Air France compensation amounts: EUR 250, 400 or 600
Short answer: Air France EU261 compensation is normally EUR 250, EUR 400 or EUR 600 per eligible passenger. Select the band using the covered itinerary’s great-circle distance and whether it is an intra-EU journey. Then test final arrival, cancellation notice, cause and any permitted 50 percent reduction. The fare and cabin do not set the fixed amount.
Free eligibility check
Check your case in the form
Enter your route, date and type of disruption. We will check whether your case qualifies for a claim under EU 261/2004 or UK261.
What happened to your flight?
Claim up to €600 for a delayed or cancelled flight.
Choose the situation that applies to your flight:
This guide reflects the rules checked on 13 August 2026. It addresses statutory money, not Air France’s higher non-refundable compensation voucher or reimbursement of ticket price and expenses.
The statutory bands
| Covered journey | Standard payment per passenger |
|---|---|
| 1,500 km or less | EUR 250 |
| More than 1,500 km entirely within the EU | EUR 400 |
| Other journey from 1,500 to 3,500 km | EUR 400 |
| Other journey over 3,500 km | EUR 600 |
“EU” in this calculation follows the passenger-rights framework and requires care with overseas territories. Do not classify a journey solely by looking at a political map. The route, territories and legal scope may change the category.
Use the itinerary, not one disrupted sector
On a protected connection sold as one booking, the distance can run from the first departure to the final ticketed destination. Suppose Air France sells Dublin–Paris–Los Angeles on one reservation. A short feeder problem causes a missed connection and the passenger reaches Los Angeles eight hours late. The relevant journey can fall in the over-3,500 km band even though the first flight was short.
If Dublin–Paris and Paris–Los Angeles were purchased as separate tickets, Los Angeles usually is not the final destination of the first contract. Each booking must be tested on its own. A through check of baggage or a shared Flying Blue account does not necessarily merge contracts.
Distance is measured by the great-circle method. Do not add the mileage of every flown detour. If rerouting sends the traveller from Paris through Amsterdam, the extra operational path does not normally increase the statutory band.
Examples by journey type
| Example | Likely starting band | Point requiring verification |
|---|---|---|
| Paris–London | EUR 250 | EU261 or UK261 overlap and actual operator |
| Paris–Athens | EUR 400 | intra-EU route above 1,500 km |
| Paris–Marrakesh | EUR 400 | actual distance and operator |
| New York–Paris operated by Air France | EUR 600 | Air France EU-carrier status and final delay |
| Montreal–Paris–Rome on one Air France ticket | EUR 600 | final arrival in Rome and connected itinerary |
| AF-coded Atlanta–Paris operated by Delta | operator-dependent | marketing code does not decide coverage |
These are classification examples, not automatic awards. A delay still needs the relevant final-arrival threshold and qualifying cause; a cancellation needs the notice and replacement-flight test.
When EUR 600 can become EUR 300
EU261 allows a 50 percent reduction in defined rerouting situations. For a journey over 3,500 km outside the intra-EU category, arrival no more than four hours after the original schedule can reduce EUR 600 to EUR 300. For the shorter categories, the applicable windows are two or three hours.
Record actual arrival at the final destination. A proposed timetable is not proof that the passenger arrived within the reduction window. If the replacement itself was late, use what happened, not the original offer.
The reduction is frequently relevant to long Air France journeys that arrive between three and four hours late. It is less likely after an overnight missed connection. Ask Air France to show the calculation if it pays half without explaining the arrival window.
The amount is per passenger
Fixed compensation belongs to the person who experienced the disruption, even if an employer, relative or travel organiser paid for the ticket. For a family of five eligible passengers on a EUR 600 journey, the potential statutory total is EUR 3,000.
Name every traveller, ticket number and requested amount. A parent can usually present a child’s claim, but should identify their authority and the child’s booking. An infant travelling without a separate confirmed seat or fare may require closer examination rather than an automatic assumption.
Passengers travelling on a Flying Blue Reward Ticket are not excluded merely because Miles funded the fare. EU261 expressly covers tickets issued under a frequent-flyer programme. Re-crediting Miles after a cancellation is a separate refund issue.
Fare and cabin matter elsewhere
Economy, Premium, Business and La Première passengers receive the same fixed band for the same covered disruption. A deeply discounted ticket can produce EUR 600, while an expensive flexible ticket on a short route can produce EUR 250.
Ticket price becomes relevant for:
- reimbursement when the passenger abandons a cancelled or qualifying delayed journey;
- a 30, 50 or 75 percent cabin-downgrade refund;
- return of a paid seat, baggage option or upgrade that was not delivered;
- proven Montreal Convention damage, which is not a fixed EU261 award.
Keeping these calculations separate prevents Air France from treating a small ancillary refund as settlement of the statutory amount.
Air France’s enhanced voucher is a different offer
Air France’s passenger-rights notice currently lists non-refundable transportation vouchers of EUR 350, EUR 500 or EUR 800, compared with monetary EU261 amounts of EUR 250, EUR 400 or EUR 600. The voucher is higher because it restricts how value can be used.
Before accepting, check validity, transferability, eligible services, residual balance and whether the terms describe settlement of the claim. A passenger who needs cash or may not fly Air France again can rationally prefer the lower monetary amount. The voucher comparison provides a decision table.
Do not confuse a compensation voucher with a ticket-refund voucher after cancellation. The legal basis and value are different.
Currency under UK261 and APPR
Air France travel touching the United Kingdom can fall under UK261. Current UK fixed sums use pounds, with distance and long-haul delay rules similar in structure but not numerically identical to EU261. A passenger cannot recover twice for the same inconvenience merely because both systems appear relevant.
Canadian APPR uses Canadian-dollar payments based on delay and carrier size when the disruption falls within airline control and is not required for safety. Air France passengers between Canada and Europe may have a choice of regimes, subject to each test and the bar on duplicate compensation. Do not simply convert EUR 600 into Canadian dollars and call it APPR.
Prepare the numerical claim
A clear schedule can read:
| Passenger | Route and final destination | Band | Requested amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger A | Toronto–Paris–Madrid, one booking | over 3,500 km | EUR 600 |
| Passenger B | same itinerary | over 3,500 km | EUR 600 |
| Care costs | one hotel and transfer | actual receipts | EUR 184 |
Explain final arrival and cause below the table. Attach the e-ticket, boarding passes and replacement itinerary. If Air France invokes a reduction, require the statutory arrival window and actual time used.
The Air France claim-form guide shows where to place ticket details and expense attachments. Keep a copy of the submitted calculation because web forms may not preserve the full text in the confirmation email.
See the Air France compensation overview.
FAQ
Does every long-haul Air France delay pay EUR 600?
No. The journey must be covered and final arrival usually at least three hours late, with no proven extraordinary defence. Arrival between three and four hours on some long routes can reduce the amount to EUR 300.
Is compensation lower for an Economy Light ticket?
No. The fixed EU261 band does not depend on fare family or cabin. Fare conditions matter for voluntary changes and ticket refunds, not the statutory distance amount.
How much can a family claim?
Multiply the eligible amount by each qualifying passenger. Four eligible travellers in the EUR 400 category can request EUR 1,600, plus separate documented care costs.
Does a Flying Blue ticket qualify?
It can. Tickets issued under a frequent-flyer programme are not excluded from EU261. Return of Miles after cancellation remains a separate remedy.
Must I accept Air France’s EUR 800 voucher instead of EUR 600 cash?
No. The enhanced non-refundable voucher is an alternative Air France offers. Acceptance should be voluntary after comparing its restrictions with the statutory monetary payment.