Air France compensation

How to file a claim and get Air France compensation

If you have had a problem with your Air France flight, such as a delay, cancellation or overbooking, it is important to know that you can claim and get compensation for the inconvenience you have suffered.
As a Air France passenger, you have rights that are protected by European Union Regulation 261/2004.
This regulation sets out the rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of cancellation, delay or denied boarding.
We will now explain how you can file a claim and the Air France compensation you are entitled to.

The Air France compensation amounts are as follows:

Distance in km	Air France Compensation	Claims
Less than 1.500 km	250 €	CLAIM 250 €
1.500 Km - 3.500 Km	400 €	CLAIM 400 €
More than 3.500 Km	600 €	CLAIM 600 €

Moreover, passengers are entitled to a Air France ticket refund purchased if they decide not to travel due to the flight delay, or they can ask for a refund of the new ticket purchased if they decide to look for an alternative.

When can you file a claim for Air France compensation?
How to claim a Air France compensation?
Documents required to submit a Air France compensation claim
Which other expenses can you claim to Air France?
How to check the Air France flight status
Air France compensation claim for lost or delayed baggage
How long does Air France take to pay compensation?
How much can I claim if Air France has cancelled my flight and I had booked accommodation?
Air France compensation if the return flight is cancelled or there is a cancellation on the stopover flight
Air France compensation in the event of a pilot strike

 

When can you file a claim for Air France compensation?

You can claim a Air France compensation in the following cases:

• Delayed flight: if your flight has been delayed for more than three hours.
• Flight cancellation: if your flight has been cancelled without notification or if you have been informed of the cancellation less than 14 days in advance.
• Overbooking: if you were not allowed to board the flight because there were more passengers than seats available.

In these cases, you can file a Air France compensation claim and request financial reimbursement for the inconvenience you have suffered.
 

How to claim a Air France compensation?

To claim a Air France compensation, you must follow the steps below:

• Gather all the necessary documentation: to file a Air France compensation claim, you will need your flight number, departure date, airport of origin and airport of destination. It is also recommended that you keep all the documents related to the flight, such as the boarding pass, the ticket and the receipts for any additional expenses you may have had to pay.
• File a Air France compensation claim: once you have explained your situation to Air France, you should file a formal complaint.
  You can do this through the complaint form on the Air France website or by sending an email to their customer service department.
• Wait for the response: Air France has 30 days to respond to your complaint.
  In their response, they will inform you whether they accept or reject your complaint and, if they accept it, they will offer you compensation.
• Receive the compensation: if Air France accepts your complaint, you will be offered compensation.
  The compensation range between 250 and 600 euros, depending on the distance of the flight and the length of the delay.

If you accept the compensation, Air France will pay it to you within 15 days.
 

 

Documents required to submit a Air France compensation claim

Before starting any Air France compensation claim, it is important that you collect the following documents:

1. Booking confirmation

This document is essential to prove that you have purchased a ticket with Air France and that you were to travel on a specific flight.
In most cases, you will receive it in your email after making your booking.
If you cannot find it, you can request a copy from the company.

2. Proof of your identity

Whether it is your ID card, passport or residence card, you need a document that proves who you are to initiate any kind of claim.
This document will also be required at the airport when you check in and pass through security.

3. Boarding pass or a letter or email from Air France​ acknowledging fault.

If you have suffered a delay, cancellation or overbooking, you need a proof that you were scheduled to travel on the flight in question.
Boarding pass is the best proof, but you can also use a letter or email from Air France acknowledging fault.
It is important that you keep boarding pass records for all your Air France flights, even if you have suffered a cancellation and have been rescheduled to another flight.
Otherwise, it will be difficult to prove that you have suffered an incident.

4. Expenses that can be credited

If you have had to pay additional expenses due to a delay, cancellation or loss of baggage, you need to prove them with the corresponding tickets and invoices.
These expenses include hotels, meals, missed tours or tickets for other flights.
It is important that you keep all original receipts and invoices and that you request invoices from the establishments where you had to pay.
If you have to make a claim, you will need to prove all expenses in order to obtain Air France compensation.
 

Which other expenses can you claim to Air France?

You can include in the Air France compensation claim the expenses incurred or not enjoyed as loss and damage due to the problem with Air France, such as:

• hotels lost at destination or paid during the wait,
• taxis,
• meals at the airport or outside the airport,
• missed tours,
• days of holiday,
• business meetings,
• car rental.

Before filing a Air France compensation claim for a cancelled or delayed flight, you need to know...
It is important to bear in mind that in order to claim a Air France compensation for delayed or cancelled flights of €250 to €600, the flight must have been delayed for at least 3 hours to its final destination.
If you are notified more than 15 days before the departure date, you will not be able to claim compensation based on kilometres.
On the other hand, according to our statistics, only 5% of people who start a Air France compensation claim on their own receive the compensation they are entitled to for a delay, cancellation, overbooking or lost luggage, and those who succeed receive 30% less compensation than those who are compensated by our platform.
 

 

How to check the Air France flight status

To check your Air France flight status, you can follow these steps:

• Go to the website and go to Air France flight status
• Enter your flight number
• Check your flight status, including estimated time of departure and arrival, any delays or cancellations

Alternatively, you can download the Air France mobile app to check your flight status in real time and receive notifications of any changes.
You can also request information from Air France customer service, either by telephone or by email.
 

Air France compensation claim for lost or delayed baggage

Before submitting a Air France compensation claim for lost luggage, it is important to know that the airline is obliged to search for the luggage and deliver it to the passenger as soon as possible.
If the luggage is not found within 21 days from the date it should have been delivered, it is considered lost and a compensation claim can be made against the airline.
To initiate the Air France compensation claim process, it is necessary to file a Baggage Irregularity Report with the airline within 7 days from the date of arrival of the flight.
This document is essential to claim any compensation to the airline company.
If this report is not submitted within the established deadline, the compensation claim may be rejected.
Once the report has been submitted, the passenger must wait for the airline to locate the luggage.
If the luggage is still missing after 21 days, it is considered lost and the Air France​ compensation claim process can be initiated.
According to the Montreal Convention, the airline has a maximum liability for lost luggage of 1.253 SDRs (Special Drawing Rights), which at exchange rate is approximately €1.414.
However, it is important to note that these compensations are not automatic, the passenger must justify the damage and the prejudice suffered.
Therefore, it is necessary to keep all receipts for any additional expenses incurred due to the loss of luggage, such as the purchase of clothes and basic necessities.
To submit a claim for lost luggage, the Air France compensation claim can be made directly to the airline.
In case Air France does not respond within two months, claims can be filed to the Spanish Aviation Safety Agency (AESA), which is the body in charge of resolving air passengers' claims.
In any case, it is important to remember that the presentation of the Baggage Irregularity Report is essential to initiate any Air France compensation claim process for lost baggage.
In addition, it is advisable to keep all documents that can justify the additional expenses caused by the loss of baggage.
 

 

How long does Air France take to pay compensation?

Once we have received all the required documentation, we proceed as follows:

• Eligibility: in the first 12 hours we proceed with the validation of the complaint through our Air France flight monitoring systems
• Legal: in the following 24 hours we proceed by advancing the file to the legal department to prepare the documentation against the company
• Settlement: approximately 60/120 days for out-of-court settlement, during this time we will keep you updated on the progress
   

How much can I claim if Air France has cancelled my flight and I had booked accommodation?

If your trip has been cut short due to a cancellation, you have the right to claim not only the refund of the ticket price, but also the amount of money you have paid in advance to book accommodation at your destination.
It is important that you have the necessary documentation proving both the cancellation of the flight and the cost of the accommodation booking.
Once you have all the documentation, it is advisable to complete the online Air France compensation claim form and we will help you through the whole process to obtain the corresponding compensation.
 

 

Air France compensation if the return flight is cancelled or there is a cancellation on the stopover flight.

If your return flight is cancelled or there is a cancellation on the stopover flight, you may have to find accommodation and your expenses may increase.
In these cases, all expenses you have incurred, such as for food and other essentials, can be claimed to Air France.
It is important that you have receipts and documentation to prove that you have had to incur these expenses.
To make sure you get compensated, it is recommended that you go to a company specialised in handling Air France compensation claims, such as DelayFlight24.com

 

Air France compensation in the event of a pilot strike

Passengers affected by a pilot strike are entitled to receive a Air France compensation for the damages suffered.
Although many airlines state that a pilots' strike is a "force majeure or extraordinary circumstance", the reality is that this kind of situation is not covered as such by European regulations on air passengers' rights.
European law states that passengers are entitled to compensation if their flight is cancelled or delayed for more than three hours, unless the airline can prove that the delay or cancellation was due to extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.
Pilot strikes do not fall into this category.