Review of Air France flight from Dubai to Paris in Business

Introduction

During the winter schedule, Air France operates a second daily service between Paris and Dubai, which leaves Paris in the evening, to arrive in Dubai the next morning. The return flight then departs Dubai at 08h30, and arrives back in Paris at 15h40. Personally, I prefer this service to return from Dubai, mainly because the regular flight leaves after midnight, and arrives in Paris in the wee hours of the morning.

getting to the airport

I'm staying at the Sofitel Downtown Dubai, which is located in walking distance to the famous Burj Khalifa.

My car picks me up at 08h30 to take me to the airport. The ride takes about thirty minutes on a lazy Saturday morning.

check-in at terminal 1

Air France and KLM check in on row 1 of the terminal. They have quite a presence here in Dubai. Check-in is done by DNATA on behalf of Air France.

From check-in, I head for passport control and then to the metro that takes me to the D concourse, where most of the airlines depart from that are not Emirates or Flydubai.

duabi skyteam lounge

The SkyTeam operates its own lounge here in Dubai, which is hardly surprising. In addition to Air France and KLM, Saudia has a very strong presence here with several flights a day to the Kingdom. The lounge is located one floor up from the duty free area.

boarding

Boarding tends to start rather early here in Dubai. So when I reach the gate forty minutes before departure, they've just made the first call for Business Class passengers and status holders.

the cabin & seat

I'm the first to step inside the Business Class cabin. The B 777-200 don't all have the newest seats with the doors yet, but this bird already has the updated Business Class seat, which is very nice. I already mentioned in my previous post that I think Air France has the best First Class product currently out there. It's Business Class product is certainly up there among the top five, I would say.

The seat has lots of personal space and a good amount of conveniently located storage space.

And, of course, the little flying seahorse.

cabin crew & service

The cabin crew on this flight are just lovely and very charming. The MC comes to introduce herself and wishes me a pleasant flight. Next, a welcome drink is served, followed by the distribution of the vanity kits.

The vanity kit also features the little seahorse.

Once the doors close, the crew hand out the menus.

And then the hot towels.

There is a small bottle of Evian stored in the side of the seat.

At 08h40 we push back from the gate. AF659 is on its way, routing DXB to CDG.

the meal service

As soon as the crew are released, preparations for the meal start. I have a glass of still water, which is served with a packet of crackers filled with cheese.

Next comes the tray with the first course, the salad, cheese, and dessert. They tray is delivery from the galley, and not from a trolley.

I'm not a fan of foie gras, but I always enjoy the cheese dish on Air France.

With the first course, the crew serve a selection of warm bread rolls.

Olive oil and butter are also available.

For the main course, I have the meat. I don't usually eat meat, but just didn't fancy any of the other options on the menu.

Once the meal is cleared away, I ask for a coffee, which is served with a small piece of dark chocolate.

The crew bring me a new bottle of Evian and wish me a good rest. 

second service

The second service starts one hour out of Paris, and is quite extensive for a second service.

It consists of canapés, salad, and dessert.

Although I must say, the pink dome thing is rather vile.

arrival

The tray is quickly removed again once I've washed it down with coffee, and then the crew start preparing for the landing in Paris.

We touch down on time and make our way to our stand on Terminal 2E. The airport is very quiet, and I now have ninety minutes to make my connection from Terminal 2G.