Air France Reviews 

Air France is not treating me very well as a customer.

I booked my ticket with Air France. I paid correctly, yet without any explanation, Air France is now asking me for proof of payment in order to refund my ticket. When I called their Belgium call center to understand why, the agent (a man) became angry with me. What a service! I will never fly with this airline again as long as there are other options available to my destinations. I'm giving 1 star only because I can't give -1.

We were planning to use Air France regularly to fly from Ottawa-Paris but, after this first encounter, we are unlikely to ever fly Air France again. In my 40 countries over a million miles of flying and dozens of airlines, I have rarely encoutered such misinformation, lack of information, errors by agents and general incompetence

Here is the saga

- My wife and I booked Ottawa-Paris, including our dog. Booked online. No problem.

- My wife wanted to change to fly from Newark with her 87 year old mother instead.
- Agent 1 on whatsapp said it could not be done. Only a change of timing but not itinerary
- Agent 2 said no problem and you’ll get a confirmation within the hour ... four hours later, it had not arrive
-Agent 3 finally did it properly and we got confirmation

- Since the dog was tagged to my wife, although under the same booking, I asked that the dog be moved to my reservation (same booking). Apparently, this simple task is beyond Air France capability. One must cancel the dog booking and rebook. I asked this be done

- Meanwhile, my wife’s mother became very ill so we needed to cancel her flights (two different booking numbers). The agent said he did so, but, in effect, he used the same booking number in error on both refund requests. So, the refund on the second flight was declined as the ticket number did not match the booking code

- 3.5 hours spent on webchat with an agent to eventually get this resolved and get the second refund issued

- As Air France was only refunding the tax, I ask for a clear statement (invoice) of what we were billed initially and what was refunded so I can claim it on travel insurance. This also seemed to be beyond Air France’s capabilities.

- I escalate to their VP of customer service, at which point, I get four emails with identical invoices ... except they are all wrong as they show my wife’s name instead of the cancelled mother in law name

- shortly thereafter I get another email saying “Unfortunately, we regret to inform you that we are unable to generate an invoice for the tickets.”

- and then I get more invoices ... unfortunately, only for one leg of the trip and not the other .. .and unfortunately, none clearly stating what was paid and what was refunded

- Meanwhile, I notice that the dog refund is only half what it should be. I contact customer service and, apparently, the highly competent agent cancelled only the outgoing, not the return leg. I ask that the return leg be refunded

- I get a mail declining the refund with the highly opaque reason “we have rejected your refund request, because it does not meet the criteria listed on the website. “ Apparently, I am to waste more of my time divining their rationale for declining an obvious refund

So, 5 hours with Air France agents later, I still have an unresolved issue. Any other competent airline would have dealt with these minor topics quickly and efficiently ... but not AIr France.

and along the way:
- Lots of misinformation
- Agent incompetence in entering the wrong booking number for my mother in law refund
- Agent incompetence in putting a refund for the dog for only one leg
- Inability to produce simple statements of what was charged and what was refunded
- General incompetence in sending random emails to fix the issue ... emails that were rife with error

Any sensible person who would like to avoid massive headaches on simple changes should avoid Air France at all cost

I had a connected flight with Airfrance both ways. Everything that can be done wrong was done. They cancelled the first flight keeping the connection flight like a joke. Then to compansate the first leg of the flight they booked a flight next day without connection. So they expect me to have the second flight first and the first flight second. Like a joke. I had to stay overnight I missed my airbnb and bus which was paid. To reach out to them I had to wait one hour on the line someone to pick up and then I had to explain what happened several times.Then they took my cabin luggage by force and made me pay for it too. On the way back again delay over delay. As if this not enough the staff is extremely rude, lack of understanding the rush of connections and they are also racist. They would speak french to people with a smile and just being rude for non- french.horrible experience. Avoid flying with them.

Worst of them all. The service was so bad that you could not expect to enjoy anything you pay for. You could end up standing for 2 hours just to check-in. It's no need to elaborate how rediculous that is to ever happen

Air France has resorted to discriminating against customers who need assistance.
Travelling to france (Dublin, Ireland) no issue with baggage and assistance. However, travelling to Ireland (Charles de Gaulle, France) was a completely discusting experience.
I firstly wandering around 2E Terminal at Air France, on crutches with baggage - from Air France desk to desk, yes staff to staff, before finding the right place - with no help from Air France Staff, just pointing in random direction.
Upon reaching my destination area past desk 7, they asked for my boarding pass. No boarding pass was given as the mobile app stated: printed upon arrival to assistance desk.
The attitude and lack of help from the staff was unbelievable. Treatment as if I was a burden and they were so rude.
Once again, I was sent to another desk. Which the checkin lady was high on power, dismissive and rude. She had blonde hair to shoulders, wavy.
Which she knew her treatment was bad, when she refused to provide her name. Here is what happened:
1. I had paid for 1 carry on and 1 hand luggage: which was a case and laptop bag. Case was 10 kg and laptop was 6 kg as I had: laptop, medication and Gluten free food (as none provided on flight)
2. She weighted all together and told me I could either check in my case or remove 4 kg.
3. If I used the mobile app - neither bags would have been weighed and I could have brought both on the plane.
4. I could have opened the bag and wore my jacket, coat, took out food and place in carry bag - which the website states are not included as cabin baggage to reduce by 4 lbs exactly.
However, I was on crutches so I did not go through all this process.
5. Even if weight is over, all other passengers could also be overweight, however, due to no weighting at boarding and mobile checkin - they were allowed on board and not singled out.

I still do not understand why, I could check in or remove 4lbs. What was the difference? There was no change in bag weight. The flight was only half of capacity, so no issue on room.

Due to the fact that this would never happen with the mobile app. And bags are not weighted at oarding. I don't think this is unreasonable to view it - singled out and bullied. This shows, Air France are discriminating against people who need assistance. Using the assistance office to bully, target and identify people who need help by processing your checkin differently.
I hope to hear from them about this case and the seriousness of their treatment.

This is a dreadful company: and their CEO is idiotic enough not to respond to any form of personal communication. I still await a £38 refund after 17 days.
My wife and I were rostered by the Cunard Line to fly LHR – CDG + CDG – VCE on 25th August and in reverse ex Rome on 1st September. We endured four truly dreadful flights.

On 25th we sat on the runway at Heathrow on the way out for about 45 minutes.
The flight to Venice was boarded late while they refuelled the plane: having boarded, we sat on the plane about ninety minutes before take-off. We arrived exhausted and immensely frustrated as we had a car waiting to take us to Trieste to board Queen Victoria.
On the 1st, having boarded, we sat on the plane for three and a half hours while an alleged software problem was sorted. In the gathering heat we were not allowed off the plane because it would have involved taking all the luggage off and our having to go back through security., My wife is asthmatic and had developed a cold and she found it increasingly difficult to breathe in the gathering very hot atmosphere. Having at last taken off, we arrived at CDG after 10.00 p.m. having missed our 9.00 p.m. connecting flight to London. We found the check-in people at CDG with the greatest difficulty: they provided us with accommodation in a sub-standard hotel and gave us each a food box: this did not represent anything approaching a meal for two people at midnight who had not eaten for twelve hours. The contents were disgusting and we dumped them (wrong: I drank some of the water).
They put us on a 1.20 p.m. flight the next morning: having refused point blank to put us on the first flight out.

I booked fully refundable flights in February. AF altered the flight times significantly.
I requested the refund. £67 remains unpaid even though it says it has been paid on their website. Phoning seems impossible. I waited well over 2 hours for a reply. The email address I used failed. Using social media was a waste of time. Zut alors.
——————
2nd October. Still await my refund.
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13th October. I’m still waiting for my refund, or any reply, from Air France.

I think Air France must be desperate. They're going to start forcing unwilling passengers onto their planes and back to France at the behest of the British government. Yukk. "Taking elegance to new heights" is their adverting slogan. More like taking ugliness to new depths.

They lost my nieces bags at CDG and for a month as of today. They provided no competition, no baggage update, and they refuse to get a supervisor or even assign an agent to my claim. Idk how there isn't a class action lawsuit against for the amount of complaints I have seen online.

During a transfer in CDG, I lost my passport between the airplane and one way doors, was told by security there's nothing they could do as it's out of their jurisdiction and to go to the air France help desk. They refused to help me at all, saying to go back to security as it's their area even after I told them what they said. I asked if they could call security to explain the situation better as their English was terrible and it'd be far easier working out between each other who was able to help rather than I going back and forth. Despite the time-sensitive nature of my situation they flat out refused, waved me off and overall were extremely rude and unhelpful.
Luckily, a member of the CDG airport went out of their way to help me, made one quick phone call and I, by the skin of my teeth, managed to make my flight.
Air France are single-handedly reinforcing the French service stereotype. I have no plans to ever fly with them again or visit France. I can eat gruyère and shove rusty nails into my eyes in the UK.

Simple problem, connecting flight, first delayed, second cancelled. Follow the law, rebook, pay compensation. Done. Too easy for AirFrance, first interpret laws how do you fancy, e.g. claim that by law only those who took cancelled flight can ask for compensation (logic exits the room), when confronted, claim that cancelation didn't happen, and everyone arrived safe and sound with less than 3h delay. Ignore the passengers' rights and proofs they provided both at airport and later when they officially complain. Get 1 star. PROFIT

I have had both good and bad experiences with Air France.

My very first flights with them were a return ticket between Billund, Denmark and Lisbon, Portugal (with a layover in Paris). On the way home, the flight from Billund was delayed due to a snowstorm. This was understandable and completely out of their control. However, we ended up being about two hours delayed, which was more or less the same as my layover time in Paris. Naturally, I became nervous about whether I would make the next flight.

Having flown with their close partner KLM many times, I expected the same professionalism, where you are kept informed about possible missed connections or at least told which gate you need to head to. Air France did not give any information, so I asked politely. Unfortunately, the flight attendant seemed annoyed by my question and replied something along the lines of, “we can’t just go around and give that information to every single passenger,” as if everyone had a short layover in Paris and nobody was actually staying there.

What made it worse was that it turned out to be the exact same plane continuing to Lisbon, meaning I never needed to worry about missing the connection, as that flight was also delayed. To top it off, despite the fact that it was the same aircraft, Air France still managed to forget my suitcase in Paris.

On the other hand, I have flown with Air France twice between Lisbon and Tokyo (via Paris) without any issues at all. Both trips were smooth and on time.

Overall, my impression is mixed. Air France clearly has the potential for good service and reliable long-haul flights, but the lack of communication and poor attitude during my first trip left a bad impression compared to what I have experienced with KLM.

My flight was cancelled due to technical difficulties as we were on the tarmac about to board the plane.
Air France refused to pay any refund and told me I needed to go through Eastern Airways as they were operating the flight. They also tried to tell me that there is no evidence the flight was cancelled (it was still showing online.
Go to Gate (who i booked with) also pursued Air France as that is who the flight was booked with and, in the end, Air France completely refused to pay out any refund. This was 18 months ago, £1100 out of pocket and no refund in sight!

DO NOT book with Air France! Also, if your flight is ever cancelled make sure you have some written or photo evidence of this.

I’m fed up with airlines that make you travel with your arms crossed because the seats are tiny and everyone’s shoulders are squashed together.
The seats hardly reach 17 inches wide, recline a measly 3 cm—just enough to create the illusion of comfort—and the cushion is practically nonexistent. It’s a horrible experience—back pain, sore legs, so little space you can practically lean on the passenger in front of you.
Add disgusting bathrooms that the flight attendants don’t even bother cleaning, and a screaming flight attendant on the mic so loud it blasts your eardrums: Bon Voyage

Shady airline squeezing more money from passengers on top of their already expensive flight ticket prices. They title one of these charges "Airfrance's Support our investment in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)". I was forced to pay over $60 for this nonsense fee. I also had to cough up another ~$100 or so for decent seats. Too many extra charges. Their website was slow, buggy and annoying to use also. Made the overall booking even more frustrating.

On July 13, 2025, I paid €342.96 for Air France to transport my dog on flight AF963/LY9843 from Tel Aviv to Paris. What followed was a nightmare that left my dog with severe injuries and trauma.
What Happened:

My dog was checked in with an IATA-compliant cage, properly secured
44 minutes later, I was informed my dog had "escaped" and was found with severe injuries
When I asked about the cage, Air France staff told me it was "completely destroyed"
No explanation was provided for how professional transport equipment could be destroyed during routine ground handling

Injuries Sustained:
Severe burns on all four paw pads from hot tarmac
Multiple open wounds requiring emergency veterinary care (€406.88)
Ongoing medical treatment needed
Psychological trauma

Flight Experience:
Due to the destroyed cage, I was forced to hold my injured, bleeding dog AND my 5-month-old baby throughout the entire flight while my dog cried in pain. No assistance or solutions were offered.
Company Response:

Air France refuses to explain how the cage was destroyed
NO compensation offered whatsoever despite documented damages
They contradict their ground handler (Laufer) who claims the cage was "intact except for the door"
After legal notice sent, they deflected to Fischer FBC & Co. (Israeli law firm)
Executive office acknowledged the "distressing experience" but offered nothing

Documentation:
Case Reference: C-9746678

Warning to Pet Owners:
Air France cannot explain how professional pet transport equipment gets "completely destroyed" in their care and offers zero compensation for resulting injuries. Consider alternative airlines for pet transport.

I booked a flight with Air France and received what looked like a clear confirmation: email titled “Booking confirmed”, full flight details, fare conditions, and even a line saying the ticket was non-refundable. It also listed a payment amount and method.

So I naturally thought my booking was complete.

Months later, I found out the reservation had been automatically cancelled because it was apparently just an option that expired, something that was not mentioned ANYWHERE in the email. No reminder, no warning, and no cancellation notice either.

When I contacted customer service, they said the email is “automatically triggered by a payment attempt” and doesn’t actually mean the booking is confirmed. Then why does it literally say “Booking confirmed”?

Now the same ticket costs more. I’m left with no booking, a higher fare, and zero accountability from Air France.

This is incredibly poor customer communication, and I honestly expected better for a company that is not a "low cost".

Not business class at all being made to queue in economy to check in appaling service

Worst Airline EVER! Lost our luggage for days, said they would reimburse for clothing and personal items. NOPE pure misrepresentation. Consumers have way too many choices to fly poor quality, poor service, rude and lacks integrity. Don't waste your money!