Offering several weekly flights to some of France’s favourite vacation destinations, French bee has garnered a host of positive reviews over the past few years, notably for its good value for money. But what’s the deal? Milesopedia takes a closer look.
French bee, a subsidiary of the Dubreuil group, is a French airline specializing in long-haul, low-cost flights. Operating Airbus A350s, it offers good fares to destinations such as the USA, the Caribbean , and South American destinations like Colombia and El Salvador.
Of course, as a low-cost airline – like Transavia France and easyJet – French bee imposes certain concessions on the services it offers. On board, most additional services, such as meals, cabin baggage or checked baggage, are subject to additional charges. This business model enables the company to maintain competitive fares on its long-haul flights, but makes the on-board experience somewhat less pleasant than it is on board an aircraft of larger airlines, such as Air France and Air Canada.
Unlike other low-cost carriers like Ryanair, however, all seats on French bee aircrafts are equipped with individual screens for watching movies and shows.
French bee’s fleet consists exclusively of Airbus A350 XWBs, aircraft introduced into commercial service in January 2015. With three variants – the A350-800, A350-900 and A350-1000 – these aircraft can accommodate between 250 and 440 passengers.
The A350 XWB stands out for its fuel efficiency, reducing fuel consumption by 25% compared with aluminum aircraft currently used on long-haul flights. In addition to its economical performance, it offers enhanced comfort thanks to optimized personal space and 18-inch-wide seats in economy class. So there’s plenty of legroom.
The French low-cost airline currently serves more than forty destinations from Paris-Orly.
From May 2025, French bee will serve Montreal five times a week from Paris-Orly. Prices have not yet been announced, but are expected to be even lower than those offered by Air Transat.
French bee allows its passengers to select the fare best suited to their needs, while offering different levels of flexibility to modify or cancel their flight, as well as a range of additional benefits.
Although some credit cards offer solid travel insurance when you purchase tickets (among our favourites are American Express cards), it’s advisable to choose your fare class carefully when booking. Changing your mind about a flight does not constitute grounds for an admissible claim with insurers.
As French bee is a low-cost airline (like Transavia, Ryanair and easyJet), there are very few free services offered on board, unless you have opted for the higher fare classes, such as Smart and Flex.
Economy class Smart and Flex tickets include one free hot meal, while Premium class Smart and Flex tickets include two free hot meals, with wine and champagne. Unlike Air France, which offers its Premium Economy passengers menus created by top chefs, French bee offers simple, basic meals .
These vary according to the departure airport, but generally include a starter, a hot dish, a piece of cheese, a dessert and a cookie. Juices, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and hot drinks are available at extra cost.
French bee also offers a variety of à la carte meals, from “Gourmet” meat or fish menus to specific options such as gluten-free, vegan, or kosher meals. Prices range from 5 to 30 euros, depending on the destination and type of meal, and can be reserved up to 48 hours before the flight.
There are televisions on board French bee aircraft. In fact, every seat has an individual 25 cm screen for watching movies and TV shows. Note, however, that the choice is rather limited; there are only about twenty movies available.
If you’ve selected the Light fare, don’t forget to bring your own headphones. French bee offers them, but they are sold for 10 euros in a Travel Kit including an inflatable cushion, an eye mask, a fleece blanket, a pair of socks and the headphones. For all other ticket fares, headphones are included.
French bee also offers various packages to obtain wifi inside its aircraft, for a small extra charge:
Passengers opting for the Light option must pay an additional fee to bring baggage, whether carry-on or checked.
Although French bee tickets are already cheaper than those of other major airlines, such as Air France, Air Canada and Lufthansa, there are various ways to save even more, including using Google Flights and by booking directly with the low-cost carrier.
Google Flights is a very effective tool for finding the best airfares. Thanks to its “Explore” function, you can easily (and quickly!) find the most affordable dates.
Contrary to what many travellers may think, there is no ideal day or time to book a flight. Air ticket prices depend mainly on fluctuations in supply and demand.
Google Flights does, however, offer forecasts based on historical data, enabling us to identify periods when fares are most advantageous. It also offers a calendar detailing the most affordable dates.
Fares displayed on third-party booking platforms such as Expedia or Skyscanner are generally comparable to those offered directly on the French bee airline website.
However, it’s worth pointing out that booking directly with the airline often offers significant advantages, especially in the event of a problem. For example, when a flight is cancelled or postponed, intermediaries are sometimes reluctant to assume their responsibilities.
The Covid-19 crisis highlighted this difficulty, with many passengers encountering obstacles in obtaining refunds from third-party platforms.
Unlike low-cost carrier Transavia, which participates in theAir France frequent flyer program Flying Blue, French bee is not associated with any frequent flyer programs.
Nevertheless, the airline does offer the French bee Good Deals card, a dematerialized card you can download onto your phone to receive exclusive deals and promotional offers. However, there’s a catch: to be able to receive the offers, you need to subscribe to the airline’s newsletter.
The experience on board French bee may not be as user-friendly as on board Air France or Air Canada, but its value for money is unbeatable. If you’re planning to travel light, without too much extra baggage, the French airline remains – in our Review – a pleasant (and above all, affordable!) option.
French bee is a subsidiary of Groupe Dubreuil, a French group specializing in distribution and air transport. It is part of the same group as Air Caraïbes, which also offers affordable flights.
Yes, French bee is a low-cost airline, just like Transavia, easyJet and Ryanair. However, we believe that French bee’s flights are more comfortable than those of other low-cost airlines, in part thanks to the individual screens.
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