Air France Premium is a Finalist for Best Premium Economy Experience at the
2026 Travelling for Business Awards, and it demonstrates that the carrier's much-discussed move upmarket was never intended to stop at the business-class curtain. As the French flag carrier has repositioned itself around elegance and gastronomy, its Premium cabin has been rebuilt to match — and the results are among Europe's most convincing.
The new-generation Premium seat, rolling out with the airline's long-haul cabin refits, adopts a fixed-shell design that guarantees personal space regardless of what the row in front decides, with a wide seat, deep recline within the shell, leg rests, ample power and a large high-definition screen. The aesthetic carries the brand: soft greys and navy, subtle stitching, the discreet red accent — recognisably Air France before the first announcement.
Then the airline plays its strongest card: the table. Premium passengers share meaningfully in the carrier's culinary ambitions, with dishes created by acclaimed French chefs —
Frédéric Simonin's creations debut on Premium flights — champagne served as standard, and a proper cheese course that reminds passengers which flag flies on the tail — hospitality with a genuine point of view. It is the rare middle cabin with a genuine point of view, and on an overnight crossing the hospitality does as much for morale as the seat does for sleep. The cabin is compact enough to stay quiet, and its position ahead of the main cabin shortens every queue that matters, from boarding to the jet bridge on arrival.
Practicalities hold up equally well. Premium fares include enhanced baggage, priority handling and access to the airline's SkyPriority channels, while Flying Blue earning keeps frequent travellers invested. From the UK, connections over the Paris-Charles de Gaulle hub — including
new long-haul destinations such as Manila — put the cabin on one-stop itineraries to most of the world, with the short Channel hop ticketed through seamlessly.
A place among the 2026 Finalists recognises a premium economy with the confidence of a flagship product rather than the apologies of a compromise. Winners will be announced at the 2026 Travelling for Business Awards, and the French entry brings the category its most distinctive accent.
