Jaunted

The cover photo of a rocky shoreline in Greece looks blurry at first glance. Closer inspection reveals that it's really just the water (and lack of contrast) that creates that effect, but the image still lacks the "pop" of the glossy covers you see on the racks at JFK. Similarly, the cover is almost devoid of text, with just four words beside the title: Grece (sic), Kentridge, Helsinki, Beijing. This I appreciate, because I don't like a cluttered design, but it would be much more powerful with a stronger photo. Fortunately, the art on the inside pages is much better.

Like most in-flights, there's a trend-spotting section in the front of the book, but this one has a definite emphasis on fine art, with items on a Philippe Parreno retrospective at the Pompidou, a Miró show at Fondation Maeght, and an anti-art show called Fluxus at Passage Deretz. Two impressive literature pages manage to avoid the mention of Dan Brown and do a nice job reviewing a new series of guidebooks and travel narratives. And a music column actually schooled me to three bands I had never heard of, I Monster, We Have Band, and Aufgang. Elsewhere, there were items on environmental efforts in Britain, the new Zaha Hadid-designed Maxxi Museum in Rome, and the comeback of Detroit. I don't know about that last one, but it's all interesting stuff.

The feature well is similarly rich in content. The Helsinki story reminds me of my own weekend trips there while I was living in Latvia, pointing out the city's Art Nouveau architecture, abundant public parks, and trendy design shops that can make tree-stump tables somehow look futuristic. A collection of aerial photos of Namibia, meanwhile, made me desperately want to visit, achieving the goal of every travel mag.

As for the route map, one of my favorite sections, this one was nothing to write home about, just a few two-tone maps with dots and city names, but it's still fun to try to pronounce all the African capitals.

In conclusion, I'd say Air France magazine is a winner. It's a robust collection of highbrow culture, with excellent photography, decent design, and a healthy embrace of negative space. Some of the English translations are a little funny, but things always sound nicer in French anyway. It's an enjoyable way to pass a transatlantic flight, and well-worth stuffing in your carry-on for poolside reading at your destination.

[Photo: Victor Ozols]

Related Stories:
· Air France Magazine [Official Site]
· In-Flight Magazines [Jaunted]