Do NOT fly Air France if you can help it!!

[KnoxvilleSam]

We flew Air France last year from Atlanta to Paris, went first class using FF miles, and had an absolutely wonderful flight. I'd fly Air France any chance I could - at least if it's in first class! :D

 

Sam

[Stelladoro]

On Aug. 29th, we flew AF through CDG from Toronto to Venice and returned out of Barcelona with again a layover in CDG. Thank goodness, the flights themselves were uneventful and food was very good and attendants were friendly and there was no problem with luggage.

However, on our return flight, the check-in line at Barcelona airport for AF was very long and seemed to move at a snail's pace. As a result, flight was delayed and we were very concerned about making our connection in Paris, which was only 50 minutes. Flight from Barcelona and our final flight to Toronto were supposed to be both out of Terminal F. Well, we landed in Terminal D and had only approx. 15 minutes to make it to Terminal F. I don't remember the exact distance, but it seemed to take forever to get from one terminal to the other and we really had to move it. Luckily, there were no elderly folks in our party, as they would not be able to keep up with our pace!

They did wait for us and we made the final flight, albeit in a very breathless state.

In our case, delay was caused by the very long boarding procedure in the Barcelona airport, not Air France. Based on our experience, CGD is not the easiest airport to get around, especially if you're in a rush to catch a connecting flight.

[travelbug1]

Just returned from the med using Air France, Toronto-Paris-Barcelona and return Venice-Paris-Toronto. I had heard about some horror stories of lost baggage and had a carry-on with 2-3 days worth of clothes...fortunately the luggage made it both ways without a problem. The food/service during the flight was good...our only problem was the connection on the return flight...we had 1 1/4 hour between flights, same terminal but got tied up in a very long security line-up and had to run to make our flight - they had held the plane and it left as soon as we boarded (15 minutes late). We were worried our baggage may have been removed from the flight as we were late boarding but it made it. Maybe we were just lucky...the only thing we would do differently is ensure there is at least a two hour time span between connecting flights.

[Dbedros]

We used Air France in August to get to Copenhagen and for the return in September. It was wonderful. We are aware of the problems with transfers at CDG and allowed enough time between for the connection. We are among those that have missed flights out of CDG in the past. Strikes in Europe are a way of life. It can be the train, airline, garbage, and etc.. I prefer this airline and similiar ones because they still give you some service where the American airlines have forgotten about service and simply pack us in.

 

We all must remember the rules of travel, try to arrive early, allow plenty of time, make sure you pack your carryon for emergencies, buy travel insurance which will cover the outlay for lost luggage and other unexpected mishaps.

 

Don't trash an airline for things out of their control.

[Kenwoody]

Our group used Air France and Northwest with all of our luggage arriving fine. Service was fine. Food was nice but is more cheeses, breads, and yogurts.

Only problem we had was their carry on limits are tougher in France. Smaller sizes, only one bag. On the way there they took our pull carry ons and put below the plane. Then on the way back,they hit one of our guys for 350.00 for extra luggage in Istanbul and another for 175.00.

Also at the Paris airport, after security they sell perfumes, cosmetics, food, drinks,ect. Don't buy, they will still recheck before boarding and take your purchases away if going to the US.

When leaving from the US, the only concern was a Quart size baggy with 3 oz or less liquids.( Made me change my gallon bag to a quart) Someone else in our group had a gallon bag and her checker said nothing.

Everything is Agent determined ( some let you get by with more). So be nice.

[Globaliser]

Also at the Paris airport, after security they sell perfumes, cosmetics, food, drinks,ect. Don't buy, they will still recheck before boarding and take your purchases away if going to the US.

I know this is well meant, but advice about security goes out of date very, very quickly. In the UK, I think the rules have changed about 7 or 8 times since 10 August.

 

Security restrictions on flights to the US are now less strict than they were. Restrictions may differ from country to country, and can change at short notice. So the best advice is to check a day or two before flying, and then plan accordingly.

 

From Paris airports at the moment, purchases of duty free goods after security are permitted into the cabin, as well as limited amounts of liquids etc obtained before security. See this page.

[JLC@SD]

Al Italia is worse. Trust me.

Altalia lost our luggage for two days......and when it arrived.......it was soaking wet.......for all 13 of us.

 

Seems they left it in an open bin, outside, in the rain at JFK where we transferred planes.....6 hours late......and our bags still didn't make the plane.

[Kenwoody]

I agree restrictions change. But this was last week we traveled not last month. I would ask Agent at gate before buying, and wasting your money. They set up an extra check point in the walkway to the plane after showing your boarding pass. They searched each carry on bag and hand searched each person. This was our experience from Paris to the US. I'm sure others were different.

[Globaliser]

I agree restrictions change. But this was last week we traveled not last month.

In which case I am surprised, as the relaxation of restrictions that I have already posted came into effect on 6 September 2006.

[MaldeMer]

Had a similar situation on Air France at CDG airport.After 3 days in Athens with no luggage my wife's bags showed up three days into the cruise. Some passengers were 10 days without a change of clothes. Once again it was blamed on a strike of baggage handlers. I think a large part of the problem is the short connecting times scheduled through CDG airport in Paris. Check your connection times. If they are close say goodbye to your bags.

[stephensmom]

We had a GREAT trip on AF , always on time, good food, luggage arrived with us. I found the flight attendants much nicer than the ones on a flight to Paris 3 months later on American.

 

So I don't think it matters who you fly. Every airline will sometimes have: flight delays, lost luggage, surly employees and bad food.

 

We just consider the trip we have to take to begin our vacation as penance. Cheryl Wheeler has a great song about flying called "On the Plane". My favorite line is "On the plane, all is well. Just think of it as practicing for hell" ;)

 

Suzanne

[JohnL1935]

We used Alitalia out of Newark this fall and service was great. Open free bar including wine and two great meals. They used Delta facilities at Newark and I would suspect the same applies at JFK. I wouldn't blame Alitalia for the negligence of the US contract services or union personnel that they have no control over. If I have to fly out of or through JFK, I'm not going! It's Newark, Philadephia or further south for me.

[Junta123]

I had no problem with Air France, they were very friendly and attentive, I wouldn't hesitate to fly them again.

[Debbierpof]

We are flying to Rome this summer and have found good deals on both AF and SwissAir. We have flown on AirFrance the past two years and had one bad experience (the plane on the return this summer was old and cramped). Should we try out SwissAir?

[CruisinGerman]

Swiss is a great company. Good, dependable service. The best part is that to go to Rome, you'll be connecting either through Geneva or Zurich. Both airports are much smaller and much better organized than the huge, massive airports of Paris, London, etc.

 

Make sure that it really is a Swiss flight and not a code-share, since Swiss is a subsidiary of Lufthansa, although if it's a Lufthansa flight, you'll get good service as well, but the connecting airport will be much bigger.

 

I don't know what your budget is, but Swiss has unpublished special business class fares which are thousands of dollars lower than the regular fare.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[Capsu78]

Swiss customer sevice vs French customer service... Let's see, which one will I pick !?!

[drwong]

Swiss International is a fine airline (SwissAir went bankrupt following 9/11 and Swiss International International Airlines succeeded it). Why their flight attendants can't wear vivid red like their Austrian counterparts has always puzzled me, but that's for another post. One drawback is LX's limited flight schedules through Geneva or Zurich (in comparison to the number of flights flying through Air France's Paris or Lufthansa's Munich or Frankfurt hubs).

 

Swiss International is really a subsidiary of LH (earning them the nickname "SwissGer" among airline buffs), as they codeshare with all LH flights and in an interesting twist, with competitors American and United Airlines as well. (SwissGer has a formal alliance with One World member American Airlines, while at the same time connecting with Star Alliance member United via its LH connection). One advantage of this dual relationship is that you can have the frequent flyer mileage deposited into either your AA or UA accounts, to prevent them from being deleted for non-activity. But LX is weening itself off its One World membership and leaning more and more on the Star Alliance.

 

To answer Debbierpof's specific query, Swiss International scrapped all Swissiar's old American-made planes after SR's bankruptcy and bought modern Airbus 330s and 340s for their trans-Atlantic hauls. However, because of codesharing, you might end up on an older aircraft operated by one of their partner airlines.

 

There's a rough way of predicting your codesharing aircraft based on your connecting city and routing - if you're connecting through a European city to Zurich, you're on a Swiss flight. Between Zurich and Chicago, Boston, or Washington DC (Dulles), you've got a pretty good chance of being seated on United, particularly if your flight number has the dreaded "LX plus four." Swiss used to partner with American and fly between Zurich and DFW, New York, and Miami, but those codeshares are ending (if they haven't already). If you're connecting through Paris, Munich, or Frankfurt, you have my condolences. :rolleyes:

[drwong]

By the way, Capsu78 - I'm sure you've heard the old joke about the difference between Heaven and Hell. In Heaven, the Italians are the lovers, the French are the cooks, the British manage the police, the Germans build the cars, and the Swiss administer the place. In Hell, the Swiss are the lovers, the British are the cooks, the Germans manage the police, the French build the cars, and the Italians administer the place. (apologies in advance!)

[Darthtater]

I and my two sons, 11 and 13, are flying Air France from Boston to Paris and then on to Rome, and I need some help with the luggage restrictions. I am a notorious "over packer" and I am determined not to do it this time. How many bags can you carry on (purses included) and how many can you check in per person? What is the is the weight limit for the checked luggage? I looked on their website and I didn't think their explanations were clear.

[cod]

We had no problems with flying AF to Italy for our cruise in October. Our daughter flew RT..no cruise back for her. Her bag was a day late getting to Genoa but they delivered it to us the next day. The food was not bad and drinks were free and we had no complaints.

 

Our nightmare flights in the past were on Delta and Northwest. It can happen on any airline and I would just suggest a carryon with whatever would get you through a couple of days.

 

If you are heading straight for a cruise, I can only suggest prayer! But still, all is not lost. We cruised from Rome and a couple we met on board had their luggage catch up to them in Barcelona!!

[Capsu78]

Dr Wong,

One of my favorites!

I think I have the French as the lovers and the Italians as the cooks, but it still slices the same way!

[4 cruisers]

We are super open minded travelers. My mom was born in France and we have wonderful friends in France. We were on AF business class in June. We had a 1 hour connection in Paris and were told we better just "run." We did (swollen feet and all) and ended up in a security line of over 300 people. Our connecting flight to NY was due to depart in 20 minutes. I went to the AF desk and the agent shrugged her shoulders and told me to get in line. A group of about 60 French people decided to storm the line....it worked! We were now behind 360 people! No security. AF let them go through. We ended up making the flight but not until my husband and I were profiled on the gangway and had to remove shoes etc one last time. We were very patient and kind to everyone...Calif. style until THIS point. I truly felt it was because we were Americans. When the girl who told me to remove my shoes on the gangway looked at my very swollen feet and said "OH!!!!" we were finally pittied and let go. My husband lost his boarding pass on the final "search" which was AFTER the electronic boarding AT the gate...the bus was full to the plane and they were all unhappily waiting for us...I showed my boarding card and they opened the front of the bus for us where there was room and we were off to the plane. When we got to the top of the stairs, we realized my husband's boarding pass was missing. The steward told my husband to wait right there, he needed to find his pass!!!! I told him that "HE" needed to take care of it and gave a brief description of what we had just been through...he waved my husband on. We never did find the boarding pass...it must have been dropped at the gangway "search" of my husband.

 

This Air France flight was a flight we had happily anticipated. My on board entertainment going home never worked. The stewards were polite but nothing special. We had a total of 3 glasses of wine on an 8 hour flight, though we could have served ourselves in the galley. To be offered wine would have been pleasant.

 

We will avoid CDG in the future and most likely avoid Air France! Their ground service is absolutely the PITTS!

[Ms Understood]

We were in Europe this past August and flew Lufthansa from JFK to Copenhagen via Frankfurt. When we arrived (4 of us) in Copenhagen only my luggage made it even tho we had a 2 hour delay in Frankfurt. DH's bag showed up the next day and the other couples 4 pieces showed up as the cruise ship was pulling away from the dock. There were people on board (Silversea Norwegian Fjords) who never got their bags. Apparently this is an issue with the airport in Frankfurt altho the airline told us the bags did not make the flight from Kennedy?

[Globaliser]

Apparently this is an issue with the airport in Frankfurt altho the airline told us the bags did not make the flight from Kennedy?

Although it's probably too late now, you can sometimes tell by reading the replacement "rush" bag tags that have been put on the bags to re-route them. The revised routing of the bag can often tell you where it first went astray.

[cod]

How baggage is handled is a mystery. We've never lost our luggage but it has been delayed a couple of times. And always when we had a long layover when it SHOULD have made it to next flight. Once on a trip to Paris and had to RUN to catch a connecting flight..we made it on as the door was shutting and we immediately took off. I evisioned at least a couple of new outfits, knowing that there was no way our bags RAN too. Well, of course, they were on that flight! Who can figure?!