Air France baggage allowance is focused on how many bags you can bring, and how much they can weigh. Air France also weighs your cabin bags, not just the ones you check in, and that catches a lot of people out. Everything you carry on board has to stay under 12kg in Economy, or 18kg in Business and La Première. What you can put in the hold depends on your ticket, which can be no checked bag at all on the cheapest fare or up to three bags in La Première.
- Air France weighs your cabin bags, so your carry-on bag plus your small personal item (like a purse) can't go over 12kg combined in Economy and Premium, or 18kg in Business and La Première.
- The cheapest Economy fare only gives you a small under-seat bag. There's no checked bag and no larger cabin bag unless you pay to add them.
- In the hold, you get anywhere from no bags on the cheapest fare up to three 32kg bags in La Première, and Flying Blue status adds one or two more on top.
- Your allowance changes with your fare, your cabin and your Flying Blue tier, so always check the exact numbers for your trip in My Bookings before you fly.
Air France hand luggage allowance
Air France lets you take two bags into the cabin, whatever class you fly:
- Your hand baggage, the larger bag that goes in the overhead locker
- A small bag that fits under the seat in front of you, like a handbag, a soft bag or a satchel
How many cabin bags you get
How many of each you get depends on your cabin class.
| Cabin | Hand baggage (overhead) | Small bag (under seat) | Combined weight limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 1 (none on the cheapest fare) | 1 | 12kg (26.4lb) |
| Premium | 2 | 1 | 12kg (26.4lb) |
| Business | 2 | 1 | 18kg (40lb) |
| La Première | 2 | 1 | 18kg (40lb) |
How much your cabin bags can weigh
The weight limit covers all your cabin bags added together, not each one on its own. In Economy and Premium, everything you carry on can weigh up to 12kg (26.4lb) in total. In Business and La Première, the limit goes up to 18kg (40lb). So if you're in Economy and your hand baggage weighs 9kg, your small bag has to be 3kg or less to stay within the 12kg.
Cabin bag size limits
Your bags also have to fit Air France's size limits.
Your hand baggage can be up to 55 x 35 x 25cm (21.7 x 13.8 x 9.9in), including the wheels and handles, and it goes in the overhead locker.
Your small bag can be up to 40 x 30 x 15cm (16 x 12 x 6in) and goes under the seat. If your seat is in an exit row, your small bag has to go in the overhead locker instead, because nothing can block the way out.
Extra items you can bring for free
Some items are free and don't count towards your allowance at all, including a coat or jacket you're wearing, an umbrella, one bag of duty-free shopping, and baby gear like a pushchair, a car seat or a nappy bag.
Flying from the US or on a full flight
If you're flying from the United States, US security (TSA) will only let you bring one hand baggage item and one small bag, no matter your seating class. If the flight is full, Air France might put your hand baggage in the hold at no charge, so keep your passport, medication and electronics in the small bag that stays with you.
Adding hand baggage on a Basic fare
On a Basic fare you get only the small under-seat bag. The larger overhead bag, which Air France calls hand baggage, isn't included, but you can add it:
- If you're Flying Blue Gold or above, you get hand baggage free.
- Everyone else pays for the Hand Baggage option. You can buy it when you book your flight, or any time up to 4 hours before your scheduled departure. Just go to the "My Bookings" section of the Air France website or app, or at the airport.
- Flying Blue Explorer members can pay with Miles.
Tip
Additional hand baggage can be up to 55 x 35 x 25cm, and together with your small bag it has to weigh 12kg or less.
What is the Air France checked baggage allowance?
It depends on your cabin and fare. Economy and Premium include up to two bags of 23kg (50lb) each, Business one or two bags of 32kg (70.5lb), and La Première three bags of 32kg. The cheapest Economy fare includes no checked bag at all, so you'd have to add one.
| Cabin | Checked bags | Weight per bag |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | 0 to 2 (depending on your fare) | 23kg (50lb) |
| Premium | 0 to 2 (depending on your fare) | 23kg (50lb) |
| Business | 1 to 2 (depending on your fare) | 32kg (70.5lb) |
| La Première | 3 | 32kg (70.5lb) |
How big can an Air France checked bag be?
Up to 158cm (62.2in). That's the length, width and height added together, including the wheels and handles, so it's the size of the whole bag rather than one side. A bag bigger than 158cm counts as oversized and costs an extra fee.
How many extra checked bags do Flying Blue members get?
If you have Flying Blue status with SkyTeam Elite or Elite Plus, you can check in more bags than your fare allows. These extra bags are added to the allowance your ticket already includes:
- Silver and Gold members: 1 extra bag
- Platinum and Ultimate members: 2 extra bags
So if your fare already includes one checked bag and you're a Gold member, you can check two.
Which Air France baggage rules apply to your trip?
The baggage allowance rules we've discussed here apply to any flight with an Air France flight number, like AF123. If Air France operates your whole trip, they apply to every flight, there and back.
If your trip mixes airlines, the one operating your first long-haul flight, the leg that crosses to another continent or country, sets the baggage rules for the whole journey. So if Air France runs that first long flight, its rules apply all the way. If another airline runs it, check that airline's rules instead.
Your return can follow different rules from your outbound, so check it on its own.
How much does it cost to go over your Air France baggage allowance?
If a bag is over your weight or size limit, you pay an extra fee at the airport. Air France doesn't list one set price, because it depends on your route, so you'll see the exact amount when you check your booking.
There are two of these fees:
- An overweight fee, for a bag heavier than your allowance but no more than 32kg.
- An oversized fee, for a bag bigger than 158cm but no more than 300cm (118in).
When is a bag too big or heavy to check?
Once a bag goes over 32kg, or over 300cm, it's too heavy or too large to check in as normal luggage. To send something that big, you'd have to ship it through Air France Cargo, the airline's separate service for goods.
How do you buy extra bags with Air France?
You pay to add an extra checked bag, either online or at the airport. Online is cheaper, so it's best to add your bags before you travel.
Where and when to buy
- Online, when you book or later in My Bookings, up to 24 hours before your flight. This is the cheapest way.
- At the airport on the day, which costs more.
- On flights to and from the US and Canada, the price is the same online or at the airport.
How many bags you can add
- Up to 10 bags per person, or 3 on smaller planes.
- For more than 3 bags each, you need special permission from Air France, which depends on how full the flight is.
What is the Air France baggage allowance for infants and children?
A child with their own seat gets the same allowance as an adult. A baby travelling without their own seat gets less, but still has one:
- One free checked bag up to 10kg (22lb), though the cheapest Economy (Light) fare includes none
- A pushchair or baby carrier, free
- A car seat, free
If the pushchair won't fit in the cabin, it goes in the hold for free.
What should you do if Air France delays, loses or damages your bag?
Report it to Air France at the airport before you leave, and keep your bag tag, boarding pass and any receipts, because that paperwork is what lets you claim. On an international flight, the Montreal Convention covers you for up to 1,519 SDR, about $2,000 (€1,800) per person, for a bag that's delayed, lost or damaged. For the full process, see our Air France baggage claim guide.
Claim with BagHelp
BagHelp helps travellers claim compensation for delayed, lost or damaged baggage on a no-win, no-fee basis. If your Air France bag went missing or arrived broken, we can check your case and handle the claim for you, so you don't have to argue with the airline yourself. Start your claim and we'll take it from there.
FAQ
Yes. Staff can weigh and measure your bags before boarding, and anything over the 12kg or 18kg limit, or bigger than 55 x 35 x 25cm, can be moved to the hold.
Yes. The same rules apply on flights operated by KLM, Air France's partner. Other partner airlines can differ, so check whoever operates each flight.
No. You can buy extra bags online, but oversized and overweight fees are paid at the airport, and an oversized bag goes to the Oversized Baggage counter.
Airlines usually treat a delayed bag as lost after about 21 days. Our lost baggage guide explains what you can claim then.
Yes. You can stack them: an Additional Baggage option for an extra bag, plus an Overweight or Oversized option for a bag that's too heavy or too big.