AIR FRANCE: New La Première first class cabin announced. No door scandaleux!

Air France has announced the launch of a completely redesigned La Première first-class cabin for the 777-300ER fleet. Four suites will occupy the first five windows, meaning each suite will cover nearly 3.5 square metres (376 square feet).

The suite will premiere in the northern hemisphere spring 2025. The first aircraft to feature the new La Première cabin, named Épernay, will fly the Paris to New York-JFK route. By summer 2025, destinations currently served by aircraft equipped with the older La Première cabins will include Los Angeles, Singapore, and Tokyo-Haneda, indicating an exceptionally quick roll-out.

The older edition of La Première is already available from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Abidjan, Dubai, Los Angeles, Miami, New York-JFK, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Tokyo-Haneda and Washington DC.

Strategic Focus on Premium Market

Introducing the new La Première cabin is part of Air France-KLM’s strategy to target the premium market segment, especially affluent American travellers. The airline has also experienced increased demand for business and First-Class seats from leisure travellers. ​

Earlier, Air France’s Airbus A380s also featured the La Première cabin. However, these superjumbos were retired from the fleet in 2020, and unlike with other airlines, there is no plan to reintroduce the behemoths. With no A380s, La Première First class will be confirmed for the Boeing 777ER fleet and newly acquired Airbus A350s as they arrive.

Features of the New La Première Cabin

First, Air France is not endorsing doored suite culture but is preserving the much more lux (in my opinion) curtain as the privacy divider.

The Stelia Aerospace crafted cabin and seats were designed by Design Investment and SGK Brandimage. Fabrics and leather is in greys, champagne-coloured metal and red accents. In contrast, the carpeting is dark.

Here are some of the main attributes of the suite

• Seat and Chaise Longue converting to a bed
• No overhead compartments; instead, in-seat bag storage
• Footwear storage under the chaise lounge
• Wardrobe in each suite
• Personal storage with a backlit mirror adjacent to the seat
• Two 32″ 4K screens with 1,500 hours of video
• Bluetooth headphone connection plus noise cancelling
• Power (110V/220V) plus USB A & C ports and wireless charging
• Tablet and Smartphone holders
• Touchscreen controller
• Extended Length: Each suite will span five windows. It’s the longest First Class suite in the market ​
• Privacy using floor-to-ceiling curtains.

WiFi is being upgraded to ultra-high-speed and will be free for Flying Blue and La Première customers.

Fleet and Route Expansion

The new La Première suites are also proposed for the Airbus A350 fleet, including the forthcoming A350-1000s. This expansion aims to provide more passengers with access to the airline’s top-tier service.

It’s important to note that La Première’s availability on these routes can vary based on seasonal demand and operational considerations.

The La Première Experience

There is much more to the La Première experience than the seat onboard. Passengers can expect superb dining, exceptional service from the crew, and pretty fabulous ground services are also included. You get the exclusive La Première lounge in Paris and chauffeur services between your departure and the airport and hour arrival destination.

2PAXfly Takeout

Air France’s revamped La Première cabin represents an advancement in First Class. It is priced accordingly.

Unfortunately, I was not flown on a promo trip to France to experience the unveiling of this suite first-hand, so I have to rely on the photographs to make judgements. Strangely, with all the other opulence, it doesn’t look like you can arrange the suite to have a buddy seat for dining à deux, which seems odd.

I wold also like to point out the weird disconnect between the chair and the bed/chaise longue. My orderly mind wants to connect them, but physically, you apparently can not.

I am unlikely ever to experience this suite, but we can always dream!