New Air France La Premiere First Class Coming to the U.S.

Air France already boasts one of the most prized first-class experiences, known as La Première. By the end of 2024, the French carrier plans to unveil an entirely new La Première first-class product.

The airline is also boosting its schedule in time for the winter travel season by increasing service to 2 U.S. cities.

Here’s what you need to know.

New La Première Cabin Coming to Air France

La Première is one of the most exclusive first-class cabins in the sky. Such a distinction doesn’t come without a huge price tag: You can expect to pay upward of $12,000 for a one-way flight!

The airline has announced that it will launch a “completely redesigned” La Première first class cabin. The cabin will have 5 windows and will be the “longest on the market.”

That product will roll out at the end of the year, according to Air France, but exact timing wasn’t announced.

This winter, La Première suites will be available on its 777-300ER aircraft, which will serve Abidjan (ABJ), Dubai (DXB), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), Sao Paulo (GRU), Singapore (SIN), Tokyo (HND) and Washington (IAD).

Given its exclusivity, Air France does not make it easy to book a ticket in La Première using points or miles. However, there are a few options. The first is booking an upgrade with cash, as Upgraded Points’ Daniel Ross did on a flight between São Paulo and Paris.

The next option is to redeem Flying Blue miles for an award ticket entirely. However, to do this, you must be a Flying Blue Platinum or Ultimate to qualify. Finally, you can book a business class award ticket using points and upgrade with cash if there’s an upgrade option.

Air France Increasing North American Service

Air France will also extend service this winter from Paris (CDG) to Denver (DEN) and Phoenix (PHX), offering 3x weekly flights to each city. Previously, Air France only offered summer service to the Mile High City. Phoenix is a new city for Air France, which started flights over the summer.

The airline will also boost service to the Caribbean island of St. Martin (SXM), offering 2x daily flights on the Airbus A330-200.

According to Air France, North America will see 235 flights a week to 23 destinations this winter.

Outside of North America, Air France will offer long-haul flights to 85 cities. These include 4 new destinations for the airline: Mount Kilimanjaro (JRO), Salvador de Bahia (SSA), Manila (MNL), and Male (MLE).

Final Thoughts

Air France will roll out a refreshed La Première cabin. Already one of the best first-class options in the sky, it’ll be interesting to see how Air France redesigns the product. How do you improve on something people already regard so highly? In addition, the airline will offer more service to several destinations across North America this winter, which is great news for travelers.