Air France

Airline amenity kits – part 2

September 15, 2014Harriet BaskasAmenity kitsAir France, airline amenity kits, Etiha, Finnair, in-flight amenities, JetBlue

Here’s part 2 of my round-up of cool, collectible airline amenity kits, originally produced for CNBC Road Warrior. See part 1 here.

A complimentary amenity kit filled with deluxe-sized, beauty, grooming and lifestyle products chosen by the sample-savvy folks at Birchbox is one of the perks included with JetBlue’s upgraded, coast-to-to-coast Mint service introduced in June, 2014. The kit content will change quarterly but the mix of premium sample items started off with everything from Benefit Cosmetics mascara in the women’s kit to Ernest Supplies Cooling Shave Cream in the kit for men.

Finnair offers business class passengers a minimalist, eco-friendly amenity kit that includes socks, an eye-mask and earplugs packaged in a brown paper envelope. A more elaborate, but equally-eco amenities kit, with items in a green tea or birch scent, is available on request.

Business class customers on Air France now receive an amenity kit filled with Clarins cosmetics as well as mouthwash, slipper socks, toothbrush and eye shade. Passengers in the airline’s La Premiere cabins receive a leather cosmetics kit designed by Givenchy filled with skin care products by Biologique Recherche, including face cream, an anti-fatigue roll-on for the eyes, an eye mask, lip balm, hand cream and an oshibori hand towel.

Etihad, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, gives passengers in economy, business and first class cabins amenity kits that feature patterns of Sadou, a colorful, intricate and centuries-old Abu Dhabi weaving craft traditionally used on blankets, cushions and Bedouin tents. In addition to the nice array of products inside the bags, “I love the fact that Etihad has invested in an authentic design for their kits, embracing their cultural roots,” said Jonny Clark, a commercial pilot who evaluates airline products and design at TheDesignAir.

Air France turning old uniforms into car insulation

February 6, 2013Harriet BaskasFashionAir France, flight attendant uniforms, Recycling, recyling, solar power

At airports and on airlines, green is in and getting “inner.”

Airports are installing solar farms and wind turbines and getting serious about recycling food waste and other materials generated inside the terminals.

Airlines are rolling out in-flight recycling programs and having flight attendants separate the trash they collect as they go up and down the aisles.

Delta Air Lines gives its old seat covers to Tierra Ideas, which turns them into cool bags.

And now Air France is collecting old uniforms from ground staff and crew uniforms at Paris-Orly and Paris-Charles de Gaulle airports so that the clothing can be recycled as car insulation at a specialized recycling plant.

Tidbits for travelers: Free Wi-Fi, Olympic travel tips, and in-flight body-mass tax

January 20, 2010Harriet BaskasAir Travel, Baggage, Carry-ons, Charge by weight, Contests, Events, Fees, Food, Free Stuff, Fun Stuff, Obesity, Seatmates of Size, Sports, Wi-FiAir France, Angela Ruggiero, body mass, Boston Logan International Airport, Carry-on, free Wi-Fi, Ryan St. Ong, Seatmates of Size, Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, Wi-Fi

We want Wi-Fi

Slowly but surely airports large and small are getting with the program and making free wireless Internet access available in the terminals.

The latest major airport to join the party: Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).

Hooray!

Packing tips from Olympic athletes

Curious about what some Olympic athletes do when they’re traveling – or getting ready to travel? Them you may in interested in the video clips the folks at VISA (a 2010 Olympics sponsor) have posted of athletes talking about what they pack, how they prep for a trip, how skier Ryan St. Onge just had to have an airport burrito, and what Olympic Hockey player Angela Ruggiero packs in her carry-on.

Just as interesting, is the fact that the credit card company is giving away a trip to the Olympics – for life. To enter, you just need to charge something on a VISA card.

Seat tax on Air France for Seatmates of Size

And, just a day after announcing that it was introducing “the lightest and most comfortable short-haul seat in the world,” on some of its planes, Air France announced that passengers who cannot fit into a single seat (on any Air France flight) will have to pay for a second seat – at 75% of the cost of the first seat.

The new policy applies to tickets purchased beginning February 1^st for flights April 1^st and beyond.

Think the new rules may apply to you? Here’s the policy for Passengers with High Body Mass.

What do you think? Should seatmates of size be asked to pay for more than one seat?

From Air France: photo contest and in-flight film festival

May 16, 2009Harriet BaskasFree Stuff, Fun Stuff, MoviesAir France, Cannes Film Festival

During May, the Air France in-flight entertainment system (my favorite channel: language lessons) is showing films chosen as past winners of the Cannes Film Festival.

Through August 15^th, 2009, the airline is also having a photography competition and is asking people to send in photographs on the theme “Air France livery: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow“.

I know the contest is open to everyone, but I can’t tell you much more than that because so far I’ve only found instructions written in French. I can tell you, though, that the top prize is a Breitling watch worth €3,800 (about US $5,100) and that other prizes include Air France flights and Airbus A380 simulator experiences.

Who needs First Class seats?

March 23, 2009Harriet BaskasCheck-In, Deals, First ClassAir France, check-in perks

Can’t afford First or Business class, but don’t want to fly in the economy cabin on your next flight? Soon you’ll have a new option on Air France:

The airline is carving out a new cabin section, Premium Voyageur, between the Business and Economy cabins and putting in these swanky new fixed-shell seats:

The new section will have extra legroom and many of the amenities of the Business Class cabin. The meal service will be the same as in Economy, though: aperitifs, champagne, a choice of two hot meals, liqueurs, wines and, on flights over 12 hours long, mini-sandwiches and Häagen Dazs ice-cream.

The new cabin section comes with some Business Class perks at the airport as well: priority check-in desks, increased baggage weight allowance, and priority baggage delivery.

Can’t wait to try it out? The first available destinations will be New York-JFK, Tokyo and Osaka. For more details, see the Air France Website.

Complimentary ashtrays from Air France

March 16, 2009Harriet BaskasFree Stuff, History, SouvenirsAir France, ashtrays, Boeing tour, Future of Flight

Each year, more than 100,000 aviation fans make their way north from Seattle to Mukilteo to visit the Future of Flight Aviation Center and take a tour of the Boeing commercial jet assembly plant.

The tour is mighty impressive, and so is the Aviation Gallery, which features the nose section of a Boeing 727, airplane engines and other airplane parts, and lots of interactive exhibits.

Until April 20^th, the Aviation Gallery is also home to an impressive exhibition of memorabilia from Air France, one of Boeing’s longtime customers. On display are luxurious table settings, multi-course in-flight menus and examples of gift items from the airline’s early years, such as these complimentary ashtrays and this cool lunchbox set.

Ready for cell phones on airplanes?

February 22, 2009Harriet BaskasCell Phones, Wi-FiAir France, Ryanair

Air France gave it a test run last year and now Ryanair is going full speed ahead with in-flight cell-phone service.

Here’s a report from CNN about one of the first (press-heavy) flights. Wish I’d been there just to see the cell-phone costume in person.

Free chocolate from Air France; free cookies in Columbus

January 28, 2009Harriet BaskasArt, Free StuffAir France, Brushstrokes in Flight, Chinese New Year, Port Columbus International Airport, Roy Lichtenstein, Year of the Ox

To celebrate the Year of the Ox, which began on January 26th, Air France is giving each passenger on flights to China, Singapore and Vietnam a “Hong Bao,” or red envelope.

Red symbolizes luck, and in China and other Asian countries it is customary to give red envelopes filled with money on the New Year.

Air France is handing out red envelopes through January 28th, but instead of money, the envelopes are filled with chocolate coins.

Meanwhile, in Columbus, Ohio, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are commemorating 50 years of passenger service at Port Columbus International Airport (CMH). Festivities include free cookies for all Delta and United passengers on Thursday, January 29th.

While you’re at Port Columbus International Airport, check out Brushstrokes in Flight, this 26-foot tall sculpture by the late Roy Lichtenstein.

Air France turns 75. See the home movies.

October 2, 2008Harriet BaskasHistoryAir France

Air France has been gearing up for October 7^th, which will mark the airline’s 75^th anniversary.

As part of the celebration, the airline has been posting some great archival material on its website.

Included are 10 short videos about the airline’s history. Set to jaunty music, each video combines images from the past and the present. Some are a bit dry, but “Life on Board,” “Pilots” and “Flight Attendants” are sort of fun.

Air France Pope-plane

September 12, 2008Harriet BaskasCelebrities, EventsAir France, Pope Benedict

The Pope has popped over to France to commemorate the 150th anniversary of St. Bernadette’s vision of the Virgin Mary.

Lots of folks are pretty excited about this trip, including the folks at Air France. That’s because on Saturday and Monday (September 13th and 15th, 2008) Air France will be transporting Pope Benedict XVI to Lourdes and then flying him home to Rome.

For the event, the airline has rearranged an Airbus A321 with 3 cabins for the Pope, his delegation, and the more than 70 journalists going along for the ride.

Air France says the crew – two pilots and eight flight attendants – will change on each flight, so that the largest number of staff will get to travel with the Pope.

Here’s the itinerary: on Saturday September 13th, the aircraft will take off from Paris-Orly at 4:30 pm and land at Lourdes-Tarbes at 5:50 pm. On Monday September 15th, the aircraft will depart from Lourdes at 1 pm to reach Rome-Ciampino 1 hour and 50 minutes later.

This isn’t the first time a Pope has flown on Air France: Jean Paul II took two flights on an Air France Airbus A310. In September 1996, he travelled from Reims to Rome, after commemorating the 1,500^th anniversary of the baptism of Clovis, and from Paris to Rome in August 1997, after the World Youth Day held in France.