Carry On and Checked Baggage with Air France: Everything You Need to Know

Carry on, checked baggage, handbag… It can sometimes be hard to make sense of all the different baggage allowance terms and conditions applied by airlines. Air France is no exception. The number of suitcases (and their weight) a passenger can bring on board a French airline depends on the fare selected and the cabin in which they are traveling. Curious? Milesopedia helps you untangle the mystery and reveals everything you need to know about carry on and checked baggage with Air France.

The number and total weight of carry on baggage allowed depends on your travel cabin and the fare selected. Flying Blue, Silver, Gold and Platinum status holders, as well as SkyTeam Elite and Elite Plus status holders who have access to SkyPriority, can travel with an additional baggage item free of charge. If the checked baggage allowance is 23 kg, they can bring a second bag of the same weight, free of charge.

If you’re traveling in Economy, you can carry one piece of lugage and one accessory into the cabin, together weighing no more than 12 kg. The accessory can be a handbag or backpack, into which you can transport a laptop, camera, or your other electronic devices.

Carry on baggage must not exceed 55 x 35 x 25 cm – including pockets, wheels and handles – while accessories must not exceed 40 x 30 x 15 cm. It should be small enough to slide easily under the seat in front of you, unless you’re sitting at an emergency exit. In this case, it is stored in the overhead luggage compartment.

Air France passengers choosing the Light fare do not have checked baggage included. Only passengers with Standard, Standard Plus and Flex fares may bring up to one piece of checked baggage, with a maximum weight of 23 kg. It can measure no more than 158 cm, including pockets, wheels and handles.

When you travel in the Premium Economy cabin, you can take two small pieces of luggage and one accessory with you. As above, carry on lugage may not measure more than 55 x 35 x 25 cm, including pockets, wheels and handles, and all baggage must not weigh more than 12 kg.

In the Premium Economy cabin, passengers can bring two pieces of checked baggage free of charge, with a maximum weight of 23 kg per suitcase. Same goes for checked lugage, suitcases must measure no more than 158 cm, including pockets, wheels and handles.

If you travel in the Business cabin, the carry on allowance is the same as for the La Première cabin. You can take two small pieces of luggage and one accessory measuring no more than 55 x 35 x 25 cm, including pockets, wheels and handles, and weighing no more than 18 kg.

If you are traveling in the Business cabin, you are allowed to check the same number of suitcases as passengers traveling in the Premium Economy cabin, but they can be heavier. Both suitcases can weigh up to 32 kg each. The dimensions, however, are the same: suitcases can measure no more than 158 cm, including pockets, wheels and handles.

Although La Première is Air France’s most exclusive cabin, the number of baggage items that can be carried in the cabin is the same as for Premium Economy and Business cabins: two baggage items and one accessory. Maximum dimensions are the same as for the lower classes, but suitcases can weigh up to 18 kg.

Passengers flying inAir France’s most exclusive cabin can bring up to three 32kg suitcases. Here too, dimensions may not exceed 158 cm, including pockets, wheels and handles.

If you have more baggage than your allowance, don’t panic. It is possible to pay for extra luggage, although the rates can be exorbitant. For long-haul flights, an additional 100 euros may be charged for carrying an extra suitcase. Fares depend on purchase, flight and fare class.

It is possible to purchase additional baggage at the time of ticket purchase, at any time after ticket purchase and up to 30 hours before flight departure, or during online check-in or at the airport. Any extra piece of luggage purchased can weigh up to 23 kg and measure 158 cm. Please note that the number of extra baggage items may be limited depending on the size of the aircraft.

You can pay for your extra baggage with a credit card or Flying Blue Miles. To accelerate earning your Miles, you can opt for an American Express Gold or Platinum bank card or an Air France KLM American Express Silver, Gold or Platinum card, with which every euro spent can earn you up to two Flying Blue Miles.

Not all baggage is accepted on board Air France aircraft, even if it is checked in the hold. Some products can become volatile in the lower temperatures felt in the hold, and can be dangerous for the plane’s passengers.

Here is the list of carry on and checked baggage prohibited on Air France flights:

For the full list, visit the Air France website. Different rules may apply to passengers with disabillities.

To avoid being turned away at the airport a few hours before departure, it’s essential to find out about the different airline baggage allowances before your flight. Air France doesn’t make life easy for its passengers with its differing rules, which vary according to fare and cabin class. Nevertheless, with a little advance preparation, everything is bound to go smoothly. It is possible to travel with Air France with several pieces of carry on and checked baggages without having to spend a fortune.