Traveller reference · AF
Air France
SkyTeam · IATA AF · Charles de Gaulle, where the terminal number decides your day
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This page is a general reference written by our team. Baggage allowances, fees and policies are set by the airline and change without notice, so confirm anything that affects your trip with Air France directly before you travel.
Official site: airfrance.comAir France concentrates its long-haul operation at Charles de Gaulle, an airport whose reputation for difficult connections is largely a terminal problem. Terminal 2 is subdivided into halls that are effectively separate buildings, and a transfer between the wrong two of them is a genuine journey rather than a walk.
The airline shares a group with KLM, and the two operate as a joint transatlantic business. A booking made with Air France may be flown by KLM through Amsterdam, which is often the better connection of the two, so it is worth looking at what the itinerary actually does rather than which name is on the ticket.
Air France at a glance
- IATA code
- AF
- ICAO code
- AFR
- Based in
- France
- Alliance
- SkyTeam
- Type
- Full-service
- Frequent flyer
- Flying Blue
Cabins
- Economy
- Premium Economy
- Business
- La Première
Main bases
- CDG · Paris
- ORY
How Air France baggage works
Allowance follows cabin and fare tier, with the Light fare on many routes excluding a checked bag. Flying Blue status and SkyTeam tier add entitlements on top.
Long-haul tickets generally use a piece system with a per-bag weight ceiling. Intra-European fares are where the tier makes the largest practical difference.
Where KLM or another SkyTeam partner operates a leg, that carrier's rules can apply to the segment. Confirm on airfrance.com against your own booking.
Check-in
Online check-in typically opens 30 hours before departure, noticeably earlier than most carriers, which is useful if seat selection matters to you.
At Charles de Gaulle, allow more time than the published cutoff suggests. Identifying the right hall within Terminal 2 is the part that catches first-time users out.
Boarding
Boarding is by group according to cabin and status, with SkyPriority covering premium cabins and elite members.
Some CDG departures board from remote stands by bus, which lengthens the process. Work to the boarding time rather than the departure time.
Before you fly Air France
Find out which hall of Terminal 2 you need
2A through 2G are not one building. A connection between distant halls involves a shuttle and can take far longer than the layout suggests, so check the hall letter, not just the terminal number.
Compare the KLM routing through Amsterdam
The two airlines are one group and the fares are often similar. Schiphol is a considerably simpler airport to connect in than CDG, which can make the KLM routing the better trip at the same price.
Light fares exclude a checked bag
As with most European carriers, the cheapest fare tier is hand-baggage only. It is disclosed at booking but easy to miss when scanning a results page.
Planning a trip rather than researching a carrier?
Our route and airport guides cover the journey itself — when demand peaks, which airports work, and how long the connection really takes.
FAQ
Air France — common questions
General guidance only. Air France sets these policies and can change them, so confirm anything that affects your trip at airfrance.com.
Is connecting at Charles de Gaulle difficult?
It can be, and the reason is the layout rather than the staffing. Terminal 2 is divided into halls that function as separate buildings, so a transfer between two distant ones involves a shuttle and a security or passport check. A connection within the same hall is straightforward. Check the hall letters on both flights before accepting a short layover.
What is La Première?
La Première is Air France's first class, a separate cabin above business with its own ground service and lounge. It operates on a limited number of aircraft and routes, so it is not available across the long-haul network the way business class is.
Are Air France and KLM the same airline?
They are separate airlines within one group, operating a joint transatlantic business with shared loyalty in Flying Blue. In practice a booking with one may be flown by the other, and either hub can serve the same journey. Amsterdam is generally the easier of the two to connect through, which is worth weighing when the fares are close.