Air France has permanently closed one of the more unusual amenities at its Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport lounge, following reports that passengers had been using its private sauna for inappropriate activities, including alleged sexual encounters.
The French flag carrier’s Business lounge in Terminal 2E, Hall L, originally featured two private saunas as part of a 550-square-metre wellness area when the redesigned facility opened in 2018. The saunas have now disappeared from the airline’s current list of amenities and the former entrance has reportedly been converted into a staff-only area.
The closure was revealed by aviation website Live and Let’s Fly, whose founder Matthew Klint discovered during a recent visit that the sauna signs had disappeared and the door was locked with a “Staff Only” sign.
After a member of staff confirmed the facility was “finished”, Klint asked a lounge manager whether the closure was temporary. According to his account, the manager confirmed it was permanent and explained that passengers had been “doing things in there that they should not have”.
Reports point to sexual activity
The manager did not explicitly describe what passengers had been doing, but Live and Let’s Fly reported that his reaction when asked to elaborate left little doubt that he was referring to sexual activity.
The story has since been picked up by other media, including Portuguese broadcaster SIC, which reported that inappropriate behaviour by passengers was one of the main reasons behind the permanent closure.
There is, however, an important distinction between the reported conversation with the lounge manager and Air France’s official position. The airline has not publicly confirmed that passengers were having sex in the sauna, nor has it issued a statement saying sexual activity was the reason for closing it.
The allegation therefore remains based on Live and Let’s Fly’s account of its conversation with an Air France lounge manager rather than an official statement from the carrier.
Too much privacy?
The sauna was one of the most distinctive features of Air France’s premium ground experience at Charles de Gaulle. Its facilities included a private changing room, a large walk-in shower and a wood-panelled sauna capable of accommodating several people.
Despite its size, the entire suite could be used privately, something that made it particularly attractive for passengers wanting to relax before a flight or during a connection.
That privacy, however, may ultimately have contributed to its disappearance.
Air France’s current information for the Hall L Business lounge continues to promote a range of wellness facilities, including showers, relaxation areas and complimentary Clarins treatments, but the sauna is no longer listed.
The disappearance leaves considerably fewer opportunities for frequent flyers looking to sweat between flights. Finnair continues to advertise a traditional Finnish sauna in its Platinum Wing at Helsinki Airport, available to eligible passengers travelling through the non-Schengen area.
