Traveling with Pet: Most Pet-Friendly Airlines

For pet-loving travelers, parting ways with their beloved furry companions before a journey can be truly heart-wrenching. Thank gods, numerous pet-friendly airlines welcome dogs, cats, birds, and certain other household pets on board, making it possible to have your faithful friend accompany you to your destination. Also, to entertain passengers who are crazy for animals and happy to pet fluffy-cutty-meow-meows.

However, flying with pets requires extra money, effort, and preparation. Each pet-friendly airline has its own set of policies, which can sometimes be confusing, regarding the types of animals permitted on flights, where they are allowed to stay during the journey, the destinations they can travel to, and the specific times of the year they can fly. Additionally, these airlines impose varying pet fees for passengers traveling with their pets.

Before booking a flight, it’s crucial to carefully review each airline’s regulations concerning non-emotional support, non-service dogs, and cats, to ensure a seamless experience for you and your furry companion. Furthermore, it’s essential to research the pet regulations at your destination. As you plan your next trip, consider exploring the following pet-friendly airlines that welcome dogs, cats, and other animals on board, allowing you to have a pleasant and stress-free journey together.

This guide covers twelve airlines in detail, seven American and five international, with what each one charges, whether your pet rides in the cabin or the hold, which animals it accepts and the restriction most likely to catch you out. The twelve are numbered for navigation, not ranked, and the right airline depends entirely on your route, your animal and its size.

In This Article

1. Which Airlines Allow Pets?
2. All 12 Airlines Compared
3. Can You Buy a Seat for a Pet on a Plane in 2026?
4. The 12 Airlines in Detail
5. Before You Book

Which Airlines Allow Pets?

Numerous airlines permit pets to travel in the cabin as carry-ons, provided they remain in a carrier that fits comfortably under the seat in front of you throughout the flight.

Airlines that allow pets as carry-ons:

• Southwest
• Alaska
• United
• American
• Delta
• Spirit
• Frontier

Other airlines that carry pets:

• JetBlue
• Air Canada
• Air India
• Swiss International Air Lines
• Lufthansa
• TAP Air Portugal
• SAS
• KLM
• Aer Lingus
• Japan Airlines
• ITA Airways
• Copa Airlines
• Iberia

All 12 Airlines Compared

Fees below are the ones each airline published when this guide was written and airlines change them without notice. Treat this table as a shortlist rather than a quote, and check the airline’s own page before you book. Every airline in this guide has a link to that page at the end of its section.

Can You Buy a Seat for a Pet on a Plane in 2026?

In general, most pet-friendly airlines do not allow travelers to buy a separate seat for their dogs. Small dogs are usually permitted to travel in the cabin, but they must remain in a kennel placed under the seat in front of you for the entire duration of the flight.

Two airlines are exceptions, and in both cases the extra seat buys you space rather than a seat for the animal:

• JetBlue may require you to purchase a second seat and pay an additional pet fee if you want to bring two pets on board at once.
• Alaska Airlines allows up to two pets in the cabin only if you buy two adjacent seats.

In both cases the dog still has to stay inside its carrier under the seat for the whole flight.

The 12 Airlines in Detail

Each airline below opens with the three facts you need to shortlist it, then the rules most likely to catch you out. They are in the same order as the table above, and the numbering is for navigation rather than ranking.

1. Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines offers pet travel options both in the cabin and in the cargo hold, with no breed restrictions and one of the broader lists of accepted animals.

At a glance

• Fee: $100 each way, or $105 for flights departing Canada
• Cabin or cargo: Both
• Animals accepted: Dogs, cats, rabbits and household birds
• Age limit: Carry-on dogs and cats must be at least eight weeks old and eating solid food
• Who can travel: You must be at least 18 to bring a pet in the cabin

The cabin rules in detail

• You can bring up to two pet carriers in the cabin by buying two seats next to each other.
• Two pets of the same size and species can share one kennel if they fit comfortably.
• Pets must stay in their carriers with all doors secured, including in the boarding area.
• The kennel goes under the seat during taxi, takeoff and landing.
• The carrier counts as part of your carry-on allowance.
• You cannot sit in an emergency exit or bulkhead row.
• Carriers are capped per flight: three in first class, eight in the main cabin.

Watch out for: some Alaska destinations have restrictions based on outdoor temperature, there are limits on pet cargo travel on certain flights over holidays, and Hawaii has its own rules because of the strong headwinds in some months.

2. American Airlines

As the world’s largest airline, American Airlines is renowned for its pet-friendly approach, and it has collected a lot of positive reviews from people who have flown pets with it.

At a glance

• Fee: $125 to $200, depending on your flight and the size of your pet
• Cabin or cargo: Cabin on shorter flights, where the pet stays in a small carrier under the seat. Cargo on longer flights, so the animal can be properly cared for over a long journey.

Watch out for: the fee varies more here than at most airlines, so price it for your specific route rather than assuming the bottom of the range.

3. Southwest Airlines

Southwest welcomes pets in the cabin only, and it has the tightest availability of any airline here: six carrier spots per flight, first come, first served.

At a glance

• Fee: $95 each way
• Cabin or cargo: Cabin only
• Animals accepted: Small vaccinated dogs and cats over eight weeks old
• Not allowed: International flights and flights to Hawaii

How to book

• Only one pet kennel per passenger, and only six carrier spots on the whole flight.
• You have to reserve by phone rather than online.
• You check the pet in and pay the fee at the airport ticket counter on the day.
• The kennel counts as either your personal item or your carry-on bag.
• Southwest sells its own branded carriers for $58, but you can bring your own.

Watch out for: pets must stay in the carrier the whole time, including in the gate area, during boarding and while deplaning.

4. United Airlines

United permits only dogs and cats in the cabin, and it is the one airline here with no cargo option at all.

At a glance

• Fee: $125 each way, plus another $125 for each layover of four hours or more on US flights, or 24 hours or more internationally. That is a lot, but we can do anything for love, can’t we?
• Cabin or cargo: Cabin only
• Animals accepted: Dogs and cats
• Restrictions: No breed or weight limits, but one animal per passenger and a cap per cabin that depends on the aircraft

Watch out for: you cannot sit in an emergency exit row, in United Premium Plus, or in the front row of any cabin. And United does not fly pets in the hold: it suspended its PetSafe shipping program in 2018 and has not announced a return.

5. Air India

Air India welcomes pets provided they are properly crated, have the right paperwork and are up to date on vaccinations.

At a glance

• Fee: Varies by destination country
• Cabin or cargo: Both
• Animals accepted: Dogs, cats, birds and service animals
• Paperwork: An approved crate, valid documents and current vaccinations are all required

Watch out for: a pet is never counted as carry-on luggage here, so the fee is separate from your baggage allowance.

6. Air Canada

Air Canada flies to a large number of cities worldwide and is one of the more accommodating carriers on this list, with some of the lowest fees.

At a glance

• Fee: $50 to $118, depending on the flight and your pet’s requirements
• Cabin or cargo: Both. Larger dogs travel in the hold.
• Check-in: Arrive at least 30 minutes before departure with your pet secured in its carrier

Watch out for: the 30-minute cutoff is earlier than the general check-in deadline, so build it into your airport timing.

7. Delta

Delta’s network covers over 60 countries, and it is one of the few airlines here that accepts household birds on domestic routes.

At a glance

• Fee: $75 to $200, depending on the destination
• Cabin or cargo: Both. Small pets in the cabin, larger dogs in the hold.
• Animals accepted: Dogs and cats, plus household birds on domestic flights

Watch out for: the fee is destination-based rather than flat, so a long-haul route sits at the top of that range.

8. Swiss International Air Lines

Swiss says on its own website that “you can take your pet with you on any route”, and it accepts a wider range of animals than most, including hares and rabbits.

At a glance

• Fee: From $50, one of the cheapest here
• Cabin or cargo: Both
• Animals accepted: Cats, dogs, hares, rabbits and service dogs
• How many: Up to two pets per passenger, in an approved transport container, deemed fit to travel

Watch out for: hares and rabbits have to travel in the hold rather than the cabin, and animals can only be imported as cargo on flights to Hong Kong, Ireland, South Africa, the UAE and the UK.

9. Lufthansa

Lufthansa, like Swiss, will take you and your pet to a large number of destinations, and it is unusual in letting two animals share one carrier at no extra charge.

At a glance

• Fee: From €55
• Cabin or cargo: Both. Larger dogs travel in the hold.
• Animals accepted: Cats, dogs and hares
• Two for one: Two pets can share a carrier with no extra fee, as long as they are comfortable

10. Frontier Airlines

Honestly, we didn’t expect a low-cost airline to offer pet transport at all. Frontier accepts a wider range of animals than any other airline in this guide, and charges the least to do it.

At a glance

• Fee: $75, regardless of your pet’s size
• Cabin or cargo: Cabin only
• Animals accepted, domestic: Dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and birds
• Animals accepted, international: Dogs and cats only

11. JetBlue

JetBlue stands out as one of the most pet-friendly airlines, largely because of JetPaws, the only loyalty-style pet program on this list.

At a glance

• Fee: $100 each way
• Cabin or cargo: Cabin only
• Where it flies pets: North America and parts of South America

What JetPaws gets you

• A carrier bag
• Tips for managing your pet while traveling
• 300 TrueBlue points as a bonus

12. Iberia

Iberia covers a wide range of destinations inside and outside Europe, and it is the only airline in this guide that will fly a tortoise. Yes, that’s right, even tortoises.

At a glance

• Fee: From €120, the most expensive starting price here
• Cabin or cargo: Both
• Animals accepted: Cats, dogs, birds and tortoises
• Not accepted: Ferrets
• Carrier: Must be well ventilated with a waterproof floor

Watch out for: you cannot add a pet online. You have to contact the booking office directly when you buy your ticket to tell them you are traveling with an animal.

One more reason to consider them: Iberia’s economy seats have the biggest legroom compared to other European airlines, which matters more than usual when there is a carrier under the seat in front of you.

Before You Book

Four things decide which of these twelve is right for you, and none of them is the headline fee.

• Your route. Southwest is the cheapest American option at $95, but it will not fly your pet internationally or to Hawaii. United will not use the hold at all. Swiss only allows animal imports as cargo on five specific routes.
• Your animal. If it is not a dog or a cat, the list shortens fast. Frontier takes guinea pigs and hamsters, Swiss and Lufthansa take hares, Iberia takes tortoises, and United takes neither.
• Its size. Anything too big for a carrier under the seat needs an airline with a cargo option, which rules out Southwest, United, Frontier and JetBlue.
• How early you book. Southwest has six carrier spots per flight and Alaska caps the main cabin at eight. These sell out.

Then check the paperwork at the other end. Every airline on this list will tell you that meeting its own rules is not the same as meeting the import rules of the country you are flying to, and the second one is where trips actually come apart. Confirm both before you pay for anything.

Fees and policies change without notice, so use the link at the end of each section above to confirm the current position with the airline before you book.