Airline Lounge Review: Air France Business Class Lounge at Paris CDG Terminal 2E Gates L

Beyond the significantly more pleasant travel experience onboard, flying Business Class offers another noteworthy perk: lounge access. During my trip from Rome Fiumicino to Seoul Incheon flying Air France via its Paris CDG hub I enjoyed access to 2 of their Business Class lounges. In this post, I'll take you on a tour of the lounge at terminal 2E Gates L of the Parisian airport.

A Bit of Context About My Air France Business Class Journey to Seoul

This visit to the Business Class lounges at Paris CDG international airport is part of an itinerary which started in Rome Fiumicino taking me and my family to Seoul Incheon. I was traveling with my wife and son (he was 14 months old on this trip). We arrived around 8 AM from Rome and our departure was scheduled for just after 1 PM. Overall, about 4 hours to spend in the lounge.

Initially, our Air France flight to Seoul was supposed to depart from terminal 2E gates L, but an hour before boarding it was changed to depart from terminal 2E gates M. This gave me the opportunity to visit two lounges on the same journey and make a comparison between the two. However, it must be noted that we did spend most of our time in the lounge at terminal 2E gates L.

I'll soon publish the trip report from Rome to Paris, from Paris to Seoul in the older business class on Boeing 777-200ERs, and then the journey from Seoul to Paris in the newer business class found on Air France's new A350-900s. There should also be a review of Korean Air Prestige lounge at Seoul Incheon airport coming up.

The Air France Business Class Lounge at Terminal 2E Gates L – Nice But Not Outstanding

Let me be clear that being in a business class lounge is genuinely pleasant and very comfortable, especially if, like me, you have to spend 4 hours between flights. Sitting at the gates, time passes really slowly. In a dedicated lounge, everything is easier, even keeping up with a toddler who wants to run off in every direction.

The Air France Business Class lounge at Terminal 2E gates L is located right after airport security. You can't miss it. Access is via elevator, then you scan your boarding pass to enter.

This lounge particular lounge is open from 5:30 AM to 11:30 PM every day, covering almost all long-haul departures that the French airline operates from this boarding area.

Let me start by saying that if you're an aviation enthusiast like me and enjoy watching runways and aircraft, this isn't a lounge that will scratch that itch. The windows don't offer anything interesting to see except the highway that runs through the middle of the terminal buildings at CDG.

Inside, you'll find food areas at the center and at the ends. Throughout the day, depending on the time, the culinary offering rotates. I arrived in the morning, so the offering was breakfast fare: scrambled eggs, bacon, croissants, fruit, yogurt, cheeses, and cold cuts. Coffee and tea from automatic machines are also available, along with water and various fruit juices.

At the center of the business class lounge, under the golden ceiling decoration, is the wine and champagne area. Whatever time of day it is, you'll find an excellent selection of red wines, whites, but especially sparkling wines. However, unlike the lounge I'll later visit, there is no staff roaming the lounge with Champagne.

Other strengths of the lounge are the SPA and showers that allow you to freshen up between flights. It's possible to book a complimentary Clarins beauty treatment. You'll need to make a reservation though, so do that immediately upon arrival, to snatch one of the limited available slots.

It's also quite pleasant that tables are cleaned almost instantly. There's dedicated staff who patrol the Air France business class lounge and clean up as soon as a plate or glass is left empty or dirty.

What Impressed Me Less About the Air France Business Class Lounge at CDG Terminal 2E gates L

The fact that there are no runway views or aircraft movements visible, for someone who loves flying like me, is a drawback. Beyond this, though, in my opinion the food offering is somewhat limited, especially compared to what was available in the Air France business class lounge at the M gates. Also as a parent I noticed the absence of a children's area as the one in terminal 2E gates M.

Overall, we spent 3 hours in this lounge and it felt somewhat crowded. This is my personal opinion, but I had the impression that it's slightly undersized for the number of passengers who use it. Finding a comfortable place to sit isn't always easy. We moved a couple of times before finding vacant comfortable armchairs.

It's not a huge space, so the noise generated by people talking adds to the feeling of overcrowding.

Who Can Access the Business Class Lounge at Terminal 2L at Paris CDG?

You have access to this Air France lounge at Paris CDG if you:

• Travel in La Premiere (Air France First Class)
• Have a Business class booking (with Standard and Flex fares)
• Hold Platinum and Gold status in the Flying Blue frequent flyer program
• Hold SkyTeam Elite Plus status