Air France Paris La Première Menu Gets New Pic Dishes

Published on Jan 13, 2026, 10:46 am CST

6 min read

Key points

Air France updated La Première dining on flights departing Paris, France, with new seasonal dishes created by Anne-Sophie Pic
The refreshed La Première menu has more than 30 creations, with starters and hot mains offered across the first and second meal services
Claire Heitzler continues as the La Première pastry partner, with eight desserts planned, including a warm chocolate fondant style dessert
La Première guests are also slated to see new traditional ice creams and sorbets created by master ice cream maker Philippe Faur
Air France is positioning the changes as part of a broader Paris departure dining program that also includes Business and Premium Economy chef menus

Impact

Best Flights For The New Menu: You only get the full La Première refresh on long haul flights that depart Paris rather than return legs into Paris
Meal Planning And Preferences: Travelers with dietary needs should still request special meals early, and confirm choices in Manage Booking because the menu is seasonal and rotates
Connection And Lounge Timing: Short connections in Paris can compress the onboard dining experience, so travelers chasing the full service should add buffer or pick longer layovers
What Travelers Should Do Now: Verify your departure airport and cabin, note that La Première availability is route limited, and monitor Air France menu pages for rotation details

Air France refreshed its La Première dining service for long haul flights departing Paris, France, adding new seasonal dishes designed by triple Michelin starred French chef Anne Sophie Pic. The update applies to La Première guests leaving from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), and it is structured as an à la carte selection that spans both the first and second meal services on eligible flights. If you are booking specifically for the culinary experience, confirm your flight departs Paris, build enough connection buffer to actually eat on board, and set expectations that menus rotate and can vary by route and catering day.

The change is a practical traveler decision because the Air France La Première menu Paris update is tied to Paris departures, which can influence which direction you route long haul travel, how long you schedule in Paris, and whether you prioritize a nonstop from CDG over a connection elsewhere.

Who Is Affected

The update matters most for travelers booked in La Première on long haul itineraries that originate in Paris, plus travelers who are considering an upgrade, miles redemption, or a paid fare specifically to access the refreshed dining. It also affects passengers on protected itineraries with tight connections at CDG, because the full La Première service is easier to enjoy when your boarding, lounge time, and departure sequence are not compressed by a short inbound connection or a last minute gate change.

Air France frames the refresh as a continuation of a decade long collaboration with Pic, and says the new dishes were developed in close coordination with Servair's Culinary Studio, one of the largest global flight catering operations and a long running Air France partner. That matters operationally because premium cabin dining is constrained by aircraft galley space, reheating limitations, and a supply chain that has to deliver consistent results at scale, even when weather, last minute aircraft swaps, or catering timing disruptions hit a departure bank.

The update also signals a broader Paris departure strategy across cabins. Air France has been rotating chef led menus in Business and Premium Economy on long haul flights leaving Paris, including a Business cabin menu created by chef Régis Marcon, plus additional dessert collaborations that sit alongside the main meal program. If you are not in La Première, the practical takeaway is that Air France's Paris departure flights are the most likely place you will see these chef partnerships concentrated and marketed, while other stations may have different menu structures and partners.

What Travelers Should Do

Act like this is a departure station specific product, not an airline wide guarantee. If your goal is to try Pic's newest dishes, book the long haul segment that departs Paris, and avoid building an itinerary where your Paris segment is a rushed connection that forces you to sleep immediately after takeoff. In practical terms, longer layovers into CDG reduce the chance you board stressed and skip the meal you paid for, and they also give you more options if irregular operations push you to a later flight.

Use decision thresholds when choosing between waiting for a preferred flight versus rebooking. If a disruption or schedule change would flip your itinerary from "departing Paris" to "arriving into Paris," or would downgrade the cabin, treat that as a meaningful product change and push for a re-accommodation that preserves your intended direction and cabin. If you have dietary requirements, allergies, or strong preferences, request them early and then recheck close in, because seasonal rotations and catering substitutions can happen even in premium cabins.

Over the next 24 to 72 hours before departure, monitor the Air France pages and communications tied to your booking, not social reposts of menus. Confirm your aircraft and cabin assignment, confirm whether your flight is still marketed as La Première, and watch for operational emails that indicate catering or service adjustments. If you are adding time in Paris to protect the trip, use a concrete plan for what you will do with the buffer so it does not feel like wasted time, for example a short stopover itinerary anchored around your departure day logistics.

Background

Air France says Pic's La Première starters and hot main dishes are offered across the first and second meal services, with a mix that includes vegetarian options plus fish, poultry, and red meat selections. Examples the airline highlights include roasted parsnips with honey and walnuts, and roasted chicken paired with a spicy mushroom sauce, corn, and grilled polenta. The point for travelers is not the specific dish list, which will rotate, it is the structure: an à la carte approach designed to feel closer to restaurant ordering than a single fixed tray sequence.

Desserts remain a distinct part of the product, and Air France says it is continuing its partnership with pastry chef Claire Heitzler for La Première, with eight desserts planned over coming months, including items like apricot and almond mousse tartlets and a dark chocolate cake, plus a warm chocolate centered dessert that the airline calls a first for on board service. Air France also says La Première guests will soon see a new range of traditional ice creams created by Philippe Faur, including flavors such as Caribbean chocolate, Parisian vanilla, and raspberry sorbet.

The system mechanics behind these partnerships are mostly invisible, but they shape your experience. Air France is working with a major catering operation at its Paris hub, and the airline has also been pushing options that let passengers preselect dishes in some cabins, partly as a food waste and provisioning lever. Even if La Première is not a preselect driven product in the same way, the broader direction signals how airlines try to balance premium consistency with changing seasonal ingredients, last minute load factors, and the realities of producing thousands of meals on a departure bank schedule. If you are extending your trip around a Paris departure, a structured stopover plan can also reduce stress on travel day, and Paris Travel Guide: The Ultimate 7-10 Day First-Timer's Itinerary can help you decide whether to add a longer buffer in the city versus staying airport adjacent.