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France’s plan to make airports more welcoming for travellers

With the Olympic Games approaching and France regaining its crown as the world's most-visited tourist destination, the French government has released plans to improve the quality of the country's airports for passengers.

Published: 17 July 2023 17:09 CEST
France's plan to make airports more welcoming for travellers
A French customs officer surveys luggage at Orly Airport, south of Paris (Photo by Geoffroy Van der Hasselt / AFP)

With a little over a year until the 2024 Paris Olympic Games – during which 10 million people are predicted to visit Paris – the French government has announced a total of 21 measures to help ensure that people have a positive experience when travelling via French airports. 

The minister for tourism, Olivia Grégoire, explained to Le Figaro that the government has commissioned this plan because “first impressions are often the ones that stick, which is why the quality of the welcome people receive at French airports is so important”. 

In particular, two aspects stand out in the plan; speeding up waiting times and processing areas via new technology and improving the system for complaints and customer feedback. 

Grégoire told Le Parisien that France is expecting passenger numbers at French airports in 2023 to reach 95 percent of that which was seen prior to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019.

The government also expects more passengers to travel through Paris’ second airport of Orly.

Speeding up queues

In order to help manage long queues at Paris region airports, the ADP (Aéroports de Paris) will “provide 2,000 extra people to help with long lines”, according to Grégoire. Additionally, the interior ministry will provide an extra 520 border agents to speed up passport checks.

On top of the extra staff, the French airports of Paris-Orly and Lyon will continue testing 3D baggage scanners that remove the need to take out liquids and put them into a plastic bag throughout the year 2023. 

Several European countries have also announced the end of the 100ml liquids rule after successful tests of the scanners. 

Paris region airports will also increase the number of ‘smart’ gates for passport checks, and has discussed allowing non-EU passport holders from certain countries including the UK to use the automated passport gates.

Transport minister Clément Beaune said that dozens more of these have been added to Paris region airports since the start of July, and that the current number stands at 122. The goal will be to put into practice 170 smart gates by the summer of 2024, an increase of 34 percent from the number available as of summer 2023.

Tracking complaints and monitoring airlines

The plan will set up 10 separate monitoring groups at each of France’s top 10 largest airports. France’s civil aviation authority will keep tack of passenger complaints, by company and by airport, in an effort to create new metrics that rank airlines and airports in regard to quality offered. 

READ MORE: ‘Painful’ – is Paris Charles de Gaulle airport really that bad?

The criteria focused on will be things like flight delays and cancellations. There will also be increased monitoring for lost bags.

“The pressure will force everyone to improve”, Beaune told Le Figaro.

Passengers will also be able to download the mobile phone app ‘SignalConso’, which previously existed in website form. It allows consumers to file complaints or alert the government when fraudulent activity has happened. In its previous iteration, this was more focused on consumer experiences at shops or internet purchases, but now it has expanded to several areas including transport.

The minister for tourism told Le Figaro that “the app is already a success (…) it has been downloaded over 100,000 times in the past month and a half”. 

Other improvements

Paris-Orly airport will be better linked to the city of Paris in spring 2024, when the extension of Metro line 14 is expected to open to the public. 

The ministers’ plan also discussed an information campaign so that passengers are more aware of their rights in the event of cancellation or delays.

READ MORE: Your rights on delayed or cancelled flights in France

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TRAVEL NEWS

Can I use my American Express card in France?

If you are travelling to France with an American Express card, there are a few things you ought to consider beforehand.

Published: 30 May 2024 11:14 CEST
Can I use my American Express card in France?

While many European establishments do accept American Express cards, outside of the US they are significantly less common and many businesses, especially smaller ones, refuse them. 

Why are American Express cards not accepted?

According to Forbes, it has to do with the fact that American Express is known for charging “higher merchant fees than other credit card networks.

“In other words: It’s more cost-efficient for many businesses (especially low-margin ones) to take Visa or Mastercard instead.”

The business magazine also noted that American Express credit card transactions made up just 4.61 percent globally. Whereas Visa and Mastercard transactions were significantly more common – making up 38 percent and 24 percent of the market share respectively.

READ MORE: Is it a good idea to rent a car in Paris?

What should I do if I have an AmEx card?

Travel blogs often recommend that AmEx holders bring along a Visa or Mastercard as well, in case they run into issues.

You can also consult American Express’ interactive map, which shows the businesses in France that definitely accept the card.

However, the map may not show every business that accepts AmEx, so feel free to ask (est-ce que vous acceptez les cartes ‘American Express’?) before sitting down for a meal or making a purchase. 

You can also look to see whether the store displays an AmEx sticker in the window. 

Generally, American Express cards are less likely to be accepted in small businesses – neighbourhood restaurants, cafés or independent shops – due to the reasons outlined above. You have a better chance of your AmEx card being accepted in larger companies and chains.

It’s also not accepted by all French apps for payment – so for example if you’re buying national rail tickets you can use AmEx for the SNCF Connect app, but it is not accepted by the Paris public transport app Ile de France Mobilities (which offers digital Metro, bus and tram tickets).

Any other things to consider?

Contactless payment (sans contact) is becoming much more common in France, albeit only for lower-value purchases.  If your AmEx card does not have the chip that allows you to tap and pay, then you may want to take cash out or bring another card along. 

If you still have an old-style card that requires swiping and signing, be aware that most smaller French businesses do not have this payment option.

ATMs should accept your AmEx card, so you should not have any issues being able to put in your pin number and take out cash, though there may be fees.

You’ll also want to look into the transaction fees associated with your card. Some AmEx cards offer the benefit of no foreign transaction fees, while others still charge them.

Finally, while AmEx no longer requires cardholders to inform them ahead of time if they will be travelling abroad, they still recommend “keeping your contact information updated in case we need to contact you while you’re away” and “downloading the Amex mobile app to conveniently manage your account on the go.”

READ MORE: Brits, Americans or Germans – who visits France the most?

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