How we know: Sources are listed at the end. Route, fleet and fare-structure facts come from the cited references; the product description is general, not a Wildly test. Live fares are on the route pages.
French Bee is the low-cost long-haul arm of the Dubreuil group (sister to Air Caraïbes), flying new Airbus A350s between Paris Orly and four US cities. The catch is the usual one for the category: the headline fare buys a seat and little else, and Orly is not Charles de Gaulle. Neither is a deal-breaker if you know going in.
Routes and fleet
French Bee flies Paris Orly to Newark (since 2021), San Francisco (2018), Los Angeles (2022) and Miami (2022), with the Los Angeles service seasonal (French Bee; Orly Airport). The fleet is all-A350 (four A350-900s and two A350-1000s as of mid-2026), which matters: the A350 is quiet, has a lower cabin altitude and larger windows than older long-haul jets, and the aircraft are young.
Fares and what they include
Economy is sold in tiers from Light to Flex, each adding services; Premium has its own tiers. Seat selection, checked baggage, lounge access and expedited security are charged separately on the lower tiers (French Bee). The comparison that matters is the tier that includes the bag you need against a full-service carrier's basic economy on the same dates, from the same city.
Premium on French Bee is a wide recliner seat with meals included, positioned as a premium economy rather than business class.
The Orly factor
Orly is south of Paris and about as convenient for the city centre as CDG: Orlyval plus RER B, the Metro line 14 extension, or a taxi at a fixed fare. What it lacks is connections. Air France's long-haul network and most partner flights operate from CDG, so if your final destination is elsewhere in Europe, a French Bee fare to Orly plus a separate onward ticket carries all the usual separate-ticket risk. For a Paris-only trip, Orly is no disadvantage.
When French Bee wins
- Paris is the destination, not a connection.
- You can travel light or are happy to pay for one bag.
- You are flying from Newark, San Francisco, Miami or Los Angeles. Competition on those pairs is real: Air France and Delta, plus United from Newark and American from Miami; French Bee's presence keeps everyone's basic fares honest. See Newark to Paris, SFO to Paris, Miami to Paris and LAX to Paris.
- You value a new A350 over frequent-flyer earning.
When it does not
- You are connecting onward in Europe on another airline.
- You need flexibility; changes and refunds on the cheap tiers are restrictive.
- Your dates are peak (summer, Christmas), when full-service fares are sometimes close enough that the included bag and meal tip the balance.
- Frequent-flyer status matters to you; French Bee is outside the alliances.
Reliability and risk
French Bee has operated since 2016 and is part of a larger group, which puts it on firmer ground than the standalone low-cost long-haul start-ups that have failed. It is still a small fleet: a technical problem can mean a long delay rather than a rebooking on the next departure. Insurance and a day's buffer before anything important are sensible.
How to compare
- Price the French Bee tier that includes the bag you need.
- Price Air France, Delta, United and American basic economy from the same city, all Paris airports.
- Add the cost of getting from Orly versus CDG to where you are staying (usually similar).
- Anchor to the current fare on the route page and set a price alert.
FAQ
Is French Bee a good airline? For a Paris-only trip with light luggage, yes: new A350s, low fares, and a sensible product. It is not a network airline.
Which Paris airport does French Bee use? Orly (ORY), south of the city.
Does French Bee include a checked bag? Not on the lowest tier; bags are an add-on or included in higher tiers.