AF to Johannesburg

[Mike Blackburn]

Hi there.

Just wondering about something. I am flying Air France to Johannesburg on Monday (from Paris). Now I have not seen AF aircraft at Johannesburg for a long while. I thought that they code-shared with SAA on this route. Does anyone know if I will be in an Air France 744 or an SAA 744? Just a query, makes no difference to me, but curious nonetheless.

Tx

[VH-KMH]

I would say an SA aircraft. Don't hold me to it tho.

[FougaMagister]

Flew that route last year, and the plane was an AF 747-400.

Cheers

[PAXboy]

Looks like AF990 on 20th October is a native AF 744.

[Globaliser]

Galileo (http://www.aeroplan.de/ap_rb_galileo.htm) returns only these two non-stops:-MON 20OCT03 PARIS /JOHANNESBURG 20/0000 20/2359 G*GAL
1 CDG JNB 1925#0620 SA 273 J2 C1 Z0 Y0 M0 B0 K0 H0 S0 Q0#743 B
2 CDG JNB 2325#0950 AF 990 P9 F9 A9 J3 C3 DL ZC Y8 K3 HL#744*CSo it looks like there's no codesharing going on on Monday night.

[Mike Blackburn]

Thanks so much for the rapid answers... Appreciate it. I suppose there will be some IFE in Anglais!

Go Springboks!

[Mike Blackburn]

Just a quick report back. Yes, as predicted theflight CDG-JNB (AF990) was on a native AF744. I wanted to say that this was one of the best flights I have had, had never flown AF before, and have been very impressed.

Excellent service, comfortable seats, pretty air hostesses (sorry, politically incorrect) and generally competent. Virgin Atlantic has nothing on Air France. DOes anyone know what the seat pitch is in ir France Economy, felt very spacious, and seat seemed wider than Virgin's.

Complements to the crew on handling a crazy chap who was being eported back to South Africa because he tried to enter France without a visa/passport! This goon shouted and screamed at the back of economy for 45 minutes on the ground at CDG, accompanied by two rather large Gendarmes, but the crew was completely unfussed, and did everything they could to reassure the other passengers. (he quietened down after t/o, thank goodness).

I will now try to fly air france whenever possible, the routing through Paris was worth it (I flew LHR-CDG-JNB). Don't see mucgh about Air France on PPRUNE, heartily recommend them as a viable alternative to the BA/VS/SA triopoly on th LHR-JNB Route. (And I'm a Saffa!!!)

[PAXboy]

uk-air.net (http://www.uk-air.net/seatpitch.htm#table) report that pitch in Y for AF = 31". Which is the same for BA. VS is listed as 30~31" although I have not found VS to be lacking in this and the document might refer to older equipped machines. I am biased as I am a long term satisfied customer of VS, having travelled long haul in all three of their cabins, across the past 17 years.

Aviation Health Institute (http://www.aviation-health.org/seatpitch.asp) report that AF is on 34", BA on 31". VS is not listed. So take a tape measure and find out! Good to hear good news about a carrier, thanks for reporting back to us. :D

[Mike Blackburn]

Thanks PaxBoy.

I'll try and smuggle a tape measure through security at JNB ;)
I think that my jaundiced opinion of VS might have something to do with the large muppet who sat next to me on the last flight, kept 'is leather jacket on all night 'e did!

Always useful when you have 15 different portable electronic devices in your pockets to stab your neighbours with! This clown also turned on his phone and began texting as soon as the main bogeys hit 09R at Heathrow. Some people just don't get it do they?

[Mike Blackburn]

Trip back.....

Fantastic (again). Forgot my tape measure... :( Definitely feels more like 34" than 31", Paxboy.

All the above applied again to this flight. I won't bore anyone with the details. Vive le AF!!