Yes, Air France Offers you a variety of options regarding the journey of your critter. You can either keep your dog or cat inside of the cabin with you while onboard or ship your pet as checked baggage in their cargo hold. You can be on the same flight.
Their Cargo service also allows you to transport your pet as well as a variety of other animals using their freight. Their adequately trained staff are always there to look after your pet.
Now, let’s have a look at the Air France pet policy first. You will find the booking policies, charges and other information at the end.
Air France Pet Travel Options
- Pets in Cabin
- As Checked Baggage
- Cargo
At a Glance
| Carry-on Pets | Cats and Dogs |
| As Checked Baggage | Cats and Dogs |
| Cargo Service | Allowed |
| Service Animal | Allowed (Free) |
| Emotional Support Animal (ESA) | Not Allowed |
| Pets Age | 75 days old |
| Fee | Varies |
| Weight Limit | 8 kg |
Pets in the cabin
You can take a trip with your pet dog or cat inside of the cabin with you.
Pets that are allowed inside of the cabin:
| Dogs | Cats |
Age restrictions
Your pet should be at least 2 and a half months old.
Container for pets in the cabin
- Your pet should not weigh more than 8 kg including its container, in order to travel inside the cabin.
- A flexible bag is recommended.
- There should be enough space for ventilation.
- Your pet should be able to move, stand and lie down inside the container with comfort.
- You should be able to integrate the container under the space of your front seat.
- Your pet should stay inside the container during the flight.
- The container will be counted as additional baggage (fees will apply).
Dimensions: Best Airlines Approved Soft-Sided Pet Carrier
| Unit | Length | Width | Weight |
| Centimeters | 46 | 28 | 24 |
| Inches | 18 | 11 | 9 |
Container restrictions:
- One container should hold no more than one critter.
- You can not travel with more than one pet.
Pets as checked baggage
Your pet may not always be able to travel with you inside the cabin. So, Air France offers you to transport your pet in the cargo hold. A passenger can transport a maximum of 3 animals in the cargo hold.
Pets accepted in the cargo hold:
| Dogs | Cats |
Weight restrictions:
| More than | Less than |
| 8 kg / 17 lb | 75 kg / 165.3 lb |
Age restrictions:
- Your pet can not be less than two and a half months of old.
Container for cargo hold
- Materials: Fiberglass / Best hard plastic kennel.
- No wheels.
- The door should contain double-locking options (Top and bottom).
- An empty pot for food is near the door.
- Size: There should be a 5 cm gap between the top of the head of your pet and the roof of the container. Your pet should be able to move, stand and lie down inside the container with comfort.
- Leak-proof. It is recommended to provide a comforter at the bottom. Straws are not allowed.
- There should not be any leash inside the container.
Pets in Cargo
Air France offers you to transport your pet by freight for certain conditions.
- If your pet and its container weigh more than 75 kg or 165 lb.
- Only pets transported by freight are accepted by your destination country.
Pets that are allowed:
| Dogs and Cats | Ornamental Fish | Horses |
| Day-old chickens | Zoo animals | Cattle |
| Hatching eggs | Insects | – |
Requirements for cargo:
- All pooches and cats traveling inside the European Union must be distinguished by an electronic chip.
- A European passport is also required.
- A certified vet should acknowledge your pet as properly vaccinated and healthy to travel.
- You need the best durable plastic-made carrier for your pets.
AF Pet Charges
| Destination | As checked baggage | Inside the cabin |
| Flights within metropolitan France | €100 | €70 |
| Flights within the Caribbean (Atlanta, Cayenne, Fort-de-France, Miami, Pointe-à-Pitre, Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo) | €200 | €125 |
| Flights in Europe or between Europe and North Africa (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia) | €200 | €125 |
| Flights between metropolitan France and Cayenne, Fort-de-France, Pointe-à-Pitre, Saint-Denis de la Réunion | €200 | €125 |
| Other flights | €400 | €200 |
- Flights from Canada and the United States will respectively charge CAD and USD.
Documents
- Every required vaccination paper.
- Download and fill out the Liability Waiver and bring a copy with you at the airport.
- If you have a connection in an airport of a third country, make sure you have the required documents by them also.
- It is always recommended to consult your embassy about the other requirements of the country you are traveling to.
Destination Restrictions
If your critter has been in any of the countries marked for great exposure to rabies then your pet will not be able to enter the United States, unless you have permission expressed by the United States administration. If you can not comply with these measures, you may also get fined.
Other destinations:
| Destinations | Restrictions |
| European Union | Can only travel on the cargo hold |
| China | The transportation of animals is totally restricted. |
| From Moscow to Paris | Inside the cabin only |
| Within Metropolitan France From Metropolitan France to Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion Island | The pet should be 4 months old |
| From Metropolitan France to French Guiana | Pet should be 4 months old |
| Intercontinental flights | Pets can not travel in business cabins |
Breed restrictions
Certain rules and conditions apply to snub-nosed animals. Air France recommends you to take advice from a certified vet before planning a trip by air.
Snub-nosed dogs:
| Affenpinscher | Boston Terrier | Boxers (all breeds) |
| Bulldogs (all breeds) | Bull Mastiff | Cane Corso |
| Pugs (all breeds) | Chow-Chow | Great Dane (all breeds) |
| Certain breeds of Spaniel (Tibetan, Japanese, English, King Charles) | Brussels Griffon | Lhasa Apso |
| Mastiffs (all breeds) | Neapolitan Mastiff | Pekingese |
| Small Brabant | Shih Tzu | Shar Pei |
| – | Staffordshire Bull Terrier | – |
Snub-nosed cats:
| Burmese | Exotic Shorthair |
| Himalayan | Persian |
These breeds are completely prohibited from transportation by the French authority:
| Staffordshire Terrier | American Staffordshire Terriers | Pit Bulls |
| Mastiffs | Tosas | – |
There breeds are allowed to travel only by cargo:
| Pedigree Staffordshire Terriers | Pedigree American Staffordshire Terriers | Pedigree Tosas |
| Dogs that are similar in morphology to the Rottweiler breed |
Booking
| Medium | Registering for pet |
| Telephone | You can register your pet while booking your own ticket. |
| Online | First, book your ticket. Then, register your pet by contacting the customer service team immediately. |
Checking in
- Be present at the airport before the below-mentioned times, if you are traveling to the below-mentioned places.
| Intercontinental Flights | 3 Hours |
| Within France or Europe | 2.30 Hours |
Connections
If you’re connecting to any other flights then make sure you have the below-mentioned times at hand :
| Paris-Charles de Gaulle | 4 Hours 30 Minutes |
| Paris-Orly | 3 Hours |
| Any other airport | 2 Hours |
Emotional Support Animals (ESA)
Emotional support animals are prohibited on flights operated by Air France except for flights from/to the United States.
Contact this email address for other information relating to emotional support animals :
United States: [email protected]
Others: [email protected]
Service Animals
Air France offers passengers with disabilities to get accompanied by a service dog without any additional charges.
- You have to show documents from certified authorities stating that you need that dog in order to travel.
- No muzzles are needed. But, the dog should be leashed.
- The dog should be properly trained and known to behave appropriately in public.
- The dog can not take up any seats.
- You have to register for your service animal at least two days before your flight. If your flight is from or to the United Kingdom then the time is four days.
- To register, send an email with the following documents :
- Fill out and sign this form.
- Dogs passport page (Copy).
- If your flight is longer than 8 hours, you will need a certificate by a certified vet stating the things you will need on board.
Send the email to :
United States: [email protected]
Others: [email protected]
How to add a pet to my flight?
- Register for your pet immediately after your ticket gets confirmed.
- Make sure to check the destination restrictions and prepare accordingly.
- Make sure you got all the vaccination papers and check their validity.
- Buy an appropriate container.
- Check-in at the above-mentioned times.
- Make sure you comply with the conditions stated above if you are connecting.
- Enjoy your journey with your critter.
Tips
- Make sure to keep your pet hydrated before checking in because Air France will not provide any water during the flight.
- Do not provide any sedatives to your pet.
- Purchase the container a few days ahead of your flight so that your pet feels normal in it.
FAQ
Do Air France allow dogs in the cabin?
Yes, You can take your pet dog with you inside the cabin of Air France. But your dog should be at least two and a half months old and weigh less than 8 kg including its container.
Is Air France pet-friendly?
Air France has very favorable rules and restrictions regarding pet travel. They are only placed to make the journey of your pet more safe and secure.
How much does Air France Charge for pets?
Air France charges €40 – €80 for flights within France and €125 – €400 for flights outside of France depending on destinations and whether you want your pet inside the cabin or in the cargo hold.
Which animals are allowed by Air France?
Air France allows only dogs and cats inside the cabin and in the cargo hold. But they allow other animals like horses, chickens and other live animals to ship by their cargo.
Air France Contact details
| United States | +1 800 237 2747 | From Monday to Sunday (08:00 AM – 11:00 PM) |
| United Kingdom | +44 20 766 00 337 | From Monday to Friday (08:00 AM – 08:00 PM) |
| Saturday – Sunday (09:00 AM – 05:30 PM) | ||
| CANADA | 1 800 667-2747 | |
| France | +33 9 69 39 36 54 | From Monday to Sunday (08:00 AM – 08:00 PM) |
Air France Short Profile
| Company Name | Société Air France, S.A. |
| IATA Code | AF |
| ICAO Code | AFR |
| Callsign | AIRFRANS |
| Website | Air France |
| Social Media Pages | |
| YouTube |
More Articles
Tarifs are not the same anymore, i.e for a small pet in cabin on oversea flight they charge now 200 euros instead of 125 euros !!!!
The dog needs to be in a bag beneath the seat in front of you as for a back bag, the only difference is that the back bag is for free!!
The dog is even not allowed to get the head out of the bag in a 9h flight and most of the flight attendant will drive you crazy (my dog is a 4 lb Yorky).
This is really poor service from Air France. I am a Platinum for life member and go at least 2 times per year back from US to France with the dog. Going forward I will check other companies as Luftansa for example which has better pet policy.