Air France compensation: how to claim
Air France is registered in France, so it counts as an EU carrier and its flights are covered in both directions.
- Registered in
- France (EU carrier)
- Main bases
- Paris (CDG), Paris (ORY)
- Typical first response
- About 45 days
- Time limit where it is based
- 5 years (France)
Air France is registered in France, so it counts as an EU carrier and its flights are covered in both directions.
- Departing an EU airport: covered by EU261.
- Departing a UK airport: covered by UK261.
- Arriving in the EU from outside Europe: covered by EU261, because Air France is an EU carrier.
- Arriving in the UK from outside Europe: covered by UK261, which also protects arrivals on EU carriers.
How Air France handles claims
Air France flies to Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana. These are EU outermost regions, so Paris to Réunion is an INTRA-EU flight of over 9,000 km — which puts it in the €400 band, not €600. Most claim tools get this wrong in the passenger’s favour and then look wrong when the airline pays less.
France allows five years to bring a claim, which is generous, and the DGAC is the national enforcement body.
Charles de Gaulle has recurring air traffic control industrial action, which genuinely is an extraordinary circumstance when it is the controllers striking. A strike by Air France’s own staff is not, and the two get conflated in rejection letters.
Their first response is often slow and generic. A dated letter with a 14-day deadline gives you something concrete to escalate with.
What a delay on Air France is worth
| Route | Distance | Rules | Per passenger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris (CDG) → Paris (ORY) | 34 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Paris (CDG) → Barcelona (BCN) | 858 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Paris (CDG) → Rome (FCO) | 1,101 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Paris (CDG) → Amsterdam (AMS) | 399 km | EU261 | €250 |
Amounts are per passenger. The distance is the great-circle distance between the airports, which is what the Regulation uses — not the distance flown.
Claiming from Air France, by what happened
- Air France: delayCompensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time.
- Air France: cancellationCompensation is due unless you were told at least 14 days before departure, or were told later but re-routed on a flight that fell inside the timing windows set by Article 5(1)(c).
- Air France: denied boardingCompensation is due immediately when you are refused boarding against your will — most often because the flight was overbooked — provided you checked in on time with a confirmed reservation.
- Air France: missed connectionWhere all your flights were on a single booking, a delay that makes you miss a connection is measured at your final destination.
We draft. You send.
The check is free. If your Air France flight appears eligible, the claim letter is £15 flat — you send it to Air France yourself and keep the whole payout. If the airline rejects your claim on eligibility grounds, we refund the £15. Forward us their reply and we refund within five working days.
Air France: common questions
How much compensation can I get from Air France?
It depends on the distance and on which rules apply. Under EU261 it is €250, €400 or €600 per passenger; under UK261 it is £220, £350 or £520. Air France is registered in France, so it counts as an EU carrier and its flights are covered in both directions.
Does Air France have to pay if the delay was caused by a technical problem?
Yes, in almost every case. The Court of Justice has held that technical problems — including sudden, unforeseen faults — are part of the normal running of an airline and are not extraordinary circumstances.
How long do I have to claim against Air France?
In France, where Air France is based, the limit is 5 years, counted from the date of the flight. You can usually also claim where your flight departed or arrived, which may give you longer — for example six years in England and Wales.
Where do I send a claim to Air France?
Air France takes claims through an online form, and the postal address is Air France, Service Clientèle, 45 rue de Paris, 95747 Roissy CDG Cedex, France. Check the address on the airline’s website before posting — claims departments move.
Can I claim for an old Air France flight?
Very often, yes. Most people do not realise claims last several years. Every disrupted flight is a separate claim, for every passenger on the booking.