Centurion who? The New Air France Lounge at CDG

I’ll have to admit I’ve been a bit spoiled with the Centurion Lounge product offered by American Express. Recent crowding issues aside, other lounges always seem to be a step short in offering the level of amenities afforded to elite American Express card holders. In my experience, the carefully curated experiences can often be the most refreshing part of a journey — figuratively and literally. It’s meant that other lounges have had to step up their game in order to provide something as compelling. So when I stepped into the new Air France lounge in the 2F terminal at CDG my expectations were elevated.

The first thing that strikes me about the new lounge is the sheer size and space of it. Compared to most of the lounges I’ve experienced its obvious the designer, Mathieu Lehanneur, set out to create an expansive and airy space. This is a welcome sight in the time of COVID. We were able to find plenty of space on the upper level to stretch out and social distance. On the way back to the US from this trip we also stopped in the 2E lounge and it was so packed and tight there was a lady letting her lap dog urinate on the floor 4 feet from where kids were running around. Not a good look. So bright and open spaces in new lounges are a welcome sight.

As far as amenities this lounge also has many of the things that make a layover almost welcomed. And that’s saying a lot in CDG which I feel is one of the worst airports on Earth. We made it to the airport relatively early so the food options weren’t opulent but serviceable. They’re were yogurts, cheeses, quiche, vegetable options and deli meats available. As the airport started to wake up a bit more they brought out a couple of more options like a beef stew and bean salad. Supposedly there are more curated dining options throughout the say but we weren’t able to check those out this time. In addition to the food there were also house whites and reds as well as champagne available. Carbonated drinks and beer were also on deck and there was a nicely equipped spirits bar upstairs that was stocked with fresh ice throughout the morning. If airport rules apply and drinking is your thing this new lounge is a great place to be. There is also a spa onsite and my ultimate travel luxury — showers! Being fully laden for a 14 day trip with clothing and camera equipment, batteries, etc. meant I’d worked up a good sweat getting from our arrival gate from transatlantic flight to our connecting gate to Nice.

The showers were quite nice.

All in all this was a great lounge to spend time in. There is a ton of space to breath and relax without worry of tripping over a small child or being in too close a proximity to fellow travelers. With good food and plenty to drink as well as all the comforts of the road like spas and showers that make traveling even more enjoyable I’m really happy to see the lounge wars really starting to inspire more thoughtful and comfortable options.