A full-term baby can fly on Air China, China Eastern or China Southern from about 14 days old (Air China and China Southern word day 14 itself differently, and premature babies have extra limits; see below) until the day before the second birthday. All three big carriers refuse babies under 14 days. An infant ticket does not include a seat, and each flight accepts only a limited number of infants. On Air China and China Southern, the order matters: tell the ticket seller about the infant before you pay for the adult ticket, and let the carrier issue the adult and infant tickets together once it confirms space. Air China and China Southern both say a lone adult ticket can leave you without infant space at the airport.
The three carriers do not follow one rule. Where they differ, this guide puts them side by side.
Rule versions and scope
This guide covers Air China (CA), China Eastern (MU, including flights run by Shanghai Airlines) and China Southern (CZ). The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) page gives the general rule. For any other airline, read that carrier's own conditions.
All three carriers' general conditions of carriage take effect on 1 July 2026:
- Air China's conditions (English copy on airchina.us) say they take effect on 1 July 2026 and replace the version issued on 20 April 2026. The English page on airchina.com.cn still lists "April 2026" at the top of its version menu. The effective date here comes from the conditions text on airchina.us. Air China adds that tickets bought before 1 July 2026 stay under the conditions in force when you bought them.
- China Eastern's conditions (Chinese page) are in force from 1 July 2026 and replace the 20 January 2026 version.
- China Southern's conditions (English) are in force from 1 July 2026 and replace the 1 January 2026 version.
Check which version is shown on the carrier's site when you book.
How old must the baby be, and when does "infant" end?
| Air China | China Eastern | China Southern | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who counts as an infant | 14 days old or more (see below), under 2 years on the day of the flight | At least 14 days old, under 2 years at the time of travel | Born 14 days or more, not yet 2 as of the date travel starts |
| Under 14 days | Not carried | Not carried | Not carried |
| Premature baby under 90 days | Not carried (born before 37 weeks) | Two statements, see below | Not accepted (gestational age 28 weeks to under 37 weeks) |
| Adult who accompanies | 18 or older, full civil capacity | 18 or older, full civil capacity, same physical cabin; anyone under 18 cannot travel alone with an infant | 18 or older, full civil capacity, same class of service |
Three edge cases are worth a question to the carrier before you buy.
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Day 14 on Air China. Its English infant page says "more than 14 days old". Its Chinese special-passenger page says "已满 14 天" (14 days completed). The English text of its general conditions on this point is garbled. If your baby is close to 14 days old on the travel date, ask Air China.
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Day 14 on China Southern. Its general conditions and special-passenger page say "less than 14 days" is refused. Its domestic notice lists "not more than 14 days" as unsuitable to fly. The wording differs on day 14 itself. If the baby is exactly 14 days old on the travel date, ask China Southern.
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Premature babies on China Eastern. Its infant notice says a premature baby older than 14 days but under 90 days must give a valid medical certificate confirming fitness to travel. Its General Conditions, article 6.2.1.1, say premature babies under 90 days are not transported. Both are on China Eastern's own pages, so ask China Eastern which applies to your baby.
The second birthday. Air China says a child aged 2 or older on the day of the flight must occupy a seat and hold a child ticket. Air China counts age on the day of the flight, so a return flight after the second birthday needs a child ticket. China Eastern words it as "at the time of travel" on its English infant page and as the day air transport begins in its Chinese conditions. China Southern says "date of commencement of travel". Neither page spells out which flight date counts on a trip that crosses the birthday.
How is an infant ticket priced, and does the infant get a seat?
An infant ticket does not include a seat. The baby sits on an adult's lap. CAAC says the airline provides a separate infant seat belt, and the adult holds the baby. Air China's conditions add that the baby seat belt must be fastened.
| Air China | China Eastern | China Southern | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic infant ticket | 10% of the normal adult fare (Air China) | The English infant page does not state a percentage | 10% of the adult ordinary fare (China Southern); its special-passenger page ties this to the published ordinary fare in the same cabin as the adult's ticket |
| Seat for the infant, domestic | Buy a child ticket | Buy a child fare | Buy a child ticket |
| Seat for the infant, international and regional | Buy a child ticket | Buy an infant-with-seat fare | Child fare (its page does not split domestic and international) |
| International infant ticket | Set by the applicable fare terms | The page gives no infant fare rule or percentage | Differs by route; use the infant fare you are quoted |
The pages give no percentage for international infant fares. For international flights, the live quote and its fare conditions set the infant fare.
On Air China and China Eastern, an infant in its own seat needs a child restraint device (CRD) that you bring. Air China says it must be approved by the aviation authorities, must fit the seat and the infant's weight, and the infant must sit side by side with the adult. During take-off, landing and taxiing, Air China does not allow booster, vest, harness or knee-hugging types. China Eastern gives a maximum CRD size of 43 cm wide x 60 cm long x 100 cm high and says a CRD is not used during taxi, take-off and landing. It lists infant carry cots, bassinet-style infant safety seats, child car safety seats and child booster seat devices as approved types, "but not limited to" them. China Southern's pages reviewed here give no CRD rule or size.
How many infants can one flight take?
Each flight has an infant limit that depends on aircraft type. China Eastern publishes its numbers. They include infants in their own seat:
| Aircraft type | Infants per flight |
|---|---|
| A330 / A350 / B777 / B787 | 15 |
| A321 / C919 | 8 |
| A319 / A320 / B737 | 6 |
| C909 | 4 |
Source: China Eastern infant and children page. On the C909, seat assignments for passengers with infants are restricted for operational safety.
The Air China and China Southern pages give no numbers. Both say the limits depend on aircraft type and route under CAAC safety rules. CAAC says each flight takes a limited number of infants and that an infant should be bought together with an adult passenger or an immediate family member.
What to confirm before you pay for the adult ticket. Air China and China Southern say this directly:
- Tell the ticket seller you are travelling with an infant when you book.
- Wait until the carrier confirms there is infant space on that flight.
- Have the carrier issue the adult and infant tickets at the same time.
If you buy only the adult ticket and arrive with an infant, both carriers warn there may not be enough infant space and your trip may have to change. Only these two carriers state this; for China Eastern, the pages reviewed give the per-aircraft limits but no ticketing sequence.
How many infants can one adult take? Twins and a second infant
| Air China | China Eastern | China Southern | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infants per adult | Up to two | Up to two | One (special-passenger page) |
| Second infant | Needs its own seat and a child ticket | Needs its own seat, a child fare on domestic flights, and a CRD | Not allowed on that page |
| Other combinations | One infant and two minors under 5, or one sick infant | Or three children under 5, with no more than one infant | Domestic notice: no more than 3 children under 5 including the infant, no more than one infant; no more than 8 children under 12 and infants in total (above that, a group booking application is needed) |
With two infants on Air China or China Eastern, one infant sits on the adult's lap with the baby seat belt fastened. The other occupies a separate seat in a CRD you bring; Air China adds that this infant sits next to the adult. On China Southern, one adult takes one infant. Anyone carrying a sick infant should know that Air China wants a medical certificate, and China Southern says an adult with a sick infant may not take other children.
Infants and children must also sit in the same cabin section as the accompanying adult (China Eastern).
Can you get a bassinet?
A bassinet is a service request, not a seat you can book freely. All three carriers limit it by aircraft and route.
| Air China | China Eastern | China Southern | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Selected aircraft types on international routes; economy, premium economy and business | Selected routes and aircraft types | B777, B787, A330 and A350 flights longer than 3 hours; economy and premium economy |
| Baby limit | English page: under 10 kg (22 lb) and under 75 cm; Chinese page: up to 10 kg and up to 75 cm. Ask Air China if your baby is exactly at either limit | Up to 74 cm and 11 kg | One year old or younger, under 70 cm and under 12 kg (25 lb) |
| Cost | Free | Not stated on the page | Not stated on the page |
| How and when to ask | Direct ticket sales department; at least 48 hours before departure and no earlier than 14 days before (72 hours on São Paulo routes); also online | Special Passenger Services on the website, app or mobile site | At least 24 hours before departure, at the China Southern ticket office at the origin; also online or on 95539 |
Three points to keep in mind:
- A request is not an approval on China Eastern. Submitting a request only means China Eastern received it. The service depends on bassinet availability, seat availability and airport operational capability.
- On China Southern, the bassinet is for an infant without a seat. China Southern says it serves infants who do not occupy a seat.
- A ticket change means a new request. Air China and China Southern both say you must redo the special-service request after changing the ticket. Air China accepts special-service requests only on flights it actually operates. China Eastern's infant service applies only to flights run by China Eastern or Shanghai Airlines under their own flight numbers.
China Southern says each aircraft type carries a limited number of bassinets, so apply early. China Southern's page also says that if your flight is disrupted, with the passenger's consent it either changes special-service passengers and their companions free of charge to a flight that can provide the service, or processes an involuntary refund for them.
What baggage does an infant get?
The three carriers differ, and the route and fare on the ticket decide. Read each carrier's wording rather than merging them.
| Air China | China Eastern | China Southern | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic, infant ticket without a seat | 10 kg; each piece within 100 x 60 x 40 cm; one folding stroller or bassinet also checked free if its size is within the normal checked-baggage limit | No free allowance; one stroller checked free | Domestic notice: no free allowance for an infant ticket. English baggage page: one collapsible stroller free for each infant on domestic travel. Special-passenger page: when the allowance is counted by piece, one piece up to 10 kg and 115 cm (sum of three sides), plus one folding stroller or one cradle or one child safety seat |
| International | Follows the ticket; a stroller or bassinet is checked free if its size is within the normal checked-baggage limit | For infants without a seat on the routes its page lists, one checked piece up to 10 kg and 115 cm (sum of three sides); Basic Economy infant tickets without a seat get no free allowance; a stroller is checked free | For infants without a seat, one piece, 10 kg per piece, 115 cm (sum of three sides), plus one collapsible stroller, free |
| Infant in its own seat | Not stated for infants on the pages reviewed | Not stated for infants on the page reviewed | Pays a child fare and gets the allowance of the fare class on the ticket |
China Eastern's international list covers Europe (including Russia and Türkiye), South Korea, Southeast Asia (excluding Thailand and Singapore), South Asia, North Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, plus the Colombo-Male and Auckland-Buenos Aires routes; its page gives the full list. Sources: China Eastern baggage page, China Southern international allowance.
Strollers and cabin items. Air China and China Eastern let parents carry infant food and diapers on board in addition to the normal carry-on allowance. Both say a folding stroller can go into the cabin if it folds to no more than 55 cm x 40 cm x 20 cm; a larger stroller is checked. China Eastern also lists one bassinet or one CRD (when used in a seat) as a free extra item. China Southern's conditions say one stroller or baby cradle is checked free. They say a non-folding stroller must be checked. Its English text adds that a foldable stroller over 115 cm (sum of three sides) is checked, and that even within that size a foldable stroller must be checked if cabin storage runs short.
What documents does the infant need?
- To buy the ticket. China Southern's special-passenger page says proof of age is needed to buy an infant ticket, such as a passport or birth certificate. Its domestic notice says infant and child ticket buyers give proof such as a household register (hukou) or birth certificate. It adds that the travel document given at purchase must be the one used at the airport.
- To board a domestic flight. CAAC lists, for mainland residents under 16, the birth medical certificate, household register, student card or proof of identity from the public security office where the household is registered as valid boarding ID. The ID details used for booking must match the ID shown at check-in and security. Carry the same ID you booked with.
- International flights. CAAC says to check passport validity and whether the visa meets the destination's requirements. None of the pages reviewed says an infant must hold its own passport. The destination's entry rules decide that. CAAC's boarding-document page still mentions epidemic prevention rules, so it may be dated. Check the current destination rules.
Which should you choose?
| Your situation | What the official pages point to |
|---|---|
| One healthy full-term baby, at least 14 days old, under 2 on every flight | Infant ticket and lap travel. Air China and China Southern say to ask for infant space at booking and have both tickets issued together |
| You want a seat for the baby, for example to use a car seat | Child ticket on domestic flights; infant-with-seat fare on China Eastern international flights. Bring your own CRD (Air China, China Eastern) |
| You want a bassinet | China Southern says its bassinet is for infants without a seat; the Air China and China Eastern pages do not say. Carrier limits: Air China selected aircraft types on international routes; China Southern flights over 3 hours on the four listed aircraft families; China Eastern selected routes and aircraft types. Send the request by the deadline |
| Twin infants | Air China or China Eastern: one on the lap, one in a CRD in a seat. China Southern: one infant per adult (China Southern page) |
| Baby is premature and under 90 days | Air China (born before 37 weeks) and China Southern (28 to under 37 weeks) do not carry the baby. China Eastern gives two statements; see above |
| Return flight falls after the second birthday | Air China: the return needs a child ticket. China Eastern and China Southern pages do not spell out the return-flight case |
| Baby is under 14 days old | All three carriers refuse. Air China's and China Southern's wording differs on day 14 itself |
| Another airline | Read that carrier's own conditions |
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