French bee is a French airline which bases its operations out of Paris’ Orly Airport, located south of Paris. The airline labels itself as a ‘smart airline,’ offering an a-la-carte booking process, allowing passengers to tailor their experience to their needs and desires. The airline was founded in 2016 and operates a fleet of six Airbus A350s. In recent years, French bee has expanded its network in the United States to include destinations like Newark Liberty International Airport, Miami International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and Los Angeles International Airport.

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A few years ago, Simple Flying had been invited to fly on the inaugural flight from Miami to Paris, but we did not make it to the inaugural due to bad weather. As a result, French bee did provide a roundtrip ticket from Los Angeles to Paris, but all opinions expressed in this review are my own and have not been influenced by the airline. To experience both cabins that French bee offers, I was booked in Premium going from the US to France and in economy for the return flight.

On the ground

Orly Airport is located about 12 miles from the city center but is easy to get to via public transport. The RER train in Paris connects to Antony station, where the Orlyval is located, which connects passengers to the airport. The charge for riding from the station to the airport is 11.30, and the journey takes just a few minutes.

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Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying

I arrived at the airport one hour and twenty minutes before departure, which cut it close, but in the end, it was fine. Within five minutes of my arrival on the train, my boarding pass was scanned to go through the security checkpoint. Security seemed to take longer than in the US. Although the line was short and I was only there for about 12 minutes, scanning bags took some time. After security, I headed to passport control, where, once again, there were few people, but the process was faster. About five-seven minutes later, I was in the terminal, looking for my gate.

French bee began boarding 70 minutes before departure, which seems like a long time, but it is needed with the high density of its A350s. To my surprise, as soon as I passed passport control, the departure board showed that boarding had been closed, which did not make sense as there were still 50 minutes until departure. It turns out boarding was not closed, but far from it.

Though I did not spend much time in the airport terminal, it seemed standard in terms of amenities, including dining, retail, seating, and more. Some of the designs reminded me of Charles de Gaulle Airport, which has its iconic red carpets in some of the terminals. My flight departed from the F Gates in Terminal 4, and our gate had a beautiful view of the airport and taxiing aircraft.

At the gate

When I arrived at the gate at 14:00, boarding had commenced, so the line was long. Since the lines were split into sections by row numbers and boarding would clearly take a while, I decided to walk around, go to the toilet, and take advantage of the airport Wi-Fi. By the time I made it onto the jetbridge, it was 14:19.

On the plane

The flight was pretty busy, with very few open seats. By the time I boarded, the overhead bin space was almost full, and I had to place my bag sideways in the center bins for it to fit. All the seats onboard were equipped with inflight entertainment screens that offered typical things like movies, TV shows, music, the flight map, and more. A USB port is also provided on the screen for those needing to charge their device.

My favorite part of the IFE screen is the ability to watch the live feed of the three external cameras onboard, though one did not work. Most Airbus A350 aircraft are equipped with three live cameras: one at the tail, one at the front, and one under, just behind the forward landing gear. Though there is not much to be seen while in flight, it is a very cool feature, especially during takeoff and landing.

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Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying

The recline in the economy seats is very generous, and was much better than any economy class I had recently flown in. In addition to IFE screens, power outlets are available in between our seats, but the one by my seat did not work. I could not get my charger to stay in the outlet. The legroom was enough and the seatback pocket is small and does not fit much. The tray table was kind of small as well but large enough to fit my 16” laptop on it.

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Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying

The boarding process was completed around the time we were supposed to push back, but we were held up due to final paperwork. We eventually pushed back at 15:06, taxiied around the airport, and took off at 15:27, 37 minutes behind schedule. Despite the late departure, we were still expected to arrive in Los Angeles on time.

Shortly after departure, the cabin crew began its infight service. The service was unique, and this was the first time that I was on a flight in which meals were not included for everyone, but depended on the booking. Passengers were given the option to purchase meals ahead of time but could also buy them onboard, and the menu was available through the IFE portal. Because the ticket was provided by French bee, my meal was included and consisted of some rice, chicken with curry, and a piece of pineapple.

The main was a bit lacking in flavor, but the side salad and dessert were good. Overall, the amount of food was not much, and it was not long before I was hungry again. Fortunately, I had a few things that I brought onboard with me, and I was able to eat.

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Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying

Immediately after takeoff, cabin lights were dimmed, and almost everyone shut their windows to rest. The cabin remained this way up until we started our initial descent. About four hours before landing, the crew came by with snacks for purchase, and I was surprised to see nothing was included in my fare, but I purchased a bag of madeleines.

Overall

Flying on the Airbus A350 is a fantastic experience. The aircraft’s modern touches are beautiful, and it is much quieter than most; the difference is noticeable. With the generous seat recline and a decent amount of legroom, economy is fine for the 11+ hour flight across the pond. French bee’s a-la-carte options are great for those that know exactly what they want and do not expect a full service without paying extra for it. I would definitely consider flying with the airline again.

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