Flying with a pet
on Air China.

Start with the exact flight

Air China offers an approved checked-pet service for household dogs and cats on eligible aircraft. An ordinary-pet cabin agreement is also published, but a current route list and operational availability could not be established. Confirm the service offered on your actual flight before buying a ticket or carrier. A ticket alone does not reserve animal space.

This guide concerns direct accompanied journeys. Airline acceptance, animal fitness and destination entry permission each need their own checks. Cargo and disability-assistance dogs have separate arrangements.

Sources: 小动物托运 / Pet transport application instructions · 旅客、行李运输总条件 / General Conditions of Carriage · 国航客舱宠物运输（猫、狗）协议书 / In-cabin pet agreement.

Dogs on flights to the United States are suspended

Air China’s current pet instructions state that dog carriage on US-bound flights has been suspended since February 1, 2025. The notice expressly includes checked pet dogs and guide or hearing dogs travelling with passengers with disabilities. No end date is given.

Do not rely on the older August 2024 announcement, which referred only to dogs vaccinated outside the United States. The later wording is broader. It does not establish a cat prohibition or a ban on dogs departing the United States. Nor does it establish an exception for a separate cargo shipment.

For an already-confirmed dog booking, Air China says it will assist with a ticket change or refund. Ask which booking and charges qualify; the paragraph does not promise reimbursement of every associated expense.

Sources: 小动物托运 / Pet transport application instructions · 作为行李托运的小动物 / Pets as checked baggage · 关于携带犬只前往美国的重要通知 / Older US dog notice.

Reserve approved hold space early

The website and app accept pet-service applications for Air China-operated flights carrying an Air China flight number within the published service scope. Request approval while planning the passenger booking. Have the breed, age, animal weight, loaded-crate weight and external dimensions ready.

The current checked-pet application cutoff is two hours before departure, inclusive. That is a last application limit, not a sensible preparation window. Documents, suitable equipment and flight approval should be arranged much earlier. For route questions, the official contact given is 95583.

Air China allows one checked pet per passenger and a maximum loaded weight of 32 kg, including the pet, container, food and water. Confirm flight capacity separately. Another mobile baggage page says one animal per aircraft, while the current dedicated instructions omit a fixed flight-wide number. A universal current quota cannot safely be settled from those pages alone. Prepare an individual approved carrier; no shared-carrier exception was verified.

Sources: 小动物托运 / Pet transport application instructions · 作为行李托运的小动物 / Pets as checked baggage · 行李信息 / Mobile baggage information.

Check the aircraft and the animal

The published hold exclusions are A319, A320, Boeing 737-8 MAX and ARJ21-700. The pet must travel in a hold with the required oxygen capability. Wet-leased services do not provide this checked-pet service.

The Chinese instructions exclude animals eight weeks old or younger. Pregnant, nursing or sick dogs and cats, and those within seven days of giving birth, are excluded. Destination rules may require an older animal.

The prohibited categories include aggressive or injury-prone animals, respiratory-risk animals, and short-nosed breeds and crosses. The non-exhaustive examples extend beyond a simple flat-face list and include Schnauzers, Boston Terriers, Bulldogs, Boxers, spaniels, mastiffs, Pugs, Pekingese, Chow Chows, Shih Tzus, Pit Bulls and Tosas. Burmese, Himalayan, Persian and Exotic Shorthair cats are also named. Obtain a breed-specific answer rather than assuming that a breed missing from a short summary is acceptable.

No numeric temperature cutoff was verified in the current checked-pet material. Ask about weather and station restrictions for the departure date. Absence of a published number is not a promise of acceptance in extreme temperatures.

Sources: 小动物托运 / Pet transport application instructions · 作为行李托运的小动物 / Pets as checked baggage · 旅客、行李运输总条件 / General Conditions of Carriage · 小动物运输 / Main Chinese pet page.

Have the carrier approved before travel

Air China does not give one universal maximum external carrier size in its dedicated pet instructions. The external dimensions must fit the aircraft door and hold, and the animal must be able to stand, turn and lie naturally.

Its sizing method uses body length plus half the forelimb length for carrier length, twice shoulder width for width, and standing height to the higher of the head or ear tips for height. Send full measurements and clear carrier photos when seeking approval.

Use a sound, escape-resistant carrier meeting the full airline specification. All fasteners on a split shell must be complete; the door and body need additional securing. A plastic or fiberglass door, roof-entry door, low side vents, uncovered side openings or gaps allowing a nose or paw through can cause rejection. Ventilation belongs in the upper third of the three non-door sides, with at least 16% of the four-wall area ventilated and mesh protecting openings.

The floor must retain waste and have absorbent bedding; straw is excluded. Provide secured food and water vessels, including a water container refillable without opening the door. Review the airline’s illustrations and complete door, material and roof rules rather than relying on an “airline approved” retail label.

Sources: 小动物托运 / Pet transport application instructions · 作为行李托运的小动物 / Pets as checked baggage.

Budget using the right fee system

Checked pets are outside the free baggage allowance. Charges use the whole loaded container, including food and water, and are paid at check-in.

For the published piece-system table, each container is charged as follows:

• 2 kg to 8 kg inclusive: RMB 3,900 or the published USD 600 tariff
• More than 8 kg to 23 kg inclusive: RMB 5,200 or USD 800
• More than 23 kg to 32 kg inclusive: RMB 7,800 or USD 1,200

These are the two currency columns in the official tariff, not a promise that the passenger may choose the cheaper currency. Ask for the amount and payment currency applying at the departure station. The table does not give a below-2-kg bracket or establish a universal per-flight-segment fee unit.

Under the domestic weight system, the pet’s full loaded weight is chargeable. The published excess rate is 1.5% of the applicable ordinary direct economy fare per kilogram, using the rate on the excess-baggage ticket’s issue date and rounding in RMB. This fare basis may differ from your discounted passenger fare. Obtain a written calculation for the intended flight.

The pet page still links a tariff marked June 10, 2022; another currently linked official special-baggage PDF shows the same pet amounts. The live quote should settle applicability before you commit.

Sources: Air China special checked baggage charges 20220610 edition · Air China special baggage charges linked from mobile baggage page · Air China ordinary checked baggage excess charges · 小动物托运 / Pet transport application instructions.

Prepare documents and confirm changes

For domestic carriage, prepare the quarantine authority’s animal certificate. International or regional travel also requires the applicable export and destination paperwork. Airline approval does not replace an import permit, veterinary certificate or arrival inspection.

Air China also requires acknowledgement of its animal-transport risk or liability declaration. Ask the departure station which current form it supplies and when it is signed.

If you change the flight or pet service, cancel the original pet-service request and apply again. The reviewed instructions do not provide a general pet-specific voluntary-refund schedule. Confirm the passenger-ticket and animal-service consequences separately before paying or changing travel.

Sources: 小动物托运 / Pet transport application instructions · 作为行李托运的小动物 / Pets as checked baggage · 旅客、行李运输总条件 / General Conditions of Carriage.

Arrange check-in and collection

Bring the pet yourself for airport formalities no later than 120 minutes before departure. Confirm the actual reporting desk and any earlier station requirement when the service is approved. Carry the booking confirmation, original travel documents, compliant carrier and payment method.

Keep the baggage identification receipt. Before flying, ask the arrival station where live animals are handed over, who may collect them and how veterinary or customs clearance affects release. No universal animal-collection counter or guaranteed release time was verified. Report non-delivery or damage immediately to Air China at arrival.

Sources: 小动物托运 / Pet transport application instructions · 作为行李托运的小动物 / Pets as checked baggage · 旅客、行李运输总条件 / General Conditions of Carriage.

What the published cabin agreement does and does not establish

Air China has an official in-cabin agreement for household dogs and cats, but the retrieved cabin-labelled instructions serve checked-pet material and no current eligible-route list was verified. Treat the agreement as conditional terms requiring confirmation for the exact flight.

The agreement allows one ordinary pet per passenger and two per flight; service dogs are excluded from these number limits. Its stated terms include booking from seven days to 24 hours before departure through official direct channels or 95583, a two-hour airport reporting time, a soft under-seat carrier fitting 35 × 28 × 24 cm, and RMB 1,399 per pet per flight segment. It excludes animals under six months and lists breed and health restrictions, including brachycephalic animals. It requires quarantine and vaccination documents, a signed agreement, secured zippers and mesh, and pet clothing, muzzle and diaper. The pet stays enclosed; feeding or watering in the cabin is prohibited.

These terms describe an under-seat carrier, and no adjacent-seat pet product or numeric combined pet-and-carrier weight maximum was verified in the agreement. They do not verify which flights actually sell the service. Do not transfer the hold’s 32 kg limit, eight-week threshold or two-hour application cutoff to cabin travel. Confirm the service, carrier fit, all preparation rules and cancellation terms before making plans.

Sources: 国航客舱宠物运输（猫、狗）协议书 / In-cabin pet agreement · 客舱宠物 / cabin-labelled instruction page.

Service dogs follow a separate policy

The mobile policy for Air China-operated direct flights includes trained guide, hearing and assistance dogs for passengers with disabilities; emotional-support animals follow pet rules.

Published proof wording differs. The Chinese Air China-specific mobile block requests service-dog identity evidence and official quarantine certification, with rabies evidence for international/regional flights. It specifies issuance in the departure, stopover, transit or destination country. Regional Chinese and English disability pages instead list professional-training certificates. These pages name no approved certifier, certificate template or owner-training pathway. No reconciliation or universal certificate requirement was verified. Ask the booking office which evidence it will accept for your dog and route. Mobile instructions · Regional English guidance

Under the April 2026 disability rules, apply at least 48 hours ahead through the hotline, an Air China ticket office or an authorized sales agent. Show the dog’s identification and quarantine evidence at booking and travel; report to check-in at least 120 minutes before departure. Approved service dogs travel free.

The dog must wear a working vest and leash. Muzzle removal depends on nearby passengers’ consent. Subject to safety requirements, the dog may use your lap or foot space without encroaching on others; it cannot occupy a seat. Exit rows and the B747 upper deck are excluded. You remain responsible for hygiene.

The aircraft table limits specified categories of unaccompanied passengers collectively, not dogs alone. It establishes neither a dedicated dog quota nor a per-passenger dog limit. Confirm capacity. April 2026 disability rules

The regional service-dog section retains a U.S.-bound dog suspension from February 1, 2025, explicitly including guide/hearing dogs. This published airline restriction is not a finding about its legal permissibility. Confirm any proposed U.S. journey directly.

No airline-specific downloadable service-dog form or submission portal was verified in these pages.

Airline acceptance, PRC import/quarantine requirements and public-access recognition are separate. Use the U.S. air-travel guidance and forms checklist for the general U.S. rules.

Focused service-dog evidence check: October 15, 2026. Other guide sections retain their earlier source dates.

Ask these questions before committing

Get a single confirmation covering:

• The exact operating flight and transport service available
• Breed, age and health acceptance
• Pet-space approval and any flight-wide limit
• Loaded weight and the complete external carrier measurements
• The charge, currency, payment point and cancellation terms
• Required certificates, airline forms and airport reporting time
• Weather restrictions
• Arrival collection arrangements and destination clearance

Cargo must be quoted and approved separately. A larger animal, excluded breed or suspended destination does not become acceptable simply by labelling the movement cargo.

Sources: 小动物托运 / Pet transport application instructions · 作为行李托运的小动物 / Pets as checked baggage · 货物运输总条件 / Cargo conditions.

Related planning

Related reading: Airline pet travel guides · Carrier fit and preparation.

Official sources and scope

• 小动物托运 / Pet transport application instructions
• 旅客、行李运输总条件 / General Conditions of Carriage
• 国航客舱宠物运输（猫、狗）协议书 / In-cabin pet agreement
• 作为行李托运的小动物 / Pets as checked baggage
• 关于携带犬只前往美国的重要通知 / Older US dog notice
• 行李信息 / Mobile baggage information
• 小动物运输 / Main Chinese pet page
• Air China special checked baggage charges 20220610 edition
• Air China special baggage charges linked from mobile baggage page
• Air China ordinary checked baggage excess charges
• 客舱宠物 / cabin-labelled instruction page
• 携带客舱运输服务犬服务 / Cabin service dog application
• 残疾人及行动不便旅客运输规定 / Disability and reduced mobility rules
• 货物运输总条件 / Cargo conditions
• Regional service-dog guidance (English)

Official Air China instructions, agreements and linked tariff materials checked October 14, 2026. Historical tariff edition dates are retained in the text; current cabin route availability, universal hold flight quota and several product boundaries remain unresolved as stated above. This guide does not establish cargo acceptance or complete government entry requirements.