“Faire du ciel le plus bel endroit de la terre”
(Making the sky the best place on Earth)
Skytrax rating: 4 stars
Skyteam Alliance
Operations
Globally
- Roughly 250 destinations (including flights provided by subsidiaries)
South Africa
- Cape Town to Paris direct 3 times per week
- International flights to the USA, Europe, Australia and New Zealand
General
Air France is the national flag carrier of France and is one of the biggest airlines in the world, transporting both passengers and cargo. The airline’s main international hub is situated at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Established in 1933, Air France merged with KLM in 2003 and is at present a subsidiary of that arrangement.
In 2007, Air France has entered into a trans-Atlantic agreement with Delta Airlines under the “Open Skies” pact between the USA and the EU, with USA-bound flights originating at London Heathrow Airport. In 2009, Air France secured a 25% capital stake in Alitalia which is coupled with an industry co-operation agreement.
Air France plane in the present livery, which is very similar to the previous one and has not undergone substantial change since the merger with KLM.
Air France has the following subsidiary concerns:
- Air France Consulting (Quali-audit)
- BlueLink
- Brit Air
- CityJet
- Société de construction et de réparation de matériel aéronautique (CRMA)
- Régional Compagnie Aérienne Européenne
- Servair
- Sodexi
- Transavia.com France
Air France also has code-share agreements with 30 other airlines.
The Air France fleet consists of about 250 planes, and Air France is the largest operator of the Airbus A318-100 aircraft. The airline is currently in the process of phasing out its Boeing 747-400s. Air France made use of the supersonic Concorde passenger liner at one time, but stopped using it in 2000 after demand for its flights dropped following a crash, in addition to increased maintenance and fuel costs.
Air France offers 5 different travel classes on its flights, depending on the nature of the flight.
- La Premiere (previously L’Espace Premiere) – opulent long-haul first-class limited to Airbus A380 and some Boeing 777 aircraft
- Affaires (previously L’Espace Affaires) – long-haul business-class with extensive creature comforts and lavish catering
- Alize – regional premium economy class on flights to the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean
- Premium Voyageur – new premium economy class on all long-haul flights except Boeing 747-400 planes
- Voyageur (previously Tempo) – economy class, with decent catering
The frequent flyer program of the Air France-KLM merger is known as Flying Blue.
