How Do You Fly With a Dog? Airlines That Allow Dogs in the Cabin (2026)
Small dogs can fly in the cabin on every big US airline we checked, in a carrier under the seat in front of you, for between $100 and $150 each way on domestic flights. Bigger dogs are harder: most of these airlines no longer fly pets in the hold. Here is how the six compare, and how to get ready.
Fees and rules were last checked against each airline’s own pages on 1 October 2026. Follow the links to our full guide for each airline, and confirm with the airline before you book.
Airlines that allow dogs in the cabin, compared
| Airline | Cabin fee, each way | Largest soft carrier | Larger dogs | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $100 | 17 x 11 x 9.5 in (soft-sided only) | Yes, in the baggage compartment for $200, up to 150 lbs with kennel | Also takes rabbits and small household birds |
| Southwest | $125 | 18 x 10.5 x 10 in | No | Domestic only; not to or from Hawaii; two small pets can share a carrier |
| Frontier | $149 (non-refundable) | 18 x 14 x 11 in | No | US flights only; one pet per passenger |
| United | $150 | 18 x 11 x 11 in | No (military and State Department exemption only) | No weight or breed limit; cats and dogs only |
| American | $150 per kennel | 18 x 11 x 11 in | American Airlines Cargo; checked pets for military and State Department only | No cabin pets to Hawaii, across the Atlantic or to Jamaica |
| Delta | $150 (US and Canada), $200 international | 18 x 11 x 11 in recommended | Ask Delta | No cabin pets to Hawaii, the UK and eight other places |
Other airlines, including JetBlue, Spirit and European carriers, have their own rules and weight limits. Check the airline’s own pet page before you book; we only list what we’ve checked ourselves.
Is your dog allowed in the cabin?
- Size: your dog has to fit comfortably in a carrier that goes under the seat in front of you, able to stand up and turn around. That is the real limit on these six airlines: United, for example, has no weight or breed limit at all.
- Carrier: soft-sided carriers are the safe choice. Every airline above accepts or recommends them, and Alaska accepts nothing else in the cabin. The carrier must be leak-proof and ventilated.
- Age: at least 8 weeks on domestic flights with American, Delta, Alaska, Southwest and Frontier, and 2 months with United. Dogs entering the US must be at least 6 months old.
- Space: every airline limits the number of pets per flight, first come, first served. Add your dog to the booking as early as you can.
What about large dogs?
On commercial flights, a dog too big for an under-seat carrier can’t travel in the cabin unless it is a trained service dog. Of the six airlines here, only Alaska still flies pets in the hold for any traveler with a ticket. American offers a cargo service, and United, Southwest and Frontier don’t fly pets in the hold at all (United makes an exception for some military and State Department families).
Flying to Hawaii, the UK or abroad
- Hawaii: American, Delta and Southwest don’t take pets in the cabin to Hawaii. Alaska does, for dogs, cats and rabbits, with Hawaii’s extra paperwork.
- The UK and Europe: American doesn’t take cabin pets across the Atlantic, Delta doesn’t take them to the UK, and Alaska doesn’t take pets to Europe. Southwest and Frontier don’t take pets on international flights at all.
- Mexico: a dog now needs a New World Screwworm inspection certificate from a USDA-accredited vet, issued within 5 days before arrival.
- Coming back to the US: dogs must be at least 6 months old and microchipped, with a completed CDC Dog Import Form.
Every country sets its own entry rules. Check them for your destination well before you travel.
How to prepare
- See your vet. Ask whether your dog is fit to fly, and get any health certificate your airline or destination needs. Flat-faced breeds, and dogs with heart disease or anxiety, are more at risk in the air.
- Get your dog used to the carrier at home, well before the trip.
- Don’t sedate unless your vet says so. American won’t accept a sedated pet at all.
- Exercise and a toilet break before you leave, and use the airport’s pet relief area.
- Go easy on food and water just before the flight.
- Pack a collapsible bowl, a leash, treats, bags and something that smells of home.
- Arrive early. Most airlines check your pet in at the counter, not online.
At the airport and on the plane
- At security you carry your dog through the screening while the carrier is X-rayed.
- Your dog stays inside the carrier, fully zipped in, at the gate and for the whole flight, under the seat in front of you.
- You can’t sit in an exit row, and usually not in a bulkhead row.
Service dogs
Trained service dogs fly free on all six airlines and don’t need a carrier. Each asks for the US Department of Transportation Service Animal Air Transportation Form, usually 48 hours before the flight. Emotional support animals aren’t treated as service animals by any of them, so they travel as pets with the fee and carrier rules.