Fresh off of a glitzy reveal of its new long-haul first-class suites, Air France is announcing an upgrade for its international business class — one that should mean a better night’s sleep on flights to and from the French capital.
The Paris-based carrier is partnering with a luxury hotel brand on new mattress pads for its lie-flat business-class seats. They’ll start appearing on the airline’s long-haul jets this summer.
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Air France’s new business-class feature
Air France’s new bedding partnership will see the French flag carrier join forces with Sofitel, the legacy hotel brand that’s part of the Accor Live Limitless loyalty portfolio (itself fresh off something of a glow-up).
Sofitel custom-designed a new bedding collection for Air France’s business pods, which the carrier said is meant to offer a “floating on a cloud” feel in its front cabin. At the very least, it should make for a more comfortable red-eye experience on your next business class redemption.
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The new “Sofitel My Bed” covers will slip over the entirety of each lie-flat seat on Air France’s whole fleet of wide-body aircraft, from the Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliner to its Airbus A330s and A350s.
“The introduction of a new mattress pad will further enhance the comfort offered on board, ensuring even more restful nights before arrival at destination, as well as greater relaxation during daytime flights,” Fabien Pelous, Air France’s senior vice president of customer experience, said in a statement announcing the news.
The mattress covers will sport shades of gray colors that the airline believes fit the overall aesthetic of its business cabin. Tags on the coverings offer a nod to the partnership between the airline and the hotel brand.
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Air France notes the coverings will work — and add comfort — in both the lie-flat and upright positions, as shown below.
Travelers will start seeing the new premium-cabin feature appear on jets in July. Every Air France long-haul aircraft will offer the mattress pads by the end of this year, and they’ll be available whether you’re flying on an overnight trek to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) or a daylight flight.
How to book Air France with points and miles
Hoping to book a business-class flight on Air France? You have a few options.
For example, you can transfer credit card rewards to the Flying Blue loyalty program it shares with sister airline KLM as one option. Points and miles transfer 1:1 from most major credit card issuers, including American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One, Bilt Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards
Alternatively, you can transfer credit card points from several programs to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club to take advantage of some of the lowest transatlantic award pricing out there (but do watch out for high surcharges on some bookings).
And among U.S. frequent flyer programs, Delta SkyMiles is a SkyTeam partner of Air France, but its award pricing tends to be pricier than Air France’s own Flying Blue program — though you can score an award pricing discount with a Delta SkyMiles credit card.
Accor, for its part, is a transfer partner of Capital One.
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