All Things Air France - Part 1

Air France #069, direct from LAX to Charles De Gaulle, Paris.  Departure:  6:45 p.m., arrival the next day at 2:15 p.m. French time.

This was a first for us - "priority status."  Generally, flying non-rev, we are the last to scramble aboard and grab the first open seat (in Steerage, of course.)  Priority status meant, among other things, we were invited to use the Air France lounge, gratis.  This lounge also serves pax flying Delta, KLM and Aeromexico. 

After checking in at a counter, the lounge itself turned out to be a very large room with cubicles for computer users, comfortable tables and chairs and a complimentary bar (from soft drinks to Courvoisier) and various snacks such as honey-roasted peanuts, cheese and cracker packets, olives and so forth. 

We picked a window table overlooking the runways and had a pair of Stellas and some peanuts.  We knew damned well they'd feed us dinner so this was our aperatif moment.

It was so still that the only sound was the faint hum of the air conditioning.  Very different from the gate.

We boarded and were shown to our seats, 10 A & B, toward the very front of the plane. 

After the mandatory glass of champagne, we were served an "amuse bouche" (literally something to amuse your mouth) of bread stick bits wrapped in Coppa salume on a bed of blue cheese and German red cabbage in a bent (plastic) spoon a la Thomas Keller. 

The appetizer was Maine lobster (generous servings of claw meat) and a mango salad. 

Richie opted for the tournedos with a peppercorn sauce, carrots, Bok Choy and Jerusalem artichokes.  I took the Cajun shrimp and spicy saffron rice. 

The cheese course was served and then a trio of small desserts -- an apricot macaroon with lavendar; a "blueberry delight" and a milk chocolate concoction with bergamot. 

(We could have had breaded young guinea hen cutlets with Madeira wine sauce, potatoes Lyonnaise and broccoli flan.)

On we flew into the dark.  I got 6 1/2 hours sleep; Richie only two. 

With the sun came breakfast.  Choices included a crepe with scrambled eggs and cheese.  A separate plated offering consisted of slices of Parma ham, smoked turkey, cheddar and provolone cheeses.  There was also fruit salad with mascarpone cheese as well as every type of bread, croissant and pain chocolat you ever saw, served with pats of sweet butter, and cunning little jars of jams and honey.

The female flight attendants were all very sleek with razor-sculpted haircuts and beautiful skin, "skin" being one of the things French women seem to do effortlessly.  They were a happy bunch and chirped like birds.