The mainstay of the Air France short-haul fleet is the elegant Airbus A 220-300, of which the French carrier operates sixty units. They are supported by the A 320 and A321, of which the airline operates smaller fleets. And that is why it’s quite unusual for me that my flight from Hamburg to Paris today is operated by an Airbus A 320.

Getting to Hamburg Airport

In Hamburg I’m staying at the 25H Hotel Altes Hafenamt down by the water. To get to the airport, I catch a U4 line train for one stop, from Überseequartier to Jungfernstieg, where I transfer to a U1 line train to Ohlsdorf. From there I connect to an S1 suburban train which takes me out to the airport. Door to door the journey takes about forty minutes. A oneway ticket is EUR3.80.

Air France Check-In

Hamburg Airport has two terminals. Although it’s more a case of it being one building with two wings. The western wing is Terminal 2, which is where Air France checks in. There are four self-service counters and then two separate manned counters for premium passengers on the other side of the Terminal 2 check-in concourse.

Fast track security is available for Air France Business Class passengers, although there’s something cruelly ironic about using the term “fast” adjacent to what’s going on in this queue.

Airside

By the time I’m finally through security, I have about an hour before boarding begins. I can’t really be bothered to visit the lounge, so I park myself on a rather comfortable bench by the windows instead, put my feet up, and watch the airplanes come and go.

Boarding

Boarding starts at 10h55 for an 11h25 departure. I’m not sure what the load is on today’s flight, but I don’t think it’s very full. By 11h15 the crew announce that boarding is completed and we still have ten minutes to go before our official departure time.

The Cabin & Seat

There are two rows of Business Class, for a total of eight seats. I’m on 1A. Two seats remain empty, and fortunately for me, one of them is 1C, which means that I get the whole row of three to myself. Each seat comes with a USB port and an adjustable headrest. The seat pitch is not as good as it is on the Airbus A 220, but it’s not bad.

The Service & Crew

The crew on this flight really are boss. They’re quite remarkable and so lovely. At some point a young family boards with two kids, and the way the crew interact with the little ones is just so kind. Both crew immediately crouch down to be at eye level with the kiddies as they greet them, making sure to also greet the fat pink elephant one of them has clutched in their little fist.

While we’re still on the ground, the service begins with a packaged cold towel. Shortly after, we push back. Our flight time is 75 minutes. Just before she takes her seat for departure, the maître de tells me that I should easily make my connection in Paris and wishes me a pleasant flight.

The Meal – Lunch

The meal is served as soon as the fasten seatbelt sign is turned off. For the main there’s a salad of red rice with a spicy tomato coulis and sliced chicken breast on top. As usual there’s also a small plate with two slices of cheese, and for dessert there’s a choux pastry filled with vanilla cream. It’s a nice meal, and especially the rice salad packs a lot of flavour.

With the meal the crew serve warm, crunchy bread rolls from a basket, and they pass through the cabin twice offering bread. I ask for a Perrier, and the crew inquire if I’d like that with ice and lemon. Even without me having to ask, she also gives me a bottle of still water. After the meal I have a mint tea.

Arrival in Paris

We land in Paris ahead of schedule and then taxi for quite some time before we eventually pull onto our stand at Terminal 2F. While we wait for the airbridge to be moved into position, I chat with the friendly crew. They look at all the stickers on my suitcase and comment that they wished they had something of Air France to give me. At long last, the door opens and the crew wish me a safe onward journey as I step off the aircraft. I now have three hours to make my connection.

This was a very pleasant flight with Air France. The crew were a delight, personable and charming. On short intra-European sectors it’s difficult for the airlines to set themselves apart from the competition. Even so, Air France somehow manages to pull it off, clearly setting itself apart through its strong focus on making the passenger experience an enjoyable and hassle free one.