Air France delay compensation on flights to and from Canada

Updated October 18, 2026 · Checked against the regulations as current to September 30, 2026 · By LandedLate

On an Air France flight to or from Canada, Air France owes $400, $700 or $1,000 per passenger for a delay or cancellation within its control, and lists those amounts in its own Canada notice. The notice calls the payment a “compensation voucher (refundable)”, but you're entitled to money unless you choose otherwise in writing (section 21). Europe's rules may also cover the flight, but being paid under them first ends the Canadian claim.

Whether your own flight qualifies depends on its details: the reason the airline gave, how late you reached your destination and how much notice you had. Check it free at landedlate.ca/check.

How much Air France owes

Air France, delay or cancellation within its control
You reached your destination	Per passenger
3 to 6 hours late	$400
6 to 9 hours late	$700
9 hours or more	$1,000
Less than 3 hours late	$0

Canadian dollars, per passenger, section 19(1); these are the amounts Air France lists. Data as of October 18, 2026.

Bumped from an Air France flight for a reason within its control? $900, $1,800 or $2,400 (section 20). If your trip no longer serves a purpose and you turn down the new flight, Air France says you're owed $400 (section 19(2)). Every amount in one chart

When Air France has to pay, and when it doesn't

You're owed

The cause was within Air France's control and not for safety, you arrived 3+ hours late, and you were told 14 days or less before departure (section 12).

Worth challenging

Air France cites “flight safety issues”, weather or strikes without detail, or offers only a voucher. In a complaint the airline has to prove the cause (Canada Transportation Act, section 85.07(2)).

Not owed

Weather that made flying unsafe, air traffic control or a security threat. You still get a new flight within 48 hours on Air France or a partner; if it can't, your choice of a refund or a seat on any airline (section 18). Air France says such refunds follow your fare rules; the regulations don't say that.

How to claim from Air France

Open Air France's claim form at airfrance.ca/en/claim and log in, or find your booking with the booking reference and your first and last name. It's Air France's general claims form; its Canada notice doesn't name a dedicated compensation form.
Say it's a claim under Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations, with how late you arrived and the reason you were given, and ask to be paid in money (section 21).
Claim before the first anniversary of the delay or cancellation (section 19(3)). If you already have a claim reference, Air France says not to file a new form for the same request.
Note the date. Air France has 30 days to pay or explain (section 19(4)). If it hasn't paid

Write my Air France claim

Free. LandedLate takes no share of what Air France pays you.

Canadian or European rules?

A flight from Paris to Canada can fall under Europe's rules (EU Regulation 261/2004) because it departs the EU, and a flight from Canada to Paris can because Air France is an EU airline, unless you received benefits or compensation in Canada (article 3(1)). For a cancellation on these routes, the European amount is EUR 600 (article 7), unless you were told 2 or more weeks ahead or Air France proves extraordinary circumstances (article 5); it can be halved if your new flight arrives within 4 hours of the original time.

Once you've been paid under the European rules for the same event, Canadian compensation is no longer owed (Canada Transportation Act, section 86.11(3)); on a flight from Canada, being paid and looked after in Canada can rule out the European claim (article 3(1)(b)). Air France can't refuse a Canadian claim just because you could have claimed in Europe (section 3(3)). Before you accept any payment, compare what each would pay you.

What the regulator has fined Air France for

In October 2025 the Canadian Transportation Agency fined Air France $43,200 for nine itineraries, issued between December 2024 and March 2025, that were missing the required terms, care and compensation information.

What else Air France owes you during the disruption

Meals, a way to communicate and a hotel overnight, when the cause was within its control or for safety, you were told less than 12 hours ahead and you've waited 2 hours past your ticketed departure (section 14). Air France adds that a hotel is “subject to availability”. Meals and hotels
A new flight or a refund after a delay of 3 hours or more or a cancellation (sections 17 and 18). Cancelled flights and refunds

If Air France refuses or doesn't answer

Write back and ask for the specific cause and the evidence. You can file a free complaint with the Canadian Transportation Agency 30 days after your claim, or once it's refused. Expect a long wait: the agency says it may take more than 24 months before an officer reviews a complaint. Answering a refusal · How to file with the agency

Questions

Air France offered me a voucher. Do I have to take it?

No. Air France's Canada notice describes the compensation as a "compensation voucher (refundable)", but the regulations require money unless the other form is worth more, never expires, and you confirm in writing that you chose it knowing you could have money (section 21). Ask for payment in money.

Can I claim under both the European and the Canadian rules?

Usually not both. Air France can't refuse Canadian compensation just because you're also eligible under Europe's rules (section 3(3)), but once you've been paid under them, Canadian compensation is no longer owed (Canada Transportation Act, section 86.11(3)). On a flight from Canada, Europe's rules don't apply if you received benefits or compensation and assistance in Canada (EU Regulation 261/2004, article 3(1)(b)). Compare the two before you accept any money.

When do Europe's rules cover my Air France flight?

EU Regulation 261/2004 covers passengers departing from an airport in the EU, and passengers flying into the EU on an EU airline such as Air France, unless they received benefits or compensation in the country they left (article 3(1)). For a cancellation on a flight over 3,500 km, such as Canada to France, it sets EUR 600 (article 7), unless you were told 2 or more weeks ahead or the airline proves extraordinary circumstances (article 5). The amount can be halved if your new flight arrives within 4 hours of the original time.

My Air France flight was operated by KLM, Delta or another airline. Who do I claim from?

The airline that operated it. Air France's notice says the obligation "is the responsibility of the carrier operating the flight which was delayed or cancelled", which matches the regulations (section 2(1)).

Air France says the cause was "flight safety issues". Is that the end of it?

Not necessarily. A disruption within the airline's control that is required for safety pays no compensation, but the airline has to show it; in a complaint it is presumed within its control and not for safety unless the airline proves otherwise (Canada Transportation Act, section 85.07(2)). Ask what failed and when it was found.

Sources

General information, not legal advice.