Air France New La Première Suite

JFK-Paris via Air France La Première

April 2025

Off to JFK for Air France new La Première

Off to New York for Air France's new La Première suite to Paris

So excited today to be off to New York and then Paris on Air France’s brand new La Premiere cabin. First up is Delta First Class to JFK on a new and very attractive A321neo.

Clear+ and PreCheck at 5am is a dream... like my own private security.

Delta, home of the pre preboard that includes handicapped, people that need extra time, families with children, active duty military and then Delta 360 and finally First Class.

Very nice A321neo interior, pics from my JFK-DEN flights earlier in the month.

Very nice IFE.

Tasty bacon quiche breakfast.

Perfect approach to JFK with great views of Manhattan.

A look back at my A321neo with a gorgeous Emirates A380 taxxing by.

Air France La Première Lounge at JFK

Air France La Première Lounge at JFK

After a short AirTrain ride from Terminal 4 to Terminal 1, the luxurious pampered La Première service begins, staring with the La Première check-in area at JFK, then personal escort thru security to the La Première lounge inside the Air France/KLM Lounge. Nice private setting overlooking the tarmac, where enjoyed a delicious lunch then complimentary facial in the spa before being escort to the gate and then onboard.

Elegant La Première check in area at JFK.

Then a personal escort thru security to the Air France/KLM Lounge and upstairs to the private and intimate La Première Lounge.

Yay, New La Première F-GZNQ is here!

Wine list with some lovely champagne.

And aperatif list...

Time for lunch...

Today's menu...

Shrimp tartare with avocado.

Yummy roasted sea bass...

And cheese plate to finish.

Off to the spa and my complimentary facial. Really nice.

My Instagram video of my day with Delta and the Air France La Première Lounge at JFK.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DI4Zz6ERYdA/

Air France New La Première Suite

Air France La Première from New York to Paris

What a treat today to experience the brand new Air France La Première suite from New York to Paris. Stunning new cabin with the longest suites in the sky including 5 windows, a seat and a sofa that converts to a proper oh-so-comfy bed, 2 TV monitors and an intuitive electronic pad to control every function in the suite. Wonderful Air France cabin service as always with great food and wines on todays' all too short 6.5 hours flight. What a wonderful and elegant new cabin. Bravo Air France.

At around T-45, my personal assistant came to retrieve me and, at my request, board me before anyone else so I could take pics without disturbing the other passengers.

New York JFK to Paris CDG

Air France AF 001

777-300ER (77W)

4:30pm-5:50am +1

April 21, 2025

Departed 4/4

Cost: 239,500 Flying Blue miles (including connecting flight to Helsinki)

Wow, wow. This is like Christmas morning.

Love the old cabin but this is a gorgeous upgrade, yet stil maintaining the Air France elegance and style.

The new control tablet is a winner. Well designed and very responsive...

And my selection for the flight.

Nice welcome note.

Bizarre that Air France doesn't service alcohol at the gate, perhaps to save taxes. That's a little cheap. But once the door was closed and we were still at the gate, I was offered a glass of Rare.

Today's menu...

And wine list, although after the champagne, nothing very exciting or remotely close to Emirates First Class.

After take-off, I moved over to the comfy sofa to relax.

My Belle Epoque aperatif with a few snacks.

Then back to my seat for dinner. Showtime: La Première style. And my delicious Lobster salad starter.

The Talbot Bordeaux was quite pleasant.

Braised beef cheek and lamb chop. Fabulous.

After dinner, time for bed to try to get a few hours sleep before our CDG arrival.

After maybe 3 hours sleep, the cabin is prepped for landing.

Cool nose cam of our landing, although not very HD,

On arrival, La Première assistants greeted us all at the door and escorted us downstaire where 3 Porches were waiting to transport us to the La Première Lounge or immigration.

What a wonderful flight and such a treat to experience the fabulous new La Première cabin. Bravo Air France.

My Instagram video of my wonderful Air France flight to Paris

https://www.instagram.com/p/DI6QXbix-4t/

La Première Lounge at Paris CDG

La Première Lounge Paris CDG

There is no better First Class ground experience than the Air France La Première experience at Paris CDG. La Première passengers are met in the jet bridge of their arriving flight by a personal assistant and then driving by private limo to the fabulous La Première Lounge, the best airport lounge in the world. The La Première Lounge features an Alain Ducasse restaurant with great food and wines. After a nap and a leisurely shower, I enjoyed my favorite Alain Ducasse coquillettes jambon/truffe noir and fabulous beef aux poivres, prior to being driven to my plane for the 2 1/2 hour flight to Helsinki. Why Helsinki you might ask? Only because adding Helsinki as my finalo destination was the only way to get Air France to release award seats on the new suite JFK-CDG flight.

Nap time.

After a 3 hour rest and refreshing shower, time for lunch Chez Alain Ducasse.

Major improvement in champagne but the rest of the list is still mediocre, although I understand they will be upgraded shortly.

Very nice.

Newly redesigned menu but with mostly the same classics.

My go to starter... Coquillettes Jambon/Truffe Noir, aka truffle mac n cheese.

And beef fillet aux poivres.

Perfectly medium rare.

At T-30, my personal assistant escorted me to a waiting limo for the drive to my plane to Helsinki.

Paris CDG to Helsinki HEL

Air France AF 1070

A220

12:55pm-4:42pm

April 22, 2025

Yeah it's crappy Euro Business Class but cool that Air France blocked the entire bulkhead row for me.

Lunch time. No, I did not eat lunch as this was for the photo op.

Very nice and effective thick cabin divider curtain.

Welcome to Helsinki

Very nice modern airport.

Well designed and so easy to find my Uber.

My Instagram video of my day with Air France.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DJC_sMDRz9B/

Helsinki

Welcome to Helsinki

On a pretty gloomy and chilly day.

A short 25 minute Uber ride later, I'm at my hotel for the night, the ominously sounding HOBO Helsinki. Great location and only a 5 minute walk to dinner. And just 81€ for the night.

OK now this is different. Funky decor but clean and very comfortable.

Hotel bar and restaurant taken at 11pm. Was much more crowded earlier.

After a power nap, off to explore Helsinki on my way over to dinner.

Dinner at Restaurant OLO Helsinki

Dinner at Michelin star OLO Helsinki

What a delight to dine in Helsinki tonight at Michelin star OLO, a wonderful restaurant featuring creative northern Scandinavian cuisine. Located in a beautiful and historic 200+ year old harbourfront townhouse, OLO features a lovely minimalist type decor. So fortunate tonight to be able to get the single place chef’s counter with a view of all the action in the kitchen, and to be able to see my 10+ course tasting menu being prepared by chef/owner Tuomas and his team. Food, wine and service were absolutely outstanding.

My chef's counter seat with a view of the action...

Wonderful Quail egg with Morel mushroom tea.

Yellowtalk amberjack with ginger and shiro soy

Slightly cured whitefish with whitefish roe and melon-jasmine broth.

Chef Tuomas preparing my next dish.

Incredible Steamed arctic char with Vin Jaune sauce and trout roe. Wow.

Fabulous Poached Lobster with jalapeno and Olo's XO sauce.

Up next...

Freshly baked sourdough bread.

With Sauteed reindeer with Lappish almond potato.

Oh yeah!

And old friend. I enjoyed this lovely Barossa Shiraz in Sydney a few weeks back.

Perfect with Dry-aged dairy cow with sunchoke and oxtail sauce.

Dessert time, starting with Coffee ice cream with roasted white chocolate and dates.

And assorted sweets to finish a wonderful meal.

Kiitos to Tuomas, Oscar and Hector for a memorable evening.

My Instagram video of dinner at OLO

https://www.instagram.com/p/DJEqINwR5FT/

Finnair Business Class to Frankfurt

Heading Home to Denver

After a short 12 hours in Helsinki, time to head home to Denver. Helsinki Airport is one of the nicest smaller airports, easy to navigate and with a comfortable Finnair Lounge.

Very pleasant lounge.

I love Helsinki. lol

First leg today is a “Finnair” euro-fraud Business Class flight to Frankfurt.

Except that it wasn’t really Finnair but rather a 31 year old A320 wet lease from something called DAT.

Uncomfortable original 31 year old seats and no Wifi made for a long 2h30m flight.

Oh yeah, and no overhead bin storage until row 3...

And row 4 on my side. Sheesh.

In the air, service was good and breakfast was edible.

Unfortunately, we arrived in Terminal 2 and I need to get to Terminal 1 for my flight to Denver. And this is Frankfurt, one of the ugliest and worst airports on the planet.

Some nice scenery on the train over to Terminal 1.

My Instagram video of my morning with Finnair, sort of.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DJHPBXtRZN0/

United Polaris Business Class to Denver

United Polaris Business Class Frankfurt-Denver

For the final leg back to Denver, I chose convenience over style. That and Lufthansa refused to release any First Class award seats on their Denver nonstop. United’s Frankfurt-Denver nonstop worked today as it gets me home just after noon and it was available on a mileage saver award. This is the first time I’ve flown United on any flight anywhere outside of North America and it was quite acceptable for non-Asian Business Class. Good service and food, and even some surprisingly good wines and I was able to sleep for 4 hours.

Frankfurt FRA to Denver DEN

United UA 181

787-9

11:20am-1:40pm

April 23, 2025

Price: 80,000 United miles

The walk downstairs to the jet bridge. Seriously?