New Air France business class lounge at Paris Charles de Gaulle
By David Flynn, January 26 2018
Air France's new business class lounge concept at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport adopts a vibrant upmarket design with a twist: a 'wellness zone' incorporating a Clarins spa, private saunas, sleep suites and even a detox bar.
Spread across 2,180m² in Hall L at Terminal 2, the lounge welcomes business class travellers and Flying Blue Elite Plus cardholders and their SkyTeam equivalents, with walk-up access for €45 (A$70) available to any other Air France passenger.
A communal table with high stools and suspended lights leads into the open kitchen, which in turn is flanked by two buffet self-service buffet tables. The aim is to look and feel like a chic Parisian brasserie rather than, well, an airport lounge.
"The pre-flight experience is as important as the flight itself," says Laurence Garnier-Plat, Lounge Product Manager for Air France. "The passengers we see regularly, who spend one hour and ten minutes on average in the lounge, know this well."
Those passengers may start to arrive a little earlier to take advantage of the lounge's 550m² wellness zone, especially ahead of a long international flight and/or after a late night.
The Clarins spa offers complimentary 20-minute facial treatments, while the detox bar serves up healthy juices and snacks.
Two private saunas let you sweat it out, after which you can freshen up in the shower suites and "boudoir-like bathrooms".
A relaxation zone lets travellers unwind beneath an aurora borealis-inspired ceiling where the LED lighting array casts ever-changing patterns.
Travellers in lees need of cossetting can pick a spot along the flowing benches or clusters of tables...
... or retreat to the high-backed cocoon chairs and mini-banquettes for a little more privacy.
The lounge also sports a silent zone where smartphones and those bothersome FaceTimer callers are banned, a VIP room, and even the Air France Shopping area where you can buy Air France-branded souvenirs.
This is just the first stage in a two-part, €15 million revamp of the lounge – July will see the addition of a bar created by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, along with a dedicated kids' zone.
Up next are a new Air France lounge for Orly airport in 2019 and at Charles de Gaulle Terminal 2F in 2020.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
07 Dec 2016
Total posts 8
Can you tell me please where Hall L is in Terminal 2 at CDG? I was there last June when travelling to Singapore and the Lounge we had access to was very average which is being kind! The Air France flight to Singapore departs from Terminal 2E.
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