Air France is an award winning airline with flights to over 180 destinations along with 13 direct flights to Paris from the United States.
USER EXPERIENCE
We found the Air France website a bit difficult to navigate. We had the nagging feeling we were missing something. Perhaps it was the super small font and large amount of check boxes that threw us off. We’re also not fans of how complex the Air France Flying Blue Rewards program is. The Flying Blue program is structured in four levels: Ivory, Silver, Gold and Platinum. However, it is difficult to determine how many miles you will receive on a particular flight, as much depends on your flying class and other factors.
FEES
We like the fact that you can purchase an additional bag allowance online and receive a 20% discount on baggage fees, and that you can also choose to reserve a “Seat Plus” with additional leg room for €50. Air France has a change fee of $250, plus the increased cost of new airfare, and cancellations are not permitted. At the time of booking, you an pay an optional $20 fee per passenger for the “Time to Think Option”, which will hold your reservation for 7 days.
PRICING
We found searching for the lowest airfare on AirFrance.com is a snap if your dates are flexible, as they show you the cheapest fares for 7 days before/after your desired dates. Although, the pricing is not always competitive. We liked that the Air France flight from New York to Paris was non-stop, however we found a similar flight on Vayama.com for nearly $200 less.
REPUTATION
Recently in 2013, a customer complaint about Air France went viral on the internet. In his blog post entitled “One Night in Paris”, disgruntled customer, Jay Harish Shah, complained that Air France discriminated against himself and other south Asian customers by leaving them stranded in Paris, while other customers were given better treatment after their flight was cancelled. Whether his complaint is legit or not, we found numerous reviews online stating that the crew on Air France flights are rude and that customer service agents are unforgiving. Complaints about delayed baggage are also common and Air France’s online reputation appears sketchy at best.
UNIQUENESS
We appreciate that Air France is innovative and not afraid to jump into new technology with both feet. Not only are they the first airline to create an entire social networking site for their flyers, but you can download your boarding pass to your smart phone. Truly on the cutting edge, you can now board the plane with your smart phone in hand, and forget the paper. Upon boarding, your bag is tagged with a RFID chip, so your bag is easily tracked electronically. Before your trip, check out Bluenity.com, a social networking site developed by AirFrance.com and KLM. On Bluenity you can communicate with and meet others traveling on Air France and KLM, at the airport, in the plane or at your destination, and share travel tips and information. It’s also worth a mention that Air France is the first European airline to provide a seat that reclines inside a fixed shell in an intermediary (not first) class seat.
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