Avis du vol entre Atlanta et Paris en classe Premium Eco avec Air France

Let’s continue this journey back to Paris, taking the scenic route from FDF.

The final leg now lies ahead, as shown in the routing below. 

END OF TRANSIT

We left off in the previous FR with this rather questionable display for our AF31.

As a matter of fact, I already knew this morning that things weren't quite as quiet.
Throughout the day, I received a steady stream of notifications (SMS, email and the app), all confirming the revised departure time. The upside? I was now looking at a good four hours to kill.
This also seems like the right place to mention my completely unsuccessful attempts to score an upgrade ever since online check-in opened. Business Class was absolutely packed, even though seats had still been available just a few days earlier.
One possible explanation for this sudden demand is the cancellation of today's AF33, which would only be officially confirmed on the FIDS later on.

Let's now emerge from the depths of the Plane Train.
I'm a little excited to discover what awaits me, but my first impression already tempers my expectations: there are only 14 gates here. 

The initial view, however, looks promising.
Are we about to witness an outrageous display of luxury? 

In the meantime, it's Delta everywhere you look outside the window.

STRAIGHT TO THE LOUNGE

In fact, once past the Porsche, I quickly realize that the duty-free area is fairly modest.
There's a food court one level up, but when it comes to shopping, the choice is rather limited.
I'm genuinely surprised by how understated it all feels for Delta's flagship terminal.
No matter, it's not as if I was planning to shop Chanel or Louis Vuitton anyway.

So, without further ado, it's straight to the lounge.
Access is quick and effortless. 

Once again, however, I'm far from being the only one with lounge access, and seating is at a premium.
A high table at the back once again becomes my refuge.
The lounge features a small indoor terrace (shown below), as well as a much more appealing outdoor terrace.
Unfortunately, it's absolutely packed when I try my luck.
To make matters worse, someone manages to trigger the emergency exit door alarm…
More than enough to discourage anyone from hanging around in the hope that another passenger gives up their seat. 

Inside, though, it's nice and quiet, and I still get a decent view of a few aircraft and even the control tower.

The only downside? I'm miles away from the buffet! 😄
It'll be difficult to give you a proper tour, as it's absolutely packed.
So here's just a quick glimpse of what's on offer, which is fairly limited overall, especially when it comes to desserts and sweet options.
The bar, on the other hand, is quite impressive.
Plenty of drinks are complimentary, but you can also trade up to more premium options for an extra charge. 

Here's what I settle on for lunch, accompanied by a little Old Fashioned.
It's perfectly decent, but without any real flair.
At this point, taking into account the size of the lounge, the modest buffet and the disposable tableware, I come to the very personal conclusion that it simply doesn't measure up to the lounges in Paris CDG's 2F or 2E (Hall L) Terminals.
The wait promises to be a little on the long side… but at least there's Wi-Fi! 

Since I've got plenty of time and have been on my feet for quite a while, it's time to enjoy one of the little perks of lounge access: the shower!

To get there, I have to make my way to the opposite end of the lounge.
All you have to do is scan a QR code to register, and despite how crowded the lounge is, there's absolutely no waiting.
The shower suites are spacious, and naturally it's my duty to show them to you… fully clothed, of course, to avoid any unfortunate reflections! 😄 

Refreshed after this pleasant little break, I settle in to make the most of the slowly passing time, taking it easy and leisurely sipping on a glass of lemonade.

At last, our 77W pulls up at the gate.
Today's aircraft is F-GZNI, a 15-year-old Boeing 777-300ER in the three-class configuration, whereas the original seat map had shown the four-class version with La Première.
That probably explains why no upgrade offers ever appeared: this aircraft has a smaller Business cabin, with 48 seats instead of the 56 (or even 60) available on other configurations.

Departure time is finally approaching, so it's time to leave the lounge and head for the gate. I'm admittedly a little early for the revised departure time, but too much lounge time eventually becomes… too much lounge time.
My bird is now on stand, and the usual pre-departure ballet is well underway.

BOARDING AND CABIN

I take up a spot in what is almost pole position in the properly set up Zone 2 queue, ready for boarding. 

At 18:25, boarding begins with Zone 1, and barely five minutes later I'm walking to.
Time for the fuselage shot, followed by the obligatory door shot..

18:35, I'm in for this long-haul flight, which has a welcome sense of novelty, both because of the route and the cabin.
Indeed, this is Air France's new Premium cabin awaiting me.
Until now, all my previous Premium flights had featured the infamous fixed-shell seats.
Compared with the Premium cabins on my recent FDF flights, this one is in a completely different league in terms of size, with no fewer than 48 seats. 

Here's today's throne, which at first glance gives me a slight NEV4 seat vibe probably because everything still feels brand new to me.
The footrest, visible on the left, quickly reminds me that this is definitely not a "Business slide" seat.
Still, first impressions are decidedly positive. 

Once settled in, the positive first impression only gets better. As it turns out, "premium" doesn't necessarily have to mean fixed-shell seats.
The water bottles are right in front of me, and everything is within easy reach, including my now-iconic end-of-trip hat, proudly occupying seat 25J.
The recline is pleasant too, and I have to admit I feel genuinely comfortable in this seat, especially when compared with my flight last summer.
The only feature that gives me pause is the tray table.
It looks rather small and potentially a bit tricky during meal service but we'll find out soon enough. 

Now that we've covered the seat, let's move on to what really matters: Waiter, the menu please!
I find myself leafing through quite a stack of pages and briefly wonder whether some of them might actually be leftovers from the previous flight. Either way, the highlight of today's catering should be the second meal service, which ought to put the old "Bon Appétit" bag once served in Premium to shame. 

Before we get underway, I might as well travel with peace of mind and locate the essential facilities, should an urgent need arise at any point during the next eight hours.

All is good.
18:45; Refuelling is complete, and boarding appears to be over as well.
Like John Malkovich, I'd love to run through the cabin shouting, "Success! Success! SUCCESSSSS!"
Why? Because my neighbour is Casper.
Ultimate luxury this evening: a last-minute bonus giving me full access to the row.

19:00; The captain comes on the PA. Everything is on schedule after all, and today's flight time will be a tidy seven hours.

The doors are closed at 19:05, followed by an announcement I'd never heard before, this time addressed to the cabin crew: "Please switch your iPads to 'customers on board' mode." A first for me.

19:10; Pushback, followed by the GE engines coming to life and the safety demonstration. 

TAXI AND FLIGHT

Taxi begins at 19:17, and I have to admit I briefly wondered whether we'd end up crossing the three-hour delay mark on arrival.
Fortunately, the taxi is remarkably short, helping us claw back a few precious minutes.
In the meantime, it's goodbye to the control tower.

How do I know the taxi was so short?
Well, thanks to FR24, I could see that we had been parked practically at the threshold of Runway 27R. 

It's going to be hard to get your pulse racing with photos of such a short taxi, but fortunately the evening light lends a helping hand.

19:20; Lined up and off we go! 

Atlanta's skyline—of which, ironically, I won't have seen a thing today.
Still very much in an NBA All-Star state of mind, it brings back memories of the Hawks with Dominique Wilkins, then Dikembe Mutombo.
Who's playing for them these days? No idea… 

Back to our flight report
After a long left turn, we level off and the service begins, starting with the amenity kit, followed by the refreshing wipe.
The small storage pocket on the back of the seat proves very handy for stashing everything away.

Wi-Fi? Check. USB ports? Check.
Then the purser stops by with a warm and cheerful greeting.
All good, once again. 

19:40, time for the pre-dinner drinks.
In the background, you can also spot my carefully stowed amenity kit and refreshing wipe. 

The meal service gets underway at 20:00, and I'm definitely ready to eat.
Once the tray is set down, though, there's not much room to spare on the tray table: you have to stay focused.
Overall, everything matches what was listed on the menu… except perhaps the starter. 

Let's unpack all of this.
Overall, it's actually rather good, and more than enough to satisfy your Flight-Reporter. 

20:45, trays away.
A quick digestif, and I'm already entertaining the pleasant illusion of a good night's sleep, stretched out like royalty in my seat.

21:20, lights out.
In the end, sleep simply refuses to come, despite how comfortable my seat is.
Around 22:30, after a few rather significant turbulences, one of the cabin crew makes the rounds with a selection of snacks, offering a little comfort to those passengers still awake and battling their movie, their sleep… or both. 

A single madeleine is all well and good, but it doesn't keep you busy for four hours.
We're still very much in full night mode, yet strangely enough the photo makes the cabin look far brighter than it actually was. 

I decide to stretch my legs with a walk to the back of the cabin, making a quick stop first at one of the two lavatories located between Premium and Economy. While passing through, I notice these two INOP signs on the first row of Economy, even though everything appears to be in perfect working order. 

At the back of the cabin, it's the usual self-service selection for those struggling through a night flight.
There aren't many people around tonight. In fact, even the Economy cabin is surprisingly empty.
Just my luck… 😄
To add a bit more context, there were plenty of empty seats in Economy, enough for some passengers to stretch out across a row, as well as quite a few available seats in Premium. 

Let's fast-forward through this sleepless night (of wakefulness, not romance).
01:00, lights on! The second meal service is about to begin.
And one glance at the trolley confirms that it's very much a tale of two cabins.
The familiar Bon Appétit bag is still there for Economy, but what really catches my attention is the tray on the upper shelf. 

And there it is at last: a second Premium meal service that finally aims a little higher.

Let's unpack it.
Compared with the Bon Appétit bag from my last personal experience, the cheese has disappeared.
On the other hand, we've gained:
- a warm pastry and warm bread,
- yogurt with granola (a definite step up from a plain yogurt, even if it doesn't completely reinvent the experience),
- a larger fruit juice.

All in all, it's an improvement… but something is still missing.
Just that little extra that makes all the difference. 

The cutlery! It had apparently been forgotten, much to the surprise of the cabin crew as well, who promptly disappeared into the galley to find enough of them to rescue the entire cabin.

Whether these were the cutlery items originally intended for the service, or whether we might otherwise have been treated to a metal spoon and knife (nothing more was really needed), remains a mystery. My guess is that these were the standard ones all along.

If I were to nitpick, beyond the missing cutlery, I'd also have preferred the jam in those little glass jars (the same ones found in Business and in abundance in the lounges), a pain au chocolat instead of a croissant, and that little Edam cheese to provide a salty touch.
Still, credit where it's due, this is a genuine step forward.

With that much-anticipated moment finally behind me, it's time to switch into "Are we there yet?" mode.
At 01:30, the coastline comes into view, and about thirty minutes later we'll begin our descent. 

The timing couldn't be better: a moonset followed by a sunrise awaits.

Now the real show begins.

The descent gives us a lovely view of Paris waking up… well, perhaps not quite waking up anymore, considering it's already after 8 a.m.

Here comes the finale, with a particularly scenic approach this morning.
And down we go, touching down smoothly at 08:33. 

A short taxi follows towards Terminal 2E Hall K (if I heard the announcement correctly), including a crossing of one of the runways.

A Delta hub with a sea of Delta tails leads to an Air France hub with a sea of Air France tails.

As for us, we're heading for the "heavy" parking stand.

who's the heavy here, with that faint little reflection just visible?

One final turn to go.

At 08:41, we make that final turn… and it's clearly not Terminal 2E Hall K.
Either I misheard the announcement, or our parking stand changed at the last minute.
Too eager to get off the aircraft, I completely forget to take any ramp shots.
I come to my senses a few minutes later as I walk through the Business cabin, the one that might just have allowed me to get some sleep.
As I snap a quick picture of one of the seats, I notice that the bedding is still perfectly pristine, suggesting it never had an occupant.
An outrage for someone whose not-so-secret ambition is to burn FB Miles… unless, of course, it was an INOP seat? 

The Suite, on the other hand, was definitely occupied, and seeing it in person, the amount of space is genuinely impressive!

It will take about ten minutes to reach the LISA, the local air train. 

La dernière étape à risque est en vue et s'annonce clémente.
Je suis toujours verni pour le passage PAF à CDG.
à 09h06, je suis landside.

Our belt is 33.

Baggage delivery turns out to be perfectly respectable, as by 09:30 I'm already sitting in my Uber on the way home and, more importantly, back to my bed.
That's just 50 minutes after stepping off the aircraft, without rushing at any point. The 45-minute mark was probably within reach.

The FR24 track shows a fairly direct routing overall, although there was a slight kink between Washington and New York, which was noticeable both on the map and in the cabin. 

See you.