Wednesday newsletters at all times characteristic a resort or flight overview.
Right this moment: Overview of French Bee A350’s Premium Economic system Class (San Francisco to Tahiti)
Final September, I flew in Premium Economic system with French Bee from San Francisco to Tahiti. French Bee is a French low-cost, long-haul airline based mostly at Paris Orly Airport (though the service refers to itself as “smart-cost” as a substitute of “low-cost”). It operates flights between France and worldwide leisure locations (e.g. New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Tahiti, La Reunion, and the Dominican Republic). French bee is the primary airline on the planet to have a 100% Airbus A350 fleet. The A350 combines subsequent era engines, superior aerodynamics, and light-weight supplies, which lead to a 25% discount of gasoline consumption and working prices in comparison with competing aircrafts of the earlier era, making low-cost long-haul flying viable. The A350 additionally reduces CO2 emissions by 30% making French Bee the airline that emits the least quantity of CO2 per seat and per mile on the planet.
French Bee presents two cabin lessons of service onboard its A350 planes: Premium Economic system Class (referred to as “Premium Blue”) and Economic system Class (referred to as “Eco Blue”). There isn’t a Enterprise Class. As a low-cost airline, French Bee fees extra charges for companies and facilities supplied, reminiscent of for seat choice, onboard catering, and airport companies like lounge entry and expedited safety queues. Premium Economic system Class tickets although embrace a number of complimentary companies and facilities, reminiscent of meals, juices, delicate drinks, alcoholic drinks, an amenity package and checked/maintain baggage (just like the Premium Economic system Class cabins of legacy carriers).
My total expertise with French Bee was nice and I used to be pleased with the onboard service. The seat wasn’t lie flat in fact, nevertheless it was fairly snug and I’d advocate this product in the event you’re making an attempt to get to any of French Bee’s locations on the lowest fare doable. One explicit factor that stood out throughout my expertise with French Bee was the superb customer support. The day earlier than my flight, whereas making an attempt to check-in on-line, I seen that there was a mistake with my date of delivery on the ticket. I used to be making ready myself for a prolonged wait with the airline’s name heart (as is the case with most airways), however that turned out to not be the case: I used to be assisted inside minutes by way of the chat choice on French Bee’s official web site by a really pleasant journey agent (and I even acquired a follow-up telephone name).
Have you ever ever flown with French Bee? In that case, what was your expertise? Go away a remark.
French Bee options in my prime 10 checklist of the greatest low-cost, long-haul airways on the planet.
- Journey: San Francisco (SFO) to Pepeete (PPT)
- Airline: French Bee
- Plane kind: Airbus A350-900
- Plane registration quantity: F-HREV (inbuilt 2018)
- On time departure: Sure (12 am)
- On time arrival: Sure (5 am; + 1 day)
- Miles: 4200
- Flight time: 8 hours
- Seat: 8G
- Class: Premium Economic system (Premium Blue)
On this overview (extra info & pictures under my YouTube video):
- About French Bee
- Cabin structure
- Premium Economic system Class seat
- Facilities
- Meals
- Leisure
- Onboard web
- My verdict (rating)
1. ABOUT FRENCH BEE
Listed below are some attention-grabbing & enjoyable information about French Bee:
- Based in 2016, French Bee is a sister airline of Air Caraïbes. Each airways are owned by Groupe Dubreuil, a family-owned group with a variety of actions within the distribution and air transportation sectors.
- French Bee was initially named French Blue. Nevertheless, In November 2017, whereas the airline as “French Blue” was making use of with the US Division of Transportation for a overseas air service allow to start service to the nation, US-based JetBlue raised objections to a different airline serving the nation bearing the phrase “Blue” in its identify. In response, the airline was briefly renamed to easily “French”, earlier than the airline introduced on 30 January 2018 that it was rebranding as “French Bee”.
- The corporate is a associate of the Airbus Fello’ Fly undertaking. This undertaking entails flying long-haul planes V-shaped very shut, like migratory birds. These formation flights make it doable to make the most of the wake phenomenon: the planes situated on the rear, fairly shut , will make the most of the groove created by the plane in entrance to propel themselves utilizing much less power. This flight observe may scale back total gasoline consumption by round 5-10% per journey.
- French bee and its sister firm Air Caraïbes have been the primary airline corporations worldwide to be Inexperienced Pilot® licensed. Inexperienced Pilot is a brand new label rewarding airline corporations which have developed a stable program to scale back carbon emissions of their operations and have actively concerned all their workers of their inexperienced coverage.
2. CABIN LAYOUT
French Bee’s Airbus A350-900 options 411 seats:
- 376 Eco Blue (Economic system) seats organized in a 3-4-3 structure. Some rows towards the rear of the plane configured in a 3-3-3 structure.
- 35 Premium Blue (Premium Economic system) seats, unfold over 5 rows in a 2-3-2 structure. Premium Blue is situated in a personal cabin on the entrance of the plane
French Bee additionally operates the A350-1000 variant which contains a whole of 480 (!) seats: 40 Premium Blue seats in a 2-4-2 structure and 440 Eco Blue seats in a 3-4-3 structure. This makes it one of many highest density plane layouts on the planet. To be clear, this structure isn’t disproportionately dense in comparison with French Bee’s A350-900 planes. The A350-1000 is only a bigger airplane, so it is sensible that there are extra seats. Compared, British Airways makes use of A350-1000s with a most seating capability of 331 passengers, whereas Cathay Pacific makes use of A350-100s with a most capability of 334 passengers.
For a seat map of French Bee’s A350-900 click on right here.
3. PREMIUM ECONOMY CLASS SEAT
French Bee’s Premium Blue (Premium Economic system) seats provide 36 inches (91 cm) of pitch and measure 18 inches (46 cm) vast. Every seat is provided with an adjustable leg, foot, and head relaxation in addition to an influence outlet. The recline on French Bee’s Premium Blue seats are snug, however can encroach on the house of the passenger within the row behind.
For comparability; the Eco Blue (Economic system Class) seats provide 32 inches (81 cm) of pitch and measure 16 inches (41 cm) vast, with two energy retailers included with every set of three or 4 seats.
4. AMENITIES
French Bee’s Premium Economic system Class passengers obtain a fleece blanket and a fluffy pillow. A consolation package is offered as properly; it consists of a watch masks, socks, headphones, toothbrush and ear plugs.
5. MEALS
Meals are included when flying in Premium Blue. Throughout this flight from San Francisco to Tahiti, a supper and breakfast have been served (the menus have been displayed on the leisure display):
- Supper was served on one tray shortly after takeoff. It comprised 4 plates: hummus with pita bread, candy & bitter rooster with fried rice, camembert with strawbery, and chocolate cake.
- A lightweight breakfast was served 90 minutes previous to arrival in Tahiti. It consisted of yoghurt and a few bread rolls.
Economic system Class passengers should purchase onboard meals objects & drinks. They will additionally reserve pre-paid chef-prepared meals (together with kosher, halal and vegan menus).
6. ENTERTAINMENT
Every Premium Economic system Class seat is provided with a 12- inch HD touchscreen. The inflight program consists of 20 motion pictures, TV reveals, video video games, and music. The leisure’s spotlight is the airplane’s tail digital camera, which permits for excellent views of the A350’s fuselage, particularly throughout takeoff and touchdown. One other enjoyable characteristic is With Sudoku in solo or multi-player modes, which permits passengers to strike up in-flight friendships.
7. ONBOARD INTERNET
Wi-Fi is obtainable onboard French Bee’s A350 plane and 4 forms of web packages will be bought:
- Howdy plan: $4 USD all charges included for a 10MB plan.
- Social plan: $9 USD all charges included for a 50MB plan.
- Geek plan: $17 USD all charges included for a 100MB plan.
- Addicted plan: $29 USD all charges included for a 200MB plan.
8. MY VERDICT
- Seat consolation (upright): 7/10
- Seat consolation recliner place): 7/10
- Meals (high quality): 7/10
- Meals (amount): 7/10
- Inflight leisure: 8/10
- WiFi: 8/10
- Service: 9/10
- Cabin design: 7/10
- General expertise: good: 7/10
*** Comply with me on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter or Fb for a day by day second of journey inspiration ***