Air France compensation: €250 to €600 for delays, cancellations and overbooking
Almost every Air France journey runs through Paris, so a single late arrival at Charles de Gaulle can wreck an onward trip to Africa, Canada or the Caribbean. We have already handled claims for more than 300 Air France passengers, covering late arrivals, last-minute cancellations and passengers left behind at the gate. Depending on the distance, you could be owed €250, €400 or €600 per person.
Air France is headquartered at Roissypôle in Tremblay-en-France, on the Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport site, which makes it a European airline. Regulation (EC) 261/2004 therefore applies to its flights leaving the EU and also to Air France flights into Europe from Montréal, Algiers, Cotonou or any other non-EU country.
Delayed flight
You reach your final destination at least 3 hours late, including after a missed connection in Paris.
3+ hours on arrivalCancelled flight
Air France told you less than 14 days before departure and the replacement does not meet the time limits in the Regulation.
Under 14 days' noticeOverbooking
The flight was oversold and you were left on the ground despite a confirmed booking and turning up on time.
Payable straight awayWhen it is not owed
When Air France proves extraordinary circumstances, such as a French air traffic control strike or heavy snow closing Charles de Gaulle.
Extraordinary circumstancesEnter your departure airport, arrival airport and date, and you will know in 2 minutes. Check your Air France flight.
How much Air France pays: amounts on the routes we claim most
The amount is fixed and has nothing to do with your cabin class or fare: it depends only on the distance from your departure airport to your final destination. These are the Air France routes that appear most often in our claims.
| Flight distance | Air France routes we claim most | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | Calvi–Paris, Algiers–Paris | €250 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | Athens–Paris | €400 |
| Intra-EU flights over 3,500 km | Paris–Guadeloupe, Paris–Martinique, Paris–Réunion | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km | Montréal–Paris, Paris–Cotonou | €600 |
Compensation is paid per passenger. A family of four landing in Paris from Montréal 5 hours late can claim €2,400 in total, and children with their own seat receive the same as adults. On our form, enter the flight once and add the other passengers on the booking.
Air France flight delayed: what to do at the airport
Around half of the Air France claims we receive are about delays. A typical case is a short flight into Paris that arrives late, so the long-haul connection leaves without you and the next option is the following day. What counts is the time the first aircraft door opens at your final destination. Meanwhile:
- Keep every boarding pass, including the digital ones in the Air France app.
- Screenshot app alerts and rebooking emails: they show the times and sometimes the reason for the delay.
- Ask the transfer desk at Charles de Gaulle for written confirmation of your new flight if you miss a connection.
- Keep receipts for food and transport: if you were not given meal vouchers or a hotel, you can claim the costs back.
- Do not swap compensation for a voucher or Flying Blue Miles before checking what you would get in cash.
The care Air France owes you while you wait
On top of any compensation, Air France must provide meals and refreshments and, if you are stuck overnight, a hotel with transfers. The thresholds depend on the flight distance.
| Flight distance | Care from |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | 2 hours |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km | 4 hours |
| Delay of 5 hours or more | You can abandon the trip and get a refund |
Missed connection at Paris-Charles de Gaulle
On a single ticket such as Nice–Paris–Montréal, if the first delay means you reach Canada 3 hours or more late, compensation is based on the full distance: €600 in this case. With two separate tickets, each flight is assessed on its own. More on our page about Air France delay compensation.
Air France flight cancelled: refund, rebooking and compensation
Cancellations account for more than 3 in 10 of our Air France claims. Being rebooked or refunded does not settle the question of compensation.
Always due after a cancellation: you choose between your money back and another flight, possibly with a different airline.
Added on top when you had less than 14 days' notice and there were no extraordinary circumstances.
| Air France's notice | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 14 days or more | Not due, but you keep the refund or a new flight |
| 7 to 13 days | Due, unless the replacement leaves no more than 2 hours early and arrives less than 4 hours late |
| Under 7 days | Due, unless the replacement leaves no more than 1 hour early and arrives less than 2 hours late |
Retimed flight. If Air France moved your flight by several hours a few days before departure, the EU Court of Justice may treat it as a cancellation. Already refunded? Check whether compensation is due as well. Full details on our page about Air France cancelled flight compensation.
Air France overbooking: more common than you might think
Denied boarding is far from rare in our Air France files: about 14 in 100 claims. It mostly happens on busy flights where more tickets were sold than seats. If you are kept off the aircraft against your will, compensation is due immediately, plus a replacement flight or a refund.
Nothing is owed if you were turned away for invalid documents, for example a missing travel authorisation for Canada, or for reaching the gate after it closed. Not sure which applies? Ask us. See also our guide to Air France overbooking and denied boarding.
Air France strike or French air traffic control strike: the difference matters
Industrial action is common in French aviation, and who walks out makes all the difference. If Air France pilots, cabin crew or other staff strike, compensation is normally due, because the EU Court of Justice treats a strike by an airline's own employees as part of its normal business (case C-28/20). A strike by French air traffic controllers, however, is an extraordinary circumstance: no compensation, but you keep the right to care and to a refund or rerouting.
Air France rejected your claim? The most common reasons
Air France's replies often blame an outside cause. That reason does not always stand up: here is how we assess it.
Faults and maintenance checks are part of an airline's ordinary operations. The only exception is a hidden manufacturing defect flagged by the manufacturer or the authorities.
EU Court of Justice, case C-549/07If it involves Air France staff, compensation is normally due. If it involves air traffic control, it is not.
EU Court of Justice, case C-28/20Delay built up on the same aircraft's earlier flights is not extraordinary in itself, unless Air France proves an extraordinary event at the root of it.
Snow, fog or reduced slots at Charles de Gaulle can be extraordinary, provided they really caused your delay. We check conditions and timings before giving you an answer.
Flights operated by Air France Hop or sold under the AF code
Air France is part of the Air France-KLM group. Many regional flights in France and Europe are operated by group subsidiary Air France Hop: nothing changes for you and the claim still goes to Air France. Some AF-coded flights, particularly to and from Corsica, may be operated by Air Corsica under the agreements between the two airlines. In that case the operating carrier owes the compensation, but you only need to give us the flight as it appears on your ticket.
Caribbean, French Guiana and Réunion: Air France flights inside the EU
Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Réunion are part of the European Union. Air France flights between Paris and these overseas departments, concentrated at Charles de Gaulle since spring 2026, therefore count as intra-EU flights.
- they are covered in both directions
- even though they exceed 3,500 km, compensation is €400 per passenger
How to claim from Air France: on your own or with us
You can claim directly using the form in the Claims section of Air France's customer service website, giving your ticket number or booking reference and the flight details. This is what changes if you hand it to us.
It costs nothing, but the correspondence and any rejection are yours to handle. If Air France will not pay, you can go to the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed (the CAA for flights from the UK) or to court, at your own expense.
Fill in the form in 2 minutes and sign online. We take care of the claim, the formal demand and, if needed, court action with our own lawyers. You only pay if you get paid: 25% + VAT. Legal costs are on us, even if the case is lost.
If Air France has already rejected your claim
Already written to Air France and been turned down? Send us the booking and the reply: if the refusal is unfounded, we start again with a formal demand.
Documents to have ready
- Ticket or boarding passFor connecting flights, one for each leg.
- Passport or IDFor every passenger, including children.
- Air France messagesCancellation or rebooking emails, app notifications and expense receipts.
How long you have to claim from Air France
Regulation 261/2004 does not set a deadline: the law of the country where you bring the claim decides, as the EU Court of Justice made clear (case C-139/11). So the time limit is not the same everywhere. Flight was a while ago? Enter the date and we will tell you if you are still in time.
How long Air France compensation takes
If Air France accepts the claim, payment usually arrives within a few weeks. If it refuses, a formal demand and sometimes court action are needed, adding a few months. As soon as Air France pays, we transfer your share to you.
Lost or damaged luggage with Air France
Luggage falls under the Montreal Convention, not Regulation 261/2004. With a connection at Charles de Gaulle, bags sometimes miss the transfer: before leaving the reclaim hall, file a Property Irregularity Report (PIR). Then send your claim to Air France within 7 days for damage and within 21 days of delivery for a delayed bag.
Air France contact details and flight status
- Head office
- Air France, Roissypôle, Tremblay-en-France (Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport), France
- Complaints
- Form in the Claims section of Air France customer service online
- Flight status
- Air France app or official website
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