Air France welcomes your pet to fly in a variety of ways. Depending on your animal’s breed and size, it can travel as carry-on luggage in the cabin, as checked baggage in the cargo hold, or even shipped as unaccompanied cargo. Small dogs and cats may travel in a carrier that fits under the seat in front of you. Larger dogs and cats can travel in the cargo hold as excess baggage. No matter how your animals are traveling, Air France pet policies have a maximum of one animal per passenger in the cabin, and three in the cargo hold. Below, you can find information about checking-in an animal, pet transport carriers, deadlines for pet reservations, and available travel options for your animal.

 

  • Flying with Pets in the Cabin: As long as your pet is at least 10 weeks old and has all of the required vaccinations, small dogs and cats under 8kg (17 lbs) including carrier are permitted to travel with you in the passenger cabin. Air France does not allow your pet to travel in the Business cabin on intercontinental flights. You’ll need to make sure you have a soft-sided travel carrier that meets all the necessary requirements.
  • Flying with Pets in Checked Baggage: Dogs and cats that exceed the 8 kg weight limit including their transport container, may not be transported in the cabin. Instead, these animals can travel in the cargo hold of your plane. Your pet must be at least 10 weeks old and fully vaccinated, and have the proper documentation and carrier. Additional restrictions apply to fighting dog breeds and snub-nosed dogs and cats.
  • Flying Pets as Cargo: Like many U.S. airlines, Air France also offers to fly animals as air freight. If you need to transport an animal unaccompanied, shipping an animal as cargo is a safe and comfortable option. Some reservations also include an intermediary pet forwarding transportation service.
  • Service Animal Policies: Air France also allows service animals to accompany passengers with special needs. You should still inform the airline that you’ll be traveling with a service animal when you first make the reservation so that you and your animal’s spacial needs can be accommodated. There is no additional fee associated with bringing a service dog on board. The airline maintains separate requirements and regulations for regular service animals and emotional support animals.

For additional assistance and details, or for help with booking your animal’s ticket, see Air France’s official website, or check with Customer Service.

 

Traveling with Animals to and From the USA

There are different international requirements to familiarize yourself with when transporting animals between the United States and France. There are also various animal import and export laws that your travel might be affected by. Whether it’s a short-term visit with a common household pet or a longer-term stay/permanent move with a more exotic breed, we recommend consulting the following EU and US agencies about the specific requirements for your animal and on your travel dates.

Still not sure which airline carrier is right for your pet travel needs? Check out our full list of domestic and international pet-friendly airlines.