Air France Paris Santiago and Buenos Aires to Paris

[corindli]

We are flying Air France business class (l'espace affaires)

Paris to Santiago and sailing with Infinity from Valparaiso to Buenos Aires. Then we fly Buenos Aires to Paris CDG return. Does anybody know if these flights (Boeing 777/200 aircraft, flight numbers AF406 and AF 415 ) have the new business class seating arrangement or the old one?

I know: Why not ask air france? Well I have e-mailed them, and so far no response. So over to you!

Thanks in advance for any info.

Corina and John

[afghancrazy]

When are you flying? We are Club on Air France to Santiago in January returning from Rio in February also on Infinity.

If you get a response from Air France please post.

Thanks

Ian

[corindli]

Hi Ian,

We are before you- we fly 17 December outbound and return in January. Keep an eye on this thread, you'll see any answers as soon as we will!

Look at a website called seatguru (just google it, I can't just remember the exact www. etc.) and there you can go air france and then the aircraft (definitely 777/200) but then you get two seating plan possibilities. The business/club configurations do have differences, as you will see, so knowing which configuration can help to ask for a specific pair of seats. (Or possibly to try to avoid certain seats, as you will also note on that site).

We are really looking forward to our cruise, by the way, and flying out four days early to spend a couple of days in Santiago and a couple of days in Vina del Mar right by Valparaiso.

Happy Penguin-ing!

Ciao, Corina and John

[corindli]

Sorry Ian,

Forgot to answer the main question:

Yes if Air France do answer, I'll post the information here.

Ciao,

John

[afghancrazy]

John

Thanks for the info. We have already been allocated our seats on the long haul section to/from Santiago and Rio de Janeiro but I was not aware of the difference in the seats. As we usually use BA we are used to the lie flat bed arrangement which I thought was now the norm. I will also email Air France to see which type of aircaft they are using and if I get a response I will post.

Ian

[corindli]

Hi again Ian,

The old seats are recline to 145 degrees. The new ones, which Air France are, I believe, fitting to all their long hall fleet are 180 degrees 'flat' (just about). This is supposed to be the same as BA.

If we manage to discover which type we are getting then the seat guru website (I checked now- www.seatguru.com) shows the plane layout. What's important is a). which of the two business class cabins to try to get into- forward cabin seems to be favourite, and b). which specific seats to either ask for, or to avoid if possible.

As you are setting off from another airport to get to CDG, maybe you can ask at your first check in for a seat re-allocation for the Paris Santiago leg if you are not happy with the original allocation.

One can only ask....

I'll probably try another mail to Air France as well.

See which of us gets an answer first!

Ciao,

John

[corindli]

Hi Ian, here you go....

We seem to be on the new seating arrangement for both flights.

I have found the air france seating plan, and how to manage your seat allocation. The seat plan for flight 406 and later flight 415 is clearly the new arrangement, so don't bother air france, just fix your seat requirements on line.

Here's how:

First, it is not possible as far as I can see on the air france UK page, you have to go to air france France.

You get into your booking by going onto the bookings/réservations page and looking right down bottom left where you have to enter your reservation number into the box marked 'no de réservation'. Alongside you have to enter 'nom de famille'. Somewhere on your ticket/electronic ticket you should find your number. Mine is four letters, one number, and a further letter.

When you have got those entered hit 'recherchez'

Now comes up a page titled Vos réservations en cours'

Scroll down and see what you have. Your flights should be there with Statut:Confirmé in red underneath each flight.

Scroll down and you see Vols, Repas, Statut, and the all important Sièges which is Seats (Sorry probably you know that!)

To this stage you would find all that in English on the UK page. But the next critical bit is not there on the UK page. Look bottom right and see that interesting little possibility 'compléter ou modifier'. Now here you get access to the seating plan showing which seats are occupied (including yours of course) and which seats are available.

You need your seat guru on the table by your elbow, cross check what you want, click on the person and allocate the best seat for yourselves that you can find still available (provided you want to change that is)

There is a validité button bottom right somewhere, and there you are, the flights come up with your new seat allocation. Do this as many times as you like. Fix the first flight for example, close down and go back in again to feel comfortable that it worked.

And when you are still not convinced.... open up the air france UK page and check your bookings there. You'll find your new seat allocation in place.

....take print....

Enjoy playing around!

Let me know how you got on (fixed mine before writing all this by the way)

Ciao,

John and Corina

[afghancrazy]

Thanks John and Corina

I am just checking my mail before I go out for the day. Will let you know how I get on.

Ian

[corindli]

Hi Ian,

Two things: Just noticed you are flying back from Rio, so that puts you on a 747 not a 777 for that flight I think, and also I have my reply from air france stating that all of the long haul are now fitted with the new seats.

So now you can find the seat you want with confidence about which plane! (Watch it with the 747, there are a couple of seat 'issues' in business class)

Ciao,

John

[afghancrazy]

John

Many thanks for your advice - I have bookmarked 'Seat Guru'. It seems that our return long haul from Rio is also in the new setup and I have chosen our seats for the hours hop from Heathrow to Paris and back!

Have a very nice cruise, our board is currently looking at trips. I am now tied up for a couple of weeks so will only be coming on for quick checks.

Thanks again

Ian

[corindli]

Hi Ian,

I thought I would just say hello and goodby! We are flying out on Monday, and start our cruise Saturday 22nd. We end up in Buenos Aires January 6th. As you are also on Infinity are you visiting the Falklands? If so take a look at the information supplied by Gixer who lives there.

Hope you have a good holiday,

John and Corina

[afghancrazy]

Hi John and Corina

 

Have an absolutely super time. Our cruise has changed over the last couple of weeks. Like you we leave from Valparaiso and down to Cape Horn but X have dropped Puerto Madryn and we are now staying for a whole day in Buenos Aires and Montevideo has been added on the way up to Rio. When we booked it was either the Falklands or Rio and Rio won! I have already booked some Carnival tickets so it should be quite an experience.

 

Anyway have a save journey and lovely cruise. Hope the flights are OK!

 

Merry Christmas

Ian and Mary

[Hambagahle]

Corindli -

These seats are not "flat beds" like on BA. AF has "lie flat" seats which are at an angle - almost flat but not quite and many people report that you slide down. However much better than the "sitting up" seats common on some airlines.

I just checked the seat plan and information for the 777 - we are also on AF EZE/CDG in early February. As I say, they are not flat like BA. Too bad. I don't really understand why some airlines elected to put in these seats when they could have put in the flat beds. Unfortunately BA has a very bad schedule out of EZE to Europe - long stop over in Sao Paulo!

[corindli]

Hi there Hambagahle,

Just back and those seats are an interesting discussion point.

1. Not quite flat, but...

2. Plenty of space

3. Very adjustable, so we were able to get a very comfortable stretched out position (both different!). For me a slightly raised seat back and slightly raised 'bit' under my knees. Slept.

Other points:

-Food outbound... less than good. Disappointing as it is Air France? Return much better

-Lots of turbulence both ways, so take travel pills if this is likely to be a problem.

Departure and arrival spot on for both flights

Enjoy your South America Experience, we did.

 

PENGUINS!!!!!

 

Ciao,

John

[afghancrazy]

Hi John And Corina

 

I hoped you enjoyed your cruise. Was everything up to scratch on your cruise?

 

We leave next Wednesday for Santiago and leave on the Infinity on Sunday 20th for Rio. Really looking forward to it now especially with the rain and wind howling outside!

Ian

[corindli]

Hello Ian,

Well we had a great time. Nothing is perfect, and that includes Infinity, but although there were a few things that could have been better, we did OK. I'll be trying to find time to post a proper report, but probably not before you go, so here are some plus/minus:

Food in the main dining room we though not as good as on Century, our previous cruise. Got better as the cruise continued, but vegetarian options could have been better. We had a standing joke on our table- when would a menu arrive without spinach somewhere.... nobody won the bet!

Service in the dining room satisfactory. Our main waiter quite good, but his assistant not well trained. Still, the water was always there, and our wine service was good.

Ship kept very clean, our cabin serviced very well, although to begin we had a drawer with the last occupants cast off papers in there.

Service around the ship generally good, but what I call functionally friendly. Everybody asks how you are, but behind the standard question there's often not much else. Probably just me!

Breakfast buffet food arrangement is a challenge. It's all there, but it might entail a walk and/or some strategic planning. You want fried eggs or an omelet? Towards the back. With a joghurt? Thats on the other buffet stations. A bowl for fruit? Don't forget to collect it at the start... etc.

And the coffee, while always available,.... is British Rail coffee.

Barman in Michaels club from Jamaica is good fun. Unfortunately we didn't enjoy the pianist singer in there.

Broadway show we thought was good. Chinese pianist also good. Comedy act good (all our opinion, you might think different).

We did find it a little difficult to find a quiet spot to rest and read without suddenly bingo starting up, or some other animation, but we managed.

Interesting lecturer on board who can is good at spotting whales at sea as well as giving good presentations. Worth a look.

1000+ from South America on our cruise, so it was, at times, LOUD. Didn't spoil our holiday, they were having fun too. But a few of the other nationalities on board were a bit under strain! Not us or our table companions from USA.

 

We got all of our Penguins, all of our tenders worked. If you haven't booked tours yet, we didn't have a bad one: Osorno Volcano. Magdalena Island (and the Penguins really do come down the beach looking at you as the boat front ramp drops. Amazing). Ushuaia we did provate. Got off. walked to the taxi office across the road just outside the port gate, and got a cab to the end of the world etc. Don't catch the train. No no no. Stop your cab, take a picture of it at first station. Take a look at the end station about 5 driving minutes later. And from there it's STILL a bus ride to the end.

We did Falklands. The best. Sorry you won't say hello to he King Penguins.

Puerto Madryn, Penguins again. Very long drive, very windy there, but, these penguins were definitely not shy. And lots of young ones. Also Guanacos there (related to camels apparently)

Of the towns/Cities, we enjoyed a stroll around Ushuaia, and souvenirs easy to get. Montevideo is really nice. We walked from port to town and enjoyed the place. Very poor, faded grand colonial buildings sometimes falling down, but really very nice feeling to the city. Did an estancia trip- very interesting with the family themselves- and a tango evening. Very Good.

 

I've probably missed a lot, so if you have questions, fire them back!

 

We are home after a wonderful holiday, even though you can see my comments at the top. (Infinity was quite good, but could have just been better here and there).

 

Oh yes! We stayed at the Park Plaza in Santiago. Good hotel with a metro nearby, then we had two days at the Sheraton in Vina del Mar next door to Valparaiso. Have you booked accom. yet?

 

Ciao,

John

[retiredbrit]

Hi you two - great meeting you on the cruise. Can you contact me at ancre15athotmaildotcom (using the usual format) I have a couple of photos of you John at the beach with the Kings. You were just sitting quietly and they were very near.

 

Volunteer point was just the highlight for us

 

regards Alan

[afghancrazy]

Hi John

 

Many thanks for your very informative comments. In reverse we have booked the Hotel Orly in Santiago based mainly on reviews here and on Tripadvisor and they have arranged for a car to pick us up at the airport. Still haven't sorted out our journey to Valparaiso, probably will do that there.

 

With our tours, we are doing a private one at Puerto Montt and the ships tour to Magdalena Island. Apart from that nothing else booked. I have been told that it is easy to get boat trips along the Beagle Channel and thanks for your comments on Montevideo. We will probably do similar both there and Buenos Aires. We then have four days in Rio and have Carnival tickets for Sunday.

 

After the rain here yesterday (plus the forecast for more rain) we can't wait for a bit of warm sun!

Ian

[corindli]

Hi Ian,

For our transfer to Valparaiso we used a company called Sportstour, with the contact person Petra Sluys- psluys@sportstour.cl

Pick up at our hotel 9am, driver, English speaking guide, nice spacious vehicle with plenty of room for our luggage and us. Vineyard visit on the way (owned by a Norwegian family: Odfjell). Excellent visit, only us two shown round by the Export Manager for Europe. Nothing to purchase- no pressure at all. Sightseeing around Valparaiso and Vina del Mar, a lunch stop and drop off at our hotel about 16.00 or so. (Which could have been the ship if we had been sailing that day).

 

As far as I know the Beagle channel boat trip is easy to get, and those we met who did it enjoyed it. I think that allows plenty time for Ushuaia as well, and that's good.

 

Montevideo- when you exit the boat, there are tourism reps. there with a leaflet. Take it! It has a good map inside with museums and restaurants/cafe's and points of interest marked. MUCH better than the Infinity one. (In fact one of you could slip off the boat while you are having breakfast and get one to plan your walk). Look into the Old Market building across the road from the port entrance. No Market there, just BBQ (Asado) restaurants. Its amazing.

 

Enjoy packing: Very hot in Santiago Buenos Aires Rio. Chilly wind down below.

Here we had a lovely day of snow yesterday, and today went for a walk in Snow and Sunshine. Nice to be home.

Almost time for you to go....

Ciao,

John