Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge at SFO Review
NCnextcard team
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TLDR: I redeemed just 40,000 Chase points (thanks to a 25% transfer bonus to Flying Blue) for a one-way Air France business class flight from Milan to Boston, complete with lounge access, lie-flat seats, and gourmet French meals. The experience was smooth, comfortable, and well worth the points, though the final in-flight meal could’ve been better. If you’re eyeing Air France business class, watch for Flying Blue’s monthly Promo Rewards and transfer bonuses to score luxury for less.
I thoroughly enjoyed the entire travel experience from start to finish. I started my journey home from Milan’s Linate Airport (LIN), and my first stop was the Leonardo Exclusive Lounge. I discovered that I could access this lounge thanks to Loungepedia, an app that enables you to find airport lounges to which you have access based on your credit card/lounge membership. I was granted access to the lounge by Air France since I was flying business class. The lounge was quiet and relaxing, and I had the opportunity to enjoy some champagne and a small meal before boarding my first flight to Paris.
My first flight went smoothly. Since it was a short-haul flight from Italy to France, I didn’t have a lie-flat seat, but rather a more comfortable seat with extra legroom. I didn’t have a neighbor sitting next to me, and I enjoyed the space and privacy on the flight.
I was served a small meal, which I mostly enjoyed. The main course consisted of gnocchetti pasta with salmon, zucchini, and candied lemon. I was also given bread, French cheese, and an apple tart for dessert. I enjoyed the salmon, as well as the flavor of the main course, the bread, and the apple tart. I wasn’t a big fan of the cheese since I found it too strong for my taste.
After I arrived in Paris, I went straight to the Air France lounge located in Hall L of Terminal 2E. The lounge was modern and spacious, and I appreciated the open feel, with its floor-to-ceiling windows that let in ample natural light. I helped myself to another small plate of food and some wine, and sat down and relaxed in a comfortable chair as I waited for my flight to Boston to be ready for boarding.
When it came closer to my boarding time, I left the lounge and went to my departure gate. As per my business class benefits, I was one of the first people to board the plane, where I was greeted with a pleasant surprise: I was flying on one of Air France’s newer aircraft, meaning that I was getting the new business class cabin and seats.
At first glance, I was thoroughly impressed by the cabin's appearance. My seat was spacious and very comfortable, and I was provided with amenities such as a coat hook, an eye mask, slippers, and comfortable noise-cancelling headphones.
I settled into my seat and quickly fell asleep before takeoff, as I was exhausted from all the traveling we had done during the past two weeks. Even though I wasn’t lying flat since I couldn’t lie down until the plane was in the air, I still had a very enjoyable nap, thanks to the comfortable seat and ample room to stretch my legs.
About an hour after takeoff, the flight attendants came around and served us with our first course for dinner. The first course included bread, peas, crab salad, and a variety of greens. I liked the crab salad and the peas, but I didn’t eat the greens because I don’t really have a knack for salads. I liked the bread because, of course, the French can never get their baguettes wrong.
The second course for dinner was much more filling, as it consisted of a plate of gnocchi and some more bread on the side. The entire dinner was delicious, and I really enjoyed the meal. There was enough food to satisfy my appetite, and the combination of my full stomach and another glass of champagne that I had was enough to put me into a food coma. I slept comfortably for most of the flight and woke up less than two hours before landing to watch a movie and enjoy one last meal before arriving in Boston.
The last meal we were served was significantly less delectable than the main course we had been served a few hours earlier. The last meal consisted of bread that was filled with cottage cheese and topped with a carrot salad. I was served a fruit salad with orange and grapefruit on the side, along with a madeleine for dessert.
I also got some coffee and orange juice as drinks. I didn’t really like the cottage cheese bread, as I found that it was soggy and didn’t have the crunchiness and fluffiness of the baguettes Air France had given me. I also didn’t particularly enjoy the taste of the carrot salad and the cottage cheese, and I ended up not finishing my meal. However, I did enjoy the madeleine and the fruit salad.
Overall, I would rate my experience flying with Air France’s business class as a 9/10. Being given access to airport lounges is always a plus, and the lounges in Milan and Paris helped to elevate my travel experience.
The airplane cabin and my seat were perfect, with everything I needed. The amenity kit provided on board helped me to settle in and relax, and the seat was spacious and comfortable. I appreciated being given actual headphones with ear cushions, and there was a wide selection of movies and TV shows to choose from for in-flight entertainment.
For the most part, I enjoyed the food served on the flights, particularly the meals on the flights from Milan to Paris and the first meal on the flight from Paris to Boston. In my opinion, Air France could improve the last meal served before arrival.
I would definitely fly business class again with Air France. 40,000 points is a great deal for a transatlantic business class flight, which made it an easy decision for me to snag. If you’re looking to fly Air France’s business class as well, I would recommend keeping an eye out for Flying Blue’s promotional fares, as well as transfer bonuses from partners.
