New Air France services for young passengers travelling alone

Starting on 8 October 2008, it will be possible to book flights for children under 12 years of age travelling alone, on airfrance.com. Air France is the first airline to offer the possibility of online reservations for these passengers on all its flights and on those of its franchised airlines.

Once the booking has been made, the mandatory form for all unaccompanied children will be automatically filled out according to the details given at the time of reservation. This form mainly includes the child’s itinerary and the contact details of the adults accompanying them or picking them up at the airport on arrival.

To make things even easier, at the end of the booking process, a link to the form will enable customers in France or in the French Overseas Departments to print it so that they can hand it in to the Air France ground staff at the airport. This link will also be included in the confirmation email after the booking has been made. Any sections which are still blank should be completed by hand.

For parents who prefer to make their child’s booking calling the customer care department, at an Air France ticket office or a travel agent, a blank form can be downloaded fromcom, Planète Bleue section, and it is always possible to fill in one on arrival at the airport.

New waiting lounge at Terminal 2E in Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport

Since July 2008, a dedicated lounge in Terminal 2E at Paris-CDG has been opened for unaccompanied children with short connections to enable them to play with the latest Playstation 3 video games or watch a DVD on a flat-screen TV.

The lounge has been decorated with an attractive mural painting about travel and is furnished according to the designs of the children’s furniture company MondoMio. Board games, magazines and colouring books enable children to relax and keep amused while waiting for the flight, in a pleasant environment under the supervision of a member of Air France staff.

Every year, Air France carries 390,000 children travelling alone (up to the age of 12) to join their family and friends. As part of this service, children are always supervised by a member of Air France staff, from check-in to their handover to an adult on arrival at their destination, as well as during a flight connection. For children from 12 to 18, this service is also available at their parents’ request.