Steve is checking fares to Burkina Faso in Feb. and Air France offers a premium economy for around $600 more. Has anybody experienced this and what is your opinion.
I watched the AF video and it looks like it is worth it.

Hi Butch
paris to Ouagadougou is only 5 hours book the bulk head seat for euro 60 spend the rest on trophy fees!!!

I've flown Air France Premier Economy to and from Paris via Atlanta. I don't think it was anywhere near $600 per ticket, though. If you're paying for Premier Economy for two legs maybe that's correct???

Premier is a separate cabin on the larger planes and service is considerably better, I think. Not so many babies crying and people moving around. Your toilet is less crowded, too. A better flight attendant to passenger ratio, probably.

Anyway, as you know, I'm a big guy (but getting smaller!)... and I found the seats comfortable and relatively private. The seats rotate more than recline, remaining in their cocoon, so to speak.

Be careful of which seats you book, though.

I found that the set of seats nearest to the windows were by far superior to those four abreast in the middle. Like this: 2-4-2 on the plane I flew. Get the "2" seats. Who wants someone on both sides of you!!!

I liked the seats enough that when I'm going ATL-Paris again in November, I booked Premier Economy seats for me and Sandy, two abreast at the bulkhead so, with the extra room, I don't bother my bride when I get up to pee.

Another advantage is that you board early and can get your stuff in the overhead without fighting a zillion folks smashing stuff into spaces designed for Barbie Doll luggage or something smaller.

Have fun!

Thanks Faisal and JudgeG.

$600 is for 4 flights, ATL-CDG, and CDG to Ouaga and back again.

However, Faisal is correct, CDG to Ouaga is only 5 hours, but Atl to CDG is 9 hrs.

I have time, I intend to book mid Sept.

BTW, that's the Faisal I know, spend on TFs.

I have flown Premium economy many times. The seats are wider and there is more leg room. Service and meals are definitely better than regular economy. When it's a day flight it's my choice. However, as JudgeG mentioned, the seat doesn't really recline, it just seems to slide forward. When I have an all night flight I sleep worse on Premium than in a good regular economy seat (like in an exit row with a lot of leg room) which reclines. For a night flight Business is the way to go. I'm around 6'1" and 200 lbs and the mechanics of the Premium seat just don't suit me for sleeping.

Trophy fees are super low in Burkina, if it is still like it was in the last century when I was there!!!

As an aside, I flew round-trip across the pond JFK to Burkina Faso on the now defunct AirAfrique. When I got to check-in, the guy asked if I minded being bumped up and flying 1st class because weight/balance required seating all the passengers up front, there being only 25 on the entire brand new Boeing 777 (I think that's the model?). 280 or so seats and a whopping 25 passengers. Duh! I said yes.

We flew to Dakar, then changed planes to a 727 to Abidjan, then another plane to Mali and then to BF. Somehow I stayed 1st class all the way and upon return, I discovered that when the guy changed and printed out all my boarding passes he did them in 1st Class, too. Not bad for $1100, even in 1998 prices.

Agreeing with the below, but Butch, being shorter than Wink and me, the foot rest feature should work perfectly for you to recline (or rotate) and be comfortable.

quote:

Originally posted by Wink:
I have flown Premium economy many times. The seats are wider and there is more leg room. Service and meals are definitely better than regular economy. When it's a day flight it's my choice. However, as JudgeG mentioned, the seat doesn't really recline, it just seems to slide forward. When I have an all night flight I sleep worse on Premium than in a good regular economy seat (like in an exit row with a lot of leg room) which reclines. For a night flight Business is the way to go. I'm around 6'1" and 200 lbs and the mechanics of the Premium seat just don't suit me for sleeping.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the extra input, and right on, the TFs are really cheap. I intend to take everything that time and the package will allow.

I might even bring a shotgun since I understand the bird shooting is good.