Tag Archives: msn 42487

Air France and QANTAS Airways renew partnership to offer customers more travel options between France and Australia

Air France has made this announcement:

QANTAS Airways and Air France customers will now have more options to travel between Europe and Australia via Asia following a renewed codeshare agreement between the two carriers.⁽²⁾

Available for booking from June 5 for travel from July 20, 2018, Air France will add its code to QANTAS flights between Hong Kong and Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and between Singapore and Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.

Air France customers will also be able to access codeshare services from Sydney to five cities on the Australian airline’s domestic network including Canberra, Hobart, Adelaide, Cairns and Darwin.

Under the reciprocal deal, QANTAS will add its code to flights operated by Air France between Singapore and Hong Kong and Paris-Charles de Gaulle, as a continuation of flights from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.

The new agreement will see the two airlines codeshare on a total of more than 200⁽¹⁾ flights per week.

Customers will benefit from more seamless travel experiences with single ticket itineraries and through-checked baggage as well as the opportunity to earn points on the new codeshare services.

Air France eligible customers⁽³⁾ will also be able to access Qantas lounges in Hong Kong, Singaporeand Australia, as well as Qantas eligible customers to Air France lounges in Paris, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Patrick Alexandre, EVP Commercial Sales and Alliances at Air France-KLM, said: “We are very pleased to be re-establishing a partnership with Qantas. Thanks to this agreement, the Air France-KLM group will be able to offer one of the best possible travel solutions for its customers from Europe to Australia. It will also deliver a better travel experience for our Business customers, with connections in Singapore and Hong Kong, two of the most popular airports in the world. This new cooperation confirms our group’s desire to expand in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Alison Webster, CEO of QANTAS International, added: “This is great news for our customers who want to travel to Europe via Asia, giving them another option to get to Paris and more opportunities to earn Frequent Flyer Points. The return of this popular codeshare delivers on our strategy of partnering to provide customers with access to an expanded network and more seamless travel experiences wherever they want to fly.”

Flight schedules (in local time) operated by Air France in July-October 2018:

AF256: leaves Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 20:50, arrives in Singapore at 15:45 the following day;
AF257: leaves Singapore at 22:35, arrives at Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 6:00 the following day.
A daily flight

AF188: leaves Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 23:35, arrives in Hong Kong at 17:35 the following day;
AF185: leaves Hong Kong at 22:50, arrives at Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 5:55 the following day.
A daily flight

Daily flight schedules (in local time) operated by Qantas in July-October 2018:

QF002: leaves Singapore at 19:30, arrives in Sydney at 5:10 the following day;
QF082: leaves Singapore at 21:10, arrives in Sydney at 7:00 the following day;
QF036: leaves Singapore at 20:15, arrives in Melbourne at 5:35 the following day;
QF052: leaves Singapore at 20:40, arrives in Brisbane at 6:05 the following day;
QF072: leaves Singapore at 18:40, arrives in Perth at 23:55.

QF081: leaves Sydney at 10:15, arrives in Singapore at 16:50;
QF035: leaves Melbourne at 11:55, arrives in Singapore at 17:55;
QF051: leaves Brisbane at 12:00, arrives in Singapore at 18:15;
QF071: leaves Perth at 11:50, arrives in Singapore at 17:20.

QF128: leaves Hong Kong at 20:00, arrives in Sydney at 6:55 the following day;
QF118: leaves Hong Kong at 23:25, arrives in Sydney at 10:50 the following day;
QF030: leaves Hong Kong at 20:10, arrives in Melbourne at 7:35 the following day;
QF098: leaves Hong Kong at 20:15, arrives in Brisbane at 7:05 the following day.

QF127: leaves Sydney at 10:35, arrives in Hong Kong at 18:00;
QF029: leaves Melbourne at 9:35, arrives in Hong Kong at 17:20;
QF097: leaves Brisbane at 10:45, arrives in Hong Kong at 18:00.

Note:

(1) Subject to seasonal variation

(2) Subject to government and regulatory approvals

(3) Business Class customers, Qantas Frequent Flyer loyalty programme Platinum One, Platinum and Gold Traveling members as well as Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue loyalty program Club 2000, Platinum and Gold members

Top Copyright Photo: QANTAS Australia (QANTAS Airways) Boeing 737-838 WL VH-XZP (msn 44577) “James Strong” SYD (John Adlard). Image: 940843.

QANTAS Airways aircraft slide show:

Air France aircraft slide show:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Air France Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner F-HRBD (msn 42487) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 939729.

Air France offers a new contract to its striking unions, only until Friday

Air France has issued this statement:

On April 10, 2018, Air France management offered the representative unions the launch of multi-year pay negotiations (2019-2021) in order to find a solution to the continuing conflict.

The negotiations (1), launched on Thursday April 12, resumed on April 16 at 9am. At the end of three days of talks and to put an end to this conflict, Air France management assumed its responsibilities by proposing a final agreement for signature up to Friday April 20, 2018 at midday.

This final draft agreement ensures general salary increases for 2018 (an additional measure), 2019, 2020 and 2021, within the framework of a “growth pact” for the future.

It includes proposals that are both strong and economically sustainable:

For 2018:
- an additional pay increase of 1%, bringing the overall increase to 2% at April 1, 2018
- this additional increase of 1% is accompanied by a minimum threshold of 25 euros per month.
For 2019, 2020 and 2021:
- a general wage increase of 5% over the period (1.65% per year), guaranteed under the growth pact
- This increase of 1.65% per year is accompanied by a minimum threshold of 40 euros per month.

With this agreement, salaries would increase, on average over the period, by 12.5% (including a general increase of 7% for all categories of staff as well as individual increases and the sliding seniority and skills pay scale).

This “growth pact” includes plans to adapt the increase in case Air France’s financial result is less than 200 million euros and to apply a reversion clause in case of higher inflation or a negative financial result.

It provides a positive and long-term answer to wage expectations while preserving the continued investment necessary for the company’s growth.

The continuing strike action is having serious consequences for the company, its customers and staff. It is financially destructive for the airline and its staff and is putting the company’s future in danger. The estimated cost of these strikes, including 17 and 18 April, is 220 million euros.

Continuing this conflict and rejecting this particularly favourable agreement proposal for Air France staff would represent a grave responsibility towards the entire company and its customers.

The negotiations are taking place, in accordance with the Law, with the representative unions. However, the SNPL, SPAF and CGT have welcomed into their delegation, as the law allows, employees who are members of the non-representative unions SUD, ALTER, SNGAF and CFTC

Meanwhile today, the fight schedule for today, Tuesday 17 April 2018, is operating according to forecast.

For tomorrow, Wednesday, April 18, 2018, Air France plans to operate 70% of its flights:

70 % of its long-haul flights;
55 % of its medium-haul flights on departure to and from Paris-Charles de Gaulle;
80 % of its short-haul flights, Paris-Orly and French provinces.

In view of a percentage of staff on strike, subject to the Diard law and expected to work on April 18, 2018, estimated at:

31.1 % of pilots;
22.4 % of cabin crew;
13.8 % of ground staff.

Air France aircraft slide show:

Air France inaugurates Paris-Charles de Gaulle – Nairobi flights

Air France inaugurated its new service connecting Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Nairobi (Kenya). The company will serve the Kenyan capital with 3 weekly flights operated by Boeing 787, equipped with the latest long-haul travel cabins.

Flight times operated (in local time) –

AF814: leaves Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 20:50, arrives in Nairobi at 6:00, the next day.
Flights operated on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

AF815: leaves Nairobi at 08:20, arrives at Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 15:50.
Flights operated on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays.

This new flight offer is in addition to the daily services operated on a code-share basis between Air France and Kenya Airways on the Paris-Nairobi route.

Air France aircraft slide show:

Air France to introduce Paris CDG – Nairobi service

Air France has announced from March 25, 2018, its customers will be able to fly to Nairobi (Kenya) on a departure from Paris-Charles de Gaulle thanks to 3 new weekly frequencies. Flights will be operated by the latest-generation Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, equipped with 30 seats in Business class, 21 seats in Premium Economy class and 225 seats in Economy class.

Flight times operated (in local time):

AF814: leaves Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 20:50, arrives in Nairobi at 6:00 the next day

Flights operated on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

AF815: leaves Nairobi at 8:20, arrives at Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 15:50

Flights operated on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays.

These flights will be operated on a code-share basis with partner Kenya Airways. Customers will thus benefit from 10 weekly non-stop frequencies between Paris and Nairobi, with 3 flights operated by Air France and 7 flights operated by Kenya Airways. Moreover, as a continuation of Nairobi, Air France customers will be able to fly to 23 regional destinations* operated under a code-share with its partner.

This new Air France service is in addition to that of KLM, which operates a daily service between Amsterdam-Schiphol and Nairobi by Boeing 787.

The best of Air France to Nairobi

On board Air France’s innovative and latest-generation Boeing 787, customers will benefit from a unique travel experience –

The latest Air France long-haul cabins: excellence in the sky in the Business cabin (30 seats), comfort for all in the new Premium Economy cabin (21 seats) and Economy (225 seats);
Onboard WiFi adapted to the needs of customers (from 20MB to 200MB for a price varying between €5 and €30);
Lighting moods adapted to the various different phases of the flight;
More comfort and space with the new Premium Economy seats;
Windows which are about 30% larger than similar aircraft and which are equipped with an electronic window darkening system;
Improved air pressure and humidity levels make the trip even more comfortable.