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Fly to France in Business Class for Half the Price — French business concern class airline La Compagnie has upgraded to Airbus A321neos.

When the all-business-class airline La Compagnie announced a major upgrade to its planes—new Airbus A321neos flying betwixt Newark International Airport and France—the news fell on deafened ears. Well, my deaf ears. I'd flown the French boutique airline from Newark to Gatwick a few years agone and was unimpressed. Despite offer a more than-than-competitive fare when it launched in 2014—tickets for $1,000, half the typical cost of a circular-trip business-class fare to France—the plane itself, an sometime loaner from Icelandair, felt tired. The food was and then-so, the seats didn't lie flat, and the Television receiver screen was a tablet. Sure, I know you lot become what you lot pay for, merely it was honestly simply marginally better than economy grade. And I couldn't top up my air miles (#SkyTeamforlife).

Still, there's always room for comeback—and who's aggressively clocking air miles these days anyway? I decided to give La Compagnie another effort on a December 2021 flight from Newark to Paris Orly. The new Airbus A321neos are touted as quieter and more energy efficient. Thanks to their advanced engines and Sharklet wingtip devices, the corporeality of fuel burned is 20 per centum less per seat—which is something you can't not consider in 2021.

Checking in at EWR

At Newark airport, check-in and security were a breeze. La Compagnie offers priority access in the TSA PreCheck lane; although unnecessary on a Sunday night in a quiet Concluding B, it'southward nice to know information technology's available. The airline's lounge is currently closed, but I didn't take to jostle for a seat in the empty final.

We boarded on time and would take taken off early if it wasn't for another aeroplane blocking the rail (the French pilot was audibly annoyed by this delay, which I appreciated). It was at this moment when I remembered one of La Compagnie's best qualities: When boarding is complete, which happens quickly on a aeroplane with just 76 seats, the flight takes off. It's the type of efficiency and ease usually associated with flight privately, at a fraction of the cost.

Business concern-form seats for all

Seats are configured in rows of 2, which is perfect for couples or 2 friends traveling together. That said, there are partitions then you tin can partially cake off your neighbour. I settled into seat 1F—a lie-flat seat like all the others, with a big in-seat screen (no longer a tablet), well-stuffed pillow, a light comforter, over-the-ear headphones, and an amenity bag was filled with socks, an eye mask, and Caudalie products.

After takeoff, warm towels were handed out and a light repast was served (masks are yet required during the flight when you're not eating) . The menu is bachelor on the screen: Options were seared tuna and quinoa, or a burrata and asparagus salad, served alongside a coconut soup, a selection of cheese, and apple tree crumble.

It'southward the type of efficiency and ease usually associated with flying privately, at a fraction of the toll.

The flying was hard to fault. I chose the tuna, which was equally elementary and fresh as whatsoever skilful grocery-store-bought salad, and served with existent knives and forks and Piper-Heidsieck champagne, cool and well-baked. The flight attendants moved swiftly through the motel aisle and allowed me to take a peek at the meals before selecting without hesitation. Wi-Fi was free and the seat, blissfully, lay totally flat.

The entertainment selection includes about fifty older English language and French movies and TV shows—think Claret Diamond and Something'due south Gotta Give, not 2020 Oscar nominees. They did offering meditation for nervous fliers—a overnice impact. One of the nigh impressive moments on the vi.v-60 minutes journey was when I went to the bathroom only to observe the flight attendant aggressively cleaning the stall from peak to bottom. In all my years of flying, I have never seen a flying attendant clean a stall like that.

The Paris Orly and immigration experience

Before touching downward in Paris, the flying attendants delivered regular aeroplane coffee, croissants, and a fruit plate with pineapple and melon, accompanied past nutella French toast or a chorizo omelet (I was still full from dinner, so chose neither). We exited the aeroplane quickly and whizzed through immigration thank you to La Compagnie'south access to the priority lane. Our bags arrived on the belt within xx minutes. Honestly, information technology took longer to find the Uber than it did to go through the airport.

On the render flying from Orly, I once over again had priority access through security and immigration and felt slightly bad scooting past nonpriority passengers as they shuffled forrard inch past inch. The lounge at Orly was small and average with a brandish of tiny croissants and cheese. There was, however, chilled champagne. For ane terminal hurrah! Our flight time dorsum to Newark was nine hours–longer than expected due to headwinds–but the complimentary Wi-Fi meant I could work.

When nosotros landed, we disembarked the airplane in a affair of minutes, and I cruised through Global Entry to collect my bag. While waiting at the carousel, I heard my name over the loudspeaker, request that I please expect at carousel v. An airdrome bellboy frantically rushed over to me, my AirPods in mitt. "Y'all left these behind," she said, handing them over. Having lost my set of Bose headphones on a flying to Tokyo (and numerous other things on planes), I was gobsmacked. All I could think was, who needs airline status when y'all accept adjacent-level intendance?

>>Next: The AFAR Guide to Paris

Mary Holland is Due south African writer and editor based in New York Cit.y