China Airlines pet policy — why pets cannot travel in the cabin
China Airlines does not accept pets in the cabin, so no carrier size will make it work — this is a policy limit, not a size limit. China Airlines does not publish a cabin-pet fee on its own policy page. Your options are China Airlines's cargo service or an approved pet shipper. If you need your pet with you in the cabin, you need a different airline.
China Airlines does not accept pets in the cabin, so there is no carrier height to compare. Its own policy covers cargo or approved pet-shipper options instead.
The carriers below will not solve this flight
Everything CabinPets tracks is a soft under-seat carrier, and China Airlines has no under-seat option at all — so no carrier on this page, at any size, makes this trip work. Buying one for this flight is the most common way to end up returning it.
How China Airlines actually moves pets: Pets travel in the cargo hold as checked baggage. Contact the China Airlines booking department at least 48 hours before departure to confirm charges and terms — pet transport is not accommodated without prior application; arrive at the airport 2 hours before the flight
Pets travelling in the hold need a rigid, IATA-spec travel crate, not a soft bag — a different product category. Confirm the exact container rule with China Airlines or its pet-shipper before buying, because the spec is set by the carrier and the route.
Search Amazon for IATA travel crates →
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China Airlines pet rules
| Max carrier size (published) | not published |
| In-cabin fee | Not published · compare all airlines → |
| Species allowed | service dogs only (and Psychiatric Assistance dogs on specific routes) — pets are not permitted in the cabin |
| Pets | Hold/checked baggage only: maximum 8 cages per flight, and maximum 2 cages per passenger occupying a seat; one pet per container |
| Booking | Pets travel in the cargo hold as checked baggage. Contact the China Airlines booking department at least 48 hours before departure to confirm charges and terms — pet transport is not accommodated without prior application; arrive at the airport 2 hours before the flight · what to book, buy and pack → |
Source: official China Airlines pet policy · verified 2026-08-25 · every airline ranked on fee and space →
Airlines that do allow pets in the cabin
A cabin ban is a policy limit, not a size limit, so no carrier changes it. China Airlines’s own published route: Pets travel in the cargo hold as checked baggage. Contact the China Airlines booking department at least 48 hours before departure to confirm charges and terms — pet transport is not accommodated without prior application; arrive at the airport 2 hours before the flight
If the cabin is the requirement rather than the route, these are the airlines we track that do allow it, ranked by how many of our tracked carriers clear their published limit. We do not know your route, so treat this as a reference rather than a substitution:
- Pegasus Airlines — 19.7 × 12.6 × 12.6 in · 14 of 15 carriers clear it
- Saudia — 21 × 16 × 13 in · 14 of 15 carriers clear it
- Allegiant Air — 18 × 12 × 11 in · 11 of 15 carriers clear it
- Frontier Airlines — 18 × 14 × 11 in · 11 of 15 carriers clear it
- American Airlines — 18 × 11 × 11 in · 9 of 15 carriers clear it
- American Eagle (regional, incl. Republic Airways) — 18 × 11 × 11 in · 9 of 15 carriers clear it
- Copa Airlines — 18 × 11 × 11 in · 9 of 15 carriers clear it
- Delta Air Lines — 18 × 11 × 11 in · 9 of 15 carriers clear it
Carrier sizes we track
None of these can be used in an China Airlines cabin. They are listed so you can size up for whichever airline you switch to.
Affiliate link — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our specs or which carriers we list.
This table ranks by China Airlines’s size limit — not by your pet. The weight under each carrier is what that size is rated to hold. A bag can clear the airline and still be the wrong size for the animal, which is the most common reason one goes back — measure your pet first →
| Carrier | Size | Fit | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
 Sherpa Original Deluxe (Small) up to ~8 lb · max pet 13″ long × 7.5″ tall | 15 × 10 × 8.5 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → |
Mr. Peanut's Gold Series Mini (Low-Profile) up to ~15 lb | 17 × 11 × 9 in | No cabin pets | Not available on Amazon right now |
Mr. Peanut's Gold Series Standard (Expandable) up to ~20 lb | 18 × 11 × 10 in | No cabin pets | Not available on Amazon right nowIn stock and fits the same airlines: Petmate Soft-Sided Kennel Cab (Medium) |
Petmate Soft-Sided Kennel Cab (Medium) up to ~10 lb | 17 × 10 × 10 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → |
Sherpa Original Deluxe (Medium) up to ~16 lb · max pet 16″ long × 9.5″ tall | 17 × 11 × 10.5 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → |
Sleepypod Air up to ~18 lb | 22 × 10.5 × 10.5 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → |
Diggs Passenger pet size not published · Diggs discontinued this carrier — link goes to similar carriers | 17 × 12 × 10.5 in | No cabin pets | Search Amazon → |
ibiyaya JetPaw Expandable Backpack up to ~17 lb | 18 × 12 × 10.5 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → |
Sleepypod Atom up to ~12 lb | 17 × 8.5 × 10.5 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → |
Away The Pet Carrier pets up to ~18 lb | 18.7 × 10.8 × 10.75 in | No cabin pets | Search Amazon → |
Petsfit (Medium) Expandable Soft-Sided up to ~13 lb | 17 × 11 × 11 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → |
Bergan Comfort Carrier (Small) pet size not published | 16 × 8 × 11 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → |
Frisco Premium Airline-Compliant Carrier up to ~22 lb | 18 × 11 × 11 in | No cabin pets | Search Amazon → |
Sherpa Original Deluxe (Large) up to ~22 lb · max pet 18″ long × 10.5″ tall | 19 × 11.75 × 11.5 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → |
SturdiBag Pro (Large, Flexible Height) pet size not published | 18 × 11.5 × 11.5 in | No cabin pets | Not available on Amazon right nowIn stock and fits the same airlines: Petmate Soft-Sided Kennel Cab (Medium) |
How to confirm your actual under-seat space
China Airlines's number is its published maximum, not a guarantee for your exact seat. Before you buy or fly:
- Check which aircraft operates your flight (in your booking or on a seat-map site).
- Avoid bulkhead and exit rows — bulkheads have no under-seat storage and most airlines ban pets there — and check this airline's seat rules above.
- Call China Airlines to confirm under-seat dimensions for that aircraft, or
- Choose a collapsible / flexible-height carrier that adapts to a tighter space.
More airlines: Air Canada · Alaska Airlines · Allegiant Air · American Airlines · Breeze Airways · Delta Air Lines · Frontier Airlines · Southwest Airlines · United Airlines · easyJet · Edelweiss · EL AL Israel Airlines · all →
Common questions
What size pet carrier does China Airlines allow in the cabin?
China Airlines's recommended maximum in-cabin carrier is not published. It must fit fully under the seat in front of you. Source: the China Airlines pet policy.
How much does China Airlines charge for an in-cabin pet?
Not published. Always confirm the current fee on the official China Airlines pet page before you fly.
Which pet carriers fit China Airlines?
No carrier we track clears China Airlines's published not published outright, and none compresses down far enough either — check China Airlines's cargo or approved pet-shipper options. Full shortlist: /fits/china-airlines/.
Is under-seat space the same on every China Airlines aircraft?
No. China Airlines states that pets as checked baggage are not accepted on its B738 / 32C aircraft due to cargo hold temperature control considerations, so acceptance depends on the aircraft operating your flight. (This is a hold constraint — there is no cabin pet option at all.) Treat the published figure as a fleet-wide maximum, not a promise for your seat, and prefer a collapsible or flexible-height carrier.
How many pets can I bring in the cabin on China Airlines?
Hold/checked baggage only: maximum 8 cages per flight, and maximum 2 cages per passenger occupying a seat; one pet per container. Species accepted: service dogs only (and Psychiatric Assistance dogs on specific routes) — pets are not permitted in the cabin. Pets travel in the cargo hold as checked baggage. Contact the China Airlines booking department at least 48 hours before departure to confirm charges and terms — pet transport is not accommodated without prior application; arrive at the airport 2 hours before the flight