The Details

• Flight: AF4081
• Aircraft: A350-900
• Class: Business
• Seat: 1D
• Route: Chicago O’Hare (ORD)-Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
• Distance: 4,398 miles
• Duration: 6hrs 56min
• Departure: 8:47PM
• Arrival: 10:43AM

The Preflight

After our flight from Indianapolis landed in Terminal 1 at Chicago O’Hare, we had a roughly five-hour layover. Our next leg of the journey to Vietnam would be with Air France to Paris. Earlier in the morning, we learned that our original Air France flight had been delayed by approximately one hour, from 17:30 to 18:30. Interestingly, Air France had also canceled the original flight number (AF137), and our new flight number was AF4081. This now left us with a six-hour layover in Chicago. We took the tram service from Terminal 1 to Terminal 5, where Air France departs. The check-in counters opened at 12:30, with a single Sky Priority lane.

After clearing TSA, we indulged in the luxury of the brand-new Delta SkyClub in Terminal 5.

The entire Sky Club was in the shape of an L with a bar located immediately upon entering the lounge. A variety of complimentary alcohol as well as premium drinks for purchase were available.

There were a few high-top tables and dining tables nearby.

A small build-your-own hot chocolate table was also set up.

Further into the SkyClub was the main open buffet area with a selection of warm and cold foods.

Copd options included a variety of salads, chicken breast, sandwiches, as well as pretzel bites with cheese.

There was also an extensive selection of desserts with a large charcuterie board as well. Hot food options included chicken, scalloped potatoes, green beans, as well as a two soups.

Self-serve drink options included fountain drinks, a flavored water dispenser, a few espresso machines, coffee, lemonade, and tea.

Further into the lounge was a large corridor with comfortable sofas and couches along the windows.

Near the end of the lounge was another dining area with a Chicago hot dog cart.

There was a second bar where the bar tender also staffed the hot dog cart.

There was another dining area with a few tables as well as another self-serve drink station. A variety of bar snacks were also available.

At the very end of the Sky Club were two large work tables, a few private booths for phone calls, and a large TV area.

The Sky Club also featured three nice shower rooms with fully stocked towels and toiletries.

After spending a few hours in the lounge we headed to the gate 15 minutes before boarding.

Our aircraft, an A350-900 registered as F-HUVE, was one of the newest additions to the Air France fleet. Delivered in December 2023, it was merely two months old at the time of our journey. Air France boasts a fleet of 27 A350s, with 20 of them being older models equipped with a different cabin product. Additionally, the airline has placed orders for 18 more A350s, seven of which have already been delivered with a new cabin product.

Boarding began at 5:50PM but we were held on the jet bridge for another 14 minutes and finally boarded at 6:04PM.

The Flight

The new Air France A350 boasts one of the finest business-class products available in the skies today. Each aircraft is equipped with forty-eight Stelia Opera business seats, arranged in a spacious 1-2-1 configuration, spread across two separate cabins. The larger first cabin, positioned between doors 1 and 2, accommodates a total of 32 seats.

For this flight, my fiancé and I were fortunate to secure seats 1D and 1H, positioned at the front in the bulkhead business class section.

The Stelia Opera seat was originally designed for single-aisle narrow-body aircraft but Air France successfully imported this product to their wide-body A350. In between the two center seats was a privacy screen that could be raised and lowered.

What sets the bulkhead seats on the Air France A350 apart is the notably spacious footwell at the front of each seat. Its size is truly impressive, comparable to the square footage found in some first-class seats on other airlines. Bulkhead seats on this aircraft include seats 1A, D, H, L and 10A, D, H, L.

At the front of the seat was a large 20-inch 4K Ultra-High definition touch screen. There was also an option to connect my own devices to the in-flight entertainment system but both Bose earphones and my iPhone would not connect.

Air France also decided to upgrade their A350s with both a tail-mounted and wheel-mounted camera.

Next to the large footwell in the bulkhead row was a personal closet with a coat hook as well as a mirror. Underneath the cushion was a small storage drawer.

The countertop next to the seat featured a wireless induction power charger for phones as well as both USB-A and USB-C ports.

Each seat also had a personal reading light, storage cabinet, and tablet which controlled the IFE and seat.

Within the storage bin, there was a small area to place personal items like glasses underneath a mirror. There was also a pair of headphones hardwired into the seat and a small Evian water bottle.

The personal tablet had options for seat recline, and seat lighting, as well as the ability to control the IFE and call the flight attendant. Unfortunately, both of our tablets were actually non-functional and kept erroring when we tried to use them to control the IFE system.

Directly beneath the counter top were a few buttons to control the seat, lighting, and call light. I did think there buttons were a bit too sensitive to touch as I would occasionally brush the buttons and accidentally recline my seat.

There was also a large sturdy tray tablet that folded out from underneath the countertop.

Beneath the tray table was a small literature pocket and universal power outlet. At the bottom of the seat, there was another small storage bin, but unfortunately, mine was broken and inoperable. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the seat and found the bulkhead ones to be fantastic, I was surprised to discover that several features of the seat were already either broken or malfunctioning, including the Bluetooth connectivity, storage bin, and tablet.

Along the door to the seat was an adjustable armrest.

At each seat was a simple but comfortable pillow and dense blanket. Air France also provided a coat hanger at each seat for our winter jackets.

Twenty minutes after boarding, the flight attendants came through the cabin and passed out the food and beverage menu.

Amenity kits were distributed after the menus. Contents included Clarins branded lotions, a toothbrush and toothpaste, ear plugs, an eye mask, socks, and a pen.

Pre-departure beverages were served next. A flight attendant came through the cabin with a tray of either champagne, water, or juice.

Unfortunately, there was an issue with the fuel truck and our aircraft, and our pushback was delayed by about 35 minutes. It appeared that the fuel truck had apparently stalled and could not be driven away from the aircraft. At 7:05PM, we finally pushed back.

At approximately 7:23 PM, the captain returned to the intercom to announce an unexpected development: we were returning to the gate due to a reported aircraft engine issue that required inspection by the mechanics.

After we returned to the gate, an hour past our scheduled departure at 6:30 PM, the flight attendants served drinks and cheese crackers while we waited for the mechanics to fix the engine issue. I chose a glass of Telmont Brut Reserve champagne.

The purser also came through the cabin with a box of snacks which included various chocolates, sweets, crackers, and madeleines. Pipping hot towels were also provided.

We pushed back for the second time at 8:24 PM, approximately two hours after our scheduled departure (and nearly three hours after the original AF137 departure time of 5:30 PM). After a brief engine test on the apron, we finally took off from runway 28R at 8:47 PM.

The flight attendants swiftly completed the meal service once we were airborne. Thirty minutes after departure, the appetizer was served along with a warm bread basket. The only option for the appetizer was a shrimp asparagus salad with fennel and tomato salad. Sides included a mixed green salad, a cheese plate, and San Sebastian cheesecake. Unfortunately, I found the appetizer rather disappointing, as all three dishes lacked flavor.

For my main dish, I opted for the cod served on a bed of quinoa with a ‘seafood sauce.’ Although the presentation was lacking, I was pleasantly surprised by the perfectly cooked cod, which boasted excellent flavors of roasted tomato and cream.

My fiancée opted for the chicken fillet with Chablis sauce served on mixed greens and wild rice. She didn’t enjoy the dish and found the chicken to be excessively greasy and the consistency similar to canned chicken.

I appreciated the efficiency of the flight attendants, who completed the meal service within an hour, leaving six hours remaining on the flight. Although there was no mattress topper offered or turn-down service, I arranged my own bedding and found it very comfortable to sleep in. The ample foot space allowed me to adjust my sleeping positions comfortably throughout the flight.

With the suite door closed, the seat provided us both with an excellent amount of privacy. I truly felt I had as much legroom as some first-class products offered such as British Airways.

I managed to get about four hours of sleep thanks to the comfortable seat. Upon waking up, I visited the three lavatories in the business-class cabin. There was one larger lavatory behind the cockpit with two regular-sized lavatories between the two business-class cabins. Amenities included Clarins branded perfume.

Air France A350s also have onboard espresso machines and I had an excellent espresso served with a small piece of dark chocolate.

Breakfast was served exactly one hour before landing. Unlike most of their competitors, Air France actually offered a hot breakfast which was an egg omelet with a potato croquette. There was a side of fresh fruit, plain yogurt, and croissant.

After breakfast, the flight attendants passed out another hot towel.

We touched down on runway 26L at CDG at 10:43 AM, arriving two hours and twenty minutes later than our original scheduled arrival time of 8:25 AM. The taxi to gate F15 added another 15 minutes, and by 11 AM, we were ready to proceed with our connection to Hanoi.

I thoroughly enjoyed Air France’s new business class hard product on their A350s. The bulkhead Stelia Opera seats with privacy doors and ample legroom rival Qatar QSuites as my favorite seats. However, the more than two-hour delay and disappointing catering departing from the United States left some room for improvement.