AA Pet Cargo Explained: American Airlines PetEmbark Rules, Fees, and Documents (2026)

AA pet cargo is American Airlines Cargo's American PetEmbark® service, which flies dogs, cats and other animals that cannot travel in the cabin. As of October 2026, American Airlines Cargo recommends booking 24 hours to 10 days before departure. The pet and kennel must weigh under 100 lb for domestic Priority Parcel Service. Ground temperatures must be between 45°F and 85°F, and snub-nosed breeds and sedated dogs and cats are refused. Fees depend on route and kennel size.

This guide is written by the editorial team at Animal Passport. It sets out what American Airlines and American Airlines Cargo say on their official pages, notes where those pages disagree, and covers the government rules (CDC, USDA APHIS, EU) that apply on top of the airline's. It is not legal or veterinary advice. Always confirm details with the airline and your veterinarian before you book.

What is AA pet cargo?

"AA pet cargo" is the everyday name for American PetEmbark, the live-animal product of American Airlines Cargo. American Airlines (2026) says it "offers the American PetEmbark® service for pets that don't qualify to travel as carry-on or checked pets." Pets booked this way travel on an air waybill, which is a cargo shipping contract, not as passenger baggage. They fly in the temperature-controlled hold.

This matters because American Airlines has limited checked pets. Its pets page (2026) says it only accepts checked pets at the ticket counter for active-duty U.S. military and U.S. State Department Foreign Service personnel traveling on official orders. For almost everyone else, a pet too large for an under-seat carrier must go through American Airlines Cargo.

Carry-on vs. checked vs. cargo at a glance

PPS vs. ExpediteFS: which cargo product will your pet use?

American Airlines Cargo sorts pet shipments into two products, depending on the route and the size of the kennel:

• Priority Parcel Service (PPS): for flights within the continental U.S., Puerto Rico or into Hawaii, where the pet plus kennel weighs less than 100 lb and the kennel is no larger than 36 x 26 x 28 inches (American Airlines Cargo, 2026).
• ExpediteFS: for international flights, flights out of Hawaii, or any shipment over the PPS weight or kennel limit.

Both products have the same $150 handling fee per air waybill on top of published animal rates, according to American Airlines Cargo. The carrier also publishes a money-back guarantee. If a pet misses its booked flight for a reason within the airline's control, it refunds 25% of freight charges for PPS or 100% for ExpediteFS. Weather, mechanical problems and other reasons outside its control are excluded.

Military discount

American Airlines Cargo offers active U.S. military members a 50% discount off published rates for cats and dogs flying within the domestic U.S. and to San Juan under Permanent Change of Station (PCS) or Temporary Duty (TDY) orders. To qualify, you must send scanned military ID and orders when you book. PCS orders must be dated within 120 days of the report date, and TDY orders within 30 days.

How to book AA pet cargo: step by step

American Airlines Cargo's "How to Transport Your Pet" guide lists these steps:

1. Confirm eligibility. Dogs must be at least 8 weeks old for domestic flights and at least 6 months old for international flights. Check that the breed is not restricted, that the route uses compatible aircraft, and that temperatures are forecast at 85°F or lower.
2. Choose the right kennel. It must be rigid, escape-proof and big enough for the pet to stand, turn, sit and lie down naturally.
3. Request a booking. Book at least 24 hours and no more than 10 days before travel. No payment is due until the pet is accepted at the airport.
4. Drop off. Offer a light meal and water within 4 hours of drop-off. Attach a bag of food to the kennel, and bring 2 forms of ID plus all health documents.
5. Track. Follow the shipment online with your air waybill number, or sign up for email notifications.
6. Pick up. Pets are usually ready about one hour after the flight lands. Allow extra time for customs on international trips.

Where the sources disagree: American Airlines Cargo's how-to guide gives a 30-day booking window for pets flying into London Heathrow (LHR). Its policies page lists a 60-day window into LHR. If you are flying a pet to the U.K., ask American Airlines Cargo which window applies on your booking date.

Kennel requirements for American Airlines Cargo

The American Airlines pets page (2026) lists these kennel rules for pets flying in the hold:

• Made of wood, metal, plastic or similar materials, with a welded or cast metal door
• Top and bottom secured with bolts or screws, plus cable ties on all 4 corners (the airline provides the ties)
• Ventilation on at least 3 sides for domestic U.S. travel and 4 sides for international travel
• Separate food and water dishes fixed inside, and a 24-hour bag of food attached to the top
• Absorbent bedding only (no straw, hay or wood shavings)

Two pets may share a kennel only if they are the same species, each weighs under 20 lb, they are of similar size, and both are 8 weeks to 6 months old (American Airlines, 2026).

Breed, aircraft and sedation restrictions

Restricted breeds

American Airlines Cargo refuses brachycephalic and snub-nosed dogs and cats, including mixes, "due to the risks associated with their hereditary respiratory issues." It also refuses some historically aggressive breeds. The cargo dog list includes the Affenpinscher, American Bully, American Staffordshire Terrier, Boston Terrier, all Boxers, all Bulldogs, Cane Corso, Chow Chow, all Mastiffs, Pit Bull, all Pugs, Shar Pei and Shih Tzu, among others. The restricted cats are the Burmese, Exotic Shorthair, Himalayan and Persian. The checked-pet list on aa.com is almost the same but does not name the American Bully, so use the American Airlines Cargo list for cargo bookings.

Aircraft and flight length

American Airlines Cargo says it will not carry animals on Airbus 319, 320, 321 and related A321 variants, apart from New York JFK to and from LAX and SFO, because of heating and ventilation limits. Citing USDA regulations, it also refuses warm-blooded animals on any single flight of 12 hours or more.

No sedation

Following American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) guidance, American Airlines will not accept household dogs and cats that have been or appear to have been sedated or tranquilized. The airline says sedated pets face higher respiratory and cardiovascular risk at altitude.

Temperature rules and summer embargoes

Temperature is the most common reason a cargo booking is refused on the day. American Airlines Cargo applies these thresholds to the origin, connecting and destination cities:

• 45–85°F: warm-blooded animals are accepted.
• 20–44°F: accepted only with an acclimation letter signed and dated by a licensed veterinarian that states the exact lowest temperature the animal can tolerate.
• Below 20°F or above 85°F: not accepted.

American Airlines Cargo also runs a seasonal warm-city embargo. From May 1 through September 30, it does not accept pets on flights that start, connect or end in Phoenix (PHX), Las Vegas (LAS), Tucson (TUS) or Palm Springs (PSP). Cold-blooded animals are exempt from the temperature policy but must be packed according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Live Animals Regulations.

Comfort stops on long routings

American Airlines Cargo requires paid comfort stops at local kennels for dogs in four cases: the first leg is 7 hours or more and includes a connection; a same-day connection is 7 hours or more; a same-day connection isn't possible; or the itinerary runs longer than 24 hours. Cats need a comfort stop only on itineraries longer than 24 hours.

Documents you need for AA pet cargo

Bring these to drop-off:

• A health certificate from a licensed veterinarian. American Airlines (2026) requires it to be issued within 10 days of travel.
• Rabies vaccination records
• The American Airlines Cargo Customer Acknowledgment Form and, for breeds that could be mistaken for restricted ones, a breed verification form. For mixed breeds, the form must name the main breed plus "mix".
• An acclimation letter if temperatures will fall between 20 and 44°F
• Written certification that the pet was fed and offered water within 4 hours before delivery, attached to the kennel (American Airlines, citing federal regulations)

Dogs entering the United States: CDC rules

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), new dog-import requirements took effect on August 1, 2024. Which rules apply depends on where the dog was vaccinated and which countries it was in during the 6 months before entry. In response, American Airlines Cargo stopped taking new bookings for dogs from CDC-classified high-risk rabies countries, and for dogs that were in such a country within 6 months of travel. Qualifying dogs from low-risk or rabies-free countries need a CDC Dog Import Form. American Airlines Cargo advises allowing 24–48 hours to get the receipt, which you must print and present at drop-off.

The United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) calls the CDC "the primary authority for dog imports" (page last modified March 20, 2026). For pets leaving the U.S., USDA APHIS advises contacting a USDA-accredited veterinarian "as soon as you decide to travel" to work out the destination country's entry rules.

International shipments

American Airlines Cargo requires a customs broker for live-animal shipments arriving at any non-U.S. destination. Pets starting outside the U.S. must be booked through an IATA-regulated freight forwarder or a professional pet shipper. The airline lists several country rules. It carries no animals outbound from Canada. It carries no warm-blooded animals to or from China. Into the U.K., it takes only cats, dogs and ferrets, and only to London Heathrow (LHR) and Manchester (MAN). Pets flying to Hawaii must enter through Honolulu (HNL) and may be quarantined for up to 120 days.

AA pet cargo vs. pet passports vs. Animal Passport

Three things are easy to confuse, and they do different jobs:

• An AA pet cargo booking is a shipping contract with American Airlines Cargo. It moves the animal but does not prove the animal's identity or health to a government.
• A European pet passport is an official identification document. According to the European Union's Your Europe portal, it follows an EU standard model and is issued by authorised vets to EU residents for dogs, cats and ferrets. Pets arriving from outside the EU instead need an EU animal health certificate issued by an official state vet no more than 10 days before arrival, plus a microchip and a rabies vaccination. For EU flights, American Airlines (2026) says the microchip or tattoo number must match the vaccination card.
• Animal Passport (animalpassport.co) is a digital livestock identity record built on muzzle biometrics: an animal's nose print is unique, like a fingerprint. A phone photo links the animal to its owner, breed, estimated age, body condition score and vaccination history. It is not a government-issued travel document. It does not replace a CDC Dog Import Form, a USDA-endorsed health certificate, an EU pet passport or an airline air waybill.

Animal Passport is built for livestock owners, where proof of ownership is a real problem. In the August 2025 floods in Pakistan, Animal Passport's muzzle ID helped farmers reclaim cattle after paper ear tags washed away. The same record can also hold an age estimate from a dental photo with a confidence score, and a 1–5 body condition score from a side-profile photo. Neither replaces a veterinary exam. Read more livestock identity guides on the Animal Passport blog.

Practical tips before you book AA pet cargo

• Check temperatures for every city on the route, not just departure. American Airlines Cargo checks the forecast at each flight's departure and arrival time.
• Get your pet used to the kennel early. American Airlines Cargo recommends leaving it open at home with familiar objects inside, rather than sedating.
• Time the health certificate carefully. It must be within 10 days of travel, so a return more than 10 days later on a separate ticket needs a new exam (American Airlines, 2026).
• Avoid A319/A320/A321 routings unless you are on the JFK–LAX or JFK–SFO exception.
• For codeshares, check who operates the flight. American Airlines says it does not collect pet fees for other operating airlines, even on flights with an American flight number.

Last updated October 1, 2026, by Animal Passport. Airline pet policies change often. This article reflects the American Airlines and American Airlines Cargo pages as of October 2026.