American Airlines Dog Policy: Cabin Fees, Cargo, and Service Dogs

American Airlines dog policy is the set of rules American Airlines uses for dogs that fly as carry-on pets, as checked pets for eligible military and State Department travelers, or through American Airlines Cargo’s American PetEmbark® program. As of August 2026, American Airlines charges $150 per kennel for a carry-on dog on eligible routes within and between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, according to American Airlines’ Traveling with pets page and Optional service fees table. Checked pets at the ticket counter are limited to active-duty U.S. Military and U.S. State Department Foreign Service personnel on official orders; larger or ineligible dogs generally use cargo.

This guide summarizes cabin fees and carrier sizes, cargo and breed limits, service-dog rules under the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) dog-entry requirements—then briefly distinguishes airline travel documents from Animal Passport’s biometric livestock ID product.

American Airlines dog policy at a glance

American Airlines’ official pets page states that carry-on pets are limited to cats and dogs that meet size, age, and destination requirements; fully trained service dogs may fly in the cabin at no charge if they meet requirements; and ticket-counter checked pets are accepted only for active-duty U.S. Military and U.S. State Department Foreign Service personnel traveling on official orders.

American Airlines notes that pet fees are nonrefundable, apply per kennel each way, and apply again for each connection segment when a stopover or connection is 4 hours or more. The airline does not collect pet fees for other operating carriers on codeshare itineraries—you must check in with each airline.

Carry-on dogs: fee, carrier, and cabin rules

On American-operated flights, you may bring one pet carrier as a carry-on if you pay the carry-on pet fee and the pet stays in the carrier under the seat in front of you for the entire flight, American Airlines states. With the pet carrier, you may bring only one additional item—either a personal item or a carry-on bag that fits in the overhead bin—not both. Pet strollers must be checked, and standard checked-bag fees apply.

How to add a carry-on pet

1. Find your trip on aa.com or the American app.
2. In Additional Services, select “Add carry-on pets,” review requirements, and select flights.
3. At the airport, go to the American ticket counter to pay the fee and verify the pet and kennel.

Carrier dimensions American Airlines publishes

• Soft-sided (recommended), all flights: 18 × 11 × 11 inches (46 × 28 × 28 cm).
• Hard-sided, American mainline: 19 × 13 × 9 inches (48 × 33 × 22 cm).
• Hard-sided, American Eagle: 16 × 12 × 8 inches (40 × 30 × 20 cm).

American Airlines requires pets to fit comfortably inside a closed/zipped carrier. Soft-sided collapsible kennels may be slightly larger if they still fit under the seat without excessive collapsing, and must be secure, padded, water-repellent, and ventilated on three or more sides with nylon mesh. Non-collapsible kennels must not exceed under-seat dimensions for every aircraft on the itinerary.

Weight and aircraft limits

For the three-cabin Airbus A321T, American Airlines states that the total weight of the pet and its carrier must not exceed 20 pounds (9.07 kilograms) and that agents weigh them at check-in; First has no under-seat stowage, and Business typically fits only smaller soft-sided carriers, with dedicated animal-friendly compartments at the front of the plane. Across many mainline types, American Airlines publishes a maximum of 20 pet carriers across all cabins (excluding service animals). American Eagle regional jets allow far fewer (for example, a maximum of 1 in premium and 5 in Main Cabin on listed CRJ/ERJ types, excluding service animals).

Carry-on pets are not permitted in bulkhead or exit rows, and are barred from First and Business on Boeing B777-200, B777-300ER, B787-8, and B787-9 because of under-seat storage limits. American Airlines also lists seat 13D on the Airbus A321NEO as unavailable for carry-on pets.

Age and destination limits for cabin dogs

Pets traveling within the United States and Puerto Rico must be at least 8 weeks old, American Airlines states. Carry-on pets are not allowed to or from Hawaii, Jamaica, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, or Uruguay, and are not allowed on trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific trips. Eligible cabin geography on the pets page includes most flights up to 12 hours and travel within the contiguous United States, plus Alaska, Canada*, Mexico*, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas (asterisked markets may have extra restrictions).

Checked pets: military and State Department only

If a dog is too large for the cabin, American Airlines directs most travelers to American Airlines Cargo. Ticket-counter checked pets remain available only to active-duty U.S. military and U.S. State Department Foreign Service personnel on official orders. American Airlines says up to two pets may be checked, capacity is first-come, and travelers must contact Reservations at least 48 hours prior, check in with official orders, allow extra check-in time (at least 2 and no more than 4 hours before departure), complete an agent checklist, and provide a health certificate.

For checked pets, American Airlines requires the health certificate to be issued by a veterinarian within 10 days of travel; within 60 days of return on the same ticket; or within 10 days of return on a separate ticket. Combined pet and kennel weight must not exceed 100 lbs / 45 kgs, and kennels must meet detailed construction, ventilation, food/water dish, and absorbent-bedding rules published on the pets page.

American PetEmbark® cargo for dogs

American PetEmbark® is American Airlines Cargo’s live-animal service for pets that do not qualify as carry-on or checked. Cargo FAQs state dogs and cats travel in a pressurized, climate-controlled compartment; pets wait in a climate-controlled area; and they are typically last on and first off the aircraft. Domestic pets under combined weight and kennel size limits may move as Priority Parcel Service (PPS); international shipments, Hawaii outbound, or oversized shipments use ExpediteFS, American Airlines Cargo’s Policies & Restrictions page explains.

• PPS threshold (continental U.S., Puerto Rico, or into Hawaii): combined pet and kennel under 100 pounds and kennel no larger than 36L″ × 26W″ × 28H″.
• Booking window: up to 10 days in advance; Cargo recommends contacting the desk at least 24 hours ahead.
• Health certificate: fit-for-travel certification by a licensed veterinarian within 10 days of travel for outbound and return trips when applicable.
• Temperature: warm-blooded animal transport when ground temperatures are between 45°F and 85°F; no transport above 85°F or below 20°F (with acclimation-letter rules between 20°F and 44°F).
• Aircraft: American Airlines Cargo will not transport pets on Airbus A319/A320/A321-family types listed on its FAQ (with limited JFK–LAX/SFO exceptions).

Passenger-side temperature rules for checked/cargo pets similarly bar travel above 85°F anywhere on the itinerary and below 45°F without a qualifying veterinary acclimation letter; below 20°F, pets cannot be checked even with a letter. Pets not traveling in cabin cannot travel to, through, or from Phoenix (PHX), Tucson (TUS), Las Vegas (LAS), or Palm Springs (PSP) from May 1 through September 30, American Airlines states.

Brachycephalic and other breed restrictions

American Airlines and American Airlines Cargo both refuse certain brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dogs and cats as checked or cargo pets because of respiratory risk. Dog examples listed on the passenger pets page include Affenpinscher, Boston Terrier, Boxer (all breeds), Bulldog (all breeds), Pug (all breeds), Shih Tzu, and others on the published list; Cargo’s breed list is similar and also names American Bully among restricted dogs. These cargo/checked bans do not automatically bar a small snub-nosed dog from cabin travel if the animal and carrier meet carry-on rules—but cabin space, under-seat fit, and destination embargos still apply.

American Airlines also states that, as recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), it does not accept pets that have been sedated or tranquilized for cabin or checked travel, citing higher respiratory and cardiovascular risk at altitude.

Service dogs vs. emotional support animals

American Airlines defines a service animal as a dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a qualified individual with a disability (including physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability). Service animals in training, emotional support animals, and comfort animals may travel only as pets, with pet fees and rules applying, the airline states.

That approach aligns with the DOT’s final rule published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2020 (effective for air carriers in 2021), which defines a service animal as a dog individually trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability and allows airlines to treat emotional support animals as pets rather than service animals. American Airlines recommends electronically submitting the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form to its Special Assistance Desk at least 48 hours before departure; for flights over 8 hours, a DOT Service Animal Relief Attestation is also required. Handlers may present completed forms at the airport. After approval, American may issue a Service Animal ID (SVAN ID) that expires when the animal’s vaccination expires.

Service-dog travel requirements on American Airlines include harnessing/leashing/tethering at all times; animals under 4 months may not travel as service animals; the animal must fit at the handler’s feet, under the seat, or in the lap (lap animals smaller than a 2-year-old child); and an individual is limited to two service animals. Aggressive or disruptive behavior can cause the animal to be reclassified as a pet with fees applying.

CDC, USDA APHIS, and international entry paperwork

Airline acceptance is not the same as legal entry. American Airlines posts a special notice that the CDC has issued requirements for bringing dogs into the United States; those rules apply to all dogs, including service dogs and returning pets. CDC’s Bringing a Dog into the U.S. page (updated for requirements taking effect August 1, 2024) explains that requirements depend on where the dog was vaccinated and which countries it visited in the six months before U.S. entry, and directs travelers to the Dog Importation Navigator and the high-risk dog-rabies country list.

American Airlines does not accept dogs as carry-on pets if they originate from or have visited a high-risk rabies country in the six months before travel; that embargo does not apply to service dogs that meet CDC requirements. For Mexico, American Airlines requires a New World Screwworm (NWS) Inspection Certificate from a USDA-accredited veterinarian within 5 days before entry, including for service dogs. For EU checked-pet itineraries available to eligible travelers, American Airlines states the pet must have a tattoo or implanted microchip matching the vaccination-card ID. Destination ministries, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) export health certificates, and embassy rules can add further steps; American Airlines Cargo points shippers to USDA APHIS pet-travel guidance and destination embassies for international paperwork.

Hawaii is a frequent search trap: American Airlines does not allow carry-on pets to or from Hawaii. Checked pets (eligible travelers) must connect via Honolulu (HNL) and follow Hawaii quarantine rules; American Airlines Cargo notes quarantine of up to 120 days may apply and lists HNL as the only port of entry for its animal shipments to Honolulu.

Animal Passport vs. airline and government pet documents

EU pet passports, CDC dog-import forms, USDA-endorsed health certificates, DOT service-animal forms, and American Airlines pet booking receipts are official travel or regulatory documents. Animal Passport is different: it is a digital animal and livestock identity record that uses muzzle biometrics (a nose print unique like a fingerprint), captured by phone, binding owner, breed, estimated age, body condition, and vaccination history. Age can be estimated from a dental photograph with a confidence score, and body condition is scored 1–5 from a side-profile photo. In August 2025 livestock flood-rescue work in Pakistan, that biometric record helped farmers reclaim animals after paper tags washed away. It is not a government-issued airline travel document and does not replace American Airlines’ pet fee, CDC forms, or veterinary health certificates. For more identity and recovery context, see the Animal Passport blog.

Practical checklist before you book

1. Confirm whether your dog qualifies for cabin, military/State checked baggage, or PetEmbark cargo on your exact aircraft and routing.
2. Measure the carrier against American Airlines’ soft- and hard-sided dimensions for every flight, including American Eagle segments.
3. Budget $150 per kennel each way for cabin pets on eligible markets, plus segment fees after long connections; treat cargo pricing as quote-based.
4. If entering the United States with a dog, complete CDC Dog Import requirements for the dog’s 6-month travel history.
5. If flying a service dog, submit DOT forms early; do not assume an emotional support letter waives pet rules.
6. Skip sedation; acclimate the dog to the carrier instead, consistent with AVMA-aligned airline policy.
7. Keep ownership records (microchip, photos, vaccination history—and optionally a biometric ID) separate from required airline and government paperwork.

As of August 2026, verify fees and embargos on American Airlines’ Traveling with pets and Optional service fees pages immediately before travel; airline and CDC rules can change by destination and season.

Byline: Animal Passport editorial · Last updated August 22, 2026 · Sources: American Airlines, American Airlines Cargo, CDC, and U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Register materials cited below.