French long-haul, low-cost carrier French Bee has announced its plans to launch a new route from Paris (ORY) to Los Angeles (LAX), which will be its second route to California.
Los Angeles will be the third U.S. destination for French Bee, joining Californian neighbor San Francisco (SFO), as well as the relatively new route to Newark (EWR) that launched in July 2021.
“After the success of our New York launch and the restarting of San Francisco on November 10, we are enthusiastic about the idea of launching Los Angeles, our third American link from Paris Orly, and to pursue our expansion into the U.S.,” said Marc Rochet, President of French Bee.
The inaugural flight will take place on April 9, 2022.
French Bee Expands Its U.S. Route Network
French Bee currently operates 3 or 4 weekly flights to New York (via Newark) and 3 weekly flights to San Francisco. The San Fran flight then continues onto the French Polynesian island of Tahiti (PPT).
The newest network addition, Los Angeles, is scheduled to see 4 round-trip flights per week, operating on Saturdays, Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
The schedule is as follows:
- Depart Paris Orly 2:50 p.m. — Arrive Los Angeles 5:15 p.m.
- Depart Los Angeles 7:45 p.m. — Arrive Paris Orly 3:35 p.m. (+1)
The new route will be operated by one of French Bee’s 5 Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Around mid-December 2021, the airline took delivery of its first A350-1000 variant of the Airbus A350.
In economy, the A350s are configured in a tight 3-4-3 layout, with seats measuring just 16 inches across. Premium economy is slightly better at 18 inches.
Image Credit: French BeeAs is often the case with low-cost carriers, French Bee does not offer its flyers access to a loyalty program.
French Bee and Alaska Airlines
There’s good news for passengers wanting to fly French Bee who live elsewhere in the U.S. — Alaska Airlines and French Bee have an alliance whereby 1-ticket journeys can be booked from across the U.S. to Paris via LA, San Francisco, or Newark, and Tahiti via San Francisco.
This means that passengers can check their bag at their destination of origin and pick it up again at their final destination, despite flying 2 separate airlines.
Passengers booking 1 ticket also benefit from protection should a flight be canceled or delayed by either Alaska or French Bee.
Final Thoughts
Long-haul, low-cost travel is making a comeback, despite all the odds.
The addition of Los Angeles to French Bee’s route network is likely to be just the start of the airline’s expansion into the U.S.
If you don’t mind flying on a low-cost airline sans frills or a loyalty program, then French Bee could be your best bet when planning your next trip to France (otherwise, we have plenty of strategies to fly to Paris with points and miles!).
Featured Image Credit:
French Bee
