AF Salon: CDG Terminal 2E, Hall L
Airport: CDG
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Flight: CDG -> JFK
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Summary
Seat One A Score
Air France Salons are some of the nicest lounges in the Skyteam network. They are emblematic of their home country, and depending on your disposition this is either a very good thing or will leave something to be desired. I personally am a huge fan of the Air France brand and much like their inflight offerings, I find their lounges to be above average.
Thoughts on Paris
Let me start by saying that Paris is one of my favorite places in the world. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and that #ParisSyndrome really gets to some. For me, Paris was one of those places where I felt immediately at home. Maybe its the New Yorker in me, but Parisians give me a very similar vibe as New Yorkers; they are fast walkers (by European standards), fast talkers, and do things their way (which is the right way).
I mention all of this because I don’t want to hype up the AF lounge and set unreasonably high expectations. Just because I loved it doesn’t mean you will, in the same way not everyone loves taking the A train from 42nd down to Fulton to hit the bars by the seaport…but I have a feeling that if you are one of those people (and you know who you are) Paris, and by extension, AF’s salons will work for you.
Getting To The Airport
Getting to CDG is not difficult, though it can be time consuming compared to other European cities. If you’ve ever flown into Dublin or even Madrid, you know what I’m talking about. For me the easiest route has been on public transportation via the RER B, which runs directly to both terminals one and two.
The order of operations is as follows (with a few thoughts and tips scattered in):
- Air train to baggage claim
- 10 or so min walk around the glass wall to walk right back past baggage claim
- why don’t they have an exit closer to the train….
- Up the escalators and down two moving walkways
- down two sets of escalators to the RER B
- Buy a ticket from the machine (round trip)
- Keep said ticket through the journey as most stops will make you scan out (this has become easier with the implementation of the Navigo card)
- Board the trains for Paris
- This is of course assuming there is no construction or strikes ongoing…but this being Paris there often is one or both of these going on so check and budget a bit of extra time accordingly
You can of course take an uber or cab if you wish, but I have always found this unnecessary. If you are going to take a cab, the flat rates are 56€ from the right back, 65€ from the left as of the time of writing (in other words, walk across Pont Neuf if you can to save a few bucks)
At The Airport
OK so now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). It’s easily one of the most hated airports in all of Europe. The biggest complaint I hear is from those who have been burned by CDG’s odd and inefficient layout having causing delays or missed connections. In full transparency this has happened to me. More than once. I still love the place, as the good memories over the years far outweigh the bad ones.
Case in point here is a good memory…and well, another good memory, but one that was a bit frustrating in the moment
To further highlight the good, there are aspects of this airport that are truly incredible; from the fact that the RER and TGV run directly under it (regional and high speed train lines), to CDG having some of the most beautiful concourses I’ve ever passed through.
In the Salon
To get to the point of this review, If you’re flying long haul business of AF or internationally on a Skyteam flight and are a Skyteam Elite + member you will have access to some of my favorite lounges in the world. These come in the form of the AF salons dotted around the airport, and while some have seen better days, there are very few that are nicer than the terminal 2E hall L location.
In terms of offerings, this lounge would seem average on paper. You’ll find the usual offerings
- A full service buffet with a small offering of hot foods, cheeses, breads and snacks
- A full self service bar of spirits
- a full self service bar of wines
- Drink coolers with self service waters, sodas, juices and beer
- Showers
- Quiet areas
- Kids play areas
But then there are the things that set this lounge apart. For starters there is a Clarins spa area where, if you can get an appointment (not always easy) there are facial treatments available. Additional treatments on offer for a fee, but my experience has always been that getting a spot is impossible. Turning back to the showers for a moment, the soaps and shampoos on offer are of the highest quality, and should you need any amenities the will happily provide them (I have a great KLM comb from a visit to their sister lounge in Amsterdam this year). Finally, and most importantly to most is the food on offer. The food blows most non first class lounges out of the water. The bread and pastries are worthy of a boulangère in Saint Germain, and the wines on offer are top notch. Importantly they feature french brands in all things throughout the lounge, including artisanal french beer and french whisky which is truly lovely.
I also really appreciate that AF has branded products on display for sale – note that you can’t actually buy any of these items in lounge, but they are available for purchase online and ship worldwide. I have a great metal water bottle that goes all over the the world with me, as well as a remove before flight keychain that hugs my Diamond Medallion delta tag on my backpack
Final Thoughts
In summary, I love Air France and how …well….. French they are. If you don’t agree that is 100% ok, but for what it’s worth I find that most people who don’t like the French are the same folks who don’t say hi when walking into a store. Really, that’s all they want…and maybe learn how to do so in French (its not hard, my number is in the contact page, call me and I will literally help for free). Finally, how could I not show you guys my all time favorite airline logo alongside the view I got of one of the greatest engines ever made when boarding.
About the author
Chuck is a New York City based certified AV geek who sometimes gets on a plane just to check out new products and routes. He typically flies more than 50 segments a year, and is currently around half way to his first million miles with Delta.
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