PARIS- Air France (AF) has rejected claims that passenger misconduct led to the permanent closure of the sauna at its business class lounge in Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) Terminal 2E Hall L. The airline says the facility was closed due to low passenger usage and its strategy of standardizing lounge services across Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
The clarification follows widespread attention after an earlier report cited comments from a lounge manager who allegedly linked the closure to inappropriate passenger behavior. Air France maintains that operational considerations, rather than misconduct, were behind the decision, Live and Let’s Fly reported exclusively.
Air France Explains Why the Sauna Closed
Air France stated that the men’s and women’s saunas at its Hall L lounge were permanently closed in September 2025 because relatively few passengers used them. According to the airline, the decision also supports its broader effort to offer a consistent range of premium services across its lounges at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Instead of sauna facilities, the airline continues to provide complimentary 20-minute Clarins spa treatments, shower facilities, and dedicated relaxation areas for eligible passengers waiting for their flights.
The airline’s official statement directly disputes reports suggesting that inappropriate passenger activity was the reason behind the closure.
Conflicting Accounts Spark Debate
The controversy began after a traveler reported that an Air France lounge manager said the sauna had been permanently closed because passengers had been using the facility inappropriately.
According to that account, the conversation occurred after the traveler noticed the sauna marked as “staff only” during a visit to the Hall L lounge. When asked whether the closure was temporary, the manager reportedly confirmed that it was permanent and suggested that passengers had been engaging in activities that should not have taken place inside the facility.
The report gained significant attention online, prompting Air France to publicly issue its own explanation.
While the airline has firmly denied the misconduct claim, the original report maintains that the explanation came directly from an Air France employee rather than from online forums or third-party sources.
Operational Reasons May Have Influenced the Decision
Although Air France attributes the closure to low usage and service standardization, some observers believe multiple factors could have contributed to the final decision.
Running a sauna involves ongoing operating expenses that extend beyond the initial construction costs. Electricity consumption, routine cleaning, equipment inspections, maintenance, and staffing all add to the cost of keeping the facility operational.
If passenger demand declined over time, Air France may have concluded that maintaining the sauna no longer justified those continuing expenses.
At the same time, any isolated incidents involving misuse could have increased operational challenges, even if they were not the official reason for the closure. Air France has not indicated that passenger misconduct played any role in its decision.
Hall L Lounge Once Featured Premium Wellness Facilities
When Air France opened the renovated Hall L lounge in 2018, the wellness area became one of its standout attractions.
The airline promoted the facility as the largest wellness area within its lounge network, covering approximately 550 square meters. The private saunas were presented as a premium amenity designed to distinguish the lounge from other Air France facilities.
Over the years, however, the airline shifted greater emphasis toward spa treatments, shower suites, and quiet relaxation spaces that are now available across several of its premium lounges.
The removal of the sauna means one of the lounge’s most distinctive features has disappeared, bringing its amenities more in line with other Air France lounges at Paris Charles de Gaulle.
Website Information Creates Additional Confusion
Another point of discussion is the inconsistency between Air France’s public statements and some of its digital information.
While the passenger-facing lounge page no longer lists the sauna as an available amenity, other sections of the airline’s website have continued to reference the facility. Reports also indicate that the lounge’s Wi-Fi landing page still mentions the sauna among the available services.
These inconsistencies have created confusion for travelers who expect the published amenities to accurately reflect what is currently available inside the lounge.
Updating all customer-facing information would help eliminate uncertainty and ensure passengers receive consistent information before their visit.
Bottom Line
Air France says the Hall L sauna at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) was permanently closed because of low passenger usage and a broader effort to standardize lounge amenities across its network. The airline has categorically denied that passenger misconduct was responsible for the decision.
The differing explanations have fueled debate, but Air France’s official position remains unchanged. Regardless of the reason, the sauna is no longer available, marking the end of one of the Hall L lounge’s most distinctive premium features.
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