in the frozen food stores that I patronize in France.

      Thanks for your comment !

Login to post a comment.