QUALIFY IT
Was I bumped, or did I volunteer?
Air France routinely oversells transatlantic economy and asks for volunteers at the gate, offering vouchers and hotel nights. If you accept, you’re a volunteer and you give up Article 7 compensation. Say no. An involuntary bump pays €600 in cash.
The on-time test: Air France gates close 20 minutes before departure on most routes, and boarding closes earlier on long-haul. If you reached the gate before it closed, with a confirmed seat, and weren’t given a seat, you were denied boarding.
A downgrade from La Première or Business to Economy is a different claim: an Article 10 refund of 30–75% of the fare. It’s still worth filing.
THE MONEY
How much am I owed?
€250
Under 1,500 km
€400
1,500–3,500 km
€600
Over 3,500 km
Per person — payable immediately under Article 4(3).
Under 1,500 km €250 · 1,500–3,500 km €400 · over 3,500 km €600, per person, owed the day it happens. Transatlantic bumps are €600. Air France may halve it if your new flight arrives within two, three or four hours of the original, depending on distance. That’s rare on a long-haul overnight.
THE PUSHBACK
What will Air France say to refuse?
There’s no defence to an involuntary bump, so the reply argues the facts: you volunteered, or you were late. A time-stamped photo at the gate and your boarding pass with the gate-close time settle both.
Air France’s gate staff record volunteers carefully. If you signed nothing and accepted nothing, say so plainly. The lack of a signed voucher is the evidence.
THE EDGE
What’s specific to Air France
Report the bump the same day. Flight data never shows a gate refusal.
Air France’s volunteer vouchers are generous by design, sometimes above the cash amount. Taking one still costs you your Article 7 right. Cash spends anywhere. An Air France voucher doesn’t.
MTV and France’s five-year limit apply, as on every Air France claim. Bumps rarely reach mediation because the facts are simple.
The same rules on any airline: bumped from a flight — your rights.
HOW TO CLAIM
How do I claim?
Write down what happened at the gate, with times, the same day.
Ask the gate staff to put the refusal in writing, or note a staff name and the time.
File through Air France’s compensation request, citing Article 4. Attach your boarding pass.
Turn down any voucher offered after the fact.
WHAT AIR FRANCE OWES YOU
Check what Air France owes you — free, two minutes. $39 only if the airline pays.
Check my flight →YOU ASK
Common questions
I took the €800 voucher and the hotel. Is anything left?
Not compensation. Volunteering waives it.
They swapped the aircraft and I lost my seat. Is that a bump?
Yes. A confirmed seat withdrawn for operational reasons is involuntary denied boarding.
Does Air France have to put me on Delta if that’s the next flight?
You’re owed a new flight at the earliest opportunity, on any airline. Air France prefers its own flights. Insist if the other option gets you there a day sooner.
Can Air France blame the weather for bumping me?
No. Article 4 has no extraordinary-circumstances exemption of any kind.
How fast does Air France pay for a bump?
Faster than for delays: three to five weeks when you attach the gate facts.
The law this guide is written against: EC261 full text (EUR-Lex) · UK261 full text (legislation.gov.uk)
General information, not legal advice. Compensation depends on the facts of each disruption and the airline’s evidence. MyAirAdvocate files claims for a flat $39, charged only if the airline pays, and never takes a percentage of what you are owed.