China Airlines is changing excess-baggage, prepaid excess-baggage and pet-transport charges for tickets issued on or after October 16, 2026. If you definitely need an eligible extra checked bag, prepaid baggage offers a modest saving over the published excess-baggage rate. If your bag count is uncertain, buying too many pieces can cost much more than the discount saves.
Official sources verified October 14, 2026. This is a source-based cost and eligibility guide, not a booking quote or a hands-on pet-transport review. The featured image is an AI-generated editorial illustration.
Does the October 16 change apply to your ticket?
The airline’s October 6 announcement uses the ticket issue date, rather than the departure date, as its trigger. Its three-page attachment supplies the revised USD tables.
On a small screen, swipe each table sideways to read every column.
| Your situation | What the notice establishes | Your next step |
|---|---|---|
| Ticket issued October 16, 2026 or later | The revised charge schedule applies. | Check the correct fee table, route and baggage eligibility. |
| Ticket issued before October 16; flight departs later | The stated new-ticket trigger does not include this ticket merely because you fly later. | Ask for the fee applicable to that issued ticket; do not substitute the new table automatically. |
| Reservation made earlier, but ticket not issued until October 16 or later | An earlier reservation date is not the stated cutoff. | Check the actual issue date on the ticket receipt. |
| Earlier ticket subsequently reissued, rerouted or split into separate tickets | The notice does not explain every reissue or mixed-ticket case. | Obtain confirmation of the applicable schedule before paying. |
| You stay within your ticket’s ordinary checked-baggage allowance and carry no pet | This notice concerns extra-service charges. | Check your allowance first; you may need no paid extra bag. |
There is no demonstrated reason here to rush a flight-ticket purchase. The attachment is a replacement fee schedule, not a complete before-and-after history for every ticket. We have not verified a dated old-rate table sufficient to calculate each route’s increase. A possible baggage saving must also be weighed against the airfare, change conditions and whether you actually need the extra service. This announcement does not establish a reduction in your included allowance.
New extra-bag prices: prepaid versus the standard charge
These selected comparisons are calculated from pages 1 and 2 of the new attachment. They concern one eligible extra piece, one way, within the applicable weight and size allowance. The final amount collected can depend on local-currency conversion. An overweight or oversized bag is a separate problem.
| Route example / table pairing | Standard excess | Prepaid | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan–Japan or Vietnam (Taiwan–Zone 1) | $160 | $152 | $8 |
| Taiwan–Australia or New Zealand (Taiwan–Zone 2) | $210 | $200 | $10 |
| Taiwan–London or Los Angeles (Taiwan–Zone 3) | $240 | $228 | $12 |
| Japan–Australia (Zone 1–Zone 2) | $240 | $228 | $12 |
| Australia–London (Zone 2–Zone 3) | $290 | $276 | $14 |
| Between Australia and New Zealand: explicit exception | $50 | $48 | $2 |
The prepaid policy advertises a 5% discount. Use the actual published whole-dollar prices, rather than assuming every rounded pair produces exactly 5%. For example, the Australia–New Zealand exception saves $2 on $50. Do not count the same prepaid saving twice when building your trip budget.
Should you prepay or pay at the airport?
Prepay once you know the extra piece is needed and the itinerary qualifies. Online purchase is available after ticket purchase until four hours before scheduled departure. That gives you time to pack and weigh your bags before committing, provided you leave enough time to complete the purchase. Treat four hours as the cutoff, not a target for a last-minute transaction.
Illustrative decision: for an eligible Taiwan–London journey under the new schedule, one extra standard piece costs $228 prepaid versus $240 at the standard excess rate: a $12 saving. But if you prepay two pieces for $456 and ultimately bring only one extra piece, the unused portion is not refunded once the purchase is partly used. You spend $216 more than the $240 standard charge for the one piece you actually needed. Buying the right quantity matters more than chasing the headline discount.
The policy permits one prepaid purchase per passenger per sector, with a maximum of five pieces; the per-piece weight limit depends on boarding class. You cannot pool or transfer the allowance. A wholly unused purchase can be refunded without a charge through the original purchase channel within two years of purchase; once used, a remaining unused allowance cannot be refunded or carried to another flight. Date or flight changes are allowed only with the same origin and destination under the stated prepaid conditions. Confirm handling with the seller if your journey changes.
| What you are carrying | Better next action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Known extra standard piece on an eligible itinerary | Compare the actual prepaid quote before the cutoff. | There is a published saving without buying unwanted capacity. |
| Uncertain number of extra pieces | Finish packing and weigh first; recheck before the purchase cutoff. | Partly used prepaid capacity has no refund for the remainder. |
| One heavy or oversized piece | Ask for the overweight/oversize charge; consider repacking within your allowance. | Prepaid extra pieces do not cover these special charges. |
| Pet, instrument, sports equipment or cabin baggage | Use the corresponding special-baggage process. | Ordinary prepaid excess allowance is not valid for these categories. |
| Another airline operates a connecting flight | Confirm the itinerary’s baggage and payment rules with the carriers. | The prepaid policy excludes the whole trip when a connection is operated by another airline. |
Prepaid eligibility is limited to tickets issued by China Airlines (297) or Mandarin Airlines (803), for the described CI/AE-operated international flights or bilateral codeshare international flights; infant tickets are excluded. Separate tickets require separate payments by their respective sectors. Group class G and mileage-upgrade tickets cannot use the online purchase path, but the policy directs those passengers to customer service or a local branch to arrange pre-purchase.
Do not reuse one zone map for all three services
The attachment’s ordinary excess-baggage table has six zones, while prepaid has three. For ordinary excess baggage, Taiwan–Zone 4 is $270, Taiwan–Zone 5 is $290 and Taiwan–Zone 6 is $340. Zone 4 covers the North America/Europe destinations outside the named Zone 3 cities plus Africa; Zone 5 is Central and South America; Zone 6 is Myanmar. Their absence from the three-zone prepaid table is not permission to invent a discounted equivalent.
Cambodia appears in ordinary excess Zone 1, but is not explicitly named in the prepaid Zone 1 list. Myanmar is ordinary excess Zone 6, whereas the pet table places it in Zone 2. Seattle and the Middle East appear in the baggage Zone 3 lists, but not in the pet Zone 3 list. For these cases, obtain the actual service-specific quote instead of copying a zone from a different page. A missing name in the attachment alone does not prove a service is unavailable.
Also distinguish a through connection from a stopover. The excess-baggage policy says an onward CI/AE sector after a stopover is charged according to that sector and its travel date. The tables list one-way departure-to-arrival charges; they are not an instruction to blindly multiply every flight coupon by one price.
Pet fees: the new rate does not guarantee acceptance
Page 3 of the revised attachment publishes these Taiwan route pairings. The pet policy calculates weight using the pet and container together. Ordinary prepaid excess baggage cannot pay for pet transport.
| Taiwan route pairing in pet table | 32kg or less | More than 32kg |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1: e.g. Japan or Vietnam | $400 | $640 |
| Zone 2: e.g. Australia or New Zealand | $525 | $840 |
| Zone 3: e.g. London or Los Angeles | $600 | $960 |
Check a source conflict before paying for a heavier pet: the general pet page still describes a double fixed rate above 32kg, while the dated new attachment gives explicit higher-weight prices such as $600/$960 for Taiwan–Zone 3. Those are not the same calculation. The above figures reproduce the revised attachment; ask the airline to confirm the amount for your issued ticket and itinerary rather than doubling a rate yourself.
Contact the booking department at least 48 hours before departure to confirm charges, terms and acceptance. The policy requires advance application and generally transports eligible household cats and dogs in suitable containers in the hold as checked baggage. It excludes immediate interline transfers and specifies aircraft restrictions. Country/transit documentation, airport weight restrictions and capacity still apply.
Two route restrictions can override the presence of a fee in a zone list: pets as checked baggage are not accepted between Taiwan and Hong Kong; Taipei–Phoenix pet carriage is barred April 1–October 31 each year because of heat. Do not buy a ticket expecting that paying the published fee overrides those restrictions. Accepted trained service dogs accompanying passengers with disabilities have a separate no-charge cabin policy and conditions; they should not be budgeted as ordinary pets.
Before buying: a five-item check
- Find the actual ticket issue date, ticketing carrier and operator of every leg. Ask about reissue treatment if necessary.
- Check included bag count, class-specific weight and dimensions; count only the extra standard pieces you need.
- Use the table for the service you are buying. Confirm stopovers, separate tickets, unlisted destinations and local-currency collection.
- Compare the quoted prepaid price with the standard charge, including special-baggage charges that prepayment does not cover.
- Save the purchase receipt and conditions. For a pet, obtain acceptance and document instructions before treating a fee as a workable travel option.
Our airport rules versus airline rules guide explains why passing security does not settle an airline baggage entitlement. If your itinerary uses separate bookings, read the self-transfer versus one-booking guide before treating a cheaper flight as a cheaper trip. Record the confirmed luggage charges in the travel budget spreadsheet, keeping paid costs separate from money still due.
Official sources and scope
Verified October 14, 2026: China Airlines’ October 6 fee-adjustment notice, its complete revised tables, pages 1–3, and the current prepaid, excess-baggage and pet-transport policies. Selected USD rates are planning comparisons, not personalised booking quotes. Reissue treatment, ambiguous zone coverage and the heavier-pet source conflict require airline confirmation. No historical percentage increase, guaranteed savings on buying a flight early, or pet acceptance is inferred.