The Guide to Air France’s Cancellation Policy

The bags are packed and you’re ready to go on your dream trip via a flight on Air France. Then, you get a notification that Air France has canceled your flight.

What should you do? What are your rights?

Here’s a guide to Air France’s cancellation policies and cancellation compensation.

Why is Air France canceling your flight?

It's important to know why and when the flight was canceled, as compensation and assistance policies can change.

Air France and other airlines can cancel flights for many reasons, including:

• Issues with staffing. Pilots and flight attendants might not be in the correct place to staff a flight, or there might be another staffing issue, possibly involving cleaning, baggage loading or others.

• Maintenance. An issue with the plane or any onboard systems can cause a cancellation or delay. A problem might take an extended time to fix or a part might not be immediately available. 

• Weather. Inclement weather such as severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, blizzards or hurricanes can cause ripple effects throughout the skies and on the ground, forcing delays and cancellations. 

• Airport operations and air traffic control. Sometimes to control air traffic volume, airlines must delay or cancel flights.

• Late-arriving aircraft. A delayed flight can cause that plane’s next flight to be delayed or canceled. 

• Security. Issues inside and around an airport involving security breaches or long security lines can cause airlines to cancel flights. 

» Learn more: Is Air France a good airline?

Some of these situations, such as maintenance, staffing and late-arriving aircraft, are within the airline's control. Others, like weather, air traffic control, and security, might not be.

Air France has different policies for assistance and compensation if a flight is canceled.

What to do if your Air France flight is canceled

If an Air France flight is canceled, passengers can choose:

• Rerouting to your final destination under comparable conditions as soon as possible or at a later date if seats are available. 

• Reimbursement for parts of the trip that weren't made.

Passengers also receive:

• Meals and refreshments, based on how long you have to wait. 

• A hotel room if you have to stay overnight.

• Prepaid phone call to notify someone about the cancellation. 

How to get a refund if you do not want to take the trip

If Air France cancels your flight and you don’t want to take the trip anymore, you can request a refund from the My Bookings section of the website or app. You can log in to your account or look up your flight with your booking reference number. You can also use the online form if you can't access either of those options.

Policies for refunds depend on the laws and regulations of the county where you booked the ticket.

How to postpone the trip if the original flight is canceled

If your flight was canceled ahead of time and you want to postpone your trip, contact Air France customer service to change the booking. Note, you have to do this before the date the flight was due to depart.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now

What travel protections do you already have?

Governmental protections in Europe

If Air France cancels your flight, it’s important to understand EU regulation 261/2004 of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, sometimes called the passenger bill of rights. It was adopted in 2004 and establishes standard rules about what airlines must do for passengers if a flight is delayed or canceled, or if the passenger is denied boarding.

To qualify, the flight must depart or arrive from an EU member state, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland. Remember, the United Kingdom isn't part of the EU, so the regulations don't apply there.

The airline must also be licensed in an EU country, as Air France is.

These rules don’t apply if the cancellation was caused by “extraordinary circumstances which could not have been anticipated by the airline and if the airline has taken all reasonable measures to avoid the cancellation.”

Weather, air traffic control issues and similar events fall into this category.

According to Air France, EU 261 applies if:

• You have a confirmed reservation on a flight. 

• You are checked in by the deadline to check-in or at least 45 minutes before departure time if no time is listed.

• You are traveling on a frequent flyer ticket or a fare available to the public.

• You are traveling on a flight departing from an airport within the European Union.

Credit cards with travel insurance

If you booked your ticket with a credit card that provides travel insurance, there are built-in protections.

Some of the best cards with travel insurance benefits include:

Different cards have different requirements to access included protections, such as a minimum six-hour delay or a cancellation outside the carrier’s control.

For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card offers trip delay reimbursement for a delay of more than six hours or a delay that requires an overnight stay. In this case, you would be covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket.

How to get a refund (and compensation) from Air France

If Air France cancels a flight, passengers may be entitled to financial compensation, either in the form of a voucher for future travel or in cash. That compensation depends on the length of the flight and varies from €350 to €800 ($380 to $868) in credit or €250 to €600 ($271 to $651) in cash.

The compensation cannot be paid out at the airport, it will be handled by customer care.

» Learn more: How to contact Air France customer service

You will need your booking number to make a claim.

You won’t get compensation if the new flight you are rescheduled on departs and arrives close to the original times.

If Air France notifies you about a cancellation between two weeks and seven days before your departure, to receive compensation, the new flights must be more than two hours before the previously scheduled departure time and more than four hours after the arrival time.

If Air France contacts you about a cancellation less than seven days before departure, that window changes to more than an hour before the previously scheduled departure time and two hours after the arrival time.

You can also claim reasonable expenses incurred because of the delay or cancellation. Remember to save receipts for things like airport parking, additional meals or other costs.

Other tips to manage Air France flight cancellations

Download the Air France app on your phone

Airline apps are great for information about flight schedules, boarding passes and gate locations. They also provide notifications about schedule changes or cancellations.

Usually, if a flight is canceled, Air France automatically rebooks passengers on the next available flight.

Before your flight, download the Air France app.

Also, make sure Air France has your best contact information so you can be notified of any delays or cancellations.

Know which airline is operating your flight

Air France is part of SkyTeam, a global alliance of airlines that flies to over 1,000 destinations.

It’s important to know which airline is operating the flight you are booked on since it is possible to book a ticket involving several airlines. An Air France ticket could be on flights operated by Delta Air Lines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, ITA Airways or others.

Only the airline that operates the flight or was scheduled to operate the flight is responsible if the flight is canceled.

Understand Air France policies for delays or denied boarding

If there is a flight delay of more than two hours or Air France denies you boarding because a flight is overbooked, you are entitled to compensation and accommodations.

If your Air France flight gets canceled

If Air France cancels a flight because of something within the airline's control, passengers are entitled to assistance and compensation based on when the flight was canceled, its length, and the origin or destination.

EU 261 governs many of these policies and passengers must apply for the compensation, as it isn't automatic.