On Air China domestic flights, a child aged 2 to under 12 is priced at 50% of the adult full fare in the F/J/G/Y classes, and an infant under 2 at 10%. That 50% is not "half of whatever the adult pays on the checkout page", and children may buy other fares instead. On international and regional flights, Air China's pages give no fixed child or infant percentage, so do not plan around one. Age is counted on the day of the flight.
The rest of this guide covers who counts as a child, what the domestic percentages actually refer to, baggage, changes and refunds, ID, and children flying alone. Every rule below comes from an Air China or CAAC page, and each one names the page and edition it comes from.
Child or infant: age on the day of the flight
| Passenger | Age on the day of the flight | Seat |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | More than 14 days old, under 2 | No separate seat on an infant ticket |
| Child | 2 years old, under 12 | Own seat, on a child ticket |
These definitions are on Air China's infants page and in its conditions of carriage (section 5.2.3.1 for children). The children page adds that ages are calculated on the Gregorian calendar from the date of birth.
The pages say "on the day of the flight" and go no further. They do not say what happens if a birthday falls between your outbound and return flights. Ask Air China (95583) before you book if that applies to you.
Two limits on the youngest travelers, from the infants page: Air China does not carry infants under 14 days old, or premature infants (born before 37 weeks) under 90 days old. The conditions of carriage say the same about premature babies under 90 days.
Domestic fares: what the 50% and 10% are percentages of
Air China's domestic voluntary refund and change rules (April 2026 edition, in Chinese) set out the ratios in section 3:
- Infant: 10% of the adult applicable normal fare, meaning the full fare of the F, J, G and Y classes.
- Child (including an unaccompanied child): 50% of that same F/J/G/Y full fare. On that page, this fare type is coded FCH50, JCH50, GCH50 or YCH50.
- Other fares: children may buy other fares instead of the 50% one. The children page says the same: 50% of the standard adult fare "or other ticket fares with different discount rates".
The rules page says the new fee standards apply to domestic tickets sold on or after 1 January 2025. It does not promise that the 50% fare is the lowest price for a child: the same page allows children to buy fares below 50%.
Booking class works like this on the same page (section 4):
| Ticket | Booking class |
|---|---|
| Child at 50% | F, J, G or Y |
| Child on a fare below 50% | Whatever the sales system shows for that fare |
| Infant at 10% | Same cabin service class and booking class as the accompanying adult (an adult booked in economy Y means an infant booked in economy Y) |
The children page also says the fare class of the child and the accompanying adult must be the same.
International and regional fares: no fixed percentage
The infants page and the children page both say fares on international and regional tickets "are set in accordance with the applicable terms of use". No page gives an international child or infant percentage. Do not assume 50%, 75% or any other number.
The international refund and change rules (in force from 1 November 2023, Chinese page) mention children in two places only:
- A child ticket at a child fare gets the change fee and refund fee discount that matches the child fare.
- A non-seated infant ticket has no change or refund fee.
That page gives no percentages for either. Your fare rules at booking are what count.
Infants: seats, limits and bassinets
Seat. An infant ticket does not include a separate seat. If the infant needs one, buy a child ticket. A child who is over 2 on the day of the flight must have a seat on a child ticket.
How many infants one adult can take. The conditions of carriage require the accompanying adult to be at least 18 with full civil capacity. The infants page says one adult may accompany:
- two infants (the first on an infant fare; the second needs a child ticket with its own seat), or
- one infant and two minors under 5, or
- one sick infant, which needs a medical certificate from a medical institution at or above county level (it does not have to say "fit for travel").
The conditions of carriage (section 5.2.2) describe the two-infant case this way: one infant may sit on the adult's lap with a baby seat belt. The other needs its own seat, in a child restraint device that is approved by the aviation authorities, that you prepare yourself, and that works on board. The infant sits next to the adult. Booster, vest, harness or knee-hugging types are not allowed during takeoff, landing and taxiing.
The children page gives a slightly different list for one adult with minors: three minors under 5, or one infant and two minors under 5, or one disabled minor. If you are unsure how these accompanying-passenger limits apply to your family, ask Air China before booking.
Tell the agent about the infant when you book. Each aircraft type and route has an infant quota. The infants page warns that if you buy only an adult ticket and arrive with an infant, capacity may be full and your itinerary may need to change.
Bassinets. Air China offers a free infant bassinet on selected aircraft in economy, premium economy and business class on international routes. It suits infants under 10 kg (22 lb) and under 75 cm long. Request it through a direct ticket sales department, or online. The request must be made at least 48 hours before departure (72 hours on Sao Paulo routes) and no earlier than 14 days before departure.
Baggage for children and infants
| Passenger | Domestic | International and regional |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | 10 kg free; each piece no more than 100 x 60 x 40 cm (infants page) | "Based on the information on the ticket" (infants page) |
| Child on a child ticket | The free allowance of the ticket's fare class (children page) | Same page wording; see the piece-concept table below |
The children page gives no kilogram figure for domestic children, so read the baggage field on the ticket.
Piece-concept routes. Air China's free baggage PDF for piece-concept routes (effective 10 July 2026) covers routes to and from mainland China and routes between other listed countries or regions. For the routes to and from mainland China in IATA Zones 1, 2 and 3, it lists:
- Infant: 1 piece of 23 kg (50 lb).
- Adult or child: depends on cabin and brand. First and business class show 2 pieces of 32 kg each. Economy shows 1 or 2 pieces of 23 kg each depending on the brand and the zone.
The PDF also lists a separate table for routes between other countries or regions. It states that allowances for students, laborers, seafarers and emigrants, and for itineraries with flights not operated by Air China, follow what the booking and the ticket show. For anything not covered by the PDF, read the baggage field of your ticket.
Strollers and baby gear. On checked baggage, the infants page says a stroller or bassinet may be checked free if its size is within that of ordinary checked baggage. The baggage PDF adds that for infant passengers a foldable stroller, cradle or baby car safety seat can be checked free.
In the cabin. The conditions of carriage (section 6) say a passenger with an infant may bring infant food and diapers, and a portable foldable stroller that fits within 55 x 40 x 20 cm when folded. A larger stroller goes as checked baggage.
Changes and refunds for child and infant tickets
Domestic rules, April 2026 edition, section 3:
| Ticket | Change carrier (endorsement) | Change fee | Refund |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant, 10% | Allowed | No fee | No fee |
| Child, 50% fare types (FCH50 etc.), accompanied | Allowed | No fee | Follows the adult refund rule for the same cabin class |
| Child, 50% fare types, unaccompanied | Not allowed; a request is handled as a voluntary refund | No fee | Follows the adult refund rule for the same cabin class |
| Child on another fare | General endorsement rules for the booking class apply | Fee standard of that other fare | Fee standard of that other fare |
The fee tables themselves are on the rules page; they depend on booking class and how close to departure you cancel, so they are not repeated here. Special fare products follow their own product rules, according to the same page.
For international tickets, the rule is only the one in the section above: a child fare gets a matching fee discount, and a non-seated infant ticket has no change or refund fee.
One more point on conditions of carriage. The current text took effect on 1 July 2026 and replaced the 20 April 2026 version, and tickets bought before 1 July 2026 stay under the conditions in force when they were bought.
Documents and ID
Air China's official pages do not spell out which documents a child specifically needs. The conditions of carriage say that:
- tickets are issued to real names;
- you show valid ID when buying and at check-in, and it must be the same document both times;
- you are responsible for obtaining the travel documents and visas required for the places you depart from, stop at and arrive in.
The pages do not say which document a child must use, whether a birth certificate or household register is accepted, or what a child traveling with one parent needs. Ask Air China (95583) and the border authorities of your destination. Among the situations where the conditions allow Air China to refuse carriage is failing to present a valid travel document, or presenting one that differs from the one used at purchase.
Children flying alone: the unaccompanied-minor service
Children aged 2 to under 12 should travel with an adult of at least 18 with full civil capacity, according to the conditions of carriage. This is what the children page says about traveling without one:
| Question | What the children page says |
|---|---|
| Who can use the service | Under the conditions of carriage, children aged 5 to under 12 traveling without an adult aged at least 18 with full civil capacity must apply in advance and obtain Air China's consent. Under 5 is not accepted. The children page also excludes deaf/blind minors under 16. Ages 12 to under 18 traveling alone may request the service themselves; for deaf/blind passengers, the children page specifies over 16 but under 18 |
| Which flights | Flights operated by Air China with an Air China flight number, including direct, transfer and connecting. Not currently offered on interline flights operated jointly with other airlines |
| Who hands over and collects | Handover by the parent, a relative or someone the guardian authorizes. Pickup by someone at least 18 with full civil capacity |
| Charge | Ticket fare plus a service fee. The fee varies by route; call 95583 |
| Fare | Domestic child ticket in this age band: 50% of the standard fare, or other fares. Age 12 and over: the applicable adult fare |
| Deadline | Not later than 16:00 on the day before departure, through a direct ticket sales office, the website or the app |
| Quota per flight | At most 15 unaccompanied minors aged 5 to under 12, and at most 5 of them aged 5 to 8. No limit for age 12 and over |
The child must carry the valid travel document used to buy the ticket, plus the service application form. Air China says it accepts only unaccompanied minors whose service procedures have been completed, and the conditions of carriage say Air China can refuse carriage when the flight quota is full. Remember that on a domestic 50% fare, an unaccompanied child cannot voluntarily change carrier.
Who sets the rules
Air China writes these terms itself. China's aviation regulator, CAAC, requires every carrier's conditions of carriage to cover boarding rules for special passengers, including infants and unaccompanied children (Article 8 of its passenger service regulation, in force from 1 September 2021). That article does not set any fare or age.
Seats together
The children page recommends booking early and checking in on the website or app, or arriving at the airport as early as possible, so a child and the accompanying adult can sit together. Air China says it will do its best but cannot guarantee adjacent seats. The conditions of carriage add that a chosen seat cannot be guaranteed either.
Which should you choose
- Baby under 2, happy on your lap, domestic flight: the infant ticket at 10%. Tell the agent at booking so infant capacity is confirmed and both tickets are issued together.
- Baby under 2 who needs a seat, or a second infant with the same adult: a child ticket with its own seat. Bring an approved restraint device where the conditions require one.
- Child aged 2 to under 12 with an adult, domestic flight: look at the 50% child fare and at other fares on the same flight. Compare them by total and by change and refund rules, because they are different fare types with different conditions.
- Child aged 5 to under 12 traveling without an adult: apply for the unaccompanied-minor service by 16:00 the day before departure, and book a flight operated by Air China under an Air China flight number.
- Child under 5 with no adult: Air China does not accept the service, so an adult has to travel with the child.
- Teen aged 12 to under 18 traveling alone: the service is optional and the teen may request it. The applicable adult fare applies.
- International or regional flight: use the fare shown for that flight. Do not assume any child percentage, and read the baggage field on the ticket.
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