Airline review: This bargain flight was worth more than I paid

The flight

French Bee flight BF721; Airbus A350-900, Basic Economy; New York (Newark, EWR) to Paris (Orly, ORY); departs 50 minutes late, at midnight; scheduled flight time 7 hours, 15 minutes.

French Bee claims to be the world’s only airline with a fleet consisting entirely of Airbus A350s.Credit: Getty Images

Frequency

Once daily from April to September. Five-to-six times weekly from October to March.

The loyalty scheme

French Bee does not currently have a frequent flyer program.

Checking in

The airport service is much better than pre-flight call centre communications, which are beyond frustrating. There’s a long wait time to speak to agents, then the calls drop out – repeatedly – midway through the conversations, with no way to reconnect with the same agent.

I do a double-take when I spot a passenger with a large pitbull dog on a chain, preparing to board the flight. Has the world gone barking mad? The check-in attendant says it’s a service animal. Really? The dog is jumpy and excitable when small kids approach, not the sort of behaviour usually expected of legitimate service dogs. I request a seat as far away as possible.

The seat

Seats are squeezy.

I’m in 19G, an aisle seat; 19F is empty. It makes all the difference. The aircraft has a 3-4-3, two-aisle configuration, with 411 seats in total. Blue leather seats look fancy, but the 32-inch (81-centimetre) pitch and 16-inch (40.6-centimetre) width is on the squishy side. When the man in front reclines, his scalp is just a couple of centimetres from my face.

Seat features are a bit light-on, limited to a very small pocket for magazines, a 10-inch (25.4-centimetre) seatback screen, USB port and headphone jack.

Baggage

Cabin allowance for Basic Economy passengers is one item of hand baggage, up to 12 kilograms, and one accessory. I pay €50 ($81) online to check a suitcase, up to 23 kilograms. The price at the airport would have doubled.

Entertainment

Wi-Fi is available for purchase at various speeds and megabyte limits. Low-speed access with 25MB data is priced at $US4 ($A5.90); faster connections up to 250MB costs $US29.

In-flight entertainment on the seatback screens is limited. The woman across the aisle is watching a racy French-language film with sex scenes that would be right at home on SBS. Earphones are priced at 3 Euro. Duty-free items – perfume, cosmetics, watches, souvenirs – are available for purchase.

Service

Dressed in chic navy uniforms, the stylish French attendants appear to be having a good time. The ladies are wearing high heels, some of the gents are wearing makeup. It’s all very cosmopolitan.

Food

With a late-night departure time, I opt not to pre-order a hot meal. Drinks and snacks are priced reasonably; €1.50 for M&Ms, €2 for Lays potato chips, €4 for beer. The menu also includes croissants, wine and muffins.

Carbon emissions

0.95 tonnes for one economy passenger. French Bee claims to be the only airline with a fleet comprised 100 per cent of Airbus A350s, the aircraft designed to deliver 25 per cent less fuel burn and CO2 emissions per seat.

One more thing

French Bee’s sale fares are remarkably low, from US$172 (A$254) for a one-way ticket from New York to Paris.

The price

From $316, economy one way.*

The verdict

The poor pre-flight customer service is maddening and the pet policy needs a review, but the flight itself is worth more than I paid.

Our rating out of five

★★★½

The writer travelled at her own expense. See frenchbee.com

*Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and subject to change.