I had looked at the Sheraton and Hilton but both wanted silly money (€200+ which for one night didn't seem worth it for the length of time I was going to be there)
I'd also looked at hotels in central Paris but again they wanted silly money.
You can jump on the RER train to take you into Paris and at €8.50 each way isn't bad but again no air con on the trains
. It takes about 30mins each way. I'd spent a few hours in Paris, wandering around but it was about 32'C so after a couple of hours I'd had enough so headed back to CDG/the IBIS. The hotel is located close to T3. AF use T2E but it only takes about 10 mins to get between the two. A combination of walking and the free CDGVAL train system.Set my alarm for 06:30, got ready and then headed back to T2E. AF/Skyteam Premium checkin desks are all location in zone 8+9. As I'd already check-in online I used the self-servcie machines and just dropped my bag off.
You pass though immigration first, get on a free transfer train, then go though security. The AF lounge is location up one level and is accessible via the lifts just after security.
Quite a large lounge very similar to the lounge at LHR but all on one level offering hot/cold snacks and drinks. There's also free WiFi although it was very slow. Again there's no flight announcements so you need to keep your eye on the screens.
My boarding pass stated a boarding time of 09:20 for the 10:05 departure so at 09:15 I headed down to gate E53+E54. Again there's 2 gates, one for the upper deck and one for the main deck.
Both AF 380's where parked next to each other. Not sure where the other one was going to but AF currently fly the 380 to JFK, JNB and of course LHR. From September the 380 moves from the LHR route to their NRT route.
It was much more organised than LHR and much easier to board. Mind you saying that, once I was on-board quite a few pax boarded on the upper deck but actually had seats on the main deck so had to use the forward stairs.
I was in seat 61A this time so a bit further forward.
Again no pre-departure drinks but I guess this is just on the LHR route. AF don't seem to be enforcing the 'stay in your own cabin rule' as many pax where floating around taking photos etc. You seem to be relatively free to explore the cabins etc. I had a nosey down the forward stairs which take you into the smallish un-occupied First class cabin.
We pushed back slightly late at about 10:15 where once again the tail cam view is offered on the IFE screens. I found the USB socket along with a RJ45 one too in-between the seats. Not sure how the RJ45 socket works? AF don't use Empower sockets but use another type so if you have an Empower charger it wont work.
The flight back to LHR is about 45 mins. Again after take-off you are offered a small snack and drink service.
No waiting or circling coming into LHR and we landed at about ~10:30. It seems the A380 is still a bit of a novelty as as we reached the gate you could see all the ground staff taking photos!!!
It seems to take a little longer getting the airbridges to the A380 but I guess this will improve as airports get more experience handling the A380.
Not too far a walk to immigration where I used IRIS and was at the carousel within a few minutes waiting for my bags which didn't take too long.
Obviously AF are monitoring the A380 flight arrival process as a AF member of staff was stood at the carousel with a clip board checking to see how long the bags took and if priority marked bags came off first, which they all did and within 15 mins
So Star Alliance and Skyteam can mange priority bags properly, so why can't VS? Skyteam use the same bright priority card stuck in-between the bag tag system Star uses.
How difficult and costly would this system be for VS to implement
All in all another great flight.
Both flights looked to be almost full both ways too.
Regards
James Mitchell
James Mitchell
