| Air France | Paris (CDG) → San Francisco (SFO) | 777-300 | Economy Class | 10/07/2022 | |
| Air France | Los Angeles (LAX) → Paris (CDG) | 777-300 | Economy Class | 25/07/2022 | Current review |
| Air France | Paris (CDG) → San Francisco (SFO) | 777-300 | Economy Class | 10/07/2022 | |
| Air France | Los Angeles (LAX) → Paris (CDG) | 777-300 | Economy Class | 25/07/2022 | Current review |
Hello everyone, and welcome to another Flight review! Today, I'm taking you on a flight from Los Angeles to Paris-Charles de Gaulle with Air France on a Boeing 777-300ER. It has been over two weeks since I've been traveling along the West Coast of the United States, and it's time to go back home. Today, we are flying with Air France once again, on a 777-300ER, just like on the outbound flight. The departure is scheduled for 3:30 pm, with an estimated arrival at CDG at 11:20 am. We are expected to have a strong tailwind, so we should be flying fast!
It's 12:50 pm, and I have just arrived at Los Angeles International Airport, commonly known as LAX.
Our flight departs from Terminal B, also known as the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
I check the display board to find my flight, but it's not listed. Air France informed us through the app that our flight was delayed by 30 minutes, but it turns out that it wasn't. Nevertheless, I manage to find the check-in area by following other Air France flights departing for CDG. Just like on the outbound flight, I check in at a self-service kiosk before dropping off my luggage on the baggage belt. It takes me 5 minutes to complete the process.
After that, I proceed to the security checkpoint. Since 9/11, security measures, especially in the United States, have been strengthened. I go through the first screening to detect any drugs or illegal substances. We line up and pass through an area of about ten meters with a specially trained dog to detect such substances. Next, I go through a second screening to verify the validity of my passport, followed by the standard security checkpoint with metal detectors.
Now it's time for duty-free shopping, the last opportunity to buy a small souvenir for loved ones. I buy a pack of M&M's for $25, excluding taxes; quite pricey, haha. The duty-free area is spacious and pleasant for some last-minute shopping and spotting. There's always an opportunity like this!
I take the chance to photograph several new planes and airlines I haven't seen before. After this short spotting session, I head to the boarding area, where I can enjoy a better view of takeoffs from LAX's parallel runways. Here are some photos to give you an idea of the great angles.
To access the boarding area, I pass through an underground corridor beneath the tarmac.
It's 2:30 pm, and boarding has begun for Group 1. I'm in Group 2, so my boarding will start in 15 minutes. I take a few more photos of Spirit, Alaska Airlines, or Delta, and then it will be my turn. Today, I'm boarding a Boeing 777-300ER registered as F-GSQY. It is 15 years old, which doesn't make much of a difference compared to the previous 777, but I'm still excited.
This 777 is equipped with the Best&Beyond cabin, which includes all of Air France's classes: La Première, Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy, which is the class I'll be flying in today. I appreciate that the cabin is the same as on the outbound flight, quite modern.
I make my way through the aircraft to the Economy Class section, where I find my seat for the next 10 hours. I am seated in 31A, by the window! I'm very happy to have a splendid view of the entire large wing of the 777-300.
The seat is the same as on the outbound flight. A pillow and blanket are provided. I have the safety card and a comfort bag to store our bulky waste.
On the seat in front of me, there's the in-flight entertainment (IFE) screen, which I find perfect except for one detail: it is fixed and cannot be adjusted :-(
I also notice the details contributing to Air France's elegant atmosphere, such as the seatbelt. The legroom is decent, but in my opinion, it is insufficient for a flight of over 10 hours.
Before the push-back, I notice a Lufthansa A340-600 behind us, waiting desperately for a parking spot for several tens of minutes. It moves forward to let us push back. The large flaps of the 777 extend, and the engine startup begins. You can't miss the beautiful and loud noise it makes haha
We start taxiing towards runway 24L and pass by the famous A340-600, still parked on the taxiway.
Three minutes later, we are at the runway threshold, ready for takeoff! We take off with a 20-minute delay from runway 24L at Los Angeles, heading towards the sea.
We had the chance to take off at the same time as a HiFly Malta A340-300, just splendid! We make the famous left turn over the Pacific to fly back over the airport before continuing our climb.
It's 4:50 pm when we are served our first meal. For me, it consists of a tabbouleh salad as an appetizer, chicken with a red pepper sauce accompanied by green beans as the main course, and a chocolate chip cake for dessert. I also have bread, butter, water, and a glass of Coke.
I would like to emphasize that the meal was very good! The food has flavor and is easy to eat, especially when you're hungry. I'm pleased to finish my meal in Economy Class, and I assure you, that's rare!
Apart from the fact that we were only allowed to unbuckle our seatbelts after the meal, I'm having an excellent flight! The service is good, the crew is very attentive, and the in-flight entertainment options are the same as on the outbound flight (movies, music, "my flight" section, and more, all top-notches!). However, I must admit that I'm more captivated by the landscapes offered by the United States than by my screens.
I still decided to check if Wi-Fi is available, and it is, with several packages offered. I purchased a package that allows me to browse the internet (social media, video platforms, etc.) throughout the entire flight, for 18€... I find this price excessively expensive for the very poor quality of Wi-Fi. Well, that's how it goes, we're on a plane...
It's 6:30 pm, California time when we enter the night over Lake Michigan. Enjoy this magnificent sunset.
It's also at this moment that I'm pleasantly surprised to discover that I have beaten my speed record aboard an aircraft, reaching 1,096 km/h! The winds were with us that day, and we will be crossing the Atlantic at a steady speed of 1,037 km/h!
The sun has just risen, and breakfast is served. It includes a ham and cheese stuffed bun, a drinkable strawberry yogurt, orange juice, bread, butter, jam, and a fruit salad. Once again, I am pleasantly surprised by the quality of the meals served on these two Air France long-haul flights in Economy Class. Well done, Air France!
I didn't even realize how fast the flight went by; it felt much shorter than the outbound journey. We start our descent toward Paris around 10:15 am. We fly through the cloud layers over Normandy and then over the Île-de-France region. Paris is getting closer!
The large flaps of the triple 7 extend, and the captain announces the landing.
The landing is very smooth, and the deceleration is powerful. The loud noise of the reversers wakes up the entire cabin (for those who are still sleeping). It's a great end to the flight, and welcome to Paris-Charles de Gaulle. It's gray, not surprising for Paris...
We landed 20 minutes ahead of schedule! But... the captain informs us that we are stopped on the taxiway because we don't have a parking spot, and the one assigned to us is still occupied. So, we wait for 10 minutes before reaching the gate at Terminal 2E. It's a nice deboarding next to a Delta A330-941, registered as N412DX.
We pass through the border control without any issues and then head to the baggage claim area. The remarkable optimization of the baggage carousels at ADP forces us to wait for 30 minutes for our luggage because four flights are assigned to Carousel 33... Thanks, Paris Airport.
In conclusion, Air France surprised me. The flight was excellent, there was no shortage of in-flight entertainment options, the crew was attentive, and the overall flight experience was simply pleasant. I must congratulate Air France for this service and for being punctual. I'm looking forward to flying long-haul with Air France again, perhaps on a different aircraft :)
As for LAX airport, for a first-time experience, I find it quite good! It may be a bit outdated, but it's a large and passenger-friendly airport. I hope to have the opportunity to go back there!
As for Charles de Gaulle, given the short time I spent on arrival, it still managed to disappoint me... It's a shame considering the true level of Paris airports.
Thank you very much for following my Flight review! I hope you enjoyed it! I'll be flying again on August 3 for another long-haul flight ;)
See you soon, and happy travels!
