If you flew Air France recently and your flight was unexpectedly delayed or cancelled, EU Regulation 261/2004 may entitle you to compensation of up to €600.
How does EU Regulation 261/2004 handle disrupted Air France flights?
EU 261/2004 compensates passengers for:
- Delayed flights of more than 3 hours at the destination
- Cancelled flights
- Denied boarding (overbooking)
- Missed connections (booked on a single ticket)
Air France is an EU-based airline — so the Regulation covers all of its flights.
When am I entitled to compensation from Air France?
- Delayed flight of at least 3 hours: if the delay wasn’t caused by extraordinary circumstances, you’re entitled to €250, €400 or €600 depending on flight distance.
- Cancelled flight: if Air France informed you less than 14 days before departure and the fault was on the airline.
- Denied boarding (overbooking): if Air France staff refused to let you board because of overbooking and you didn’t give up your seat voluntarily.
Extraordinary circumstances that rule out compensation
Bad weather, political instability or air traffic control strikes release Air France from the duty to pay. But the line between extraordinary and ordinary is exactly where airlines lie most often — if you’re not sure, check your case for free.
How much is the compensation?
| Flight distance | Compensation per person |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 |
| 1,500–3,500 km | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km (non-EU) | €600 |
On flights over 3,500 km, Air France can cut the compensation to €300 if the delay is between 3 and 4 hours. You get the full €600 when the delay is over 4 hours.
How do I claim from Air France?
You can take the claim directly to Air France — but in practice the process drags on and the airline often refuses.
We recommend you check your claim with Refundio. Fill in the form, we’ll dig into the cause of the disruption and contact Air France. If the airline refuses, we take it to court — at no extra cost to you.
A few facts about Air France
Air France is one of the biggest airlines in the world. It’s based in France, is part of the Air France-KLM group, and is headquartered at Charles de Gaulle international airport near Paris.