Air France La Première: the experience in the new private suites at Paris CDG (and how to get it even if you don't fly First Class)

Those who read TFC often know very well that I consider Air France's Premiere one of the best first classes in the world, sure many people don't like the cabin which is very little wow, but at the end of the day it is a matter of taste, those who consider form more important than substance, those who value an object by its appearance, and those who value the whole package.

If for many people the tent is elegance, for others it is cheap. There are those who adore the glitz of some the companies and those who think it is unnecessary tackiness. That's the beauty of being different and not having a single opinion. There is, however. one thing that really sets the French company apart from the competition and that is the ground service, which I consider the best in the world. No one assists you, pampers you, accompanies you from the first to the last moment like Air France.

In 2024, Air France enriched the La Première experience on the ground at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) with a new element: private suites within the La Première Lounge. On the occasion of my participation in the presentation of the new La Premiere booth I had the chance to enjoy the new ground experience that is offered to passengers departing from Paris, but also to visit two of the three suites available to passengers willing to pay for the privilege of using them.

The new check-in area at CDG

Sure Lufthansa in Frankfurt has a dedicated terminal for First Class passengers, but what Air France offers for passengers departing to Paris is something very similar. You are picked up anywhere in Paris in a Porsche Cayenne and taken to the dedicated area located in Terminal 2E, gate 17.

Here you are seated in this lounge that serves a dual purpose. For those departing, you take a seat here while attendants take care of your luggage and conduct paperwork, and you wait for your personal attendant before being escorted to the louge dedicated to LP passengers.

To ensure maximum privacy inside this lounge, there are two private lounges so that you can wait away from the eyes of other passengers and are reserved only for those who book the use of the suites.

The other purpose of this area is to serve as an arrival lounge for first-class passengers. Here you are escorted when you land, if you wish you can have a shower or a quick snack in the dedicated restaurant, while the attendants take care of retrieving your luggage and loading it into the usual Porsche that will take passengers home.

The lounge and private suites

The "real" experience of La Premiere, the same for everyone that is for both those departing from Paris and those simply making a stopover begins aboard a Porsche Cayenne. Each passenger reaches the lounge at terminal 2E, sure from the departure area one could also walk, but F passengers have to be treated with kid gloves and then the 10-minute walk is converted into a quick 2-minute car ride.

Once you arrive at the lounge, you can wait here for your flight. Amenities include the restaurant curated by the kitchen of Alain Ducasse, one of the masters of French cuisine and who has more stars than any other chef from beyond the Alps, taking advantage of the free spa, or simply waiting in a room where very few passengers enter each day.

For those who want the ultimate in exclusivity and privacy, the option of using one of the 3 suites that opened last summer can be booked for a fee. Champs-Élysées, Montmartre and Vendôme are the names of the three suites, measuring about 45sqm, the first two are communicating and can be joined to form a single room of about 100sqm

There are three apartments with a living room, bedroom and master bathroom.

Each suite also has its own private terrace, where you can wait for your flight while breathing in the Parisian air for the last time before boarding, but where unfortunately you have no view of the runway, but on the other hand are completely invisible to the rest of the world.

If you want to "toil" you can make yourself a coffee or herbal tea, but for those who want the best AF has thought of everything.

There is always a 24-hour butler who can be called using the phone in the suite.

The butler can be asked to do anything: order dinner from the a la carte menu, ask to unpack your suitcase or make a cocktail.

Note that there are artworks inside the Suites that can also, upon request, be bought by passengers.

Who can use these services

Unlike with all other loyalty programs, this experience is not accessible with the status. All other carriers allow top tiers, i.e., those with the most exlcusive card, access to First's lounges. It happens for Lufthansa/Swiss Hon Circle, as well as Etihad, Emirates, Qatar and all the others. With Air France, on the other hand, there is no card that opens the door to this experience, or rather one card there is and that is the credit card, since for a fee it is possible to use some of these services.

It is possible to use the concierge service, i.e., booking pickup around Paris (40km) and escort to the airport at all stages up to boarding and pickup on the return for the reverse route at 400€ (or 80k miles) going up depending on the number of passengers. Of course, there is also service for those who have a stopover in Paris, and in this case the cost is lower since there is no private car portion to/from Paris. In this case it can be used by everyone, regardless of the ticket held Of course, no lounge access is included.

It is possible to use the lounge at La Premiere for a fee, but there are two definite rules. You have to fly in business on an intercontinental destination aboard a plane that does not offer the La Premiere cabin and you must have flown in La Premiere in the past 12 months. Basically in this case AF, for about €1,000 per passenger, it allows those accustomed to LP service to have it even if they fly to a destination not served by one of the few 777/300s set up in 4 classes.

The Suite is bookable by the hour. For an additional fee starting at €800 for three hours, passengers can access a private check-in with a dedicated lounge and a private suite with three rooms and terrace within the lounge, with personalized butler service.

In conclusion

While waiting to fly aboard the new cabins, which will probably happen before the end of 2025, I wanted to recount the experience on the ground and explain in photos and words why no other carrier in the world is able to keep up with Air France, the only carrier that offers an "almost" private jet experience, partly because I remember on board the few planes with this cabin there are, at most, 4 passengers.