Check or Carry-on luggage.

Generally ........ in the bulk head seat ....... the crew will allow you to use the overhead storage for your second bag. But there is always some risk that the space will be taken. I would check but we (I) don't get as concerned about checked luggage as many others do on this site.

If it were me, I’d carry on and hope for the best. I don’t like checking luggage, especially with connecting flights. Coming home we check. We just got home and flew Delta. Our flights were completely booked, carry on luggage was not an issue

Do whatever you feel best about doing. There is no crime in checking luggage and they will either find room for your carryon or help you gate check.

Here's one issue you may not have thought of. I flew that same route last year - MSP to CDG to BER on Delta, with Air France flying the second leg. Keep in mind that Air France's carry on restrictions are tighter than Delta's so make sure your bag will fit within those requirements. The maximum dimensions of your carry on luggage on AF are as follows: 21.6 x 13.7 x 9.8 in. (including pockets, wheels, and handles). They may or may not check the size but you never know.

I wound up checking mine and it worked out well - in fact more than well. Since i had a 7+ hour layover at CDG, I didn't have to worry about wheeling my bag all over and having to keep an eye on it.

I haven’t checked a suitcase since 2002 except heading to Hawaii. And my seat preference is the bulkhead row. It’s never been an issue to find an overhead location for my carry on suitcase & purse.

Yes I have had that dilemma as well. I actually really prefer to have a seat in front so I can have easier access to my carry on. It's just kind of a pain to have to get up and open the door and and get something out of the overhead bin. But I do usually assume that there will be space up there for it.

Things may have changed, but I would definitely carry on last year on our tour of Sicily two couples in our group had checked their bags. The one couple was forced to check their bag at boarding because of full bins. The other one had just gone ahead and checked it like you would regularly do. The folks with the forced check-in did get their luggage three days into the tour. The other poor folks did not get their luggage until the very last day of the tour, even with our wonderful tour guide in Sicily phoning many times a day, tracking their luggage, and really working hard to get the airlines and the delivery people to get the luggage to the folks to no avail. It wasn’t as easy as you would think for them to buy replacement clothes. they were great sports about it but what a pain and our travels we heard many other horror stories, so carry-on. If you can, you’ll be much happier.

Will you be in an early boarding group? That might influence your decision. It is the people who are in the last boarding group that often end up having to gate check.

If you decide to carry on, I’d be prepared to gate check (e.g., make sure all your essentials are in the back pack). On my last trip to Europe, the plane was completely full and the gate agent announced that 20+ people would be asked to gate check their bags.

I always check my bag simply because I don’t like being stuck with the bag for 3 hours in the airport.

Do you have any reason to ask for early boarding? Any reason-older, mobility challenged, etc? If so, get it. I’ve seen too many people lately putting their bags in the first empty bin they see, then heading for the back. If you are among the first onboard you won’t have that challenge. We’ve traveled with our luggage lost-once. We don’t check bags except occasionally on the way home.

Here's a link to the Air France carry-on rules: https://wwws.airfrance.us/information/bagages/bagage-cabine-soute

Note that there are basics, but that there may be potentially more restrictive or more generous allowances listed depending on your ticket for that part of the journey.

I noticed that AF mentions exit rows but not bulkhead seats. Do you know exactly where your seat is on the AF plane?