Air France - Boeing 777 - Paris (CDG) 🛩 Bangkok (BKK) - Economy

Airline: Air France
Flight No: AF196
Departure Date: 6 December 2024
Departure Time: 14:35
From: Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
To: Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK)
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200 (B777)
Cabin Class: Economy
Seat No: 47A
My journey began from London Heathrow Terminal 4 on 5 December 2024. However, my flight was delayed and instead of departing at 11:30, we departed around 2pm and arrived at CDG (Paris) around 4pm. Unfortunately, my connecting flight was due to depart at 15:35 and left on time. I was not aware at the time that Air France only had 2 direct flights leaving Paris to Bangkok per day and as I had missed the last available flight Air France rebooked me on to the next available direct flight which left the next day (details above) at 14:35. Air France provided overnight accommodation at a low-end hotel called Moxy which is part of the Marriott Hotels group and provided a kit which contained a toothbrush, toothpaste, a plain white t-shirt and a few other items as well as breakfast and dinner. The dinner was a microwave meal, snack and drink (non-alcoholic). The room was 17 suare metres including a small bathroom.
The flight was full! The economy layout is mostly 3-4-3, except the last 4 rows which were 2-4-2. I was fortunate to be seated in 47A (2-4-2 section) with a window seat. I had a lovely neighbour too! I was greeted by the economy cabin purser who was very friendly and chatty. Waiting at the seat was a pillow, blanket and headphones. (I recommend watching the next video where I fly Premium Economy too as there is a lot to discuss!).
The service from the purser was excellent as you would imagine, but the rest of the crew seemed a little subdued.
The entertainment screen (IFE) was a touch screen and also dated, which meant the picture quality wasn’t crisp and at times the touch screen was a little unresponsive. I also feltthat there could be more options. The fonts were also very small and many visually impaired passengers would struggle.
Another aspect I found disappointing was the food and beverage! France is know for its gourmet cuisine and taste! However, the meals served were very average and typical of the norm across many airlines’ economy class cabins. I thought Air France could have used this to differentiate themselves in this area! I felt the alcoholic area of the beverage section was limited. The served beer and wine, and impressively, champagne! However, when I asked for some spirits, I was told that there are no spirits. This was not completely correct as when I flew Premium Economy, I discovered that they did have small bottles of Cogniac which would have been fine!
Overall, the Paris to Bangkok route was pleasant enough. However, I would not risk flying from London or any other connecting city in the future as I do not want to wait until the next day to continue my journey.