Air France unveils new European service
Starting on 1st April 2010, Air France is offering a new service on its medium-haul network, aimed at better meeting the changing expectations of travellers seeking greater simplicity and clarity, and more affordable fares.
The essentials of the Air France service will remain, and the airline will continue to offer two clearly separate cabins, the "Voyageur" cabin and the "Premium" cabin. The Air France service will not be that of a low-cost carrier.
“Regarding short-haul travel, customer requirements have changed. They now want reliable, efficient air transport, with an appropriate service, at the lowest possible price, while retaining the ‘Air France touch’. We designed our new medium-haul offering with this in mind”, declared Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, Chief Executive Officer of Air France-KLM.
The Voyageur offering is designed for customers looking for a simple, inexpensive product, with all the essentials of the Air France service:
- Free carriage of hold baggage up to 23 kg, choice of seat at check-in, wide choice of newspapers, catering adapted to the flight time, and designated counters for customers requiring assistance.
- When they make their reservation, customers can specify their preference for a window or aisle seat free of charge, and have their boarding pass sent to them by email.
- For just 10 euros, Air France also proposes a ‘time to think’, so that customers can keep their booking and the fare they have found for several days. Air France is the only airline to offer this service online.
- Fares have been reduced and the simplified price range makes it easier to find the lowest price: the price displayed on the same web page combines the cheapest available fare for the outbound flight and the cheapest available fare for the return flight. Tickets are sold for round trips, but promotional fares are now available one-way. These tickets are not refundable but can be modified for an additional 50 euros.
The Premium offering is tailored to the requirements of business travellers seeking more flexibility, enhanced service, even greater efficiency and time-savings, at more affordable prices.
- Premium customers have a choice between two products: the Premium Eco for those seeking flexibility and efficiency at the best prices and Premium Business for those who opt for more comfort and privacy.
- In Premium Eco, the published fares are an average of 20% lower than the published fares for Tempo Challenge, and Premium Business fares are also lower than those of the current Affaires-Business Class.
- All “Premium” tickets are available either round trip or one-way for all fares in the price range. They are can be refunded and modified free of charge.
- Premium Business customers can choose their seat when they book their flight.
- At the airport, all Premium customers benefit from a dedicated check-in area, dedicated security checkpoints, which are more numerous and faster at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and a priority boarding line. A dedicated Premium hotline is also at their disposal.
- On board, they travel in a cabin at the front of the aircraft. The inflight catering has been upgraded both in presentation and content. Premium Business customers enjoy a wider seat, with no-one sitting next to them.
Furthermore, whatever class they are travelling in, all passengers continue to earn Flying Blue Miles, benefiting from a wide choice of destinations and flight frequencies thanks to the powerful Air France hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle. They can use any of the Air France ticket offices downtown, Air France desks at the airport, call centers, and can be assisted by Air France staff at any time. They are taken care of by dedicated Air France departments such as the ROC (Reservations Operations Center), in the event of operating irregularities and malfunctions.
Air France is also responding to the requirements of customers with special needs via “Saphir”, a complimentary booking and information service reserved for disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility. There is also the “Family Service” designed for children travelling alone (UMs), which is free of charge on domestic flights. Every year Air France carries 400,000 Ums.