We’ve just opened our new First Class/VIP and Business Class lounge at Washington-Dulles airport and it features one the best bars in town. Opening the new lounge is just another way we’re showing our dedication to the Beltway community – and have been doing so for the past 46 years.

Air France has a long storied relationship with the local Washington community, which is why Air France has two daily flights and the honor of being one of only 5 gateways in the US with the exclusive La Première service. In fact, Washington has been our ‘first’ many times since we arrived on April 1, 1964. Air France was flying the Concorde out of Washington before New York, our first Airbus 310s and 330s were operated out of Washington, and now they are the first to have our new bar lounge concept outside of France.

The official opening of the lounge was a resounding success with not only our passengers for the day in attendance, but top clients, journalists and of course all of our JV colleagues from Delta and Alitalia were present as well as Washington Metro Airport Authority Officials. The big honor was that the Ambassadors of France and the Netherlands were in attendance and helped our Air France KLM Station Manager Etienne Dailly and myself cut the ribbon as of course all KLM passengers will be welcomed in the lounge as well.

Back to the bar, we like to think that it’s one of the coolest new bars in Washington, it just happens to be in our brand-new lounge at Washington-Dulles airport. Featuring our signature red, from ground-to-ceiling, stocked full of top shelf libations to choose from and staffed by a full-time bartender – it is a sight to behold.

Don’t take my word for it, hear what the venerable Washington Post has to say:  

Air France lounge is so fly

In the generic pantheon of airport lounges, the new Air France VIP and Business Class Lounge at Washington Dulles stands out for a few reasons: It’s light, airy and pours good champagne.

The sleek lounge opened June 17 in Terminal A and is free for business and first-class passengers. The retro-style decor boasts pale gray leather furniture with splashes of red, floor-to-ceiling windows and pale wood paneling. Passengers can refresh themselves with showers, a free, fully stocked bar (with bartender) and classic Gallic snacks, such as ham and butter sandwiches, cheese and fresh bread, and sweets.

The lounge is a work in progress, with no Internet access or computers as yet. Still, compared with most in-transit waiting rooms, Air France possesses a certain je ne sais quoi. But perhaps that’s the Nicolas Feuillatte champagne.

Song of the Day: Mike Posner – “Cooler Than Me”