Top 5 Pet-Friendly Airlines in the US in 2026
Compare the top pet-friendly US airlines for 2026. See pet fees, in-cabin rules, cargo options, carrier sizes, lounge access, and where you can fly with your pet.
Are you planning an epic adventure with your furry friend? It can be challenging traveling with even the calmest pet, but there are steps you can take to minimize the chaos. The first is to choose your airline wisely.
TL;DR
- All 10 of the 10 airlines we reviewed allow pets to travel with you in the cabin on domestic flights.
- Alaska Airlines is the overall winner and is the best US airline for pet-friendly travel.
- Only two airlines, Alaska and Hawaiian, allow pets to travel as cargo.
- Carrier sizes and available routes vary, so check airline policies carefully.
- US pet travel ranges from $35 to $200 each way for in-cabin travel and $60 to $200 for travel as cargo.
To help passengers pick the best airlines for traveling with pets, we scoured all the US-based airlines’ pet policies to determine our top choices. We extensively reviewed 10 airlines in total and looked at the following:
- Can your pet fly with you in the cabin?
- Does the airline accept pets as cargo?
- If the airline offers lounges, can you relax with your pet before your flight?
- What is the price of taking your pet as a carry-on?
- What types of pets are permitted?
- How does taking your pet on board impact your baggage allowance?
- Where can you fly with your pet?
The result: the 5 most pet-friendly airlines in the USA and some others you may need to avoid when planning your next trip.
Top Pet-Friendly Airlines in the US
With all of the airlines, remember to check the requirements at your destination. Certain vaccines or health certificates may be needed before you fly. Airlines also require your pets to be at least 8 weeks old and only allow adults to travel with pets in the cabin.
When you book your seats, avoid the emergency exit and bulkhead rows, as pets are generally prohibited in these areas. The pet and carrier must fit comfortably under the seat in front of you. Plus, for the pet’s comfort, they need to be able to turn around in the carrier.
Now, let’s look more in-depth at the top pet-friendly US airline:
Alaska Airlines – The Best US Airline for Travel with Your Pets
Anyone traveling with a pet can rest assured that Alaska Airlines is a fantastic option. Within the United States, they offer the option to travel with your dog, cat, or rabbit in the cabin. The company is phasing out travel with household birds as of April 4, 2026, for tickets purchased before June 5, 2025. Internationally, pet travel is limited to cats and dogs.
Of all the airlines we reviewed, Alaska Airlines is among the few to offer a climate-controlled baggage compartment option. This option is ideal when your pet is too large to fit comfortably in a carrier under the seat in front of you. So, if you have a large dog, Alaska Airlines is a great way to go.
As a bonus for your next Alaska Airlines flight with a pet, they allow your pet to accompany you into their branded lounges. The pet must remain off the furniture, not use lounge items to eat or drink, and stay quietly in the carrier.
Lastly, your carrier counts toward your cabin luggage allowance with in-cabin pets. But you can still take a personal item or a larger carry-on bag plus the carrier.
Cost (cabin): $100 per carrier each way.
Cost (baggage compartment): $200 each way, increased from $150 as of January 2, 2026; $100 each way for active military or travel solely within Alaska.
Recommended carrier size (in cabin): Soft-sided, 17” x 11” x 9.5” or less.
Even when you’ve booked the appropriate seat, you can still be denied boarding due to overbookingIf that’s the case, we can ensure you get the maximum denied boarding compensation.Check Your Flight
Other Notable Pet-Friendly US Airlines
Now we move on to US airlines that don’t tick all the boxes but are still worth considering.
2. Hawaiian Airlines
Passengers who are lucky enough to be traveling between any of the Hawaiian Islands with Hawaiian Airlines will benefit from a lower-than-average cabin pet fee. For the US mainland, the fee is higher, but it actually decreased for flights departing on or after January 2, 2026, and booked after October 14, 2025.
The main reasons Hawaiian Airlines doesn’t get a top score are:
- Pets are not allowed to enter the Plumeria or Premier Club lounges.
- Pets are only accepted, whether in-cabin or as cargo, on domestic flights.
Hawaiian Airlines allows larger pets to fly as cargo, and doesn’t impose a military exception like other airlines. When flying your pet as cargo, certain restrictions based on weather apply. For example, they will only be accepted outside of the embargo period, which runs from April 15th to October 15th annually, if you’re flying to or from these destinations:
- Las Vegas (LAS)
- San Jose (SJC)
- Sacramento (SMF)
- Phoenix (PHX)
- Salt Lake City (SLC)
Cost (cabin): $35 each way for intra-Hawaii travel, $100 per carrier each way.
Cost (baggage compartment): $200 each way per kennel for the US mainland, $60 each way within Hawaii, and $100 each way within Alaska, with discounts for active military.
Recommended carrier size (in cabin): Maximum of 17” x 11” x 9.5”.
3. Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines permits passengers to bring a small cat, dog, or household bird on domestic flights and small cats and dogs on international ones (subject to destination conditions). For example, Delta does not allow pets to travel inthe cabin on routes to and from:
- Australia
- New Zealand
- The UK
- Hawaii
- The UAE
- Barbados
- Iceland
- Jamaica
- Hong Kong
- South Africa
- Brazil, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic (if the pet originates here)
When traveling with an in-cabin pet, the carrier counts as a carry-on bag, so you’re limited to one personal item. You’ll need to travel light.
Delta permits your furry companion to travel with you into the Delta Sky Club lounges, as long as they remain in the carrier the entire time.
Although Delta Air Lines’ pet policy is one of the reasons it topped our overall AirAdvisor list of the top 10 US airlines in 2025, there has been a notable change. Now, the airline only accepts pets as cargo for active US Military or US State Department Foreign Service Offices traveling with active permanent change of station orders. This service is no longer open to the general public as it was in 2025.
Cost (cabin): For tickets purchased on or after April 8, 2025, it’s $150 on way for domestic routes and travel to/from Canada, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. For all other internal flights, it’s $200 each way. Fees are typically charged in the currency of the exit country at a like-for-like rate.
Recommended carrier size (in cabin): Soft-sided, up to 18” x 11” x 11”.
4. American Airlines
If you have certain travel requirements and a specific international destination in mind, consider booking your pet and passenger travel with American Airlines. It’s among the most pet-friendly airlines in the USA and offers to fly your cat or dog with you in the cabin to domestic and certain international destinations.
In general, in-cabin pet travel is only accepted for routes between the 48 contiguous United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and St. Croix. Flights must not be over 12 hours.
With American, the pet carrier you bring counts as either your carry-on bag or personal item. Your carry-on pet is welcome in the Admirals Club lounges as long as they are exclosed in the carrier.
The cabin is the only way to plan your pet-based travel. Although American Airlines allows pets in the cargo hold, this option, like with Delta, is limited to active US military and State Department personnel.
Cost (cabin): $150 on-way per carrier.
Recommended carrier size (in cabin): Soft-sided, 18” x 11” x 11” or less; American Mainline flights 19” x 13” x 9”; American Eagle flights 16” x 12” x 8”.
5. United Airlines
United Airlines is a solid pet travel option, with the exception of larger animals that won’t fit in a carrier under the seat in front of you. United restricts pets as cargo to the military and State Department personnel.
United permits pets on both international and domestic flights, but those pets can only be a cat or a dog. Note that certain destinations don’t allow the importation of pets. These include, but aren’t limited to, Spain (Bilbao is the only accepted airport), Hawaii, Australia, the UK, and Brazil.
One notable perk with United pet travel is your ability to purchase an extra seat to accommodate an additional pet. Book 2 adjacent seats, and you can travel with two separate carriers as a single person.
Although they can’t occupy a seat there, your pet carrier can come with you into the United lounges for a little pre-flight relaxation.
Cost (cabin): $150 on-way per carrier.
Recommended carrier size (in cabin): Soft-sided, 18” x 11” x 11”; hard-sided 17.5” x 12” x 9”.
Although the top 5 pet-friendly airlines we’ve listed are great for traveling with your pet, you may still encounter a flight cancellation, which is extra disruptive with your animal in towWe can help you claim everything you deserve.Check Your Flight
How the Other 5 US Airlines Rate for Travel with Pets
The other 5 airlines we reviewed fall short, and that discrepancy is typically related to traveling with your pets as cargo. These 5 don’t even allow it for military or State Department purposes:
Allegiant Air
The cost of bringing your beloved pet (dog or cat) in the cabin with Allegiant is among the lowest at $50 each way. The service is available in the contiguous 48 states only.
You’re permitted to bring your pet carrier, which can be 18” x 14” x 8” or smaller, and one additional item – either a personal item or a larger carry-on bag (for a fee).
Frontier Airlines
Frontier Airlines allows passengers to travel domestically in the cabin with a pet, and the pet counts as a piece of luggage. So, you can have a personal item in addition at no charge, or pay to also bring a bigger carry-on bag.
Your hardsided carrier can be as big as 18” x 14” x 8”. A soft-sided one can be up to 18” x 14” x 11”.
In addition to the usual dogs and cats, with Frontier, you can also bring small household birds, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits. It’ll cost you a non-refundable $99 each way.
JetBlue
JetBlue will transport cats and dogs as your flight companions in the cabin only. It’s 1 pet per carrier, which counts as your personal item, then it’s up to you whether you add an extra cabin bag. The cost is the highest on our list at $150 per pet one-way.
The maximum pet carrier dimensions are 17" x 12.5" x 8.5".
JetBlue is only just getting into the branded lounge game (they currently only have one at JFK). Luckily, the BlueHouse lounges do allow pets as long as they stay in their carriers, so as more lounges open, JetBlue is sure to move up the list.
Southwest Airlines
Like the others in our bottom 5, Southwest does not permit pets as cargo. If your pet is small enough to travel with you under the seat in front of you, you can fly to domestic destinations without leaving your furry friend behind.
The fee with Southwest is $125 per pet carrier if you’re flying anywhere on the US mainland and only $35 if you’re flying between Hawaiian islands. Note that pets are not accepted for flights to or from Hawaii (it’s inter-island travel only).
Spirit Airlines
If you’re traveling within the USA with Spirit Airlines, you can bring your cat, dog, rabbit, or household bird in the cabin. The only exclusion is that birds and domestic rabbits can’t fly to Puerto Rico or the USVI. The fee is $125 per carrier each way.
Up to 2 pets can travel in a carrier as long as they can stand up and move. Each plane permits up to 6 carriers in total (1 per person). The carrier can be as big as 18" x 14" x 9".
When you experience a flight delay of 3 hours or more while traveling with your pet, you might be able to claim compensationCheck out our free compensation checker to see what you’re owed.Check Your Flight
AirAdvisor’s Top 5 Pet-Friendly Airlines: A Summary
Alaska Airlines | Hawaiian Airlines | Delta Air Lines | American Airlines | United Airlines | |
Pets in cabin | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Pets in baggage compartment | Yes, climate-controlled | Yes, climate-controlled | No, US & State Dept personnel only | No, US & State Dept personnel only | No, US & State Dept personnel only |
Pets in lounges | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Cost in-cabin (one way) | $100 | $35 or $100 | $150 (US, PR, USVI & Canada), $200 (international) | $150 | $150 |
Types of pets | Cats, dogs, rabbits, birds* (rabbits/birds excluded from international destinations) | Cats, dogs, birds | Cats, dogs, birds | Cats and dogs | Cats and dogs |
Available destinations | Domestic and international, with few exceptions | Between the Hawaiian islands and the US mainland (domestic only) | Domestic and international, except for 13 countries | Domestic and international, less than 12 hours | Domestic and limited international |
Bag allowance | Carrier counts as either a personal item or a carry-on bag | Carrier counts as either a carry-on bag; it doesn’t count at all for inter-island flights | Carrier counts as a carry-on bag | Carrier counts as either a personal item or a carry-on bag | Carrier counts as a carry-on bag |
Total points | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
*Birds excluded from Alaska Airlines travel as of April 4, 2026.
Criteria and Methodology
We investigated the pet policies for 10 different US airlines to give you all the info you need to determine the best airline for pets. We looked at 3 main categories: whether the pets were allowed in the cabin, as cargo, or in branded lounges.
The points were calculated as follows:
- 10 points if pets are permitted for all 3 categories.
- 7 points if pets are permitted in 2 categories
- 3 points if pets are permitted in 1 category
Pets in the cabin: Simply put, does the airline allow pets to travel with you in the cabin? All the airlines we reviewed do allow this as long as the pet fits comfortably in an approved pet carrier that will fit under the seat in front of you.
Pets as cargo: Can you check in larger pets as cargo if they don’t meet the cabin requirements? If so, what exceptions exist, and is this option available to everyone?
Pets in lounges: If the airline offers a lounge service, can your pet enjoy the airline’s branded lounge with you? No points were given if the airline doesn’t have branded lounges.
In the interest of a comprehensive guide, we also looked at the following factors for information purposes:
Cost of pet carrier: How much does it cost each way to travel with your pet in the cabin? The lower, the better!
Pet types: What types of pets are permitted to travel in the cabin? Every airline allows small dogs and cats, but some also permit household birds, hamsters, rabbits, and guinea pigs on domestic flights.
Baggage allowance: How does flying with a pet carrier impact your baggage allowance?
Destinations: Where can you fly with your pet?
With all the answers to these questions, pet families can easily determine the airlines that will fit their needs.
Why Traveling with Pets Has Never Been Easier!
While we have gone to great lengths to report the most up-to-date policies for these pet-friendly airlines for 2026, always check with your airline before traveling. Requirements and eligibility can change without notice, and you don’t want to be stuck at the airport unable to board your flight. And if you encounter an inconveniently long flight delay or annoying cancellation, we can help you claim delayed flight compensation from the airline to ease the difficulty.
This top 10 list can help you decide which airline fits the bill for your next flight. If baggage allowance is important to you and you don’t need to use the cargo hold, select airlines like JetBlue or Allegiant still allow you to purchase an additional carry-on bag.
For budget-conscious travelers, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant, and Hawaiian Airlines have some of the lowest fees. United, Delta, and American allow you to carry your pet to many different worldwide destinations.
Whatever airline you choose, you’re sure to have a fun time away with your pet!
FAQs
What’s the best airline for pets?
Alaska Airlines is the most well-rounded and best airline for pet travel. They offer pets in the cabin or in the climate-controlled compartment, and they have one of the lowest fees of $100 per flight. They also offer flexibility regarding luggage, as the pet carrier can count as either your personal item or your carry-on bag.
How much does it cost to fly with a pet?
The fees each way for flying with your small dog or cat in the cabin vary by airline. For example, if you’re flying between Hawaiian islands with either Southwest or Hawaiian Airlines, the fee is only $35. For other flights within the US, fees range from as low as $100 (Alaska Airlines) to $150 (United Airlines, American, and Delta). You can expect to pay up to $200 each way for international flights.
Author:
Amy Lancelotte
Job/Position: Senior Writer & Content Creator
Amy Lancelotte is a Senior Content Writer and editorial contributor at AirAdvisor with more than seven years of experience producing research-driven articles for global audiences. Her work focuses on travel, aviation, and air passenger rights, with an emphasis on factual accuracy, verified data, and clear, reader-first explanations.
