GOING TO LONDON
Hello everyone and welcome to this flight to London!
Hello everyone, today I will report a flight I went on that took me to London and the in laws in Exeter.
After a decade living there; I had a certain amount of friends and bounds to this very special town.
2 years and a covid crisis later, I was finally overcoming the UK travel restrictions and come and visit my friends!
Enchainement de vols
- 1
- 2Air France - CDG - LHR
- 3
- 4
Very surprisingly, despite the shortage of flights from Lyon to London and perhaps due to the covid situation, Air France was just 89€ to reach the British capital, a fare well under Easyjet and British Airways, and well under what I am use to pay on this route.
Flying blue Miles earned with this flight: 149
Status earned: 5 XP
Air France doubling the XP status in 2021: 5 additional XP
Although the app usually let you check in and have your boarding pass, I found out that going to the UK was limiting this service - indeed it is only at check in that the lady would double check your paperwork and issue a paper boarding pass.
Even though the majority of the Air France medium haul fleet is made of A320s, I must say this was one of the rare occasions for me to fly onboard one of these since covid. As an elite skyteam member, I was able to choose for free, from the time of booking my seat on this A320.
AT PARIS - CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT
I left you from my previous leg from Lyon; connecting from 2F is fairly easy, you need to walk throughout a tunnel that goes down at the car parl level between 2F and 2E / K, and passing the passport control to finally arrive at 2E hall K.
Although this is not the newest hall of E building, I like this red carpet, the tunnel shaped building (a bit more interesting than just square shaped). The only drawback is that it is a bit difficult to have a nice view on the planes.
at the hall K air france lounge
The access to the lounge is via a small staircase/ escalator - not the fanciest entrance but does the job.
The Lounge at Hall K is not the better looking nor the best designed, the roof is a bit low and it lacks of a WOW factor; unlike the amazing lounges at L or M. Let's hope that it is the next one to be refurbished.
It was a bit crowded and we went upstairs in the mezzanine to look for some more "privacy".
As you can tell it has all the AIr France usual features; the sofas, the self service buffet and bar, the magazines, TV, WiFi, shower etc..
I made a point to have a proper meal, and to try the food post covid there, knowing the next flight wouldn't be the most frugal of all.
I can't say I have been to all the lounges in the world, especially not compares to some of my fellow business flight reporters; also what I notice comparing the lounges of BA and KLM is that AF seems to offer a lot more food variety.
In between two glasses of Wine we heard a special announce telling that the London Flight has now changed terminal and we immediately had to go the Hall L.
And so I rushed to finish my glass of wine, pack our stuff and off we went!
Indeed here was our aircraft of the night at L terminal.
onboard the A320
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214
Registration: F-HEPD
Engines: 2x CFM56
Age: 11 Years
Layout: Y174
Observations: One of the A320 used on European destinations.
We were called to board on time; with the Skypriority respected, premium passengers were called first.
An A321 next to us…
Push back with the manual demonstrations…
We taxied up until the runway 26R… whilst we waited for a B777-300ER of AF to take off.
And we took off!
A view of Paris…
After the seatbelts sign went off, we heard a announce from the crew stating that the UK didn't allow Air France to give food on board.. ?!
I never heard such a thing and I wonder whether it is related to the Covid situation?
The crew was very professional about it, they gave us all bottles of water and apoligised for it to almost every rows; something you rarely see these days..
The seats were comfy and I fell asleep for about 10 min when the reduced the mood lighting.
There are still no paper magasines on board and so I read it on the app.
As you can tell there are more and more A350s in the fleet : 11 now
we approached soon after and landed on runway 26L, and unfortunately I was on the wrong side of the plane to take a few pictures of London.
Since Covid 19 crisis, terminal 4 is closed and Skyteam members have been moved to the new terminal 2; the Queen terminal. It has been a while I haven't been there so it was a good surprise.
The usual clean and spacious luggage hall
Arriving at Paddington station..
