Flying Air France Economy to Paris CDG airport with our four-year-old child was an experience that left much to be desired. Flying back home to California from our Spring London and Paris travel with our young daughter was the last leg of our 10-day trip. If you haven’t read our review on our flight from Virgin Atlantic into London Heathrow, you’ll have to check that out later. As a parent who values quality family time, I was looking forward to this trip being a special part of our journey. Unfortunately, the reality didn’t quite match up to my expectations.
To begin with, the seating arrangement was a challenge. The economy seats were quite cramped, and it was difficult to keep the little one comfortable during the long flight. We were seated only two rows behind premium economy and even then, the experience and view of how things were in premium were not good.
A real drawback to our flight was that the passengers in front of us (who had the bulk overhead seats) kept their seats reclined for most of the flight, even during meal service. Ughh. The lack of space meant that even the simplest tasks, like retrieving snacks or toys, became a juggling act. It’s hard to keep the magic alive when everyone is feeling squished and restless.
Moreover, the meal service also left much to be desired – the children’s meals were quite basic and not particularly appetizing. Luckily I had packed some fruit and snacks. They didn’t even offer the kids play kits as advertised on their website. One of the highlights we were looking forward to was was the little travel kits Air France provides for children. These kits contain coloring books, crayons, and small toys, which are supposed to add an extra layer of fun to the journey. It’s disappointing when you hope for a fun, family-friendly experience, and it falls short in such fundamental ways.
The really bad part was how beverages and snacks were handled. This is the part that every passenger considering Air France needs to be aware of. It was all self-serve! I found this to be so disappointing. As a parent with a little one you are already doing so much to handle keeping a kid content and then to have to deal with something like this was just ick. Here’s the bad part. There were terrible lines, lots of foot traffic from passengers coming in and out of the galley to get their drinks and snacks. It was just bad. It gets better. The two times I lined up to get snacks they were completely out. How is this possible? When I asked each time, they told me to return in about 45 minutes. I saw some passengers grab more than a handful of snacks at a time, leaving things empty for those who were waiting. It was just messy. Did I mention these beverage and self serve food stations were located in the back next to the restrooms? Fun, right? I absolutely did not like that none of this was mentioned by the flight attendants at any point during the flight. I only discovered this by means of navigating through their in-flight entertainment system. Had I never looked I would have never known about the drinks and snacks. It was enough for me to say I wouldn’t fly with this airline in the future. And if I did, it would at a minimum be premium economy.
In the end, flying Air France Economy from Paris CDG with young kids was far from the enjoyable experience we had hoped for. We have flown in and out of Paris many times before and this was the worst airline experience we’ve had. The journey felt more like a hurdle than a smooth end to our travel adventure. For moms like us, who cherish those precious family moments, it’s important to look for airlines that truly cater to the needs of families traveling with young children.
I can’t leave without saying that CDG Airport itself was great. Navigating Charles de Gaulle Airport was also more manageable than anticipated, thanks to the well-signposted family lanes and friendly airport staff who were always ready to help. Hoping this helps any families planning their flights from the United States to Paris or back!
xoxo,
The Sun Queen