Air France flying with pets

What is Air France policy on pet acceptance?

Transporting pets on Air France flights is allowed either in the cabin, or in the hold. The rules for pet acceptance may vary depending on your itinerary (departure country and destination). Air France may restrict or limit transporting pets on some aircraft types or for certain destinations.

Your pet must be at least 8 weeks old to be allowed on board flights within metropolitan France (including Corsica) and between metropolitan France and French overseas departments and territories (except French Guiana 15 weeks old). For other flights, pets must be at least 10 weeks old to be accepted. The Air France telephone sales department can inform you of the regulations. Your pet must also have all required vaccines.

Which pets are allowed to travel on Air France flights?

Only dogs and cats are accepted for transportation on Air France flights.

Air France will not accept for transportation dangerous dogs (1st or 2nd category of dog breed outlined by the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry). Category 1 dogs do not belong to a particular breed. Their appearance is of American Staffordshire terrier (pit-bulls), Mastiff and Tosa types (i.e. without pedigree). Category 1 dogs (the so-called “attack dogs”) are not permitted for transport either in the cabin, or as checked baggage or cargo. Category 2 – defence and guard dogs – are dogs of American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler, and Tosa breeds (i.e. with pedigree), and dogs of a Rottweiler type (without pedigree). Category 2 dogs are permitted for transport on cargo flights provided by Air France. Upon request and subject to availability, Category 2 dogs can travel in a certified cage (mandatory) on the same flight as their owner.

Are there any documents required when traveling with a pet?

Passengers traveling with pets must comply with the applicable regulations and provide valid documents relating to their pets. Documents required by the authorities in the departure, arrival or transit country include passports, health and vaccination certificates, entry or transit permits, etc. Pets must have all required vaccines in order to be permitted on board.

For travel within the EU, all dogs and cats must be identified by an electronic chip and possess a European passport. The passport, provided and completed by an authorized veterinarian, identifies your pet and certifies that it is properly vaccinated. Additional sanitary conditions apply for travel to Ireland, the UK, Malta, or Sweden.

For travel outside the EU, you must consider the regulations enforced in the originating and destination countries (quarantine, vaccinations, etc.).

Pets in the Cabin

Acceptance of pets in the cabin is subject to prior approval from the Customer Service Department. Pets are not accepted in the Business cabin on intercontinental flights. You may transport dogs and cats in the cabin provided that combined weight of pet and container does not exceed 8 kg (17 lbs).

Your pet must travel in a special closed travel bag with maximum dimensions of 46 x 28 x 24 cm  (18 x 11 x 9 in) and under no circumstances should leave the container for the entire duration of the flight. Air France recommends a flexible bag and no longer accepts animal crates in the cabin, no matter their dimensions. The container must be sufficiently ventilated and big enough to allow your pet to stand up and turn around. However, in the Economy cabin, the container must fit under the seat in front of you.

Each passenger is allowed to travel with only one pet, and each pet must travel in a separate container. Your pet’s travel container is considered additional baggage (besides your carry-on allowance) and will incur a fee.

Pets in the Hold

Large pets and pets weighing more than 8 kg (including container) must be transported in the hold. Snub-nosed animals (such as pugs, bulldogs, boxers, and Shih Tzu dogs, or Burmese and Persian cats) are not permitted for transport in the hold on Air France flights.

Air France limits the number of animals transported in the hold to 3 per passenger. Considering that this number may be restricted depending on the aircraft type, you should inform Air France at the time of booking that you intend to transport your pet in the hold, as checked baggage.

The combined weight of your pet and its container must not exceed 75 kg (165.3 lbs). The travel container must meet the requirements listed in the form “Conditions for transporting a dog or cat in the hold” regarding size, materials, locking mechanism, etc. Only hard plastic or fiberglass travel containers fastened by bolts and approved by the IATA are accepted on Air France flights. If you fail to comply with these requirements, your pet will be denied boarding.

The form must be signed and presented at the airport when you check in on the day of your departure. You must arrive at the check-in counter 2 hours and 30 minutes before a flight within France or Europe (including between Europe and Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, or Israel), and 3 hours before an intercontinental flight.

Animals can be transported in the hold on direct flights to/from Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly and on flights with connections at Paris-Orly only. In case of connecting flights, you may only check in your pet for the first part of your trip. Between flights, you must have enough time (3 hours) to collect your baggage and pet, and check them in again for your second flight.

Your pet and its travel container are not included in the free baggage allowance, and you must pay an additional fee.

Fees

An additional fee for transporting animals must be paid at the airport. The ticket fare does not include the fee for transporting animals. The fee is calculated based on your departure country and your final destination if your trip includes one or more connections. Depending on your destination, Air France will charge you for transporting your pet in the cabin or as checked baggage:

  • Within metropolitan France:
    • €40 – in the cabin.
    • €80 – in the hold (€20 – to/from Miami).
  • Flights within Europe or between Europe and Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, or Israel:
    • €55 – in the cabin.
    • €100 – in the hold.
  • Flights between metropolitan France and Pointe-a-Pitre, Fort-de-France, Cayenne, Saint-Denis (Reunion):
    • €55 – in the cabin.
    • €75 – in the hold.
  • Flights within the Caribbean network:
    • €30 – in the cabin (€55 – to/from Miami).
    • €75 – in the hold.
  • All other international flights:
    • €125 – in the cabin.
    • €200 – in the hold.

Assistance Dogs

Assistance Dogs and their cages accompanying passengers with reduced mobility will be carried free of charge on all flights (in addition to the free baggage allowance). Regardless of their weight, Assistance Dogs are accepted in the cabin free of charge. Assistance Dogs must comply with all sanitary/hygiene requirements in the departure, arrival and connection countries. For the transport of certain Assistance Dogs, Air France may require a medical certificate issued within the last year. On flights longer than 8 hours, Air France may ask you to demonstrate that you are prepared to handle your dog’s hygienic needs (primarily the natural need to relieve itself).

Assistance Dogs must be identifiable by a dog tag or harness and remain leashed at all times. You must be able to provide proof (along with credible verbal proof) of the animal’s certification and its use. Assistance Dogs cannot obstruct the aisles inside the aircraft, may not occupy a seat or the space near the emergency exits.

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