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Air France (AF) Guide

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A practical guide to Air France: the network from CDG, the Airbus A220-300 and the rest of the fleet, luggage rules, check-in and cheaper fares. Ask a question
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In short

Air France is the flag carrier of France, headquartered at Paris Charles de Gaulle and part of Air France–KLM. It flies to 200+ destinations in France, Europe, Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. A SkyTeam founding member, it rewards travellers with Flying Blue. Long-haul cabins run from Economy and Premium Economy to Business and La Première.

Air France is the flag carrier of France, founded in 1933 and part of the Air France–KLM Group. A founding member of SkyTeam, it flies from its hub at Paris Charles de Gaulle to around 200 destinations in nearly 100 countries, including many in Africa and the French overseas territories.

Please note: bookingMentor is an independent travel service and is not affiliated with Air France. Routes, schedules, fleet and baggage rules change, so always confirm the details of your booking with the airline.

What to expect

Air France (IATA: AF, ICAO: AFR) is the flag carrier of France, headquartered in the Roissypôle complex at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in Tremblay-en-France. It flies from Paris to about 230 destinations in more than 90 countries, including France's overseas territories, and suits travellers heading to or through Paris on a full-service airline with four cabin classes on its longest routes.

From 1933 to Air France-KLM

Air France was formed on 30 August 1933 when five French airlines merged. It flew Concorde, starting supersonic service in 1976. The fleet of five Concordes was retired on 31 May 2003. On 5 May 2004 Air France and KLM combined under a single holding company, Air France-KLM, and the two airlines still run separate brands, fleets and hubs in Paris and Amsterdam. Air France was a founding member of SkyTeam, launched as a global alliance in June 2000.

Paris Charles de Gaulle and regional focus cities

Paris Charles de Gaulle is the hub for almost all long-haul flights. Lyon, Marseille, Nice and Toulouse are focus cities with their own direct routes. As of 2022 the network counted 29 domestic and 201 international destinations in 94 countries, including Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion and other overseas regions that count as domestic travel. Air France carried about 46.8 million passengers in 2019.

Transavia France and Air France Hop

Transavia France, fully owned by Air France, is the low-cost arm, flying mainly leisure routes. Air France Hop runs regional flights. The caterer Servair is 50.01% owned by Air France.

Fact-checked by the bookingMentor Travel Desk Reviewed · Updated when rules or prices change

Checked against trusted sources:
Air France official website

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  1. Air France official website
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Good to know

  • Founded1933
  • Other gatewaysORY / LYS / NCE / MRS / TLS

Everything you should know

Airline codes

AF · AFR

IATA · ICAO · callsign “AIRFRANS”

Air France’s IATA code is AF, its ICAO code is AFR, and the radio callsign is AIRFRANS. Type AF and your flight number into a status search to follow an Air France flight.

Key facts

Main hub

Paris (CDG)

Paris Charles de Gaulle

Also flies abroad fromParis Orly (ORY) · Lyon (LYS) · Nice (NCE) · Marseille (MRS) · Toulouse (TLS)

Network

200+ destinations

France · Europe · Africa · Americas · Asia · Middle East

Long-haul flights leave Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Air France also flies from Paris Orly and regional bases. Its network is especially strong in Africa, the Caribbean, the United States and Asia.

Destinations

Cabin classes

La Première

and Business, Premium Economy, Economy

Long-haul cabins: La Première (selected aircraft), Business, Premium Economy and Economy. European flights have Business, Premium and Economy. La Première, Air France's first class, is offered on selected Boeing 777-300ERs on a small number of routes. Business class has lie-flat seats on long-haul aircraft. Premium Economy is a separate cabin on most long-haul flights, and Economy is the main cabin on every flight.

Compare cabins

Good to know

Air France serves complimentary champagne and wine to passengers in all classes on long-haul flights. Its loyalty programme is Flying Blue, shared with KLM, and its official website is airfrance.com.

Frequent flyer

Flying Blue

Member of SkyTeam

As a SkyTeam member, Air France lets you credit flights to another SkyTeam programme or to Flying Blue.

How it works

Start a new search

One bookingMentor search puts an Air France ticket next to every other option on your route, so you can see which airline gives the better deal.

Enjoy your Air France flight!

Select dates

At a glance

Air France (IATA: AF, ICAO: AFR) is the flag carrier of France, headquartered at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Founded in 1933 and a SkyTeam founding member, it is part of Air France–KLM and flies Airbus A220, A320-family, A350 and Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft to around 200 destinations worldwide.

Key facts about Air France
HeadquartersRoissypôle, Charles de Gaulle Airport, Tremblay-en-France
Fleet typesAirbus A220, A318–A321, A330, A350, Boeing 777 and 787
Frequent flyerFlying Blue
Official websiteairfrance.com

Flight routes

Destinations and routes

Direct routes
The Air France network at a glance. The airline changes routes from time to time, and a search shows which AF flights run on your dates. Search flights

France

Paris (CDG) departures9 destinations

Check all

Fleet and aircraft

Air France operates about 232 aircraft. The short and medium-haul fleet includes 114 jets from the Airbus A320 family, and it is being renewed with Airbus A220-300s from an order of 60 placed in 2019 to replace older A318s and A319s. The long-haul fleet includes Boeing 777s, Boeing 787s, Airbus A330s and Airbus A350s. In September 2023 the group ordered 50 Airbus A350-900 and A350-1000 jets with options for 40 more, delivering from 2026, and in August 2025 eight of the A350-1000s were switched to the smaller -900.

  • Airbus A220-300 Narrow-body · 58 in service European and domestic routes
  • Airbus A318 Narrow-body European and domestic routes
  • Airbus A319 Narrow-body European and domestic routes
  • Airbus A320 Narrow-body European and domestic routes
  • Airbus A321 Narrow-body European and domestic routes
  • Airbus A330-200 Wide-body · 6 in service Long-haul routes
  • Airbus A350-900 Wide-body · 43 in service Long-haul routes
  • Boeing 777-200ER Wide-body Long-haul routes
  • Boeing 777-300ER Wide-body Long-haul routes
  • Boeing 787-9 Wide-body · 10 in service Long-haul routes
  • Boeing 777F Freighter · 2 in service Air France Cargo

Cabin classes

On Air France you can choose from La Première, Business, Premium Economy and Economy, depending on the route and the aircraft.

La Première Selected long-haul

First class

Air France’s first class, on selected long-haul aircraft, with menus designed by a Michelin-starred chef.

Private suiteDedicated lounge

Business All flights

Lie-flat on long-haul

Business class on long-haul and European flights.

Lie-flat seat on long-haulLounge access

Premium Economy Long-haul and Europe

More space than economy

Offered on long-haul aircraft and in the European three-cabin layout.

Wider seatMore legroom

Economy All flights

Standard seat

Economy with personal screens on all long-haul aircraft.

Free champagne and wine on long-haul

Flying Blue

Air France’s loyalty programme. Join Flying Blue online before you fly so the trip counts.

Flying Blue is the shared programme of Air France and KLM. Members earn Miles and XP on Air France, KLM and SkyTeam flights and spend Miles on reward tickets and upgrades.

Flying Blue is the loyalty programme shared by Air France and KLM. Members earn Miles on both airlines and on SkyTeam partners, and use them for award flights, upgrades and partner rewards.

Baggage allowance

Check your e-ticket for the exact Air France allowance. It is set by the fare type, the cabin and the route, whether you start at CDG or another airport.

Checked baggage
On your e-ticket
Cabin baggage
Set by your fare
Extra bags
Add online before you fly
Power banks
Cabin bag only

Air France sets the allowance by cabin, fare and route, from Economy up to La Première. Your e-ticket and Manage Booking on airfrance.com show the figure for each flight.

Pro tip: if you hold Flying Blue status, add your number to the booking before check-in so any status benefits show on the ticket.
Travel day

Online Check-in

The four steps below take you from your Air France booking to the gate, whether you depart from CDG or another airport on its network.

  1. Step 1

    Check in online

    Use airfrance.com to check in for eligible flights. Have your Air France booking reference or e-ticket number and your surname ready.

    Booking ref + surname
  2. Step 2

    Prepare your documents

    Pack your passport plus any visa, residence permit or entry papers your destination asks for. Domestic AF passengers should bring a photo ID the airline accepts.

    Passport · visa · ID
  3. Step 3

    Arrive early

    Each airport has its own Air France check-in and bag-drop deadline, listed in your booking. Allow extra time for busy terminals and international AF departures.

    Check your deadline
  4. Step 4

    Drop your bags

    Air France desks and bag-drop points take your hold luggage. Keep the bag-tag receipt with your boarding pass until the bags come off at the end of your AF trip.

    Air France counter
Ready to check in? Check in and manage your booking on the official Air France website.
Check in with Air France
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Cheap tickets

Air France fares out of Paris move with the season and the fare brand. These habits help keep the price down.

  1. 01

    Try midweek AF flights

    If your dates can move, look at AF flights across the whole week. Midweek seats are often cheaper than weekend ones.

    Midweek flights
  2. 02

    Steer clear of peak weeks

    Air France prices climb around school holidays and big festivals. Flying a few days before or after the rush usually helps.

    School holidays · festivals
  3. 03

    Price the bundle, not the base fare

    Look at the next Air France fare up: if it bundles a hold bag or easier changes, it may beat the basic fare plus extras.

    Baggage & changes
  4. 04

    Check Paris airports

    Air France flies from both Charles de Gaulle and Orly. Check which one your flight uses, especially for domestic and overseas-territory routes.

    CDG vs Orly
  5. 05

    Join Flying Blue

    Add a Flying Blue number to your booking so points from your AF flights are credited.

    Before you fly

  6. Ready to compare fares?

    Search Air France alongside every other airline on your route, with flexible dates.

    Search Air France flights

Reviews and questions

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Everything travellers ask before flying Air France.
Answers checked against Air France’s official website and published airline records. Reviewed 10 October 2026.

General

Air France is a founding member of SkyTeam, together with airlines such as Delta and Aeromexico. Flying Blue members can earn and redeem miles on SkyTeam partners, and members of partner programmes can usually earn on Air France.