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Air France has unveiled a redesigned first-class cabin dubbed La Première, seeking to attract well-healed customers with a travel experience that it says is akin to stepping onto a private jet.
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The airline will initially roll out the new cabins on 19 of its Boeing Co. 777-300ER planes. Each of the four enclosed suites feature 3.5 square metres of private space with a seat and a chaise longue that converts into full-length bed. The cabin, which took three years to develop, is about a quarter more spacious than the previous iteration, according to Ben Smith, the chief executive officer of parent company Air France-KLM.
“We want the customer to have as close to as a private-jet experience as possible” Smith says. “It’s discreet, it’s private, it’s exclusive. It’s also much cheaper than a private jet.”
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Air France splashed out €1 billion (C$1.55 billion) over the past five years to upgrade the customer journey focusing on French elegance, fine wines and high-end cuisine. The company inaugurated spacious private suites at Charles de Gaulle airport last year for holders of La Première first-class tickets, seeking to set the product apart even before passengers board the plane.
Flights to New York-JFK airport will be the first to feature the redesigned La Première in coming weeks, highlighting the importance of the trans-Atlantic routes for the airline. Floor-to-ceiling curtains provide privacy, while overhead compartments were replaced with floor-level storage for two suitcases to enhance the sense of space, said Smith.
On average, a return flight to New York on La Première costs about €10,000 ($15,510), compared with €6,000 ($9,300) in business class, said Fabien Pelous, Air France’s senior vice president for customer experience.
Smith said he’s not seen any signs of any weakness in premium travel, with trans-Atlantic and inter-European routes still strong.
“Paris is still the No. 1 destination people come to for many, many reasons,” the CEO said. “It’s crazy what people are willing to spend.”
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