Lon More, thanks. Yes, our flight plans were filed correctly and acknowledged. ATC confirmed via radio transmissions with us that we are exempt. We replied with "negative RVSM state aircraft."
I have been communicating with the RVSM Cell at Eurocontrol regarding our exemption prior to 24 January.
i.e. all the t's crossed, all the i's dotted. It was only a problem with French ATC. It was very clear to LATCC that we are exempt. LATCC coordinated our request for FL410 with Paris, as did Rome on the way north. All agreed we were exempt, but "no joy."