Prologue:
About two years ago when I made my decision, trying avoiding AF long haul flights;I took this flight and it was my best ever AF flight! Snort! Even better than my CDG <--> SIN in First class,I flew few month before...Since, I had two more one way AF flight due to IROPS, flights which didn't change my mind...
Let's see what happen this time!
Utilising my prefered "remis" as I have some suitcases but if you are a "light" traveller the bus line #8 could be for you . Saturday morning transfer should have been fast but a trafic jam due to works and crushed metal delays usa little (40 minutes from obelisco).
Since Macri's election thereate infrastructural works all around the country. Here the new unique departures' terminal due to open late september.
Building a new tower is on its way.
Terminal C (AR AF AZ DL ET KL) allready has been shortened. One side is AR (domesticand International)
The others on the other side (a bit hidden). Should be my last check-in in this zone (the newest in EZE) due to be scrapped soon!
After complying (no queues) security (first time I am allowed to use the scannner) and immigration formality I head to AR lounge. Sure I will miss terminal C.
Avoid the first empty buffet
Few argentinian press (usualy there more internationals newpapers=
Between the two sitting zone is the food offer "brought to you by "lepain quotidien"
The hot corner empanadas tarts...
Salads Yogurts
Sandwiches (a little bit "dry")
More for the picture than for gastronomy
Confy
Not really "strangerfriendly"
but...
French soccer
The plane was at an unusual gate a bit away from the lounge. Boarding had started. Cleaning was "light"
Small business cabin 4 rows
Sure it's a "quick change" cabin with some Y seat beetwen the J and the galley and therefore the Y+
The ottoman is bit dirty also
Crumbs and loosearmrest
Accumulated dirt
Surprise !
Not so bad or am I a millenial
Welcome drink. The argentinian "chef-avion" comes to me and reassure me: all lugagesare on board (in french).
The menu is now smarter. Inside vues later
Je commence le premier film d'une longue série. Gamblin est très bon dans ce "Facteur Cheval"
Push back before ETD
Here alternates poor barrios ...
and richer
Camino de cintura's worksare stistopped by uncuntrolled buiing!
Ebarassing isn'tit?
Westsie suburbs
EPA (El Palomar) the unique south american LCC airport and the only argentinian airport with rail connection to city center
Parana's delta
A "barrio privado"
more delta.
Carmelo (Uruguay) in front of Rio Parana guazu's mouth.
On our side Fray Bentos once famous for Liebig's corned beef factory. At the right of Fray Bentos the famous Botnia paper mills. And one of the only two bridges uniting Argentina and Uruguay : General San Martin's bridge.
Bridge-dam Salto grande still on river Uruguay
Season's cocktail- no name- descripted in the menu Later
Cheers
Mise en bouche
Rivers: First Uruguay Second Parana Contries: First: Brasil Middle: Argentina Last: Paraguay
Dam lake Yacyreta(Rio Parana)
Mocona's Salto
First stage: Urugua-i artifical lake(Arg) Second stage: Itaipu lake (Par-Bra)
River Iguazu ending on the left side with thefamous falls
Now the food. AFgeeks isn't missing something on the tray
Marinated shrimps on a "faina" chickpeaflatbread pesto
Pumpkin sweetcorn and ginger Napoleon and burrata
Beef tournedos chumichury sauce polenta with bacon asparagus sauteed squash.
Rare
Here is the missing thing on the tray. Cheese is served apart great!
Would you care for some deserts
Still so ridiculous
After a "no" night the breakfast
Dawn
Glénan archipelago (brittany)
Etel's ria
Quiberon
Belle Ile
Sauzon
Morbihan
Houat Hoedic Morbihan
Houat
Dumet's island
Sarzeau
River Vilaine
Pointe du Grouin and Mont St Michel's bay
Mantes La jolie
Les Mureaux Meulan
And finally 30 minutes ahead of sheduled CDG
Here is the menu
Sympatic word
Arrivée au 2L sans attente je serai sous la douche du 2F
Asa bonus I will offer you some unusual views of B.Aires
Palacio Barolo is about 100 years old
Plaza Congresso
Where is Wally? Find the obelisco!
Here it is
========== Ministro Pistarini (EZE) - ==========
========== Aerolineas Argentina Salon Condor ==========
========== Air France - Airline ==========
========== Paris Charles De Gaulle (CDG) - ==========
Summary:
Lot of new things quite pleasant (menu,cocktail, cheese, more dessert...).Food was honnest (mise en bouche) good (cheeseand dessert) or excellent (entries and main).
Chablis was elicious
Some need to improve: drink servicea bit lazy and midflight buffet was thumb down.
18 Comments
ReplyUn TR passionnant a lire, cela fait plaisir de voir qu'AF propose d'excellents plats. La viande me fait de l’œil ! :) Merci Jérôme pour ce retour.
ReplyDu grand art, merci Saraoutou pour ce super TR. L'horaire n'est pas la plus facile pour dormir. De sublimes paysages.
J'avais plus consommé et m'étais sans doute dopé la fois précédente. Merci.
ReplyRavi de te relire et surtout quell YTR. Belle prestation d'AF. Le pdj n'est pas exceptionnel mais je crois que tu n'aimes pas les oeufs.
Encore de belles vues et un bonus ++
Merci !
ReplyHola Jérôme.
Thank you for sharing this honest and interesting TR. I was curious about AR lounge. When I was a kid living in Costa Rica and attending 7th-9th grades there I was fascinated with AR and EZE. My school bag was an AR carry on bag that I received as a gift from a relative and I guess that was the start of my attraction to the airline. Perhaps one of these days I will take a trip on AR to get it out of my system.
For being a hub carrier the AR Condor Club looks dated and old fashioned. Catering does not seem to offer much but i guess the empanadas are worth it just for the local experience.
Surprising to see a Joon amenity kit. Now it's a collector's item.
AF J looks very good. I love the cover design of the new menu - so elegant and "fitting" for a French co. Speaking of changes AF should start a new ad campaign that focus on its heritage. In that sense I feel that Joon was a disaster and failed to convey a strong identity. I also think that it's about time to retire the AF safety video with its attempt at humor to grab the attention of pax and come up with something more classy like what SQ did. Just my opinion and we all know that these are subjective.
Catering looks appetizing and the beef is cooked as it should. i also see that there is a selection of desserts just like before.
Lovely bonus of Buenos Aires. The Palacio Barolo reminds me of another famous building in Montevideo that I have seen in pics. They kind of look similar. The interior of the building has a mystical air to it.
ReplyHola amigo.
Gracias por leerme y comentarme.
Lamentablemente por lo que encuentre América do Sul no es el paraíso de las salas VIP. Que sea EZE (conozco tres salas) GRU (2) SCL (2) o LIM (1).
Soy feliz porque hace 20 meses atrás la comida del lounge estaba:
-sandwich triple de miga jamón y queso
- Baras de cereales
-manzanas.
NADA más.
La empanada que comí estaba te fea, jamón y queso sin jamón....
Para mí también cuando tenés el nombre Air France es gastar de probar cosas como Joon o Hop!
Hace años que odio la película de seguridad... Pienso que recuerdas la pelea que hubo en un otro sitio porque dije "A mí no me gusta!" Puede ser que algunos quieren es mí opinión y es bueno que cada uno tiene la suya.
La comida estaba muy sorprendente y bastante buena.
Los dos palacios salieron del mismo cerebro.
Una ves más gracias y perdona mí rioplatense (nunca estudié Castillano) inglés fue mí primera lengua estranjera pero no me gusta utilizarla.
Con mucho gusto.
"Lamentablemente por lo que encuentre América do Sul no es el paraíso de las salas VIP"
- No existen los buenos salones ni tampoco una aerolíneas destacada. Hablando de Latino América en general creo que la mejor era Varig y desafortunadamente ya no existe. Hoy en día las "mejores" empresas son AM, LA o AV las cuales pueden ser muy inconsistentes.
Vaya mejoría de comida en el lounge. Si por lo menos sirvieran churrasco con chimichurri o matambre. :) Una buena parrillada sería a la altura de la gastronomía argentina. Dicen que las mejores empanadas son de Chile. :P
Ah el debate sobre el video de AF. Sobre gustos no hay nada escrito como dice el dicho. Eso no significa que algunas personas tienen mejores gustos que otros. ;)
"Los dos palacios salieron del mismo cerebro."
- Con razón!
"Una ves más gracias y perdona mí rioplatense"
- Nada que perdonar. El saber las variaciones regionales indica que eres más talentoso de lo que pensaba.
Nos estamos comunicando. Au revoir mon ami.
ReplyOuaf Saraoutou;)
Un joli vol avec Air France. La 1ère impression à bord fait tâche. Et c'est bien dommage.
Jolie cabine, joli menu. Cuisson appétissante du steak. Les vins sont un peu trop..convenus.
L'absence d'omelette saucisse au petit déj', si chère à klm (entre autre) ne se fait pas du tout sentir. Bon point !
Superbe bonus et cours de géographie en vol. J'adore et j'en redemande !
Merci, Saraoutou pour le partage de cet ytr superbement bien construit !
Pour les vins il faut noter la disparition du gas-oil d'été... Je préfère des classiques sérieux au montages-coupages un peu olé-olé d'un ex rugbyman!
Beaucoup de chance avec la visibilité, c'est tout!
De rien!
J'ai oublié de signaler une délicieuse glace durant la nuit, je note ici le no pour filer dans une des boutiques dès mon retour en octobre: Chungo (on est pas loin de chugno ais c'est pus à mon goût!).
ReplyThank you Saraoutou for your review in English. A nice trip report. Air France is no longer a sub-par carrier. Nice to know.
1/ I am to lady
2/ I feel my english roten.Forty years ago I was bilingual but I learnt bichlamar (south west Pacific english Pidgin) and Nevers went back for longer stats on England, si it's a little bit Gone.
Thanks for the comment.
ReplySalut Jérôme!
Et bien merci pour la visite et ce superbe TR vraiment complet!!
Franchement quelle belle surprise cette prestation au niveau du catering.
Merci pour ce très bon TR mon ami!
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