Flying French Bee
While I normally fly United from Paris and Air France or KLM out of Rennes, for my recent flight to the US, I decided to give French Bee a try. French Bee is France’s low-cost, long-haul airline based out of Paris Orly Airport. I was looking for a one-way ticket from Paris to Los Angeles, and while Air France does fly direct, I didn’t have enough air miles. And United had no direct flights. I booked a one-way, direct flight on French Bee from Orly to LAX for $500 in economy, which included a carryon, personal item and checked bag.
I’ve always been leery of using a budget airline for a long-haul flight. After all, flying economy on a mainstream airline is uncomfortable enough. So, was it worth it? Here are the pluses and minuses of French Bee, as well as flying out of Orly Airport versus Charles de Gaulle.
Closer airport and easier transportation to the airport
Orly Airport is 8 miles south of Paris, whereas Charles de Gaulle (CDG) is 15 miles northeast of the city. Flying in or out of Orly means less commuting time and less money if you are taking a taxi.
Before the pandemic, Paris had a great bus service transporting you from the major train stations to CDG in around one hour. Now there are only two mass-transit options. The RER B train, which runs every 10 to 15 minutes on weekdays, takes 35 minutes from Denfert-Rochereau and makes several stops through central Paris. But you’ll spend another 10 to 15 minutes getting from the train to your flight’s check-in desk. Or you can take the RoissyBus, which stops by the Paris-Opéra metro every 15 to 30 minutes.
To reach Orly airport by public transportation there are three options. Metro line 14 takes you there in 25 minutes from Châtelet-Les-Halles in central Paris and 40 minutes if you are in the north of Paris at Saint-Denis Pleyel. You can also take RER B and connect to the Omnibus which takes 25 minutes from Châtelet-Les-Halles. But the easiest way, especially with luggage, is to take the direct Orly shuttle bus in front of the Denfert-Rochereau metro in the 14th arrondissement.
Since this was my first time flying out of Orly, I stayed in an Airbnb just a six-minute walk away from the Orly bus stop. I bought a ticket at the metro station counter the day before. You can also purchase tickets from the machines in the metro or when you board the bus. The fare was €11.20. The bus runs every 10 to 15 minutes. From Denfert-Rochereau it was a 20-minute journey on a late Monday morning. However, this was just to the first Orly stop at terminals 1,2 and 3. French Bee is at terminal four. So after about a seven-minute wait, we continued on. Plan on a 30-minute ride, but if you are traveling at rush hour, expect the journey to take longer. I left my Airbnb at 10:05 am and was walking into the airport 45 minutes later.
A smaller airport
Check-in went smoothly although I wasn’t able to check my bag online nor print a baggage tag at the kiosk. But the folks at French Bee were friendly and helpful. I then had to wheel my suitcase, carryon and personal item quite a ways to the luggage check-in. I got nervous when the agent asked me to put my carryon bag in the sizer, but my 20-inch bag fit perfectly with a little room to spare. Next, I had to put my overstuffed tote bag into the personal item sizer. I didn’t get it halfway in before she said it was fine. They didn’t even say anything about the sling bag I was wearing around my neck. I usually wear it around my waist and hide it behind my jacket.
The best thing about Orly vs CDG is not having to walk for miles just to reach Security. Once through Security, there appeared to be only one restaurant offering over-priced, pre-made sandwiches, salads, drinks, potato chips and desserts. But if you wander further towards the gates, there are more, and far better food options, including a healthy grab-and-go place and a Paul’s boulangerie, although nothing like the array of restaurants at CDG. There are also additional duty-free shops by the gates.
Boarding started two hours before the plane took off. There was one massive line that was so long folks got it confused with a flight to the Caribbean. But we soon discovered the overlapping, still incredibly long line for LAX. Several passengers commented that they had never seen a situation like this before, and that usually there is some type of boarding by section or seat number.
Airbus planes
Being a French company, the plane was an Airbus A350, so at least I didn't have to worry about doors flying off. I was glad I'd chosen an aisle seat in the back where there is a wider aisle as I was across from four young boys and a baby, three of which were screaming and jumping up and down on their chairs as if they were on a playground. Only after five hours did a flight attendant say something, but the situation continued for another three hours. Thirteen hours on the plane and I only managed to sleep for an hour. I vowed never to fly again without a pair of Bose noise cancelling headphones.
Seating and extras
Every passenger received a headset, eye mask and sanitary wipes. No pillows or blankets were provided. If you wanted a blanket, it was $5 extra. They did have adjustable headrests covered with a clean napkin. Each seat includes its own entertainment center. Although the movie selections were limited, I did enjoy three French films.
As for comfort, the seats as I feared were rock hard and seemed far narrower than flights on United, KLM, Delta or Air France. It was also a tight squeeze front to back. The passenger in front of me reclined his seat, catching the top of my laptop screen, which started to bend! Luckily, I was able to pull it out in the nick of time.
Food service
Unlike most international flights, French Bee only serves one free meal. Drinks (other than water) and snacks are extra. The one meal was served around two hours after boarding, and no other free food was provided during the next nine and a half hours. The meal was by far the best airplane food I’ve had. I enjoyed a flavorful chicken curry and mashed potatoes, a garbanzo bean and tabouleh salad and a sourdough roll that was actually edible. I saved the desserts, a fruit tart and a tiny chocolate cookie, for later.
Eight hours into the flight, hunger kicked in and I purchased a tasty sushi roll with cooked tuna and vegetables. In the back of the plane by the bathrooms there were bottles of water, plastic glasses and napkins. Every couple of hours I went to the bathroom and downed several glasses of water.
Limited service
French Bee has three levels of economy service as well as premium class service. Bee Light is if you are only traveling with a personal item and no other luggage. I went with the Bee Smart economy which includes a personal item, carryon and one checked bag. Bee Flex lets you change your flight without paying a fee.
One of the biggest disadvantages and risks of flying French Bee is that they have limited flights. Since they fly out of Orly, if you miss your flight or the flight is cancelled or delayed, your options are limited, which could leave you stranded or spending a lot more for another flight. I read several reviews of French Bee before booking my flight and this was the number one complaint. I decided to take the risk even though I was flying out on day 90, the last day of my Schengen stay in France.
French Bee has no air miles program, so even though fares are reasonable, you’re always going to be forking over cash.
Was it worth it?
I definitely prefer flying out of Orly over CDG as it’s a smaller and easier to access airport. French Bee is a good option if you don’t have air miles to spend, and for when you need the occasional one-way trip. Their one-way fares are much lower compared to traditional airlines that often charge the same amount for a one-way ticket as a roundtrip ticket. And the airline advertises flights from New York to Paris for as low as $183 one way. However, if I ever fly them again, I will opt for the premium class. When flying economy, I’d rather use my air miles on a more mainstream airline so I have more flight options, comfortable seats and a less claustrophobic experience.
