Air France check-in

How can I check in for an Air France flight?

When traveling on an Air France flight, various options are available for passengers to check in before or after arriving at the airport:

• Online Check-in.
• Self-Service Kiosk Check-in.
• Air France Counter Check-in.

When must I check in for my Air France flight?

Arriving at the airport 2 hours before your departure time allows you to comfortably check in and pass through security checkpoints. Each Air France flight has a check-in deadline (French acronym: HLE) which appears on your electronic ticket. Check-in deadlines vary between 15 and 90 minutes depending on your departure airport and destination:

• From any airport in metropolitan France, except Paris Charles de Gaulle:
  • 30-40 minutes – to another city within France and Europe.
  • 60 minutes – to French overseas departments and territories and other countries.
• From Paris – Charles de Gaulle 2:
  • 40 minutes – to another city within France, Europe (within the Schengen area), Great Britain, and Ireland.
  • 60 minutes – to French overseas departments and territories, Europe (outside Schengen area), Israel, Algeria, Cairo, Morocco, Tunisia, and South Africa, and other countries (except countries in Africa).
  • 90 minutes – to Africa (except Algeria, Cairo, Morocco, Tunisia, and South Africa).
• From Europe, except metropolitan France:
  • 15 minutes – from London-City and from Brussels-Midi to Paris-Charles de Gaulle 2 by TGV, without checked baggage.
  • 30 minutes – from Europe to French regional cities.
  • 40 minutes – from Europe to Paris-Charles de Gaulle and within Europe.
  • 50 minutes – from Kyiv, Milan, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yerevan.
  • 60 minutes – from Istanbul.
• From other regions (outside of Europe):
  • 45 minutes – from French overseas departments and territories, except French Guiana, Guadeloupe, and Martinique.
  • 60 minutes – from all regions, except cities below.
  • 90 minutes – from Cayenne – French Guiana, Pointe-à-Pitre – Guadeloupe, Fort-de-France – Martinique, Abidjan, Abuja, Antananarivo, Bamako, Bangui, Brazzaville, Cairo, Caracas, Conakry, Cotonou, Dakar, Djibouti, Douala, Freetown, Kinshasa, Lagos, Libreville, Lomé, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou, Port Harcourt, Yaounde.

Online Check-in

Passengers may check in online between 30 hours¹ and the check-in deadline for the flight. Online Check-in is available whether you will be traveling alone or in a group, with or without baggage. If your return flight falls within 24 hours of your departure, you can also check in for your return flight. You can check in via your mobile phone (Air France app or mobile website) if you have Internet access, regardless of your service provider or mobile telephone model.

¹24 hours before departure for Air France flights from Atlanta and Detroit and Delta Airlines flights departing from the US.

Restrictions

Air France does not allow passengers to check in online when:

• Traveling with an animal in the hold.
• The trip includes a leg traveled by train (except from Brussels or Strasbourg).
• An upgrade has been obtained using Flying Blue Miles online.
• Change of airports is required during a stopover (except between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly).
• An extra seat has been booked.
• Departing from Sofia (flights operated by Air Bulgaria).

For some flights (e.g., flights from Algiers, Cairo, Havana, Mumbai, Punta Cana, Tunis, etc., flights between Paris-CDG or Marseille and Tel Aviv) and AIR&RAIL trips that include a rail segment departing from Strasbourg or Brussels, you may use Online Check-in, but the boarding pass can be obtained only at the airport by presenting the check-in confirmation (printed at the end of Online Check-in) at the check-in counter or e-services counter.

Options

During Online Check-in, passengers are given the option to:

• Select flights. If your itinerary includes a connecting flight or a return flight within 24 hours of your departure, information about these flights will also be displayed and you can check in at the same time.
• Select passengers. A maximum of 9 passengers may check in at the same time. You can choose the passengers you want to check in from the list of passengers booked in the same booking file displayed.
• Choose seats or purchase Seat Plus for extra leg room. A seat number is automatically allocated to each passenger. You can choose a different seat for you and for the people you are traveling with using the cabin layout.
• Purchase additional baggage allowance (at least 20% off the airport rate).
• Print your baggage tags and receipts at home (only available with the option to print or receive your boarding pass by e-mail; color printing required for flights departing from the European Union; reusable luggage tag holders to be provided at the airport).

At the end of Online Check-in, you can choose how you want to receive your boarding pass:

• Print (letter size, one side only).
• E-mail.
• On your mobile telephone.
• At the airport (Self-Service Kiosk or check-in counter).

If you have baggage to check, you must drop off your baggage before the check-in deadline, at the airport check-in counter or EXPRESS counter (just follow the EXPRESS signs after you have tagged your baggage yourself at a Self-Service Kiosk; EXPRESS drop-off is available in certain airports in metropolitan France).

Self-Service Kiosk Check-in

You can check-in at a Self-Service Kiosk the day of your flight, before your flight’s check-in deadline. Self-Service Kiosk Check-in is available when you are traveling alone or with others, with or without baggage, with a reduced rate (proof must be presented upon boarding), or when you have a connecting flight. To start checking-in at the Self-Service Kiosk, just enter your e-ticket or reservation number or introduce your Flying Blue card or debit/credit card with your first and last name (not necessarily used to pay for your ticket). At certain kiosks, you can also scan your passport to identify yourself.

When you check in at a Self-Service Kiosk, you have the option to:

• Change your flight with an earlier flight if your ticket is modifiable.
• Check in for your return flight if the flight departs within 24 hours of your arrival.
• Check that your Flying Blue card number has been registered for your flight.
• Confirm/change your seat.
• Print a trip summary.
• Pay additional fees (payment at Self-Service Kiosks is available only in France and the U.S., except Chicago).
• Book and purchase options (additional baggage allowance at airport rate, Seat Plus).
• Self-tag your baggage.

The Self-Service Kiosk will print your boarding pass and, if the case, your baggage tags. You can then simply drop your baggage at the EXPRESS counter and/or proceed to the departure gate.

Counter Check-in

You can check in at an Air France counter by simply showing your photo ID, electronic ticket, reservation number, or Flying Blue card. If traveling without baggage, you only have to check in once for round-trip, same-day flights within Europe or France. Passengers traveling in La Premiere/First cabin, as well as passengers traveling in the Business or Premium Economy cabins, can check in at dedicated check-in counters. For Flying Blue (Silver, Gold, or Platinum) members, priority check-in counters are located in most airports.

Boarding

When you check in before arriving at the airport and do not need to check any baggage, you no longer have to worry about the check-in deadline and can arrive at the airport a bit later than other passengers. However, you must still comply with the boarding deadline for your flight. Air France may cancel your reservation if you are not present at the boarding gate at the latest by the boarding deadline. Boarding deadlines, after which you are no longer guaranteed boarding, vary depending on your departure and arrival airport:

• 15 minutes before departure time – flights between Paris – Orly and metropolitan France destinations.
• 20 minutes before departure time – all other flights.

More information here >>