Air France Unveils its New European Service to be Launched in 2010

Starting April 1, 2010, Air France is offering a new service on its medium-haul network, aimed at better meeting the changing expectations of travelers seeking greater simplicity and clarity, and more affordable fares.

The essentials of the Air France service will remain, and the airline will continue to offer two clearly separate cabins, the “Voyageur” cabin and the “Premium” cabin. The Air France service will not be that of a low-cost carrier.

“Regarding short-haul travel, customer requirements have changed. They now want reliable, efficient air transport, with an appropriate service, at the lowest possible price, while maintaining the ‘Air France touch.’ We designed our new medium-haul offering with this in mind,” said Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, chief executive officer of Air France-KLM.

The Voyageur offering is designed for customers looking for a simple, inexpensive product, with all the essentials of the Air France service:

• Free carriage of hold baggage up to 50lbs, choice of seat at check-in, wide choice of newspapers, catering adapted to the flight time and designated counters for customers requiring assistance.

• When they make their reservation, customers can specify their preference for a window or aisle seat free of charge, and have their boarding pass sent to them by email.

• For just $15, Air France also proposes a “grace period,” so that customers can keep their reservation and the fare they have found for several days. Air France is the only airline to offer this service online.

• Fares have been reduced and the simplified price range makes it easier to find the lowest price: the price displayed on the same Web page combines the cheapest available fare for the outbound flight and the cheapest available fare for the return flight. Tickets are sold for round trips, but promotional fares are now available one-way. These tickets are not refundable but can be modified for an additional $75.

The Premium offering is tailored to the requirements of business travelers seeking more flexibility, enhanced service, even greater efficiency and time-savings, at more affordable prices.

• Premium customers have a choice between two products: the Premium Eco for those seeking flexibility and efficiency at the best prices and Premium Business for those who opt for more comfort and privacy.

• In Premium Eco, the published fares are an average of 20 percent lower than the published fares for Tempo Challenge, and Premium Business fares are also lower than those of the current Affaires-Business Class.

• All “Premium” tickets are available either round-trip or one-way for all fares in the price range. They are can be refunded and modified free of charge.

• Premium Business customers can choose their seat when they book their flight.

• At the airport, all Premium customers benefit from a dedicated check-in area, dedicated security checkpoints, which are more numerous and faster at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and a priority boarding line. A dedicated Premium hotline is also at their disposal.

• On board, they travel in a cabin at the front of the aircraft. The in-flight catering has been upgraded both in presentation and content. Premium Business customers enjoy a wider seat, with no one sitting next to them.

Furthermore, whatever class they are travelling in, all passengers continue to earn Flying Blue Miles, and benefit from a wide choice of destinations and flight frequencies thanks to the powerful Air France hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle. They can use any of the Air France ticket offices downtown, Air France desks at the airport, call centers and can be assisted by Air France staff at any time. Passengers are taken care of by dedicated Air France departments such as the ROC (Reservations Operations Center,) in the event of operating irregularities and malfunctions.

Air France also responds to the needs of customers with special needs via “Saphir,” a complimentary booking and information service reserved for disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility. There is also the “Family Service” designed for children travelling alone (Ums,) which is free of charge on domestic flights. Every year Air France carries 400,000 Ums.

About Air France
Air France, winner of the Gold Award for Eco-Friendly Airline of 2008 in Travel Weekly’s annual Magellan awards and recipient of Aviation Week & Space Technology’s “2006 Commercial Air Transport Laureate,” was also named “2005 Airline of the Year” by Air Transport World. The Air France KLM group operates more than 2,470 daily flights out of Paris and Amsterdam to 242 destinations in 105 countries. Air France currently operates from 15 U.S. gateways and provides service from 125 U.S. cities through a code-share agreement with SkyTeam partner Delta. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.airfrance.com, call 1-800-237-2747 or contact your travel professional.

December 1, 2009   Posted in: Airlines & Railways