Air France to add Seattle/Paris nonstop flights next March

Air France will restart Seattle to Paris nonstop service next spring, six years after handing the popular route over to code-share partner Delta Airlines in 2012.

Starting March, 25, 2018, Air France will fly between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, five days a week, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays in Boeing 777-200 aircraft.

The new service will be in addition to a daily flight offered by Delta, meaning Seattle will have two flights a day and two airlines from which to choose. The competition can expect to impact fares and hopefully service, with Delta faced with finding ways to match Air France's reputation for food, wines, seat comfort and overall ambience. Atlanta-based Delta has a huge base of operations in Seattle, and recently opened a new Sky Club at the airport. 

The Air France flight will leave Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 1:30 p.m., arriving the same day in Seattle at 2:20 p.m. The flight will depart Seattle at 4:30 p.m., arriving in Paris the next day at 11:10 a.m. 

Delta's flight leaves Seattle at 1:11 p.m., arriving in Paris at 8:20 a.m. the following morning. It returns at 10:10 a.m., arriving in Seattle at 11:51 p.m.

Flight time for Air France will be around 9.5 hours, slightly less than Delta's 10-hour flight aboard Airbus A 330 aircraft.

Sea-Tac one has been one of the fastest growing U.S. large hub airports for the past three years. Between 2015 and 2016, international traffic increased by more than 11 percent. Since 2007, 14 new international carriers have come to Seattle which now offers nonstop service to 26 international destinations.

Construction started earlier this year on a new international arrivals facility,  scheduled to open in late 2019. The facility will double passenger capacity and reduce connection times. Gates capable of serving international wide body airplanes will increase from 12 to 20.