Archive for the 'Air France' Category

Air France Sends the A380 to Washington

Published
by
Dan Webb
on December 1, 2010
in Air France
. 1 Comment

Air France announced Tuesday that it would send its A380 superjumbo aircraft to Washington-Dulles this summer, with daily service beginning on June 6.

Photo credit: Air France

An interesting note from the press release:

With the A380, Air France can rationalize its frequencies on these busy routes by combining two flights which leave at similar times while offering the same seat capacity at a 20% reduction in operating costs. The main deck of the A380 boasts equivalent capacity of a Boeing 777-200 and the upper deck that of an Airbus A340-300.

Dulles is a perfect example – Air France tells me that last summer they operated three flights to Washington with a mix of 777s and A340s. This summer, only two flights will be operated, with the A380 and 777-200ER.

Thoughts on Delta’s BOS-CDG Flight

Published
by
Dan Webb
on November 17, 2010
in Air France and Delta
. 6 Comments

Delta announced some adjustments for summer 2011 flying yesterday, and I wanted to focus on one interesting addition – Boston to Paris with a 757-200. With this change there will be three Skyteam carrier flights between the cities during the peak season, as Air France is currently scheduled to operate two flights this summer (747-400 and A340-300).

I’m completely speculating here, but I think a move like this one shows the benefits of joint ventures that are made possible with anti-trust immunity, where airline partners can coordinate their schedules.

Here’s my guess – Air France was looking to add a bit more capacity, but the smallest aircraft they can use is an A330-200, which is probably a bit too big. Delta, however, can provide a smaller 757-200 that can operate on the route more economically.

I find it interesting how the BOS-CDG capacity will ramp up this year. In the winter, there’s one Air France flight, operated with an A340-300. In February, a 747-400 gets mixed in a  few times per week, and it eventually becomes daily at the end of March. Delta’s flight begins right around the same time. Then, in June, the second Air France flight is added. So I would guess that Delta’s flight allows SkyTeam to better adjust capacity to demand.

Finally, let’s look at the summer schedule:

So, Delta adds another flight a bit later on the outbound, arriving almost two hours later the next day than the first Air France flight. Some passengers flying to Paris could possibly prefer this, and I’d guess it might make some more convenient layovers in Paris. Meanwhile, on the return, Delta now adds a flight a couple of hours earlier than Air France’s.

Anyway – Boston will have some nice international flying from SkyTeam this year, with service to London on Delta, Paris on Delta and Air France, Amsterdam on Delta, and Rome on Alitalia.

This is me wondering aloud here – will American keep its seasonal BOS-CDG service now with this extra capacity?

I hope to write about some of the other Delta moves later, but for now it’s back to studying for exams…

EDIT: Changed post at 3:22 on 11/17 to fix an arrival time in the schedule.

Air France and KLM Adjust Checked Baggage Policy

Published
by
Dan Webb
on March 12, 2010
in Air France and KLM
. 0 Comments

Earlier this week, Air France and KLM announced a couple of changes to their checked baggage policies, effective for tickets purchased on or after March 28. The adjustments are very similar to what we recently saw from Iberia. Air France and KLM currently have a mixed system – a “piece” system (like what the American carriers do) and a “weight” system, where one can take multiple bags for free as long as the total weight doesn’t exceed a limit. Like Iberia, it’s moving completely over to the former. I could explain all the changes, but that’d be boring, and plus AF/KLM made this handy graphic:

(Click to enlarge.)

So, in some cases, we’re actually seen some increase in bag allowance, which is certainly nice. Though those increases aren’t always that high, due to the varying policies of the weight system. For example, if I was flying Paris – Johannesburg in business, my allowance is actually 40 kg under the weight system. Also, this is a bit of a trade-off for some business class passengers. For example, if I’m flying JFK-CDG in business, I get two 32 kg pieces of luggage, but now it’s three pieces at 23 kg each. That’s still more weight, but the bigger bags will cost extra, though I have to think that’s not a huge convenience.

It should be noted, however, that the airlines have sneaked in a small fee increase here. Right now, the second bag for economy passengers costs $50, and it will be raised to $55. So, like all the other airlines, it’s a good idea to pay for the bag fees online, as one can save 20%. (Though the KLM website does note a good number of exceptions of where that option isn’t available. I’ve yet to find out if the restrictions apply to Air France as well, but they probably do.)

I could number crunch some more, but honest, it’s really not worth it. In the end, Air France is making its policy more transparent and understandable, which is a good thing. I have to think there are some other benefits here as well – restricting people to one bag probably makes check-in faster, for example.

On a side note, it’s interesting to see how the two airlines are positioning their premium economy offerings. KLM seems to be positioning Economy Comfort as simply a coach seat with more leg room and recline, while Air France is setting apart its Premium Voyageur offering even further (that’s a nicer seat than KLM, too).

Air France Launches First African A380 Service

Published
by
Dan Webb
on February 18, 2010
in Air France
. 1 Comment

Yesterday, Air France operated the first African A380 service with nonstop service to Johannesburg from Paris, which arrived this morning at 10:58 local time. You can watch a video of the arrival here.

The A380 will begin service to JNB three times a week out of a total of ten weekly JNB flights. While Air France awaits the delivery of its third A380, the Johannesburg schedule gets a little funky. Until March, there will be one daily flight, which is a 777-300ER four days of the week, and a A380 the other three days. On three days of the week (all days the 773 flies), an additional 777-200ER flight is flown. After March 28, that second flight is canceled, while the 777-300ER and A380 keep switching. Then, at the end of April (when the third A380 comes in), the flight will be exclusively flown by the A380.

Employees celebrate the A380′s arrival.
Photo credit: Air France.
Continue reading ‘Air France Launches First African A380 Service’

Air France-KLM and Gol Expand Partnership

Published
by
Dan Webb
on February 2, 2010
in Air France, Gol and KLM
. 0 Comments

Last week, Air France-KLM announced an expansion of their still-new partnership with Brazilian LCC  Gol. Last April, the airlines announced that passengers would be able to earn frequent flier miles on each others’ flights, and codesharing with Air France would begin.

Air France originally announced that by the middle of last year, it would be codehsaring with Gol to thirteen Brazilian destinations. That’s a bit behind schedule – right now there are only six destinations (Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Florianópolis, Curitiba, Salvador and Vitória), though the airline says that “seven other destinations will be added soon…pending government approvals.” KLM and Gol have now entered into a codesharing agreement for some Brazilian destinations, though the company news release does not specify which. The deal also includes service to Buenos Aires. Connections will be made possible with AF-KLM’s 31 flights to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro from Paris and Amsterdam.

AF-KLM calls Brazil “a key market.” Christian Herzog, SVP Americas for the group says that the deal “demonstrates once again our willingness to develop our position in Brazil. It offers our customers travelling to and from Brazil a larger choice of destinations and schedules, which reflects our group’s strategy: to ensure the best possible services between Europe and the rest of the world.”

Personally, I think that this is a great move for both carriers. Gol has a limited international reach with it’s all-737 fleet, so getting feed from Air France and KLM provides a nice boost to its current route network. Meanwhile, this is a good competitive move for Air France-KLM, as currently SkyTeam does not have any South American members, and Gol can increase service to not only Brazil, but other parts of the continent as the codeshare to Bueneo Aires demonstrates. British Airways and Iberia have noted that they have a dominant position when it comes to South American service, so this deal is one way that AF-KLM can respond. It should be noted, however, that Iberia and Gol announced a codesharing partnership back in October.

On another note, it’s interesting to see AF-KLM partner with LCCs – it has an agreement with WestJet as well. It’s just interesting to see traditional network carriers align themselves with the LCCs. JetBlue and Lufthansa is another example.

Air France’s New Short-Haul Seat

Published
by
Dan Webb
on January 20, 2010
in Air France
. 11 Comments

Yesterday, Air France unveiled its new short-haul seat. Basically, the airline is taking the same route as other airlines and going with a slim seat. Check it out:

jan20_4

jan20_5

One downside of slim seats is that they can be a bit on the hard side, and manufacturer Recaro recommends that they not be used on flights more than four hours long. As a result, these seats will only be installed on a total of 37 A319s, A320s, and A321 that are currently in the all-economy  “Metropolitan” configuration. These aircraft are used on short domestic hops.

Slim seats create more space, and often airlines take advantage of that to increase seating capacity. Air France is doing the same, though not by much. The number of seats won’t change on the A319, while both the A320 and A321 will be getting an extra row. According to Air France, the extra space will provide around 2-3 extra inches of legroom, which is certainly nice from a comfort perspective.

The new seat also doesn’t recline, with Air France instead opting for a “natural 15° recline which provides passengers with optimum comfort and preserves the space and tranquillity of the passenger behind.” So that’s a negative if you like reclining, but a positive if you hate being behind someone who likes reclining. :D

One thing I really like about this seat is the separate cup holder on the back of the seat, which is a feature that can be found on some of Air France’s long-haul fleet.

jan20_3

This  simple addition is something I wish more airlines would implement, as it allows for better use of the tray table. For example, let’s say I want to use my laptop during the flight, but I’ve already received my drink. There’s really no room for my laptop anywhere else, so the best I could do is awkwardly put my drink cup between my legs, which creates a situation that can only end badly. So, I have to wait for the flight attendants to come through and collect trash. If I’m on an airline that offers Wi-Fi, that could potentially result in a lost sale. Yes, my example is specific, but simply put, the cup holder is a simple addition that makes life easier.

Another perk of slim seats is their lighter weight, and Air France reports that the new seats are about 40% lighter than the ones they are replacing, which saves about 750 kg in weight per aircraft. That certainly helps the fuel bill, as Air France is estimating to save a total of 1,700 tons of fuel each year once the seats are introduced – so  the costs of installing the new seats can be recouped with the fuel savings over time.

The seats will start showing up on January 30, according to the Air France news release, and will then be “gradually introduced” into the fleet.

Air France Gets Creative with “Time to Think”

Published
by
Dan Webb
on November 23, 2009
in Air France
. 6 Comments

A little while ago, Air France released some information on some changes to its European/domestic offerings, and I found a new feature, called “Time to Think,” very interesting. Basically, it’s a hedge against fare increases for economy passengers that costs €10. Here’s the example provided in the news release:

A customer who wants to go from Paris to Barcelona in two weeks time but is not yet sure of his travel dates. He finds a particularly good roundtrip fare at 115 euros incl. tax on airfrance.com. For an additional 10 euros, he can keep this fare on hold for 7 days. If he comes back online 7 days later to confirm his flight, he will still benefit from the original fare of 115 euros, whereas the best available fare will have risen to 165 euros.

The big question is (of course) how many passengers will actually try it. There is certainly an element of risk here, as if the fare goes down or if the booking is changed, those €10 are still gone. Nevertheless, this can certainly be handy for passengers who want to take advantage of a fare sale but aren’t ready to confirm a booking.

There aren’t a whole lot of additional details about the service, though it isn’t being rolled out until April. But, I have to give Air France credit for thinking outside the box here, as this is one of the more creative ancillary revenue efforts I have seen.

(EDIT: Commenter dgfpaice notes that Qantas has a similar offering. There are differences between AF/QF though. See the comments for more details.)

Everybody Wants a Piece of JAL, Apparently

Published
by
Dan Webb
on September 14, 2009
in Air France, American, Delta and JAL
. 1 Comment

Last week it was rumored that Delta was interested in taking a stake in Japan Airlines. Well, it’s now been reported that Air France and American are interested as well.

I’d love to see when each airline started talking to JAL. For example, did American start talking with them after Delta and/or Air France-KLM? A purchase by either would probably mean JAL leaving Oneworld for SkyTeam, which would certainly be a blow to the alliance.

In the SkyTeam arena, who is a better fit for JAL – Air France or Delta? Air France and JAL do have a codeshare agreement in place on some routes. Either way, the JAL addition would enhance the alliance’s Asian position. Korean Air and China Southern are already members.

But there are a few other things going on in the background. For one, the United States and Japan are working on an open skies agreement that they wish to complete by the end of this year. Second, All Nippon Airways (ANA) is looking for antitrust immunity that would allow it to enhance its partnership with its Star Alliance partners.

Yet another factor here is Tokyo’s airports two airports – Haneda and Narita. The setup there is similar to what Washington, DC has with National and Dulles – Haneda is closer to the city and has mainly domestic flights, while Narita has the long-haul flying. Haneda, however, is getting a fourth runway and a new international terminal, and the airport will be opened up to more overseas flying (there are only a few international flights currently). A stake in JAL might help to give these airlines access to that airport.

Another thing I was thinking about – in its recent deal with US Airways, Delta gave the airline some rights to Tokyo for a future flight from Phoenix. Was Delta in discussions with JAL at that time?

Anyway, this is certainly very interesting!

Air France 447 Reported Missing

Published
by
Dan Webb
on June 1, 2009
in Air France
. 1 Comment

I always hate posting about accidents. I’m sure everyone reading this has probably heard a lot of the details, but heres what’s come out so far.

Air France has set up an official website with information, which has the basic information: flight 447, bound for Paris from Rio de Janeiro , took off from Rio at 7 PM local time, expected to arrive at 11:15 AM Paris time. Contact has been lost with the aircraft, which had 212 passengers and 12 crew (3 pilots, 9 flight attendants).

According to this Reuters report, the aircraft “sent an automatic message reporting an electrical short-circuit at 0214 GMT, roughly 15 minutes after flying into the turbulence.” This other Reuters report says that last contact was at 0130 GMT, a few hours into the flight.

Jon Ostrower reports on Twitter that the aircraft involved as F-GZCP, an A330-200 delivered in 2005.

WestJet to Partner With Air France and KLM

Published
by
Dan Webb
on February 5, 2009
in Air France, KLM and WestJet
. 0 Comments

Yesterday, it was announced that WestJet will partner with Air France and KLM, which is something I did not expect to be honest. The airlines will begin constructing a codeshare later this year or early next year, but they will begin working on other aspects of a partnership before that happens (i.e. baggage interlining). The press release does not imply, however, that WestJet will be joining SkyTeam as part of the deal. It also mentions that “possibilities for future frequent flyer program cooperation will be explored as well.”

This makes excellent sense for Air France and KLM. Air Canada is already a member of Star Alliance, so now Air France and KLM can take advantage of Wesjet’s network to get into the Canadian market. Meanwhile, having a European partner is a fantastic opportunity for WestJet, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this new international partnership could bring over some business travelers from Air Canada.

Now, I think it’s also worthwhile to mention Southwest here – would they do something similar? Probably not. SkyTeam has no presence in the domestic Canadian market, unlike here in the States.

Air France’s New Livery?

Published
by
Dan Webb
on January 26, 2009
in Air France
. 1 Comment

It has been rumored that Air France would be unveiling a new look soon, and after browsing around on the FlyTampa forums, I found a video with the new design (I’m embedding a slightly different version as the one on the forum contained a long introduction made by the YouTube user):

YouTube Preview Image

Now, I’ve yet to see an official announcement from Air France about the redesign, but that video does look fairly official, and looks like the same design linked to on the JetPhotos forums (site one, site two).

I think the new logo looks decent, it’s nice and clean, but I don’t like how the mock-up on the video keeps the famous “barcode” tail. While it is a very recognizable symbol, I think keeping the tail essentially the same makes the livery look like a hybrid.

What do you think? Leave your opinion in the comments.