Air France will fly to 20 cities in the United States next summer, and the two newest are the ones nobody else serves from Paris. On 8 October 2026 the airline announced Paris-Charles de Gaulle to San Diego from 3 May 2027 and to Nashville from 14 May 2027, three times a week each on the Airbus A350-900 — the aircraft that carries Air France’s newest business class, with a sliding door on the latest deliveries. Tickets go on sale on 14 October 2026, which makes this the rare route announcement you can book this week.
Nashville gets flight number AF046, a nod to Dolly Parton’s birth year; San Diego gets a late-morning departure that lands in time for lunch. Here are the schedules, the cabins and the reasons behind two cities Europe’s flag carriers have mostly ignored.
Air France Nashville and San Diego: Key Facts
- Announced: 8 October 2026; tickets on sale 14 October 2026 on airfrance.com
- San Diego: from 3 May 2027, Monday, Wednesday and Friday; AF058 departs Paris-CDG 10:10, arrives San Diego 12:50; AF059 departs 15:10, arrives Paris 11:05 next day
- Nashville: from 14 May 2027, Monday, Wednesday and Friday; AF046 departs Paris-CDG 14:10, arrives Nashville 16:40; AF047 departs 18:55, arrives Paris 10:15 next day
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-900 with Business, Premium and Economy cabins
- Business cabin: 1-2-1, fully flat bed, direct aisle access; Air France’s newest A350s carry the latest business seat with a sliding privacy door and a 4K screen
- Competition: Air France is the only airline flying nonstop from Paris to either city, and the only carrier linking Nashville with continental Europe; KLM also serves San Diego from Amsterdam up to three weekly
- Network: 20 US destinations in summer 2027, from Atlanta to Washington; Paris–Denver does not return, with its last flight on 10 October 2026
- Fares: published at the 14 October sale opening; see below
Why Nashville and San Diego
Both are cities with a European-size premium market and almost no European flights. British Airways flies to Nashville from London; nobody flies there from the continent, and Air France’s hub at Charles de Gaulle gives Tennessee one-stop access to Europe, Africa and Asia with a single Paris connection. San Diego has KLM from Amsterdam and BA from London, and Air France’s timing — a 10:10 departure that lands at 12:50 — is built for leisure travellers heading to La Jolla and the Baja coast rather than for business, which is why the route launches three weekly on the A350 rather than daily on a 777.
The cost of the two new cities is Denver, which Air France drops after 10 October 2026. It is a swap of a competitive hub market for two where the airline flies alone, and it mirrors what SkyTeam partner Delta has done with its own Atlanta network: fly where nobody else does, and charge for it.
The A350 Business Class
The A350-900 is the right aircraft for the job. Air France’s newest business seat — a 1-2-1 with a sliding door, a flat bed and a large screen — flies on its latest A350s today, and it is a generation ahead of the open 2-2-2 cabins still on some of the airline’s older 777s. The Premium cabin behind it is Air France’s recliner product with a leg rest, and the whole aircraft carries Wi-Fi. What you will not get is La Première, which stays on the 777-300ER and is not scheduled for either city.
Tip: with three flights a week on a mid-size aircraft, business class on the launch dates will be thin — if you want a May 2027 seat on either route, book at the 14 October sale opening rather than waiting for a fare drop.
Air France Business, First-Hand Context
I have not flown Air France’s A350 business class and this is a preview. On a westbound daytime transatlantic the comparison I would make is with Etihad’s 787-9, a 1-2-1 seat I rated 3.5 out of 5 — Air France’s door and screen put its hardware ahead, and its wine list has long been one of the strongest on the Atlantic, which is where Etihad lost points with me.
How Much Does It Cost?
Air France publishes fares when sales open on 14 October 2026; business fares on the A350 are dynamic and vary by day of the week, with Flying Blue award seats also priced dynamically. Three weekly frequencies mean fewer sale fares than on daily routes, so compare the Monday, Wednesday and Friday departures before fixing dates.
Flight prices do move between platforms. The same business class seat on the same date is not always the same price on the airline’s own site, Trip.com and Expedia: point-of-sale currency, consolidator fares and what is bundled into the ticket can shift the fare by a few percent — and occasionally by much more on premium cabins booked out of Asia. So before I pay I run the same dates through Aviasales, which scans dozens of booking sites at once, then check Trip.com (often the sharpest on Asian routes) and Expedia (strongest when you add a hotel to the same booking). One caveat: a ticket bought through a booking site is changed or refunded through that site, not the airline, so read the fare rules before you buy.
Two cities nobody else flies from Paris, the A350’s doored business seat, and tickets on sale this week — Air France’s summer 2027 starts now.
Photos © Air France
This preview is based on official announcements — I haven’t flown Air France’s A350 business class yet. Read more about how I review or visit my Work With Me page.
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