Review new Air France Paris CDG lounge: STUPID, but buffet needs improvement

This lounge was opened in late summer. When I had stopped by the CDG in August, final preparations were underway before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, so I had made time to take a final tour of the old lounges that this room has replaced.

The location

The VIP Salon was built as a true appendage to Terminal 2F at Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport, which is the Schengen terminal where Air France flights arrive and take off.

It is located between the two piers that house the gates, a short distance from the security checkpoints. It is probably the best lounge for Schengen flights of all European carriers, the only one that can compete is the Lufthansa Senator Lounge, but in this case to gain access it is not enough to fly business class ,you also need to have the status Gold Miles & More or StarAlliance.

Access

To gain access to this lounge, you must have a business class ticket from Air France or one of the airlines Of the SkyTeam alliance or hold Elite Plus status always in the SkyTeam carrier group.

Thanks to the second life of the Millemiglia program old Winged Arrow and Winged Arrow Plus can also continue to access the lounge.

At the turnstiles simply scan your ticket and you will be granted access. Alternatively, one can approach the staff manning the gates.

The hall

Of course it is brand new and to my surprise it was also very crowded. The architecture is in keeping with the rest of the terminal with a vaulted steel and glass structure facing the runway.

It is arranged on two floors, and in the center is a striking curved staircase that provides access to the upper floor.

On the ground floor is "Le Comptoir," which is supposed to be the restaurant area but currently has the same food offerings as the rest of the lounge.

On the opposite side is the quieter area of the hall, here the furniture and walls are designed to allow passengers to isolate themselves from the chaos and relax.

Sound-absorbing materials have been used, and the feeling is that of being in a muffled environment; there are even signs urging people not to use cell phones in this area of the lounge.

There is no shortage of more secluded and less well-lit locations, perfect for taking a nap.

There are seats of all kinds, but also high counters for having a quick snack without sitting down. Counters have wireless charging function integrated to allow cell phones to be recharged simply by placing them on the table. Chapeau Air France.

If there is one thing that is not missing, it is power outlets (almost every location has USB ports and outlets). and natural light since the glass windows facing the runway cover 3 of the 4 sides of the structure.

The upper floor is almost twin, except for housing Clarins' small spa, which characterizes all AF lounges, And the showers that are so many.

The treatments, which last 15 minutes, are free of charge with prior reservation. If you don't have a lot of time, or a lot of luck, it is difficult to find a vacant hole.

There are many types of seating: from classic coffee tables to runway view sofas to armchairs. All are very comfortable.

Food and Beverage

It should not be forgotten that we are in a lounge dedicated to intra-EU flights, so it is logical to expect a lesser gastronomic offering than the long-haul lounges, however, here it was really too skimpy.

Scattered throughout the lounge are dedicated beverage stations, with automatic machines for hot items and refrigerators containing soft drinks, canned beers, and juices. There are also water fountains for dispensing water.

For eating, there are as many islands where you can serve yourself, as in the pre covid days. We arrived at lunchtime and, as mentioned, the choice was not very generous.

There was the classic salad to be composed, some cold cuts and cheese. The hot offering consisted solely of a side of buttered carrots and fish sticks. Paradoxically, the best and most varied offering was the desserts.  Comptoir, where one would expect a different service, does nothing but serve the same proposition, and if that is its purpose, I find it really unnecessary.

Drinks are also scattered around the lounge. The mise en place is unkempt, open champagne bottles left out by frapposas roam the counters, almost abandoned. The rest of the offerings also seem "thrown together." Interesting, however, are the offerings of smoothies and other healthy drinks.

Finally right next to the entrance is a small counter dedicated to sweets with candies and chocolates.

In conclusion

The lounge is beautiful, a real step up from the previous two "basements," and the location is perfect both for those who have to take an EU flight and for those who then have to move to non-EU flights. Of course, it is still immaculate and the staff is probably still breaking in. The only thing that didn't convince me was the quality of the food offerings, not up to par for a lounge of this caliber and with so many passengers inside.

• Flying Blue