Air France Expands Its US Network Launching Flights to Phoenix, Arizona

The Air France-KLM group is hard at work, as the entire aviation industry, to recover all ground lost during the pandemic. One of the markets offering the largest growth opportunities in the post-covid world is the US. Therefore Air France is trying to capitalize on this by expanding its routes serving the largest economy in the world. So let’s dive into today’s news.

American Plane (But Not The Largest) For American Route.

Air France will be launching on the route its Boeing 787-9s. These are some of the youngest and newest additions to the AF fleet. They are part of the long range division of the fleet, however they do not offer the highest capacity. Therefore these planes are deployed on routes that need somewhat testing, to better understand the potential load factors. This is exactly the case for the Paris (CDG) to Phoenix flight.

Specifically the Air France Boeing 787-9 isn’t extremely premium heavy as it features:

• 30 Business Class Seats in a 1-2-1 layout
• 21 Premium Economy Class Seats in a 2-3-2 layout
• 228 Economy Class Seats in a 3-3-3 layout

What makes traveling on the Dreamliner, as on the Airbus A350, over the 777 is the lower cabin altitude. These planes made of composite materials can handle a higher pressurization, therefore it’s easier to breathe aboard and you’ll also suffer less side effects of jet lag.

Air France AF68 Paris to Phoenix Flight Schedule and Frequency

The new service to Phoenix will operate three times a week. Flights will be available every:

• Tuesdays
• Thursdays
• Saturdays

Flights are scheduled with a 10:10 departure from Charles de Gaulle Airport and an arrival in Phoenix at 12:10. The departure time from CDG allows to channel passengers arriving into the French megahub from European short haul services. On the other hand the arrival time into Arizona, allows to have ample time to enjoy a first evening at the destination.

	Flight Number	Departure Airport	Airport Code	Departure Time	Arrival Airport	Airport Code	Arrival Time	Flight Duration
	AF68	Paris	CDG	10:10	Phoenix	PHX	12:10	11hrs 00min
	AF69	Phoenix	PHX	14:10	Paris	CDG	09:15+1	10hrs 05min

Expanding the Air France Network in the United States

Along with announcing flight AF68 to Phoenix route, Air France to shared some updates on its other US destinations. Minneapolis will see the return of Air France flights starting May 13th 2024, while the Raleigh-Durham summer route will be extended into the 2024 summer season. Raleigh-Durham has proven as a positive addition to the network and, who knows, it might become a year round destination.

Image by GCMap.com

The Rise of Premium Economy

This new Air France Flight too will offer premium economy as a travel class option. The French national carrier has, as many other airlines, fitted its new planes and retrofitted its older ones with premium economy. This is a growing trend in modern aviation that I have analysed in depth in this separate post.