Review of Air France flight Paris → Nice in Economy

back from frankfurt

Hello Everyone and welcome to this new series of flight, that happened just before the second lockdown of 2020.
This information has some importance has direct flights with LH were almost none existants and you will see the way back is a bit of a funny one! 

So why going back home through Nice you wonder? Well it was during the 2020 summer, when there weren't that many flights around available and so the next flight from CDG to LYS was landing about 1 hour later than with this connection to Nice…

Also I perhaps, love Nice and above all flying…
And maybe I wanted XP and miles for a gold status?! Not sure which reason to pick now !!!  

Flying blue Miles earned with this flight: 615
Status earned: 2 XP
Air France doubling the XP status in 2020: 2 additional XP

The Air France app is well desgined, and you can have your boarding pass at hand. 

Time for the cabin map moment!
Airbus typically recomends 199 seats in one class at a pitch of 32 in, at max the aircraft can have 230 seats and Air France chose to configure it with 212 seats… 

AT PARIS - CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT

I left you from our previous flight from Frankfurt, arriving by paxbus from 2G terminal.
For once I was invited by my boss to spend some time in the lounge, as I had to wait for a long time my next flight… And this was my first time in lounge 2F..

Checking on the FIDs my next flight to Nice was leaving from F49 gate… 
Our plane of the day is the third and last of this row. the A321… As you can see the three of these planes are retrofitted with wifi! 

Aircraft: Airbus A321-212
Registration: F-GTAP
Engines: 2x CFM56
Age: 13 Years
Layout: Y232
Observation: usually used on domestic routes, however equipped with smart and beyound cabin… Since this report the plane has been repainted with the brand new "crevette" livery..

at air france 2f lounge2 (the old one)

and how to get used to be spoiled!!!

The Lounge is over 2 floors, that offer more or less the same features: a working area, a dining area and toilets. The basement floor is slightly smaller but less busy..

Once my boss left, I started to take pictures.. So apoligises there are no pictures of food but I kept some dessert for you!
I must state that this was the time of in between two lockdowns, and the offer was limited and you wouldn't have access to the buffet, a lady had to serve you on a tray.

Here in white wine some burgundy chardonnay that I don't remember the AOC I am afraid..
There was quite a few people and the lounge felt a bit too small I guess the AF staff 20 years ago didn't expect as many people being "premium"… However when I write this report, AF had opened the new F lounge and so this is just history… Let us remember that AF reacted in a very positive fashion. 

The good thing of the lounge that I am going to miss is the immediate proximity with the planes, a tad closer than that of the new lounge..

A final shot for the history books! 

onboard the a321

And we started taxiing towards the north runways of CDG for once…

And take off!

rotate…

Bye bye grey parisian sky!

The long service started very soon after, I say very long because you can feel there are a lot of people!! I had the option between a cold and ht drink, the service didn't resume fully at this point yet.

Somewhere over Burgondy…

I connected to the wifi to download a few newspapers and check our live position

And of course the magazine…

The crew seemed very professionnal on this flight, they passed through the cabin a few times to have a chat with passengers, not only for the service which is a plus I guess.

And it was time for the approach, already… and what an approach, look at these beautiful mediterranean blue… You can tell there was a lot of wind with these waves at sea…

flaps full

and the tip of the airport built on the sea

ready for touch down?

and reverse

at Nice-Côte d’Azur airport

A quick look at the "business" cabin, only identifiable with the curtain and the brigh read colours on the headrest

We arrived at T2 terminal, the hub for Air France and friends… Goodbye A321!

This building is sort of similar to the new T1 at LYS…

thanks for reading me!