Smokers Asked to Step Up to the Bar

Air France is offering what it contends is the airline industry’s only “smoker’s bars” on regularly scheduled flights.

The bars are installed on Boeing 747-400, Airbus A340 and Boeing 767 international flights to France from various U.S. airports, including Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. The areas are enclosed by drapes and ventilated by smoke-extracting fans, an airline spokesman said.

The bars, one each for first class/business and for economy, replace separate seating sections for smokers and nonsmokers; smoking is allowed only in the stand-up bars, which have no seating. In first-class and business, the area has a self-service wet bar and snacks; in economy, soft drinks.

The airline has introduced the bars to flights serving six airports over the last year. The latest, Newark, was added last month.