Panama: flying with Air France

I’m in Panama! We’ve touched down less than 24 hours ago, but have done loads of stuff already and experienced the extremes of Panama weather – from 36-degree sun to torrential rain. I thought I’d just post quickly about the flight itself, since it’s Air France who so kindly sent me on this trip.

Since we were pre-checked in as a group we just had to drop our cases, then we were able to make use of the Skyteam lounge. It was a world away from my usual airport experience: a little oasis to relax in where you can get a cold drink, coffee, pastries or even cooked breakfast. Definitely nice to be put in a relaxed state of mind pre-flight.

A quick transfer at Charles de Gaulle later and we were on the long haul over the Atlantic to Panama. Our Air France rep Elise pulled some strings and got the group bumped up to business class for this leg. I’ve never flown non-economy before, and I have to say – uh oh – I might be a convert to the swishy business class ways. Amuse bouches! Menus! Real glasses and silverware!

The best part for me was having so much more space. The cabin in general feels much less claustrophobic, plus the seats themselves are super generously sized and recline to nearly flat. I didn’t get to sleep because I barely ever sleep on flights, but it was definitely comfortable enough to do so and I enjoyed reading mags and watching some films throughout the ten-hour flight. The attendants were charming and kept bringing around treats, from a drink and pre-meal canapé to the main meal, which was considerably better than any other airline food I’ve had, to the dainty trio of desserts. Nice one, Air France.

Back soon with more of the stuff we’ve been up to…