| Air France | Paris (ORY) → Toulouse (TLS) | A320-200 | Economy Class | 15/04/2024 | |
| Air France | Toulouse (TLS) → Paris (ORY) | A318-100 | Economy Class | 17/04/2024 | Current review |
| Air France | Paris (ORY) → Toulouse (TLS) | A320-200 | Economy Class | 15/04/2024 | |
| Air France | Toulouse (TLS) → Paris (ORY) | A318-100 | Economy Class | 17/04/2024 | Current review |
Hello everyone and welcome to this new Flight review. In my previous review, I took you aboard an Air France Airbus A320 in Economy Class between Paris-Orly Airport and Toulouse-Blagnac Airport. In this second review, I will share my experience on my return flight to Paris, again with Air France but this time on an Airbus A318.
When booking, this flight was supposed to be operated by an Airbus A319. Having never flown on an A318 before, I was thrilled when Air France decided to substitute the scheduled A319 with one of its last remaining A318s in service! A great opportunity to discover the smallest member of the A320 Family.
I arrive at the passenger terminal of Toulouse Airport at around 09:15 on this Wednesday morning. The airport is easily accessible by public transport, serviced by several bus lines and a tram line connecting the airport to the city center of Toulouse.
I enter the terminal through the arrivals level and then go up to the departures level.
I notice the airport's new logo, beautiful and colorful, on a wooden background.
As I walk through the check-in halls, I observe how dark this terminal is. It is very clean and not unattractive, but it could definitely use more lighting. The ambiance is quite gloomy.
The Air France check-in at hall D is completely empty at this hour.
With no baggage to check in, I head directly to the security controls further ahead.
There is almost no one, and I pass through the controls in no time. The friendliness of the staff deserves a special mention.
Next, I pass through a large Duty-Free area. It is well-stocked, quite beautiful, and bright (at least one well-lit place in this airport!). It really has nothing to envy from the Duty-Free shops at major hubs.
As one might expect in Toulouse, there is an entire section dedicated to Airbus! The A380 is undeniably the star.
There are also plenty of shops, cafes, and restaurants. The boarding area remains very clean and pleasant, with plenty of seats available.
My gate is not yet announced, so I temporarily sit in front of a Lufthansa CityLine CRJ 900, boarding for Frankfurt.
My plane finally arrives.
I then head to the announced boarding gate, gate 25, once again passing through areas that clearly deserve more lighting! It's quite sad...
Here is a closer look at my plane. It is F-GUGO, an Airbus A318-100 delivered to Air France in 2006 and wearing the new livery of the French airline. At the time of my flight, it is one of the last six A318s in the Air France fleet.
The flight is scheduled on time. We wait for the deboarding to complete before we can board.
After a while, boarding finally begins. It is done in two stages. First, groups 1 and 2 reserved for SkyPriority passengers are invited to board (there is no Business Class on this flight). Then, all other passengers follow, without any specific order as was the case in Paris.
Boarding is done via the jetway, no need to walk on the tarmac like at Orly... A good point!
Warm welcome by the purser.
This single-class (all Economy) A318 has 23 rows in a 3-3 configuration.
I walk to my seat, 09A.
The seat is very standard.
It has a tray table and a cup holder.
The seat pocket contains the safety card and a sickness bag.
Unlike the cabin on the A320 that brought me to Toulouse two days earlier, the seats in this cabin do not recline. In addition, they are made of fabric (not leather), are very thin, and do not have adjustable head restraints.
USB-A ports are available at each seat. They are functional, though not very fast.
The legroom is clearly not awesome but still better than what competitors offer on this route.
The seat offers a nice view of the front of the wing.
Boarding is quickly completed. Safety demonstrations begin as we push back facing northwest.
A KLM Embraer E195-E2 parks to our left.
We taxi to the holding point M4 of runway 32L. In the background, one cannot help but notice all the Airbus A330neo and A350 aircraft.
After an arriving Air France A320, we line up. At 11:00, right on time, we take off.
With a stunning view of the Airbus facilities, the aircraft under assembly, and the Airbus Beluga.
As well as the Airbus Delivery Center.
We climb quickly, passing through a rather turbulent zone.
Before the service begins, I take a quick look at the in-flight entertainment options.
Air France offers onboard Wi-Fi with three packages: a free option for messaging during the flight, a 3€ package for internet browsing, and a 10€ package for video streaming.
The free option works perfectly and is a very interesting feature that sets Air France apart from its competitors.
The online portal also provides some basic flight information, such as the expected arrival time and gate (although the latter was incorrect). Unfortunately, there is no interactive map, unlike my last flight with Air France last year.
Air France also offers its Air France Play app (available on smartphones), allowing passengers to download several newspapers and magazines before the flight (8 magazines and 8 newspapers in my case).
The app has a fairly wide selection of content, mostly in French, which is not surprising on a domestic flight in France.
The service is conducted swiftly. The offering is quite light but adequate for this flight duration. A sweet or salty snack is offered (your choice), accompanied by a beverage selection including tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, Coke, and water. I opt for the salty offer, accompanied by a cup of tea and a glass of water.
All that's left is to admire the beauty of the sky above the clouds.
After some time, the descent towards Paris begins. It is quite turbulent.
We make several turns before aligning with the ILS for runway 25.
At 12:10, after a 1 hour and 10-minute in the air, and slightly ahead of schedule, we land on runway 25 at Paris-Orly Airport.
We vacate the runway and taxi to our gate.
We park at gate C14, next to other Air France aircraft.
We get off the plane through the front door.
The exit from the airport is quite fast. You have to walk through several corridors.
Then left to baggage claim or right to exit directly. Since I have no luggage to pick up, I choose the latter option.
Then I go to the Orly bus to reach the city of Paris.
This concludes my Flight review aboard an Air France Airbus A318 from Toulouse to Paris in Economy Class.
As for Air France, the flight was very standard but perfectly fine. The cabin was decent. The legroom was standard, neither terrible nor exceptional. The USB ports are a plus. The cabin's cleanliness was acceptable. The crew was friendly and helpful. The onboard service was not fantastic but adequate for a flight of this duration. The entertainment offering, including Wi-Fi connectivity and a wide selection of magazines and newspapers for download, is very appreciated. The free Wi-Fi for messaging is a real plus!
Regarding Toulouse Airport, the experience was very smooth. No lines at check-in or security controls. The terminal was perfectly clean and pleasant. Several shops are available, including a superb Duty-Free, as well as some restaurants/cafes. Plenty of seating is available for passengers. However, I would note the lack of lighting in much of the terminal. It's pretty dark and very sad...
Finally, concerning Paris-Orly Airport, the exit from the terminal was quick. It was clean and practical. I have nothing else particular to report.
I hope you enjoyed this Flight review.
Thanks for reading and see you soon for the next trip ;)
