Air France Cancelled Flight: How to Get Up to 600 EUR

As an EU carrier, Air France is covered by EU261 on all flights it operates, including flights from the US to France. This is broader than the coverage for US carriers: a Delta flight from JFK to Paris is not covered by EU261, but an Air France flight on the same route is covered.

US residents are fully covered. Nationality does not matter for EU261. If you flew Air France from New York to Paris and the flight was cancelled or delayed 3+ hours, you are entitled to up to €600 per person regardless of where you live.

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  Short-haul (up to 1,500 km): €250 per person.

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  Medium-haul (1,500 to 3,500 km): €400 per person.

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  Long-haul (over 3,500 km): €600 per person.

Most Air France transatlantic flights are over 3,500 km, qualifying for the maximum €600 per person (approximately $650 at current exchange rates). For intra-European flights, amounts depend on distance. Read our EU261 compensation guide for the full breakdown.

1. 1

   Visit airfrance.com and navigate to "Contact Us" then "Claim Compensation."

2. 2

   Enter your booking reference, flight details, and travel date.

3. 3

   Select EU261 compensation as the claim type.

4. 4

   State the compensation amount based on your flight distance.

5. 5

   Submit and save the confirmation with your case reference number.

Air France typically responds within 30 days. The airline is part of the Air France-KLM group, so if your flight was operated by KLM, you should file with KLM instead. For claim writing tips, see our complaint letter guide.

France has a 5-year limitation period for EU261 claims. This means Air France flights cancelled or delayed up to 5 years ago may still be claimable if they departed from France. This is longer than Germany's 3 years but shorter than the UK's 6 years.

Check your old flights. If you flew Air France from Paris (CDG or ORY) within the last 5 years and experienced a cancellation or significant delay, you may still be entitled to compensation. Check your eligibility in 30 seconds.

Air France sometimes cites extraordinary circumstances to deny claims. Common examples include ATC strikes (which are generally valid extraordinary circumstances in France, where strikes are frequent) and technical issues (which are generally not valid under EU court rulings). For details on extraordinary circumstances, see our comprehensive guide.

If Air France rejects your claim, escalate to the French NEB (Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile, DGAC). You can also check your flight with TravelStacks and let us handle the entire claims process for 25% of recovered compensation.