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Air France Business Class Review. Short Haul

For intra Europe business class, this is as good as it gets. The food was flavoursome. There was decent champagne, a good wine selection and the crew were friendly.

The business class seat was just an economy seat – with the middle seat blocked out. This is the norm for business class in Europe – but don’t let that put you off! 

All photos in this Air France Business Class Review can be clicked, and pop out into a slideshow. 

If you want to book Air France Business Class, the latest offers are here.

The Recommended Resources Page on my website has my favourite travel deals. These deals are regularly updated. 


What I Liked

  • Champagne on Tap
  • Flavoursome food
  • Attentive crew

What could be improved

  • Coffee wasn’t great
  • The seat is the same as economy

The Seat

Within Europe, business class is normally just an economy seat with the middle seat blocked out. Nearly all carriers operate this way. This is great for airlines. They can adjust the size of the business cabin according to demand. The blogosphere and Flyertalk are full of people who complain about this!

My views are more nuanced. Europe is a small continent and has low business class fares. British Airways runs sales with fares starting at $150. US domestic business class often costs $1,000.

For your Euro Business fare, you’ll get lounge access, blocked middle seat, premium meal, champagne and enhanced mileage earning. This is pretty good for $150.

For comparison, China Southern Business has a larger seat. However, the food and drink are terrible. I know what I’d prefer!

On the flight, Air France didn’t offer an amenity kit. There was just a cushion on the seats.

The Best Activities in Paris


Paris is a bucket list destination with many amazing things to do. It has a reputation for being expensive, but it doesn’t need to be.

Notre Dame Cathedral is a historic medieval Catholic cathedral in Paris, renowned as a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture. It is one of the world's most famous church buildings. You can pre-book tickets online for free here. It’s free for everyone, so if a website is asking for money, then it’s a scam.

One of my favourite tours? A Guided Tour and Tasting at the Distillerie Baccae Paris - book here. It’s $10.65 per person and includes alcoholic drinks. The tour is rated 5* and it’s super fun. Listen, you’ll get drunk for cheap! But it’s also pretty cool to do the tour. It’s a unique experience. I enjoyed the tour when I did it with my wife. The tour guides recommend that pregnant people don’t attend the tour. But I hope you already knew that!

A full day champagne tasting tour from Paris can be booked for $272. The tour is rated 5* from 872 reviews. It’s not a cheap tour, but I really enjoyed doing it. You take a mini-bus from Paris and have 6 separate tastings. If you don’t drink much alcohol, then this tour isn’t for you! You’ll be provided with a lot of champagne. We made sure to take a couple of bottles home.


The Food

I loved the food! The same goes for my wife and daughter.

My daughter had a kids meal. She got chicken and potatoes in creamy sauce. Alongside a kit kat, cream cheese, bread and juice. She loved it!

I had beef with butternut squash mash and roast carrots. There was also cake, alongside bread and cheese. The beef was decent, but overcooked - to be expected on a plane. I appreciate that we were given a full 3 course meal. It’s far better than the meals I’ve had on BA! We were given menus too, which is a nice touch.

My wife had a coffee which she didn’t enjoy. She wanted a latte, but got a milky coffee that she found bitter.

We were given a small box of chocolates before landing. It’s a small touch, but I liked it.

I took some photos of the food and the menu. These can be viewed in the slideshow above.

Paris is world famous for its food. But you need somewhere to sleep while you’re there. I wrote a complete guide to Marriott hotels in Paris. I cover each hotel and explain how to get the best deal. I also give loads of strategies to earn free Marriott Bonvoy points. 

The Drinks

Air France had a large selection of drinks. Champagne, wine, beer and spirits. I had a couple of glasses of champagne. They served Deutz Brut Classic, which retails for about $50. I didn’t like it all that much to be honest.

The crew were proactive with refills, which is always a good thing.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed this flight. It’s one of the best short haul business flights, I’ve taken in Europe. The food was good, the service was attentive and alcohol was free flowing.

I fly with Air France quite a lot. I like the airline and they often have good deals. This review is of my business class flight from Paris to Guangzhou, China. The flight was excellent. The reverse herringbone seat was large and food was tasty. In addition, my wife loved the amenity kits. A touch of French flair!

British Airways short haul business class is similar to Air France. I flew from London to Amsterdam – my review is here. I was pretty happy with my flight! The catering was high quality. The crew were also excellent. They fit a full meal service, drinks service and refills in under 1 hour!

If you find yourself flying out of Paris, Charles De Gaulle, you might need to stay at an airport hotel. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, which is located on the airport grounds. It’s a budget hotel, and you can get to the airport for free. They also offer free breakfast for all guests.