The Air France Group Flight Crew Union (SNGAF) has filed an unlimited strike notice since January 24, 2022 to protest against the introduction of the vaccination pass.
[Mis à jour le 28 janvier 2022 à 08h57] The Air France Group Flight Crew Union (SNGAF) has filed an indefinite strike notice with effect from Monday January 24 to protest against the vaccination pass. According to them, its implementation leads to a “break in equity” between all the employees of the company. “Although imperfect”, the health pass had the merit of allowing all the Cabin Crew Members, without distinction, to be able to continue working, the required PCR test “also guaranteeing the good health of the Cabin Crew Members at time T”.
The action therefore aims to offer “an alternative to non-vaccinated cabin crew members to continue working” and the possibility of being able to benefit, in the long term, from “days of immobilization which are legally due to them”. The strike notice filed by the union representing 30% of the airline’s cabin crew. For the moment, no Air France flight seems to have been impacted by this strike.
Which destinations does Air France serve?
In France, the company is present in 25 cities including Ajaccio, Biarritz, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice, Paris and Toulouse. Internationally, it has a very large network that it serves itself or through its partner companies. You will find all the destinations served by Air France on this page. Among the essential destinations in Europe accessible from Paris, we find Berlin, Vienna, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Madrid, Athens, RomeAmsterdam, Lisbon, London, Geneva or Stockholm.
The Air France airline will offer 80 seasonal routes to leisure destinations this summer, including 22 new ones in France, Europe and North Africa. With 39 seasonal connections on the medium-haul network, Air France will offer its customers a wide choice of destinations.
- From Paris CDG : Tangier and Agadir (Morocco), Monastir (Tunisia), Valletta (Malta), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Corfu and Rhodes (Greece) from July 5, 2021
- From Paris Orly : Bari (Italy) from May 31, 2021, Ibiza (Spain) and Algiers (Algeria) from June 28, 2021
- From Marseille-Provence : Catania (Italy) from June 26, 2021 and Corfu (Greece) from July 19, 2021
- From Nice-Côte d’Azur : London (United Kingdom) and Tunis (Tunisia) from June 28, 2021
Air France will also support travelers in their travels in France, with 41 seasonal connections offered, including 8 new ones this summer. Plane tickets are already available for sale on the airline’s website.
- Departing from Paris-Charles de Gaulle : Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi and Figari from June 5, 2021
- From Perpignan : Brest, Strasbourg and Nantes from June 25, 2021
- From Biarritz : Caen from June 25, 2021
After a heated debate, the flagship measure of the climate bill was officially adopted by the National Assembly, at first reading on April 10: domestic flights that can be replaced by an alternative route taking less than 2.5 hours by train will be removed in France. Which Air France routes will be affected?
Concretely, this means that the lines connecting Paris Orly to the cities of Nantes, Bordeaux and Lyon, which last between 1h10 and 1h50, will soon disappear. However, there is an exception for matches. So, if you have to take a Marseille-Montreal flight, for example, which is not direct, you can make your stopover at Paris-CDG.
UFC-Que Choisir, however, calls for the domestic flight ban threshold to be increased to 4 hours when an alternative exists by train. The 2h30 provided for by the Climate bill will lead, according to her, to a “derisory environmental gain”. The 2.5 hour threshold will lead to the elimination of only five domestic lines (Paris-Bordeaux, Paris-Lyon, Paris-Nantes, Paris-Rennes and Lyon-Marseille) representing a total of 12% of passenger traffic (around 2.7 million passengers) and 3.5% of CO2 emissions from air transport in France. If this threshold were set at four hours, 18 domestic airlines in France would be affected, including the very busy Paris-Marseille, resulting in a 30% drop in domestic passenger traffic (6.9 million passengers) and 12 .5% of air carbon emissions.
In Economy Class, you can take one standard cabin bag (55 x 35 x 25 cm maximum, wheels and handles included) as well as an accessory (a handbag for example), the total weight of which does not exceed 12 kg. In First Class or Business Class, you can take an additional standard piece of baggage, without exceeding a total of 18 kg. For checked baggage, the allowances vary according to your country of departure and your destination, as well as your class. As a general rule, Economy Class is limited to one bag of 23 kg and Business and First Class to two bags of 32 kg. Any additional baggage is chargeable.
In the event of loss of your baggage, you must complete a declaration of loss at the airport to the Air France Baggage service. You also have the option of completing this quiz online within 48 hours. If this misadventure obliges you to buy basic necessities, you can request a refund from Air France. If ever the company does not find your luggage, you will be compensated up to approximately 1295 euros and on receipts.
Once your reservation has been made, you can find all the information relating to your Air France flight in space “My reservations” on the company’s website. Flight schedule, departure terminal, number of bags you can carry in the hold and in the cabin, conditions for changing reservations… Everything is there. You can also modify your booking by adding options: specific menu, seat at the front of the cabin or with more legroom, personalized support at the airport… This is also the place to go to get a ticket refund online. You can also update your personal information in order to be informed in real time in the event of a change or disruption affecting your trip. To follow your Air France flight in real time, especially during the strike, go to the “Flight news” module.
To get your boarding pass, you have two options. The first is to check in directly on the Internet, 30 hours before your flight. You can then choose your seat and print your boarding pass and baggage tags at home. It is also possible to download your boarding pass directly to your smartphone via the Air France application. Once at the airport, all you have to do is drop off your suitcases at the baggage drop-off counter.
The second option is to check in and get your boarding pass at the airport on the day of departure. To do this, go to an interactive terminal or a check-in counter before dropping off your luggage at the dedicated counter. Pay attention to the deadlines for check-in, baggage drop-off, and boarding. These times can vary between 15 and 90 minutes before the flight, depending on whether it is a short, medium or long-haul flight. You can check this information online.
The French flag carrier is upgrading its discount cards, whose holders “are guaranteed to get the best fare, with a reduction of up to 30% on fares in the Standard range, to short and medium-haul destinations from France”. The Youth, Senior and Weekend discount cards are now offered at a single price of 49 euros each. Previously, the Senior card was sold for 59 euros, the Week-End card for 69 euros. According to the Air France press release, they are “profitable in a round trip on the majority of flights”.
Another change: the three cards, so far only valid for trips to France (excluding Corsica for the Senior card), now cover medium-haul destinations: Europe, North Africa (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia) , Armenia, Georgia, Russia and Turkey. The cards offer the guarantee of obtaining the best rate, as well as more flexible modification and refund conditions, assures a press release. They can be ordered on the Air France website or from travel agencies.
By joining Flying Blue, Air France’s loyalty program free of charge, you earn Miles when you fly, book a night in a hotel, rent a car or pay for your daily expenses by bank card thanks to the partners of the airline company. The number of Miles you earn depends on the amount (excluding taxes and government fees) spent and your Flying Blue card. Explorer members earn 4 Miles for every euro spent, Silver members earn 6 Miles for every euro spent, Gold members earn 7 Miles for every euro spent and Platinum members earn 8 Miles for every euro spent. By using these Miles, you can enjoy various benefits such as booking a flight, enjoying an upgrade, a seat option or an à la carte menu… Join the Flying Blue loyalty program HERE or find your Miles and benefits by clicking HERE.
The Air France call center is available every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on +33 (0)9 69 39 36 54 (non-surcharged call). Air France can also answer your questions from the website.