Onboard French Bee’s Inaugural Los Angeles-Paris Service (+Photos)

[In The News]

LOS ANGELES – Today, Airways is onboard French Bee’s (BF) inaugural flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Paris (ORY), a major step for the low-cost airline’s ambitious plans to expand into the North American market. Follow along as we showcase the inaugural flight celebrations and inflight experience. 

French Bee will serve LAX three times weekly, with an increase up to six flights weekly by July. In addition to LAX, the airline flies to San Francisco (SFO) and New York (EWR) in the United States. Flights to EWR were only launched last summer, a part of the airline’s expansion to the U.S. market. 

French Bee’s President, Marc Rochet said “As summer travel demand surges for international trips, we are thrilled to expand our U.S. network and ad Los Angeles as our third nonstop route to Paris.” 

He continued, “Affordability continues to be a top factor for our customers as well as our new Airbus A350 fleet, which makes long-haul travel efficient and comfortable.”

Photo: Misael Ocasio Hernandez/Airways

French Bee’s Fleet

---

French Bee operates a fleet of four Airbus A350-900 aircraft in addition to a single Airbus A350-1000 that was delivered to the airline in 2021. 

The airline boasts the A350’s advanced technologies that contribute to an enhanced passenger experience. These include specialized cabin pressurization, ambient lighting, high ceilings, and temperature-controlled air quality. 

The aircraft also aids in minimizing long-haul fatigue through the use of mood-lighting to mimic sunrise and sunset, a particularly advantageous perk for the airline’s solely long-haul operations. 

While the aircraft’s features aid in comfort for passengers, the cabin configurations further contribute to the airline’s a-la-carte, low-cost business model. The A350s are fitted with 411 seats, including 35 in ‘Premium’ and 376 in ‘Eco Blue’. 

Photo: Frenchbee

An A-la-Carte Experience

---

At the core of French Bee’s business model is the array of ‘A-La-Carte’ options available to passengers for maximum customization based on each passenger’s needs. 

Ticketing options for passengers include ‘Basic’, which includes one carry-on bag, ‘Smart’, which includes a checked bag and inflight meal, and ‘Premium’, offering two inflight meals, baggage service, Premium cabin seat choice, ‘line jump’, priority boarding, and priority luggage delivery.

The airline also offers inflight WiFi packages of various sizes to allow passengers to only pay for what they need. The cheapest package ($4) is catered to passengers who wish to utilize messaging apps, while the most expensive ($17) offers full internet and email capabilities.

Additional options include extra legroom seats, priority luggage delivery, additional luggage, inflight meals, lounge access at Orly Airport, and a travel kit with a blanket, socks, a neck pillow, eye mask, and headphones.

BF731 – Check-in and Ground Experience

---

Today, BF begins operating flights between Los Angeles International Airport’s Tom Bradley International Terminal and Paris Orly Airport Terminal 4. The airline utilizes check-in area C at LAX, with the airline’s logo already present on various screens in the vicinity.

Check-in began at around 4 PM, with seven desks available to assist passengers. Long queues of passengers had already begun to form, suggesting strong initial demand for the route.

Ticketed with a ‘Premium’ reservation, I was able to use the single check-in desk designated for Premium passengers, helping me avoid the long lines. However, BF does not participate in TSA PreCheck, which meant I needed to go through the busy TSA lines, taking around 20 minutes.

Before entering and preparing the aircraft, a very enthusiastic crew gathered in front of the gate to pose for photos.

This article will be updated as the flight progresses. Be sure to check out our social media pages to see more photos of the trip report!

---

View the full article