French low-cost carrier Transavia inaugurates its lounge in Paris-Orly

Speaking during the presentation, Julien Mallard, Deputy CEO Commercial, described the initiative as a defining milestone for the airline’s evolution.

“We’re proud to present this new Transavia offer, which completes all the work put in place for the transfer of domestic flights from summer 2026,” he said. “Internally, we’ve been talking about ‘Orly 26’ for months. It’s a major step in Transavia’s transformation.”

Orly becomes increasingly central to strategy
The expansion follows the transfer of slots from Air France to Transavia at Orly, positioning the low-cost carrier as a dominant player at the airport. Since the start of the summer 2026 season, Transavia now operates more than 50% of movements at Orly.

The airline has then diversify its range of services. The new offer is built out a network designed to cover a wide range of travel needs—from same-day domestic business trips to weekend European breaks and longer Mediterranean holidays.

Key domestic routes such as Paris–Nice and Paris–Toulouse have become flagship services, with up to 8 daily frequencies targeting frequent travellers.

Mallard said customer feedback played a central role in shaping the new offer, particularly from former Air France passengers and competitors’ customers.

Among the key changes is enhanced flexibility. Passengers on higher fare bundles (“Max” fare) can now change flights free of charge on the day of departure—a feature proving popular on high-frequency routes.

“This flexibility is essential for customers traveling for short trips,” Mallard noted. “Meetings can end earlier or later, and they want the ability to adapt.”

Transavia “Max” fare passengers benefit also of priority check-in, fast-track security, and priority boarding.

Seamless airport experience
Operational improvements at Orly and regional airports such as Nice, Toulouse, Marseille, and Montpellier ensure aircraft are parked at contact stands, minimizing transfer time. “ The goal is a seamless journey—from fast track to boarding to arrival,” Mallard said.

In a move that signals the shift in its exclusive low-cost model in the past, the dedicated lounge at Orly, repurposed from a former Air France space, is indeed positioning Transavia as an airline understanding the needs of business travellers.

The lounge offers work areas, relaxation zones, and an upgraded food and beverage selection, with an emphasis on fresh, local products and sustainability—no single-use plastics and carefully managed portions to reduce waste.

Access is included for MAX fare passengers and top-tier Flying Blue members. Other travellers can purchase entry starting at €40, with discounted rates of €20 for elite loyalty members.

“We’re seeing strong interest in this type of product,” Mallard said. “It may seem unusual for a low-cost airline, but it aligns with evolving customer expectations.”

While lounge access is already available through partner facilities in regional airports, Orly serves as a testing ground for Transavia’s own branded experience.

Future expansion to other airports could be a possibility as well as expanding the access of the Orly facility to passengers flying internationally.

“It will all depend on customer uptake. Our priority is for now to deliver a quality experience for our core domestic passengers,” Mallard added. “We’ll assess how this evolves before going further.”