Review of Air France flight Paris Stockholm in Economy

Airline Air France
Flight AF1262
Class Economy
Seat 4A
Aircraft Airbus A319
Flight time 02:30
Take-off 16 Jan 17, 09:15
Arrival at 16 Jan 17, 11:45
AF   #26 out of 94 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 6085 reviews
marathon
By GOLD 1040
Published on 4th February 2017
Better warn you in advance: this is a looong report, with lots of plane-spotting on the ground and landscapes in flight.

AF had pre-assigned me a window seat which I did not like: it was in the sun’s direction, and the wing was somewhat in the way. At my second connection on the OLCI, Seat 4A became available and I grabbed it.
photo clipboard02a
There was an orange (=medium severity) weather warning for the Paris area in the beginning of the week, and I received an SMS from AF warning me of possible congestion at check-in of the flights on Monday morning. It was unclear if AF was concerned that all staff would not be at work, or if too many passengers would make it at the last minute after struggling to reach CDG.
It turned out that the expressway to CDG had more salt than the Dead Sea, and I reached CDG by taxi in nominal time, only slowing down in the branch towards the airport. The temperatures were actually going to drop later in the day.
photo img_2332a
The taxi dropped me at terminal 2F, in record time from my home with due respect of the speed limits.
photo img_2335a
I was puzzled by this thing (any better word?) for disabled passengers, devoid of any explanations. Pressing the button triggered a message telling me that pressing it again would put me in relationship with an operator that I did not want to disturb needlessly.
photo img_2336a
The line at the security check for standard Economy passengers was longish, but not discouragingly so.
photo img_2337a
See the small read information bottom right of the FIDS
photo img_2339a
Less than a quarter of an hour estimated delay to go through the security: this was acceptable
photo img_2340a
My flight was listed on time, but I was too experienced to take this information at face value
photo img_2342a
Once I had obtained my BP at one of the machines, I entered the line for rank and file passengers.
photo img_2338a
The hand luggage gauge and scale with the staff on the lookout for overweight hand luggage was there as usual, like on low cost airlines and for the same reason: when your lowest fares do not include checked luggage, the passengers try to fit everything in their hand luggage. I saw a passenger being stopped, then released. He may choose another airline next time.
photo img_2347a
Fifteen minutes later, I was airside: the prediction was correct (« < » means « strictly less », but the precision of my timing did not allow me to argue about that), which was a good thing.
photo img_2349a
I knew that the water fountains were inoperable at this level, so I went downstairs to the transfer corridors
photo img_2357a
… to go to the toilets which were clean, but crowded, because this was the time slot when they are being cleaned, and only have of the facilities were accessible. This was before the morning rush hour, and I recognize that the toilets need to be cleaned at some time anyway.
photo img_2352a
This corridor left of the windows is part of the Arrivals path: there was a one-way door on the left
photo img_2353a
It is possible to go at that level to the other jetty of Terminal 2F – this corridor is mostly for connecting passengers who just arrived from the afore-mentioned corridor after deplaning. Staying them is not encouraged by the placement of these seats.
photo img_2356a
This was the only place where I could have a view on this KL 738, with reflections on the windows because you cannot get close to them.
photo img_2354a
Going back to the Departures level (except for the gates for bus transfers)
photo img_2358a
There was an ample supply of newspapers offered by AF. Note that out of four foreign newspapers, two were Dutch: this is AF/KL territory.
photo img_2359a
There was also a wide variety of French titles, spanning most of the political spectrum (Le Figaro, l’Humanité, le Canard Enchaîné, la Croix, Le Monde, L’Équipe, Libération and Les Echos, in a jumbled order if you are familiar with them).
photo img_2361a
Most of the planes parked at Terminal 2F are difficult to photograph. An AF A319.
photo img_2362a
My experience is that Flight AF1262 is usually at Gate F30, which is good for plane spotting because it is at the end of the jetty, but there was limited light at that season.
photo img_2363a
When all seats near the gate are occupied, you wait in vertical position, like this:
photo img_2366a
Or like that.
photo img_2364a
First sight of F-GRXA which was going to fly me to ARN this time.
photo img_2367a
An AF A32& taxiing to the runways.
photo img_2369a
Connecting to CDG’s free wifi took time, because my laptop requires rebooting in CDG (not in ARN).
photo img_2370a
I could eventually reach Flight Report’s home page
photo img_2371a
These young passengers to BCN had a problem of oversize hand luggage (from what I overhead); the one on the right left with her back to check it in. They did not seem all that big to me, and I think I would have been able to reduce their sizes by wearing part of their contents.
photo img_2372a
Meanwhile, boarding of my flight had already started. My FB Silver status is still good enough for Skypriority access, although this has been deleted from the signs identifying the queues.
An AF A321, two other AF A32x and an outsider, seen from the jetbridge:
photo img_2373a
Departure of an AF A319
photo img_2375a
An AF A320 in Skyteam livery
photo img_2378a
Skypriority or not, when you are behind the curtain…
photo img_2391a
… and when you are in the first rows of Economy, where all the passengers are Skypriority too and have filled the overhead bins …
photo img_2381a
… all you can do is hook your winter jacket to the seat in front and fit your laptop case and soft daypack under the seat. Or else I would have had to place them further back, wasting most of the advantage of seating in the front of the aircraft when it would come to recovering them at deplaning time. AF has reduced the seat pitch in their A319s: this does not leave much space event when your size is LCC-compatible.
photo img_2384a
The safety information card, both sides
photo img_2385-6a
As soon as the A320 in Skyteam livery has pushed back…
photo img_2387a
… an AF A319 taxies in
photo img_2388a
This was all I saw of a KL 737 in retro livery
photo img_2389aphoto img_2392a
Push back
photo img_2393a
The extremity of this jetty of Terminal 2F
photo img_2394a
AF A321 at her gate
photo img_2395a
The Sheraton and the train station
photo img_2399a
Arrival of an Austrian Airlines A319
photo img_2401a
Air Malta A320 at the terminal
photo img_2405a
Aigle Azur A319
photo img_2406a
Air Baltic 737
photo img_2407a
Air Seychelles A330
photo img_2409a
Terminal 1, with two Air China A330s
photo img_2413a
This is the other one
photo img_2418a
SQ flies an A380 to CDG
photo img_2419a
And QR a 777
photo img_2420a
A somewhat blurry LH A319 because our plane was taxiing too fast on a too bumpy taxiway.
photo img_2424a
TG serves CDG with an A380
photo img_2425a
An AF A380 in the maintenance area
photo img_2430a
The deicing machines whose work season was going to begin
photo img_2432a
This A320 is not waiting for take-off
photo img_2435a
Arrival of an Air Transat Air Transat on the parallel runway
photo img_2439a
Now is our turn
photo img_2441a
The Air Transat A330, ready to cross the runway
photo img_2442a
The countryside north of Paris was slightly frosted
photo img_2445a
CDG2 from above, after image enhancement
photo img_2449a
A Brocken specter on the cloud cover
photo img_2450a
The same, after image enhancement
photo img_2451a
First try at an air-to-air picture – there would be more successful ones later
photo img_2453a
Wing tip fence and the moon
photo img_2455a
AF/KL addicts recognize AMS here
photo img_2459a
Air to air picture of a plane obviously soon to land in AMS
photo img_2461a
Another try for an air to air picture. Not yet convincing..
photo img_2462aphoto img_2463a
Another more general view of AMS
photo img_2465a
Amsterdam’s historic center was not very visible
photo img_2466a
The white spot in the center of the picture, left of a canal, is a plane which was too small and too low to get a better picture of her. Another non satisfactory air-to-air picture :(
photo img_2467a
Almere, a new town built on a polder near Amsterdam
photo img_2470aphoto img_2473a
The breakfast, as served
photo img_2474a
Unlike the dinner on the reverse direction, the contents of the hot meal are identified.
photo img_2475a
The same after unwrapping
photo img_2476a
The piece of bread has not become any bigger
photo img_2477a
Compressing the wrappings of this meal has two purposes: one is to have fun, the other more serious one is to have something clean which can be slipped into the magazine pocket, together with the plasticware and the tray, in order to resume the writing of this flight report on my laptop.
photo img_2488a
A geometric alignment of windmills alongside the Noordoostpolder ("North-East Polder") which was reclaimed on the sea in the 50-60s.
photo img_2481a
Groningen …
photo img_2483a
… and its airport (GRQ)
photo img_2484-2a
The same, at the bottom of the overall view
photo img_2484a
The Dutch harbor of Eemshaven, at the right end of this picture
photo img_2485a
Borkum, the westernmost German Frisian island
photo img_2486a
It has an airfield: BMK, 1 meter above sea level (left of the canal and the small lake on the right in the picture).
photo img_2487a
Juist. There is an airfield there too (JUI), towards the right end, but my picture was not sharp enough to make it out.
photo img_2489a
Noderney
photo img_2490a
It takes massive image enhancing and a lot of imagination to see its airfield (NRD), as a thin dark line along the south (= lower) coast center of this picture.
photo img_2490a2
An offshore windfarm which was much more visible than that
photo img_2491a
Heligoland’s two islands, with the airport clearly visible on Düne Island on the right
photo img_2492a
Another air to air, in the lower third of the picture
photo img_2494a
The respective trajectories made it possible to show her off a blue sky backdrop
photo img_2496a
She was best identified as an Air Berlin A330.
photo img_2497a
A city for crossword puzzle fans: 8 letters with 4 A‘s? This was Aabenraa, around 20 km north of the German border (lower left).
photo img_2500a
Denmark’s Fredericia, and the straits which separates Fyn Island in the foreground from the mainland.
photo img_2502a
Hans Christian Andersen Airport (Odensee, ODE), named after the most famous native of the city. The original picture hue was so blue that I propose a black and white version.
photo img_2504a
Entering Sweden’s airspace.
photo img_2506a
And, just ahead of the reactor in the preceding picture, Halmstad and its airport
photo img_2507a
This is not a very long runway, but a future expressway
photo img_2508aphoto img_2509a
The countryside further north was covered with snow and the lakes were frozen.
photo img_2513a
First sight of Stockholm’s urban area : I was on the wrong side to see Stockholm and its domestic airport (BMA). The snow covered Viksjö golf course, just ahead of the reactor.
photo img_2517a
Järfalla on the left and Jakobsberg on the right, with Lake Mälaren in the background
photo img_2518a
The station (background) and Expressway E18’s interchange (foreground) of Jakobsberg. The L-shaped building at the lower edge of the picture is a store of one of the most famous Swedish brands worldwide: IKEA!
photo img_2519a
The curved buildings and the station of Kallhäll, and again Lake Mälaren in the background.
photo img_2520a
Jacobsberg and one of the many arms of Lake Mälaren in the background
photo img_2522a
In the fore ground on the right, Grinslanten’s golf course had probably few customers that day.
photo img_2523a
A quarry shaped like a hand with spread finger, and the premises of a company making fences in the foreground.
photo img_2524a
The curvy buildings in Runby
photo img_2525a
The same, with Upplands Väsby station in the foreground.
photo img_2526a
The rococo Stora Väsby castle, built in the 1760’s, whose park has been sliced through by the railway line. It now belongs to the Swedish and Polish noble De Geer family.
photo img_2528a
The business area next to Rosersberg, just before landing on Runway 01L
photo img_2529a
A nice property with plenty of trees which was seriously devalued when ARN was built, except for aviation geeks
photo img_2532a
Landing 17 minutes late, with the crew’s excuses. Taxi by the Caravelle whose cockpit is presumably being restored in a heated covered facility.
photo img_2534a
Arrival behind us of an SAS 737-700
photo img_2538a
This 747-200 has reached her final destination many years ago
photo img_2540a
This ET 787 would depart to VIE and onward to ADD in the evening and is usually parked here in the freight area
photo img_2569a
These DHL 757s also leave in the beginning of the nights
photo img_2543a
This Amapola Flyg Fokker 50 freighter is also a frequent sight here
photo img_2547a
A longish stop on the tarmac without any explanation from the crew (and without any movement from the passengers), in order to let this Wow Air A320 to KEF taxi away from the terminal.
photo img_2549a
There she was taxiing to the runway, together with an SAS 738 (LN-RRL) in Star Alliance livery
photo img_2551aphoto img_2552a
The Wow Air A320 begins her takeoff run
photo img_2565a
Nextjet Bae ATP
photo img_2555a
Another one taxiing to the runway
photo img_2562a
A departing SAS CRJ-900
photo img_2558a
SAS ATR72
photo img_2560a
The AF A319 at her gate, seen from the terminal
photo img_2567a
Arrival of OY-LKF, a Finnair E-190
photo img_2568a
I did not have motivation to rush down the escalator and maybe catch the Arlanda Express which was already in station, and pay a 100 SEK extra-charge for buying the ticket on board: this was an excellent excuse to complete my plane spotting session from the corridor leading to Terminal 3’s gates.
photo img_2574a
The harvest contained a DY 738 (with some reflections of the Christmas decoration on the tail)
photo img_2576a
TK A321 near lift off
photo img_2577a
SAS ATR72 on the frozen tarmac
photo img_2581a
Arrival of a KL 738 at Terminal 2, taxiing past the ET 787 in the freight area
photo img_2582a
Once I had exhausted the supply of parked planes, and since I could not decently miss the next Arlanda Express train,
photo img_2584a
… I went down the stairs, with a 7 minutes waiting time and then 20 minutes travel time to download my e-mails and start answering, using the free wifi internet access in the Arlanda Express station and train.
photo img_2585a
Arrival in the central station
photo img_2587a

This is the end of the report, but since my readers may find it too short ^^, I propose a quick food bonus.

I owe to a Flight Report to/from LLI the memorizing of the name of Lalibela which is where extraordinary primitive Christian churches hewn out of the rock are located. There is an Ethiopian aircraft on ARN’s tarmac in daytime, but it is possible to eat Ethiopian food at night, in front of the Marriott Courtyard where I usually stay these days.
photo img_3710
The traditional dishes are set like this, in an extra-wide deep metallic dish in a woven basket. It is served in very soft crepes which get torn very easily.
photo img_3707
There is a very friendly welcome and it is not crowded, but beware! I discovered that the Ethiopian dishes rival those of Chongqing and Hunan provinces in Mainland China. I mean by that the Thai dishes may taste bland in comparison. If you fear hot peppers, better change street walk!
photo img_4008
Thanks for reading me all the way to here!
See more

Verdict

Air France

7.8/10
Cabin6.5
Cabin crew8.0
Entertainment/wifi7.5
Meal/catering9.0

Paris - CDG

8.1/10
Efficiency8.0
Access7.5
Services7.0
Cleanliness10.0

Stockholm - ARN

9.5/10
Efficiency10.0
Access9.0
Services9.0
Cleanliness10.0

Conclusion

Densifying the cabin and proposing fares without checked luggage which encourages an inordinate number of passengers to maximize their hand luggage results in a loss of comfort for whoever is last to reach the area of his seat in the aircraft, because of the lack of space for his belongings.
There was a very decent supply of newspapers in CDG; the in-flight magazine does not count as entertainment for me. I am not interested in the download offering because my smartphone’s screen is too small for that.
The breakfast is better than average (in Europe), and satisfactory in Economy. The FAs did not have an opportunity to show their worth.

The fluidity was honorable in CDG, despite dire predictions. The accessibility was correct only for those who can go to the airport by car, in non-rush hours. The wifi internet access was somewhat choosy and there was no information as to when the water fountains may work again.

Nothing special in ARN, apart from the excessive fare of the Arlanda Express, which is not going to become cheaper anytime soon.

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 384490 by
    NGO85 SILVER 1955 Comments
    Thanks for sharing this FR with us Marathon!

    “the passengers try to fit everything in their hand luggage”
    Welcome to America! And this also leads to longer boarding processes since most of those bags have to be manhandled into overhead bins to make them fit. The loophole is the use of super large “purses” that count as a personal item^^

    2 CAs: PVG and CTU? I’m assuming PEK would warrant a B77W.

    Excellent aerial of AMS. And a surprisingly clear winter day in Stockholm allowed for nice aerials on arrival. “Grinslanten’s golf course had probably few customers that day” <== Cross country skiing?

    The breakfast looks quite good, the hot entree is a welcome occupant of the tray. Why are 2 rolls served?

    I find the SK livery to look better on the ATRs than on the B73Xs.
    • Comment 384505 by
      marathon GOLD AUTHOR 10106 Comments
      Actually, the reports on American flights posted on the website helped me understand why the overhead bins are now overcrowded on AF flights.

      CA now operates two daily flights to PEK, so my guess would rather be CTU and PEK. There are reports of flights on A330 and B77W to PEK (in French); we are waiting for volunteers report CTU and PVG flights :)

      This was the best weather I had so far on the flight to ARN, which has recently become a weekly shuttle for me.

      AF has improved its catering on European flights above 2:30’ scheduled duration (CDG-ARN just fits in), and it shows. No self-respecting Frenchman would eat a hot dish without some bread, and you want to have something else to bread your butter and/or jam onto. (That hot dish looks a lot more pan-European than French to me^^)

      Uninspired is the most charitable adjective I can think of with regards to SK’s livery.

      Thanks for visiting !
  • Comment 384541 by
    Rl 777 802 Comments
    Thank you for sharing this FR with us!

    Nice picture at the beginning, a lot of cars by the airport.

    “My flight was listed on time, but I was too experienced to take this information at face value”
    - Seems reasonable, a quick issue right before boarding could change the official prediction immediately.

    Absolutely stunning spotting shots at CDG with a lot of variety.

    The 2 CA 332s were indeed from PEK and PVG, the CTU flight comes on Wednesdays and Saturdays this season. I believe it is 3 weekly during Summer.

    Stunning aerial shots right after takeoff, great shot of CDG.

    “A Brocken specter”
    - Another one, stunning!

    I find the air-to-air shots to be fantastic, excellent shots of AMS too. Thankfully the weather tried to co-operate that Monday.

    It's good to know what one can expect on the AF1262 flight, and maybe also on AF1463. A nice improvement by AF.

    Impressive shot of the AB 332.

    Thank you for sharing all of the pictures with interesting information, I'm learning a lot from your geographical knowledge.

    “Halmstad and its airport”
    - Nice one, I remember seeing that little city from a similar angle on the way to CPH.

    Excellent shots of the Northwestern (and Northern in general) parts and outskirts of Stockholm. I just happened to spend most of my Saturday around these parts.

    “The L-shaped building at the lower edge of the picture is a store of one of the most famous Swedish brands worldwide: IKEA!”
    - You were extremely close, that L-shaped building is a Swedish electronics store called "Elgiganten" (literally means electricity giant, I don't like it). You caught a corner of the IKEA at Barkarby, it is below the L-shaped Elgiganten (kind of below).

    “The rococo Stora Väsby castle, built in the 1760’s, whose park has been sliced through by the railway line. It now belongs to the Swedish and Polish noble De Geer family.”
    - I did not know that at all, the information is appreciated.

    Nice spotting shots at ARN and thanks for the small bonus.

    Have a good one, see you later!
    • Comment 384630 by
      marathon GOLD AUTHOR 10106 Comments
      Thanks for the clarification about the CA aircraft.

      Taking air-to-air pictures is often frustrating because the aircraft is too fast or too far for my camera.

      Thanks for the correction about the IKEA store. Maybe one day I’ll know the geography of the area (the cloud cover doesn’t help these days to make any progress), but now, I actually need to spend lots of time on the internet to identify these locations, and sometimes find something to write about them.

      Thanks for your detailed review !

Login to post a comment.