Air France Flight Delayed or Cancelled? Claim up to €600
Air France, France's national carrier and SkyTeam member, is fully subject to EU Regulation 261/2004 for all flights departing from the EU. If your Air France flight was delayed by 3 or more hours, or cancelled fewer than 14 days before departure, you are entitled to up to €600 per passenger. Here is how to claim effectively.
Situations covered by EU261 with Air France
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Delay of 3 hours or more on arrival — the clock stops when the aircraft doors open at your destination, not when you land.
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Cancellation notified less than 14 days before departure — without an adequate re-routing offered by Air France.
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Flight brought forward by more than 1 hour — if Air France moved your departure earlier and you could not be present at the new time.
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Involuntary denied boarding — overbooking or a documentation issue attributable to Air France.
How to claim against Air France
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Generate your formal demand letter with Claimy — in 30 seconds, with the correct legal references and exact compensation amount.
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Send it by registered post with acknowledgement of receipt to Air France's official address:
Air France — Direction de la Relation Client, TSA 21238, 75564 Paris Cedex 12, France -
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You can also file a claim online via airfrance.fr → Customer service → EU261 claim. Registered post is recommended to keep a proof of date.
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Wait for Air France's response — typically 2 to 4 weeks. Air France generally respects deadlines but frequently contests the circumstances.
If Air France refuses or does not reply
Air France tends to respond within the legal timeframe but often disputes the circumstances claimed. If they refuse or stay silent, your escalation options are:
- → DGAC (Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile)
- → Médiateur du Tourisme et du Voyage (MTV) — mandatory before court since 2025
- → Civil court (Tribunal judiciaire) — straightforward as Air France is a French company
- → SPF Mobilité et Transports
- → Justice of the peace (for disputes up to €5,000)
EU261 compensation amounts
| Flight distance | Compensation | Air France example |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 1,500 km | €250 | Paris CDG → Nice, Bordeaux |
| 1,500–3,500 km or intra-EU | €400 | Paris CDG → Athens, Casablanca |
| > 3,500 km outside EU | €600 | Paris CDG → New York, Dubai, Tokyo |
Air France may reduce these amounts by 50% if they offered re-routing with a limited arrival delay.
Why use Claimy instead of a claims agency?
Claims agencies such as AirHelp or Flightright charge 25 to 35% commission on your compensation.
| Claims agency | Claimy | |
|---|---|---|
| On €250 | You receive ~€175 | You receive €240.10 |
| On €400 | You receive ~€280 | You receive €385.10 |
| On €600 | You receive ~€420 | You receive €575.10 |
Claimy generates your formal demand letter in 30 seconds for a fixed fee from €9.90. You send it yourself and keep 100% of your compensation.
Check my eligibility →Frequently asked questions — Air France
Air France cited operational reasons — is that an extraordinary circumstance?
No. Operational reasons — aircraft unavailability, crew issues, knock-on delays — do not constitute extraordinary circumstances under EU261. Air France remains liable. Only genuinely external and unforeseeable events (severe weather, ATC strike, airspace closure) can exempt the airline.
My flight was operated by a codeshare partner — who is responsible?
You must claim against the operating carrier — the airline that physically flew the aircraft. Check your boarding pass or FlightAware to identify the actual operator. If Air France operated the flight, claim against Air France; if KLM or another partner operated it, claim against them.
How long do I have to claim against Air France?
In France, 5 years from the flight date. In Belgium, only 1 year (Article X.49 of the Code of Economic Law). Act promptly in both cases to preserve your evidence (boarding pass, booking confirmation, correspondence).
Air France offered me Flying Blue miles instead of cash — do I have to accept?
No. Miles or a commercial voucher cannot replace your legal entitlement to cash under EU261 Article 7. Decline the offer and demand monetary payment. Your right to cash compensation can only be waived if you explicitly agree in writing.
My ticket involved a Paris connection. Which flight counts for the calculation?
For connecting itineraries, only the final destination arrival time matters. If you arrived at your final destination 3 hours or more late, you are eligible. The compensation amount is based on the great-circle distance between your original departure airport and your final destination.
Ready to claim your Air France compensation?
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