Review: Air France Business Class from Ottawa to Paris on the Boeing 777-300

Air France Business Class from Ottawa to Paris

The Ottawa (YOW) – Paris (CDG) route was launched in 2023 on Airbus A350 thanks to the demand from the Summer Olympics in Paris. The route saw an equipment downgrade following the conclusion of the summer Olympics, moving from the Airbus A350 to the Boeing 777-300 and, more recently, to the even older Boeing 777-200 (summer schedule continues to be on the A350). However, the route remains attractive due to frequent FlyingBlue promo rewards, offering 25%-50% discounts on Economy and Business Class redemptions. Thanks to a recent promotion, I was able to book this route in Air France Business Class for 37,500 miles and $335 CAD in taxes.

Air France aircraft in YOW

I chose this flight as part of my positioning journey to Paris before continuing onward in Etihad First Class to Abu Dhabi (AUH). This Etihad First Class award had erroneously shown up on Aeroplan a few months ago, making it a redemption opportunity I couldn’t pass up. The YOW-CDG leg, therefore, was an essential part of my trip, and I was looking forward to experiencing the direct service from Ottawa.

Air France Business Class from Ottawa to Paris – Rolling Delays, Aircraft Swap

The check-in process a day before the flight was smooth, and I selected seat 5L in the Business Class cabin, which displayed a 1-2-1 configuration on AF 327, operated by the Boeing 777-200. Unfortunately, on the day of departure, I received an email informing me that the flight had been delayed for technical reasons. Upon arrival at the airport, I noticed an unexpected aircraft swap; instead of the Boeing 777-200, the aircraft at the gate was a Boeing 777-300. With this swap came a seat reassignment, and I was handed a new boarding pass for seat 4J. Initially, this delay was estimated at 40 minutes, but it turned into a rolling delay of over 3.5 hours.

Air France AF327
Boeing 777-300LR
Ottawa (YOW) to Paris (CDG)
Duration: 7h 0m
Seat: 4J

Air France Business Class Cabin

Air France Premium Economy Seat

Air France Business Class from Ottawa to Paris – Cabin and Seats

Once onboard, I found myself in the last row of the small Business Class cabin, which featured a staggered seat configuration in a 1-2-1 layout. Odd-numbered seats offered more privacy and were closer to the window, while even-numbered seats (like mine, 4J) were directly on the aisle with limited privacy and only half a window for views—an immediate disappointment.

Air France Business Class Cabin

Seat 4J on AF327

Seat 3J – Better privacy, and two full windows!

The seat itself was comfortable and featured Air France’s signature dark blue tones against clean white cabin panels. Amenities included a hanger, a pillow, a pair of slippers, an amenity kit, and a menu placed on the seat. Seat storage was limited to a small console on the side, which contained a pre-stocked bottle of water and a pair of headphones. The in-seat connectivity was well-equipped with multiple power outlets; however, the biggest letdown was yet to come.

Air France Business Class Seat

In-Seat storage

It turned out that the rolling delays were caused by technical issues with the aircraft’s sound system, rendering all in-flight entertainment (IFE) screens silent. No seat onboard had functional audio, making the headphones useless. While the large screen and extensive content selection were appealing, the lack of sound completely negated the experience. The only silver lining was that this was a red-eye flight, meaning most passengers, including myself, would attempt to sleep after the meal service.

Air France Business Class from Ottawa to Paris – Meals and Service

One of the things I appreciate about European carriers is their proactive approach to service, such as offering to store passengers’ jackets in a dedicated front closet. Shortly after settling into my seat, the crew collected my jacket, followed by a welcome drink service, which featured Brut Thienot Champagne—a pleasant and balanced choice for my taste.

Featured Champagne – Brut Thienot

The meal service consisted of dinner after takeoff and breakfast before landing. I opted for the Braised Pork Loin, which was accompanied by a starter course of Quinoa Salad with Pan-fried Sea Scallop. The dessert was San Sebastian cheesecake.

Dinner service began with another round of drinks and nuts. The quinoa salad was unremarkable, and while I had been looking forward to the pan-fried scallop, it was completely frozen—cutting through it revealed an icy layer. The main course, the pork loin, was overcooked but still edible. The real star of the meal was the cheesecake, which, despite lacking in presentation, was delicious. The cheese plate also helped salvage the dining experience.

AF Business Class Meal, YOW-CDG

Main Course – Braised Pork Loin

Given the poor experience with dinner, I chose to skip breakfast in favor of additional sleep before landing in CDG.

Missed Connection and Attempt to Cancel Onward Booking

Due to the 3.5-hour delay, I knew I would miss my connecting Etihad First Class flight to Abu Dhabi. Since I had already checked in for the Etihad flight, I needed to undo my online check-in to avoid being marked as a ‘No-Show.’

For this, onboard WiFi was crucial. Air France offers free messaging for FlyingBlue members, but I needed full browsing capabilities, so I purchased a Surfing Pass for 4,400 FlyingBlue miles. Unfortunately, the WiFi was painfully slow—airline websites took 2-3 minutes to load, making it impossible to cancel my booking myself. Instead, I resorted to using the messaging service to contact friends and family, who assisted in undoing my check-in and canceling my onward journey.

Should you fly this route on Air France? 

This flight experience left much to be desired. From a rolling delay and unexpected aircraft swap leading to an inferior seat to an inoperative IFE system, poor WiFi, and an underwhelming meal service, nearly everything that could have gone wrong did. The missed connection only compounded my frustration.

That said, there were a few positives—the crew was professional and pleasant, the seat was comfortable enough for some rest, and Air France’s proactive service, such as jacket storage, added a small but appreciated touch. Additionally, thanks to European passenger rights (EU 261), I was notified upon landing in CDG that I was entitled to compensation for the delay—a topic I will cover in a separate post.

Ultimately, while the convenience of a direct flight from Ottawa to Paris is appealing, the Business Class experience on Air France’s Boeing 777-300 was functional at best but far from luxurious. Future travelers on this route should temper expectations accordingly.

Related Reading: Air Canada Resumes Ottawa to London Service in Spring 2025