How to check in online with Air France

Air France online check-in lets you get your boarding pass before you reach the airport and, in most cases, go straight to security if you're travelling with hand luggage only. You can complete it on the Air France website or in the Air France app, and it takes just a few minutes.

In this guide we cover when check-in opens, how to complete it step by step, how to get your boarding pass and what to do at the airport once you're done.

One question that comes up a lot is how far in advance you can check in online. Air France online check-in opens 30 hours before your flight's scheduled departure time. From then on, you can check in on the website or in the app, choose your seat and get your boarding pass. There are some exceptions, including flights departing from Atlanta and Detroit, for which online check-in opens 24 hours before.

Air France doesn't have a single closing time for online check-in: the deadline varies by destination. You can also cancel a completed check-in up until this deadline if your plans change.

The other deadline to keep in mind concerns the airport. Your boarding pass shows the recommended arrival time, worked out on the basis of busy periods at your airport. If that information isn't there, the general rule is to arrive 3 hours before an international flight and 2 hours before a flight within France or Europe, including the United Kingdom. Baggage drop-off deadlines vary from airport to airport and can be checked on the airline's website. Finally, remember that boarding normally closes 15 to 20 minutes before departure, depending on the flight.

Before you start the Air France online check-in process, make sure you have the following ready:

• Booking reference (the 6-character code you receive when you buy your ticket) or your ticket number (the 13- or 14-digit sequence shown on your confirmation).

• Passenger's last name, exactly as it appears on the booking.

• Flight number.

• ID card or passport, depending on your destination: you need it for some of the steps, and you'll need it on the day of your flight either way.

Alternatively, registered users can log in with their account details. Now let's look at the steps to follow to check in online with Air France.

Air France online check-in takes just a few minutes and can be completed on the airline's official website or in its app. Once you're done, you can choose how you want to receive your boarding pass.

To check in online with Air France:

1. Go to the Air France website or open the airline's app.

2. Enter your booking reference (or ticket number), the passenger's last name and the flight number. If you're a registered user, you can log in with your account details (email and password).

3. Select the passengers, check your trip details and, if needed, complete or confirm the information requested.

4. Choose your seat, if your fare includes it, or accept the one assigned automatically.

5. Add any extra services available, such as a baggage option or an on-board meal.

6. Confirm your check-in and choose how you want to receive your boarding pass.

Online check-in can be completed on the web or in the app. Below you'll find the differences between the two options.

Booked through a travel agency or a site like eDreams or Booking.com?

You still check in online on the official Air France website or in the Air France app, wherever you bought your ticket. The process is identical to the one for passengers who booked directly: you need your Air France booking reference (or ticket number), the passenger's last name and the flight number.

The one thing to watch is the booking reference. When you buy through a travel agency or an online travel agency (OTA) such as eDreams, Booking.com, lastminute.com or similar, you receive a confirmation code from the agency, which doesn't always match the Air France booking reference: the 6-character code the airline uses to identify your booking in its own system. That's the one you need in order to access online check-in.

How to find your Air France booking reference:

• check the confirmation email from the agency or OTA: the airline's code is often shown in a separate section, next to wording such as "airline confirmation number", "airline booking reference" or "booking reference";

• if it isn't in the email, contact the agency or OTA directly and ask for the airline's booking reference, explaining that you need it to check in with Air France.

As an alternative to the booking reference, you can use your ticket number for Air France online check-in: the 13- or 14-digit sequence that agencies usually include in your travel documents.

If you have an Air France account, you can log in and find the flights linked to your account ready for check-in, or add a booking.

Once you've completed online check-in, you have your digital boarding pass: in most cases, if you're travelling with hand luggage only, you can go straight to security at the airport.

You can receive and keep your Air France boarding pass in several formats:

• by email;

• in your phone's wallet;

• printed;

• or you can collect it from an interactive kiosk at the airport.

If your boarding pass can't be issued online or at an interactive kiosk, you'll need to collect it at an Air France check-in counter at the airport.

What to do at the airport

Now that you have your boarding pass, what you need to do at the airport depends on your baggage:

• if you're travelling with hand luggage only, in most cases you can go straight to security and then to the boarding gate, skipping the airline counters altogether;

• if you have baggage to check in, you'll need to drop it off at the baggage drop-off counter. You can print your baggage tag at an interactive kiosk at the airport, or before you leave during online check-in.

Your boarding pass shows the recommended arrival time at the airport. If that information isn't there, you should normally arrive 3 hours before an international flight and 2 hours before a flight within France or Europe, including the United Kingdom. Baggage drop-off deadlines vary from airport to airport and can be checked on the airline's website.

One last thing to remember: boarding closes 15 to 20 minutes before departure, depending on the flight. After that, you can no longer board. Sticking to these times matters, so you don't risk being denied boarding.

In most cases Air France online check-in is available with no particular restrictions, but there are some situations in which it isn't possible, including:

• if you're travelling with an animal in the hold;

• if you've taken an upgrade paid for online with Flying Blue Miles;

• if you've booked an extra seat.

In these and other cases you have to check in at the airport. For the full, up-to-date list, see the Air France website.

You checked in on time, well within the deadline, and you were at the gate exactly when you should have been. And yet a cancellation, a delayed flight or overbooking can still get in the way of your plans, even with a confirmed booking.

In these cases, if the airline is responsible, European Regulation EC 261/2004 entitles you to compensation of up to €600 per passenger. The right to compensation applies to arrival delays of more than 3 hours, to cancellations announced without sufficient notice (more details here) and to denied boarding due to overbooking.

Working out whether you're entitled to compensation, and how to claim it from the airline, isn't always easy. To find out more, read our guide to Air France compensation. Alternatively, you can check for free with AirHelp: just enter your flight details to find out in moments whether you're entitled to financial compensation.

Track your Air France flight after check-in

Once online check-in is done, the wait for your flight begins. From that point on it's always a good idea to keep an eye on your flight status, especially if you have connections or someone picking you up when you land.

The Air France app lets you track your flight status with real-time notifications and see information about your current and upcoming flights. Widgets on your phone's home screen also let you follow your baggage in real time. If you have a connection at Paris Charles de Gaulle, the app shows real-time information about your onward flight. When the connection is a short one, you get a notification confirming that your Short Connection Pass has been activated.

Alternatively, you can use the free AirHelp app, which adds one more feature: if your flight is delayed by more than 3 hours, is cancelled, or you're denied boarding, the app automatically checks whether you're entitled to compensation under Regulation EC 261/2004 and alerts you directly.

With the AirHelp app you can:

• receive real-time notifications about delays, cancellations, gate changes and baggage carousels;

• scan your boarding pass to add your flight quickly;

• share your flight status with whoever is picking you up;

• automatically check whether a disruption entitles you to compensation of up to €600;

• start your compensation claim straight from the app, with no paperwork.

The app is free and available on iOS and Android.