Here’s How to Fly from the U.S. to Paris for $110, Really
4 min read
Like most Americans, I was glued to my seat for the 19 days the Olympics took over news coverage and my TikTok feed. While I won’t say that watching elite athletes compete motivated me to start my rugby or canoe slalom career, it did have me planning trips to Paris and Tahiti, the island site of the Games’ surfing events.
A quick search found that roundtrip flights from my home airport of San Francisco to Paris averaged $1,746 over the past year, and flights to Papeete, Tahiti came in just under that at $1,535 on average—not really a price I’m able to pay if I want to have money for snorkeling excursions and daily baguettes.
Look beyond the traditional long-haul carriers, and you’ll find the airline industry’s cost-saving secret—low-cost airlines like French bee. This airline offers one-way tickets from Newark to Paris-Orly starting at $110, San Francisco to Tahiti at $302, and Miami to Paris at $275, making a trip to these Olympics-inspired places less expensive. It can keep prices low because of its a la carte pricing model, letting you pay for just what you’ll actually use.
I’ve flown French bee to both Paris and Tahiti—it was comparable to flying on United or American Airlines, and much better than other budget carriers like Spirit or Frontier. I especially appreciated the airline’s highly customizable booking experience.
French bee offers nonstop flights between Paris-Orly and Newark, Miami, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, as well as to Papeete, Tahiti from San Francisco. If you have some flexibility in your travel plans, you’ll have the best chance of booking the lowest fares. Head to the airline’s low-fare calendar to see when the cheapest flights are available. You won’t find daily flights on French bee, but plenty of options are available.
The cheapest tickets will be in the economy section, with two fare options: Basic and Smart. Basic fares include a carry-on bag up to 26 pounds. Smart fares get you an additional 50-pound checked bag and an in-flight meal.
Within the economy section, you can sit in the larger area toward the back of the plane or pay a little extra (starting at $45) for a seat in the “Cozy Cabin.” Having sat in both areas of economy, I would recommend the Cozy Cabin, as it had fewer rows, and I found the service more attentive. You also have easier access to a restroom from this section, which is essential for a long flight.
There’s no first or business class on French bee. Premium is the highest level of service, adding on a second checked bag, a snack, and complimentary beverage service.
Premium tickets also get extra legroom (36 inches versus 32 in economy) and a footrest. Priority boarding and luggage delivery are included in this fare class. The 2-3-2 Premium seating layout works well for couples (economy is 3-4-3).
How a la carte pricing works
French bee’s highly customizable booking experience lets you keep your budget in check. If you want to select an extra checked bag or priority boarding but don’t need all the other extras, you can purchase those services individually, even on a Basic ticket. You might want to add priority baggage service for $20 if you have a tight connection.
Looking for a way to relax before your Paris departure? Purchase airport lounge access for $55. I used the French bee airport lounge at Paris-Orly, and while not as impressive as the massive lounges of other international carriers like the Turkish Airlines lounge in Istanbul, this lounge offered plenty of seating, a view of the tarmac, and a few tasty hot dishes like chicken tikka masala.
The cost for some of these amenities, like checked baggage, increases when you add them within 48 hours of flight time, so it’s best to reserve them when you book or at least a few days out from departure.
All classes of service on French bee include in-flight entertainment and a power outlet with a USB port. My kids especially enjoyed being able to watch the live feed of the plane’s nose camera.
What it’s actually like on the flight
When traveling with a small carrier like French bee, you’ll want to remember that there will be fewer agents available at check-in, and things might move slower than you are used to with the bigger airlines. We arrived for our Paris flight at the time suggested by the airline, but the check-in counter wasn’t even open, and we had to wait while nearby Air France counters were fully staffed.
When flying on the San Francisco to Tahiti route, the plane arrives from Paris, and Paris passengers continuing on to Tahiti must go through customs and immigration before re-boarding the plane. We boarded the plane at the anticipated time but had to wait for these passengers to return before we could depart, causing a 90-minute delay in our departure time, which is less than ideal when starting your journey. I would have preferred to wait at the gate.
While these delays were a bit stressful at the moment, the flight experience itself was on par with an economy ticket on other airlines. You won’t get the flying chef experience of Turkish Airlines’ business class. Still, they offer a number of different meal choices (reservable in advance), including options for kids—and you can never go wrong with mini éclairs.
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