This new Phoenix flight was just named the sexiest. Here's why
Cranky Flier, a consumer air travel blog, crowned Air France's flight between Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport the sexiest new long-haul airline route in its 2025 Cranky Network Awards. The awards honor the best in airline network planning.
"As Arizona's largest economic engine, Phoenix Sky Harbor plays a key role in driving economic growth, and the Paris-Phoenix route strengthens our international presence," Phoenix Aviation Director Chad Makovsky said in a statement. "This important partnership will continue bringing more visitors and business opportunities to our region."
Air France debuted the Phoenix-Paris flights in May 2024, drawing 7,249 passengers last year, data from Sky Harbor showed. Flights run three days a week, but will be expanded in May to five days a week and fly on a larger, 324-seat aircraft, in time for the summer travel season and the one-year anniversary of the route's launch.
What set the Phoenix-Paris route apart was how Phoenix and Paris are desirable, world-class destinations that are on many travelers' bucket lists, Cranky Flier's president and self-described "Chief Airline Dork" Brett Snyder told The Arizona Republic.
He cited Phoenix's Sonoran Desert location and proximity to Sedona, the Grand Canyon and "other natural beauty that can't be seen anywhere else in the world."
Paris speaks for itself because "everyone wants to see Paris at least once in their lives" for its culture, city sights and museums, Snyder said.
"But beyond that, this opens up so many other destinations with a single stop from Phoenix that can't easily be served today," he said. "The only other long-haul flights to Europe from Phoenix are on American and British Airways to London, and Heathrow is very crowded, so it can't serve many of the places that Air France now connects through Paris."
Four destinations Snyder said Arizonans can connect to via the Air France route to Paris include Bordeaux, a region of France famous for its wine; Tangier, a port city in Morocco; Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar; and Réunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean.
Flights had to meet these criteria to be considered for the sexiest long-haul route:
The route was announced during the 2024 calendar year.
The route is at least 3,000 miles long. (The distance between Sky Harbor and Paris is about 5,500 miles.)
The route must touch the Americas north of the equator on at least one end, which is the geography for the awards in general.
After that, it's based on the opinions of Snyder and the awards' co-presenter, Courtney Miller, founder and managing director of the aviation data company Visual Approach Analytics.
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After Snyder and Miller narrowed the field and debated each route, they made a shortlist of five routes.
While Phoenix-Paris emerged the victor, these other flights were in the running:
United Airlines' route from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to Madeira, a Portuguese island known for its namesake wine. Snyder said Madeira is not a common destination from the U.S.
Air Canada's route from Vancouver to Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
Delta Air Lines' route from New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Catania, on the east coast of Sicily. The Mediterranean island experienced surging interest from travelers after it was featured as the setting for the second season of the HBO series "The White Lotus."
Alaska Airlines' route from Seattle Tacoma International Airport to Tokyo's Narita International Airport. Snyder said that while other airlines fly nonstop from Seattle to Tokyo, this route stands out for being Alaska's first long-haul route from Seattle, "which is sexy in its own right."
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Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who's covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic's consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: This Phoenix flight was named the sexiest. Here's why
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