Review: Air France Business Class from Ottawa to Paris on Boeing 777-200ER

Air France Ottawa to Paris on 777-200ER

A month after my frustrating experience on Air France’s 777-300ER from Ottawa (YOW) to Paris (CDG), which resulted in missing my Etihad First Class connection from CDG to Abu Dhabi, I found myself back on the direct YOW-CDG route. This time, I was on Air France’s older Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, continuing onward to Mumbai (BOM) on their newer A350-900.

YOW Check-in area

My entire trip from Ottawa to Mumbai via Paris was booked using 115,000 Flying Blue miles and $513 CAD in taxes and fees. Over the past year, I’ve come to enjoy my engagement with the Flying Blue program. It consistently offers decent saver award availability out of my home airport, YOW, especially during Flying Blue Promo Rewards, where direct flights to Europe can dip as low as 18,500 miles. For someone based in Ottawa, that’s incredibly attractive.

After a brief stop at the Aspire Lounge in Ottawa (which offered a basic but quiet space to sit), I headed to Gate 15 for Air France Flight AF 327, scheduled to depart at 18:20. As expected for an international departure from YOW, boarding was delayed by about 15–20 minutes. But once it commenced, it moved quickly and smoothly.

YOW Gate 15 – Priority Boarding

Air France Ottawa to Paris – Business Class Cabin and Seat

Walking onto the older 777- 200ER, I tempered my expectations. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how open and spacious the Business Class cabin felt. The 1-2-1 layout offered noticeably more maneuvering room compared to the tighter-feeling 777- 300ER configuration I had flown previously.

Air France 777-200 Business Class Cabin

At the time of booking, I had confirmed seat 4L. However, a few days later, I received a seat change notification from AF, and my new allocated seat was 3L. No additional information or rationale was provided for this change. A quick look at the seat map of the aircraft confirmed that all seats were the same on this reserve herringbone configuration.

AF 327 – Seat 3L

Seat 3L – Air France Business Class

The hard product certainly showed its age, but there were several thoughtful design features that I appreciated. The footwell was wide and tall, easily accommodating my handbag and providing plenty of space to stretch and even tuck in shoes under the footwell. A pillow, blanket, and slippers were waiting at the seat. The remote control and seat adjustment buttons were smartly placed well above the armrest, making them unobtrusive and easy to access. I particularly liked the red cubby storage area, which had enough space for my cap, some small personal items, and the provided headphones.

Footwell and storage area

Storage Cubby with Headsets

Charging ports (AC and USB), a water bottle, and a sick bag were logically laid out above the armrest. These may seem like small things, but when you fly frequently, the thoughtful placement makes a noticeable difference.

In-seat charging ports

Air France Ottawa to Paris – Meal Service

Shortly after settling in, the crew came by with welcome drink options of champagne, orange juice, or water and distributed hot towels, menus, and amenity kits. The amenity kit was a simple, yet chic, fabric pouch featuring the Air France logo and standard contents.

Welcome drink aboard AF 327

Air France Business Class Amenity Kit

The 7-hour transatlantic flight offered two meals, dinner shortly after takeoff and breakfast just before landing. I chose to skip breakfast to maximize sleep. Seven hours isn’t enough time for two full services if you want any real rest. For dinner, I had pre-selected the beef cheek in red wine demi-glace, served after a starter of lobster tail and a cheese and dessert course that included a caramel shortbread biscuit. I paired the meal with Brut Reserve Telmont champagne.

AF 327 Menu

AF 327 Drinks Menu

While the presentation of the meal was fairly unremarkable, the quality of the food was excellent. The freshness of the salad and seafood stood out—a strong indicator of the overall catering standards. The beef cheek, although not visually appealing, was a hearty and satisfying entrée, perfect for settling in before sleep.

AF 327 – Dinner Service

AF 327 Main Course – Beef Cheek

Unfortunately, during the meal, I received a disappointing notification from Air France that Wi-Fi would not be available on my upcoming CDG-BOM leg due to a technical issue. Not ideal, especially for a 9-hour flight, but I resigned myself to using my 4-hour layover at CDG to catch up on work.

AF Notification

Despite that hiccup, I was ready for rest. The lie-flat seat with its generous footwell was perfect for a side sleeper like me. I managed to get about 4.5 hours of sleep, waking just 30 minutes before our descent into Paris.

Air France Ottawa to Paris – Takeaway

For anyone based in Ottawa, a direct 7-hour flight to Europe in lie-flat comfort is hard to beat. Despite the aging cabin, I found the experience to be pleasant and practical, especially when redeemed through Flying Blue Promo Rewards.

In the past, I’ve managed to redeem Flying Blue miles for Business Class seats for as low as 37,500 to 45,000 miles, which is exceptional value. Aircraft on this route have varied seasonally, with newer A350-900s during the Olympics, and both 777-200 and 777-300 variants more recently.

I continue to earn Flying Blue miles through the Flying Blue subscription plan, and by transferring Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3:1 ratio when needed. In Canada, Brim Financial offers the co-branded Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard, which earns Flying Blue miles and prevents expiry with ongoing spend. Another great option is the American Express Membership Rewards program, where 1,000 MR points = 750 Flying Blue miles.

For those chasing aspirational travel from underserved Canadian gateways like YOW, Flying Blue continues to prove itself as a flexible and rewarding program, especially if you know where to look and when to book.