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IGLOOS? Igloos! I wondered what they would have to do with the
European unveiling of the re-invented travel class of Air France, l'Espace
Première. I carefully reviewed my travel documents and the literature
sent to me by Director of Marketing for Air France, Isabelle Hermann as I
prepared to board a flight from Hamburg to Charles De Gaulle Airport, Air
France's giant world headquarters in Paris and found few clues for an
answer.
My photographer Arno and I were eagerly looking forward to
getting a thorough peek at the new 310-seat Boeing 777-300ER of which Air
France is getting three fitted with the all new Air France Travel Concept
namely, l'Espace Première-First, l'Espace Affaires-Business and
Tempo-coach. My mind wandered north to the 'Igloos' again as I tried to
visualize how in the world the new Travel Concept could include this Eskimo
oddity. It was very early still as we settled into our Air France Business
Class flight to Paris and the lovely attendants began to appropriately serve us
a very fine Duval-Leroy Collection 'Paris' to settle us in as we began the
take-off sequence. Gold, straw-yellow with abundant mousse and delicate fine
bubbles, this powerful and elegant sparkler provided just the right amount of
respite to undergo the rest of the excursion.
Still I was perplexed by
the reoccurring thought of 'Igloos'. Arno suggested that we may have to dress
warmly for the photo shoot and subsequent tour of the aircraft. I began to
consider other more logical explanations and put it to rest for awhile as the
aircraft made its final approach to Charles De Gaulle airport. Our landing was
seamless and soon we were disembarked and on our way to the hanger. We would
now get our specialized tour and background information on this exceptional
luxury entry into the highly competitive rarefied travel segment of today.
Having traveled extensively, I began to recount some of the formidable
competition currently facing Air France, some of which I had been able to
experience in the past few years. Leading the opposition in international first
class service according to Skytrax, the foremost research advisors to the
airline industry are: Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Singapore. In the business
class category are: British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Qantas (again)
although Air France has managed to receive a respectable 4-star rating in its
current first class and business class offerings up to now.
From what
we could see developing as we started our introductory tour, things are about
to
change
dramatically in the industry with the launching of the new l'Espace
Première-First and l'Espace Affaires-Business classes from Air France.
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| Our American Dream Team
enthusiastically began to soak up every detail of information as our hosts
prepared us with the first historical facts on the progress of Air France's
level of service over the years. It seems that by the end of 2005 it will have
taken more than 300 million euros in development and five years of planning to
bring this project to realization. As a result we are told that it will
increase a passenger's personal space by 50% in l'Espace Première-First
Class and 27% in l'Espace Affaires-Business class, an impressive increase in
comfort. |
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| Upon
entering the hanger, we were impressed by the immense presence of this
formidable 'smiling baby' of an aircraft just sitting there shining under the
bright Hollywood film director's lights. We accessed the interior of the Boeing
777 300-ER through a gangway upon which we were graciously received by two
cheerful attendants. Our host
Ms.
Isabelle Hermann informed us that the former Concord service-trained on
board staff will now be responsible for the l'Espace Première service,
certainly an encouraging sign. But let us start with a short tour of the
l'Espace
Affaires re-invented Business class section to get a complete perspective
of the serious changes made by Air France to insure the complete comfort of
every passenger. |
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begins with the incredible attention to detail of colors, fabrics and materials
designed and decorated as an extension of the first class cabin. The goal is
unambiguous, which is to propel its business class into a direct frontal attack
of the competion led by the close rival British Airways, who in times past has
even collaborated with Air France on such projects as the Concord. I took my
place next to the Media Relations and PR Director for Air France, Ms
Véronique Brachet who in her charming and knowledgable way tutored me on
the advantages of the new Business and First Class. My own test of the
experience evoked a feeling of specialized physical comfort resulting in a
relaxed and enjoyable visual sensation of the cabin environment in subtle
shades of blue. While running my hand along the side of the amply proportioned
seat I could almost feel the thought processes invested in the development of
the sensuous curved brushed aluminum, navy blue leather and streamlined shapes
of the overhead storage compartments. |
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| Thorsten
Piosczyk & PR Director Véronique Brachet |
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Air France l'Espace
Affaires:
- 27% more personal space
- A "lie-flat" seat-bed
reclining to 180°
- Privacy ensured by the
shell seat
- Two separate bar
areas
- Materials: Fabric and
leather
- Seat recline to lie-flat
position at 180° (13° angle to the ground)
- Seat pitch: 155 cm / 61
inches
- Rigid shell
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- Manufacturer: Britax
- Lighting In the seatback in
front
- 10.4-inch TFT screen
- Storage space
- Step
- Side storage 2 space
We listened carefully and
photographed everything that was within sight of us as we continued on to the
'Pièce de Résistance', a special viewing of the soon to be
released first class l'Espace Première. Our curiosity began to peak as
we passed one of the two bars in the
Business
Class on our way through. (Oddly enough I found myself looking for Igloos!)
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could be provided for the business class traveler, then certainly the first
class must be more impressive. My thoughts began to reflect on how in the past
few years, the airline industry has been in a cut-back mode, eliminating
services and reducing space to pack in more passengers in order to increase
profits. At the same time as this is happening around the world, Air France is
taking solid steps to reverse the tide and begin setting new standards for
in-flight service and comfort for the 21st century. |
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The
roots of the new approach to this in-flight luxury segment began in the
development and successful operation of the Concorde Trans Atlantic service
from Paris to New York. With this kind of experience behind them, Air France
can now provide a higher degree of excellence that was previously only
available to passengers in private jets. As I glanced at the seats upon
entering the l'Espace Première domain, I began to see the concept of
near total privacy coupled with well thought out creature comforts and
conveniences emerging.
The
cabin itself only embraces eight seats of which each can be configured to
resemble ones private fortress. Privacy prevails and we were told that
passengers are encouraged to "do as they please, whether it involves sleep,
fine food, entertainment, work or simply daydreaming, in complete
confidentiality" which sounds provocative if you ask me. Our host Ms Hermann
assured me that even I could still wear my own nightcap and stockings to bed
without worry; how interesting I thought and prepared to plunge into the deeply
leathered seat that somehow resembled my favorite easy-chair. |
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seat is awesome and easily surpasses all technological features of my own
favorite TV lounge chair. It even reclines into a flat bed; we're talking
totally flat as in 'all the way down' and 'nighty night, sleep tight'! Somehow
I reached bottom and actuated the lower lumbar massage feature which really
began to put me in the proper frame of mind for further investigation. I was
now folded out at approximately two meters and the flight attendants showed me
how rapidly they could transform it into a bed with a real mattress, a soft
duvet and a rectangular hypoallergenic feather pillow fitted with a Venice
openwork pillowcase. |
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A
complete range of accessories for optimum comfort Items offered to l'Espace
Première passengers:
- A comfortable lounging
suit
- A shoe bag >
Slippers
- A Première travel kit
including moisturizing creams, an eye mask and toileteries Items available to
l'Espace Première passengers:
- A pure wool blanket
- A small dark red
cushion
- A mattress and duvet (in bed
position)
- A rectangular 60 cm X 50 cm,
hypoallergenic feather pillow, and a cotton pillowcase with an openwork
border
- Inflight
magazines: Air France Magazine, Air France Madame
- A spacious rest room exclusively
reserved for l'Espace Première passengers, with a leather-covered seat
- An adjacent area, specially
fitted to enable passengers to change clothes quickly (table, mirror, clothes
hook)
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resurfaced to an upright position and as I unconsciously reached for an
imaginary diving mask and snorkel, I took out my laptop to try out some of the
high-tech features surrounding me in my enclave. Unobtrusive technology brings
passenger comfort to the forefront. Conveniently incorporated, the controls of
the various functionalities are hardly visible when not used, so as to give an
impression of visual harmony. Accessible at all times, they can be used without
disturbing other activities. |
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Air France l'Espace
Première:
- PC power outlet
- 10.4-inch interactive
video screen (semi-automated deployment)
- Sound-reducing HI FI
headset
- Individual telephone
- Video On Demand:
"Bienvenue et news", 6 themed channels (music, sport, documentaries and TV
series) and 6 currently-released feature films, 16 two-hour audio channels
- Video games (10 games)
- Indirect lighting and
individual optical fibre reading lamp
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comfortable sojourn of discovery seemed all too brief as I was gently rousted
out of my special world by my photographer Arno. Our next stop is to be the
“New Travel Concept Capsules” of ‘Peace’,
‘Modernity’ and ‘Tempting the Taste buds’ just a few steps
adjacent to the giant Air France Boeing 777-300ER. As we popped our heads out
of the aircraft, it now became clear what this ‘Igloo’ thing was all
about. There in the hanger stood three large geodesic ‘Igloos’ or
‘capsules’ as they were referred to by our hosts, set up to introduce
Air France’s strategic aspects of the new concept in cabin environment. We
are invited to stroll through each while listening to presentations on
well-being and psychological comfort, design concepts and the new standards in
food service. |
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It must be noted here that Air
France has demonstrated throughout this event, its commitment to becoming the
new standard in service and comfort for the industry. It is nowhere better
confirmed than in the ‘Tempting the Taste buds’ igloo where we had a
chance to meet with Guy Martin, the Michelin-starred chef of the Grand
Véfour restaurant in Paris.
Guy Martin told us that he has gathered
together chefs, catering specialists and wine experts in a partnership with Air
France to produce a truly unique on-board cuisine |
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| Guy
Martin & Thorsten Piosczyk |
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| In a
special private moment with the American Dream Team, Chef Martin explained his
deeply committed philosophy of cooking: "For me there are no taboos. In
cooking, there are things that are good and things that are not good. Cooking
knows no borders, and I feel at home everywhere - there are so many influences:
gardens of France, gardens of Europe, spices from the Orient that punctuate the
pleasure of everyday cooking. You have to know how to make recipes travel: why
not add a little Maghreb lemon to the blanquette? “ |
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| L'Escape
Première |
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I’Espace Première
cuisine experience offers:
- Wide choice, freedom to
change the composition of meals, snacks, tea or breakfast
- List of wines selected by
Philippe Faure Brac: cuvée spéciale Champagne, brandies and
liqueurs, mineral waters, herbal and other teas
- Expresso
coffee
- White china
tableware
- Toaster
- Individual tea
service
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Guy
Martin is an amazing ingredient in Air France’s master plan as he is
Legion of Honor recipient since 2003 and holds 3 Michelin stars in his Paris
restaurant for four years. He is self-taught and highly motivated with fresh
ideas and projects flowing volcanically from his head like lava. It may be the
influences implanted from his childhood living in Savoy, his family’s
ancestral home in the French Alps that brings to the table fresh lake fish and
country cheeses in simple honest fashion.
Or maybe his conscientious
guidance in the kitchens of the Château de Coudrai for three years and
the Château de Divonne for eight, hallowed ground in France, that
fashioned his creative spirit. Whatever the reason, the chemistry is working
well between the entities and will soon play itself out once l’Espace
Première gets off the ground, literally. |
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by
Thorsten Piosczyk & Arno Goudschaal
Editor-in-Chief: John
Lomitola |
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| © 2004 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes, Inc. |
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