Air France Boarding Groups and Process – Everything You Need To Know

With a reputation for service and innovation, Air France is the national carrier of its namesake European country and flies to more than 200 international destinations. If you’re flying somewhere outside the U.S., there’s a good chance Air France can take you there.

You can improve your flight experience by understanding the Air France boarding process, including who boards when and how you could potentially move up to a higher group to avoid fighting for precious overhead bin space if you’re boarding last.

As with many airlines, Air France has a unique boarding process that varies slightly from that of other carriers. Not understanding how the process works can lead to frustration and confusion at the start of your trip, so let’s take a look at the process Air France uses to get everyone on its flights.

Air France Boarding Groups

Air France uses boarding zones, numbered 1 to 5, for all flights. There’s also a preboarding group for those needing extra time. Your zone number will be indicated clearly on your boarding pass.

At the boarding gate, Air France typically has signs that indicate where passengers should line up based on their zone. Employees routinely pass through the lines to ensure people are lining up with the correct zone — especially for groups 1 and 2 — to ensure that only those with the earliest zone numbers are in these lines.

Let’s examine how Air France assigns its passengers to the 5 boarding zones.

Preboarding

Before the boarding zones are called, Air France flights offer preboarding for those needing extra time to board. This includes those with mobility issues, unaccompanied minors, and families traveling with children 6 and under.

Zone 1

The first zone is zone 1. This group is for customers traveling in business class, those with Flying Blue Ultimate status, and those with Flying Blue’s invitation-only status levels: Club 2000 and Skipper. Companions traveling on the same itinerary as a member with Ultimate, Club 2000, or Skipper status will also be assigned to zone 1 with them.

Zone 2

Air France Sky Priority passengers board in either zone 1 or 2.

Passengers assigned to zone 2 include those with Flying Blue Platinum and Gold status and those with SkyTeam Elite Plus status from other airlines.

Air France honors the better boarding zone if more than 1 rule applies to a passenger. For example, Platinum and Gold members traveling in business class will be assigned to zone 1 with other business class passengers. Likewise, Platinum and Gold members traveling in economy will still be assigned to zone 2.

Zone 3

Flying Blue Silver members traveling in economy class will be assigned to zone 3, the boarding zone for premium economy passengers.

Those with the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard^®, issued by Bank of America, have a priority boarding benefit. This places them into zone 3 on Air France flights, assuming they don’t qualify for an earlier zone by earning elite status or traveling in business class.

Zone 4

This is the first boarding zone for economy passengers.

Zone 5

This is the final boarding group for economy passengers, including those in basic economy, which Air France calls Economy Light.

Boarding Timing

Air France typically begins boarding its flights 50 minutes before departure. The time when boarding ends uses either of 2 rules:

• Flights departing Paris-Orly (ORY) and heading to domestic destinations in France end boarding 15 minutes before departure.
• All other flights end boarding 20 minutes before departure.

Thus, whether you’re flying from Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG) or the U.S. to Paris, boarding will end 20 minutes before departure. At that time, the boarding door will close, and you won’t be able to get on the plane.

Changes can happen, though. If a flight is delayed, gate agents will announce the estimated boarding time, which should be communicated in the Air France mobile app and on signs in the airport. The new boarding time and end of departure will be based on the updated departure time.

How To Build up Your Air France Flying Blue Miles Balance

If you fly with Air France often, enrolling in the Flying Blue program is a must. Air France shares this program with KLM, and Flying Blue has several positive aspects.

You’ll earn Flying Blue miles whenever you fly with Air France or KLM and include your loyalty number on the ticket. You can also earn miles from daily spending on the Air France KLM World Elite card. Additionally, Flying Blue has numerous partnerships that allow you to earn miles on rental cars, hotel stays, guided tours, concerts, shopping, and more.

You can also buy Flying Blue miles or transfer points into your Flying Blue account from multiple credit card rewards programs, including American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Brex Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, and Wells Fargo Rewards.

Final Thoughts

With thousands of flights crossing the globe daily, if you haven’t flown on Air France yet, there’s a good chance you might do so in the near future.

Luckily, Air France hasn’t gone to the extreme of some other airlines, which use 10 different boarding groups. Instead, it uses 5 zones that are relatively simple to understand, a preboarding group, and the ability for its first class passengers to board any time they wish through a dedicated lane.

The best part about boarding zones for Air France flights is that the airline’s employees keep the zones organized, checking passengers’ boarding passes to ensure they’re in the right place, moving the line efficiently to make everyone happy, and keeping the flight on schedule.

Air France’s boarding process is standardized across its entire network, meaning the way you board a flight to France is the same way you’ll board a flight departing France. The sole difference is the time boarding ends at Paris Orly airport compared to all other flights.