Air France their multiple discount pass

To win over business Air France operates multiple discount passes all in the name of letting people explore.

Air France has a history of offering discount passes which is nothing new for the airline. Previously the carrier went as far as letting you buy 900 tickets in one go – although this was with Option Town and it’s pretty safe to say many airlines have a love-hate relationship with that company.

The carrier offers 4 types of discounts

• Youth discount (for 12 to 24-year-olds)
• Senior citizen discount (for those 65 and above)
• Weekend discount pass (now renamed Weekend+ pass); and the
• Abonnement discount card

The first three passes allow pass holders a discount of up to 35% on Standard fares, to short and medium-haul destinations on departure from France.

While the Abonnement Card (or les Cartes D’Abonnement) allows for discounts from France to long and short-haul destinations – so long as the tickets are purchased on a flexible basis – I actually discuss this discount program in more detail in another article.

General Overview

In offering the passes, Air France has changed the fee structure. Previously, it was €59 for the Senior Pass and €69 for the Weekend Pass. All passes are now offered at €49 each.

The passes also entitle holders to more flexible ticket modification and refund conditions (change fee €10 / refund fee €20), subject to fare differences and ticket conditions.

And don’t forget the complimentary 1 checked bag.

Where Can I Go

According to the press release, these passes were only offered for use within France. However, the French government’s move to ban short-haul domestic travel, basically made the cards worthless. Air France, therefore, took the step to expand the card’s coverage, adding Medium Haul destinations into the mix.

The destination list includes:

• Europe (including Ukraine)
• North Africa (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia)
• Armenia
• Georgia
• Russia
• Turkey

Youth Pass

The non-refundable €49-a-year pass enables young persons (naturally) aged between 12 and 24 years to travel at a discounted rate across France and parts of Europe.

with few limitations and a piece of checked luggage, it is ideal for the adventurous student or future traveller.

Read More

Weekend+ Pass

The Weekend+ pass is the one that most people are interested in.

Per the terms and conditions of the pass – the Pass allows its holder to benefit from a 25 % discount on Standard fares (excluding applicable service charges) on all flights in metropolitan France provided by Air France and subject to fare availability. It would seem from the wording that if you travel within metropolitan France, you are guaranteed 25% off a standard ticket.

You can purchase the Weekend+ pass with or without a Flying Blue membership and from a travel agency (if you so choose). Sadly you don’t get the fancy card shown in the advertising as the Pass is available in digital form only.

To benefit from the Weekend+ Pass fare, your trip must simply include at least 1 night from Saturday to Sunday.

Furthermore, you cannot use the Weekend+ pass on a one-way ticket, the journey must be a return booking.

More information on the Weekend+ discount pass can be found on the dedicated page on Air France’s website.

Senior Pass

The Senior Pass is for those aged 65 and above wishing to travel.

Passholders can get discounts of up to 30 % (percentage calculated based on a Standard fare) on fares including tax (excluding applicable service charges).

The Senior Pass holder is entitled to these discounts provided they are able to show the pass, along with proof of identity, otherwise a price adjustment of €59 will be applied, corresponding to the price of the pass. If the customer fails to show their Senior Pass at the boarding gate, they will not be allowed to board the flight unless they pay the price adjustment.

A customer who is not a Senior Passholder, but who pays the price adjustment, will then be able to redeem this credit on the airfrance.fr website by supplying a photo and proof of identity, entitling them to a pass free of charge.

More information on the Weekend+ discount pass can be found on the dedicated page on Air France’s website.

Conclusion

Providing you can make the mathematics work; the pass should pay for itself after a round trip (or at the most – two round trips).