Air France

Air France is one of the oldest and most influential companies in continental Europe. The air carrier connects France and the entire EU with much of Africa, Latin and North America, and Oceania. AF is considered one of the best in the world with special level in-flight catering even on economy class ships.

After 2022, the carrier does not operate in the Russian Federation, but the company still serves flights from CIS countries to all corners of the world.

History of Air France

Air France was founded in France in 1933, at the dawn of scheduled passenger air transportation. After World War II, the company became a leading aviation player in the Old World. It was Air France that was the first recipient of the legendary Concorde airplane in the 1960s. Since the 1980s, the company has been in a strategic partnership with KLM, the Dutch national airlines.

Air France has three unique features: a major two-country hub, a domestic airline industry, and exclusive carrier status to many countries in Oceania and Black Africa.

Air France is the only company in the world whose main hub is divided into two airports in different countries: Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and Amsterdam Airport in the Netherlands. This allows the carrier to multiply the number of its flights compared to its competitors.

Another feature is the ability to reach remote corners of Oceania and Black Africa. Air France is the only major airline connecting Caledonia and the surrounding islands with the world. Despite its monopoly position in some regions, this does not affect the level of service: it remains consistently high in all corners of the world.

The third feature is exclusive access to the developments of one of the leading aircraft manufacturers, Airbus. As a result, Air France’s fleet is considered one of the best in the world in terms of both technical equipment and comfort.

Air France fleet

The company has 248 airplanes in its fleet, half of which are French-made. It is worth noting that due to close cooperation with Airbus, many Air France aircraft have their own unique features: increased seat spacing, special engine parameters and so on.

Name Type Number of vessels Capacity  Availability of business class
Boeing 777-200ER Long-haul passenger 21 280/312 Yes (40/28)
Boeing 777-300ER Long-haul passenger 43 296/381/369/472 Yes (62/48/42/14)
Boeing 787-9 Long-haul passenger 10 279 Yes (30)
Airbus 330-200 Long-haul passenger 15 224 Yes (36)
Airbus A350-900 Long-haul passenger 12 324 Yes (24)
Airbus A318 Passenger local 12 131 Yes(18)
Airbus A319 Passenger local 28 142 Yes (20)
Airbus A320 Passenger local 42 174 Yes (20)
 Airbus A321 Passenger local 14 202 Yes (20)
Airbus A220 Passenger local 6 148 Yes (20)
Embraer 170 Short-range passenger 15 78 none
Embraer 190 Short-range passenger 17 124 Yes (9)
CRJ 1000 Short-range passenger 11 100 Yes
Boeing 777 Cargo 2 none none

Air France flight destinations

After 2022, Air France does not operate flights to Russia or through Russian airspace. However, the company continues its flights from CIS countries to all known parts of the world. The most popular destinations are mainline flights from Paris/Amsterdam to New York, Sydney, North African countries and Istanbul.

Classes of service

Air France has 4 classes of service: economy, economy-premium, business and first class.

All classes of service come with a number of signature benefits: access to the world’s best in-flight catering system (you can try one of the world’s 5 major cuisines), a sleeping set for a better night’s sleep, extra-spaced seats and access to a multimedia entertainment system in more than 10 languages.

All passengers are assisted with boarding and baggage placement. Free Wi-Fi is available on Airbus aircraft and the AirFrancePlay app offers access to a thousand new titles from the world of books and magazines in 10 different languages. All customers have access to charging slots for their multimedia devices.

Economy Premium Class passengers get access to improved meals and more comfortable seats. In Economy Premium Class, customers are also provided with branded soundproof headphones and a multimedia tablet for better content consumption.

In business class, passengers will enjoy leather seats with horizontal deployment, multiple meals on metal trays and access to the airport’s business lounge.

In Premier Class, passenger service begins with a personal driver. VIP customers are expedited into the cabin and have access to a mini compartment during the flight. Customers in Business and Premier Class have full access to a wide range of wines and an extended bonus program.

Class of service Services Features
Economy
  • One of the best catering systems in the world;
  • Unlimited access to beverages;
  • Assistance with luggage placement;
  • Seats with increased legroom;
  • Multimedia entertainment system in more than 10 languages;
  • Access to AirFrancePlay subscription service during the flight;
  • Free Wi-Fi on Airbus aircraft.
 Comfortable travel to all corners of the world with one of the best meals on board and quality service.
Premium Economy All of the above +

  • improved nutrition;
  • multimedia tablets for better content consumption;
  • a more comfortable chair;
  • a personalized sleeping kit.
 Economy class with great comfort and a personalized welcome sleep kit.
Business All of the above +

  • access to the airport business lounge;
  • in-flight access to the liquor collection;
  • leather sleeper chairs;
  • upgraded multi-course meal
 Access to premium leather seats and enhanced nutrition.
First Class All of the above +

  • hotel transfer;
  • priority boarding;
  • access to a mini compartment with maximum privacy during the flight.
 A private cabin on a flight.

Air France loyalty programs

Flying Blue is Air France’s loyalty program. Unlike other systems for accumulating bonus points, Flying Blue allows you to spend your bonus points not only on airline tickets, but also on partner services (cab booking, hotel payments).

There are 4 statuses in the program: Explorer, Silver, Gold Platinum. In the first case, 4 miles are credited for each euro spent on the company’s services, while the other statuses award 6, 7 or 8 miles respectively. Miles are credited to the traveler’s personal account, to which the Flying Blue corporate card can be linked.

In addition to buying tickets, upgrading and ordering additional services, miles can be spent at partner companies:

  • renting hotels and hostels;
  • buying branded clothing and perfume;
  • purchase of alcohol and high quality products;
  • ordering cabs and airport transfers;
  • payment for excursions;
  • organization of holidays in partner restaurants;
  • purchase of equipment and goods in partner stores.

Baggage allowance

Baggage is subject to standard size (not more than 158 cm in three dimensions) and weight restrictions (23 kg/seat in economy class and 32 kg per seat in business/first class). All baggage must be carefully packed and labeled. Additional baggage can be purchased 40 minutes prior to departure. A 10% discount applies if you purchase an extra seat 24 hours before the flight.

Check-in

Check-in is possible online or at the check-in desk at the airport of departure. It opens 30 hours and closes 40 minutes before departure. To check-in you will need your passport, visa of the country of arrival and the booking code issued on your ticket.

Air France contacts

At this time, the only way to contact Air France representatives is through the contact us form. Go to airfrance.com, “Information – Contact Us”. Select the section you want and enter your passenger information. Enter the substance of your complaint and click “Submit”. We recommend writing your complaint in English to improve response time.