American Airlines Flying Pets Guide: Cabin, Cargo and Fees in 2026

American Airlines lets small cats and dogs fly in the cabin for $150 per kennel, each way. The pet must stay in a carrier under the seat in front of you, and the route must be within or between the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America or the Caribbean. As of September 2026, checked pets are accepted only for U.S. military and State Department personnel on official orders. All other pets that are too big for the cabin fly as cargo through American PetEmbark.

American Airlines flying pets is the set of rules American Airlines uses to decide which animals can travel with passengers, how they travel, and what that costs. There are three ways to do it: as a carry-on pet in the cabin, as a checked pet (open only to eligible government travelers), or as cargo through American Airlines Cargo's American PetEmbark service. This guide pulls together the official American Airlines, American Airlines Cargo, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) requirements. We checked each of them on September 28, 2026.

The three ways pets fly on American Airlines

The table below summarizes American Airlines' published options and fees for 2026.

According to American Airlines, all pet fees are nonrefundable and apply per kennel, each way. If your trip includes a stopover or a connection of 4 hours or more, the fee is charged again for each connecting segment.

Carry-on pets: fees, carriers and cabin rules

How much does it cost to fly a pet in the cabin?

American Airlines charges $150 per kennel for a carry-on pet on routes within and between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Whether a specific route allows pets still depends on the destination country's entry rules. Pay at the airport or a travel center by credit card or voucher; cash and checks are not accepted. American also does not collect pet fees for partner airlines, even on codeshare flights with an American flight number. You pay each operating carrier at its own check-in desk.

Carrier size limits

American Airlines publishes these maximum carrier dimensions for 2026:

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

Soft-sided carriers have to be padded, water-repellent and secure, with nylon mesh ventilation on at least 3 sides. American states that it assumes no liability for the health or well-being of carry-on pets.

Is there a weight limit for carry-on pets?

Sources disagree on this point. Third-party guides such as CertaPet describe a general 20-pound (9 kg) limit for pet and carrier combined. On American's own pets page, the only 20-pound (9.07 kg) limit we found applies to the dedicated animal compartments in First and Business on the three-cabin Airbus A321T, where carriers are weighed at check-in. Everywhere else, American's written rule is about fit: the pet has to fit inside a closed carrier, and the carrier has to fit under the seat. If your pet is close to 20 pounds, confirm with American Reservations before you book.

How many pets are allowed per flight?

American Airlines caps carry-on pets by aircraft type. Most mainline jets allow up to 20 pet carriers across all cabins, not counting service animals. Regional American Eagle jets (CRJ and ERJ types) allow 1 carrier in the premium cabin and 5 in the Main Cabin. Pets are not allowed in the premium cabins of the Boeing 777-200, 777-300ER, 787-8, 787-9 or Airbus A321XLR because those seats have no under-seat storage.

Seats and the one-bag rule

• Carry-on pets cannot sit in bulkhead or exit rows, which American attributes to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety requirements and lack of under-seat space.
• You may bring either a personal item or a carry-on bag in addition to the pet carrier, but not both.
• American does not accept sedated or tranquilized pets, following American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) guidance that these drugs raise respiratory and cardiovascular risk at altitude.

Where can pets fly on American Airlines?

American Airlines says pets can fly on most flights of up to 12 hours, including within the 48 contiguous states and to Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, St. Croix and St. Thomas. As of September 2026, carry-on pets are not permitted:

• On any trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific trip
• To or from Hawaii
• To Jamaica
• To or from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay

There are more destination-specific rules. Flights carrying pets to Trinidad and Tobago (POS) cannot arrive before 8 a.m. or after 4 p.m. Checked pets can go to Hawaii only via Honolulu (HNL) and only if they meet Hawaii's quarantine rules. Pets cannot travel on nonstop flights to Maui, the Big Island or Kauai, and pregnant pets past 45 days of gestation are not accepted for Hawaii. Apart from service animals, you cannot take a checked pet to the U.K. or Ireland. American Airlines Cargo can still carry dogs and cats to London Heathrow (LHR) and Manchester (MAN).

Mexico needs extra paperwork. American Airlines says every dog flying to Mexico, including service dogs, needs a New World Screwworm (NWS) Inspection Certificate. The certificate must be completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian within 5 days before entering Mexico, and it is checked at airport check-in.

Checked pets: only for military and State Department travelers

American Airlines accepts checked pets at the ticket counter only for active-duty U.S. military and U.S. State Department Foreign Service personnel traveling on official orders. Eligible travelers may check up to 2 pets, on a first-come basis. The fee is $200 per kennel, or $150 to and from Brazil. Here is what American requires:

1. Contact Reservations at least 48 hours before travel.
2. Check in at the ticket counter with your official orders, between 2 and 4 hours before departure.
3. Provide a veterinary health certificate issued within 10 days of travel. For a return on the same ticket, it must be within 60 days; for a return on a separate ticket, within 10 days.
4. Use a rigid kennel with a welded or cast metal door. It must be bolted top and bottom, ventilated on at least 3 sides for domestic trips and 4 sides for international trips, and no heavier than 100 lbs (45 kg) with the pet inside.
5. Attach written certification that the pet was fed and offered water within 4 hours before drop-off, plus feeding instructions covering 24 hours.

Checked pets cannot fly on Airbus A319, A320 or most A321 variants. Connections are limited to ten hubs: Charlotte (CLT), Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), New York JFK and LaGuardia (LGA), Miami (MIA), Philadelphia (PHL), Phoenix (PHX) and Washington Reagan (DCA).

American PetEmbark: shipping pets as cargo

American PetEmbark is American Airlines Cargo's service for pets that don't qualify as carry-on or checked pets. Most larger dogs travel this way. American Airlines Cargo recommends booking at least 24 hours and no more than 10 days before travel (30 days for pets flying into London Heathrow). Payment is not taken until the pet is accepted at the airport.

According to American Airlines Cargo, smaller pets on domestic routes fly as Priority Parcel Service (PPS). Larger pets, and any pet flying internationally, fly as ExpediteFS. Prices depend on the size of the pet and the route. Active-duty U.S. military members traveling on Permanent Change of Station (PCS) or Temporary Duty (TDY) orders can get 50% off the published rate for domestic and San Juan routes.

American Airlines Cargo asks for these documents:

• A health certificate dated within 10 days (for both the outbound and return trips)
• Rabies certification
• Breed verification and acknowledgment forms
• A veterinarian's temperature acclimation letter, if needed
• For international trips: an English translation of the health certificate and an international shipper's certificate

Before drop-off, remove collars, harnesses, leashes, cones and clothing. Toys, hay, straw and wood shavings are banned; bedding up to 3 inches deep is fine. American Airlines Cargo says pets are usually ready for pickup about one hour after the flight lands, and you can track the shipment with its air waybill number.

Breed, age and temperature restrictions

Snub-nosed breeds

American Airlines does not accept brachycephalic (snub-nosed) cats or dogs of any mix as checked pets. The banned breeds include Persian, Himalayan, Burmese and Exotic Shorthair cats. On the dog side, the list includes all bulldog, pug, boxer and mastiff breeds, as well as the Boston Terrier, Shih Tzu, Pit Bull, American Staffordshire Terrier, Cane Corso, Chow Chow and Shar Pei.

Minimum age

American's official sources don't all say the same thing about age, so check which rule applies to your route. The American Airlines pets page says cats and dogs traveling within the U.S. and Puerto Rico must be at least 8 weeks old. The American Airlines Cargo guide says dogs flying internationally with American must be at least 6 months old. The CDC also requires every dog entering the U.S. to be at least 6 months old.

Heat and cold embargoes

These limits apply to pets that fly outside the cabin, meaning checked pets and PetEmbark cargo. American will not carry them if the current or forecast temperature is above 85°F (29.4°C) anywhere on the itinerary. Pets not flying in the cabin also cannot travel to, through or from Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas or Palm Springs between May 1 and September 30. On the cold side, travel stops below 45°F (7.2°C). A veterinarian's acclimation letter can allow travel down to 20°F, but nothing flies below 20°F (-6.6°C).

Flying a dog into the United States: CDC rules

The CDC sets the rules for every dog entering or returning to the U.S., and American Airlines requires passengers to follow them. According to the CDC, all dogs must have a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, be at least 6 months old, appear healthy and carry a microchip that a universal scanner can read. A dog that has been only in dog-rabies-free or low-risk countries during the previous 6 months needs no other documents. Dogs that have been in a high-risk country need additional rabies certification. The CDC updated its Dog Import Form web system on February 5, 2026. The update changed the receipt's layout but not the importation requirements.

American Airlines goes further than the CDC here. It will not accept a dog as a carry-on pet if the dog originates from, or has visited, a CDC high-risk rabies country in the 6 months before travel. Service dogs that meet CDC requirements are exempt.

Service animals vs. emotional support animals

American Airlines defines a service animal as a dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Trained service dogs fly in the cabin free. American says emotional support animals, comfort animals and service animals in training may travel only as pets, with pet fees and rules. American recommends submitting the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Service Animal Air Transportation Form at least 48 hours before the flight. Flights over 8 hours also require the DOT Service Animal Relief Attestation Form. Each passenger may bring up to 2 service animals, and they must be at least 4 months old.

Step-by-step: how to book a pet on American Airlines

1. Pick the right category. Book the cabin if your cat or dog fits in a compliant under-seat carrier. Check it only if you are military or State Department personnel on orders. Otherwise, use PetEmbark cargo.
2. Check the route. Make sure the destination allows your chosen category and that the aircraft still has room under its pet limit.
3. Add the pet to your trip. On aa.com or the American app, open your trip and go to Additional Services. Select Add carry-on pets, accept the requirements and choose which flights the pet will be on.
4. Get the paperwork. Book a veterinary health certificate within the required window. For international trips, contact a USDA-accredited veterinarian early, as USDA APHIS recommends.
5. Complete government forms. This means the CDC Dog Import Form for dogs entering the U.S. and the screwworm certificate for dogs going to Mexico.
6. Get your pet used to the carrier. American Airlines Cargo recommends starting 2 to 3 weeks ahead. Don't sedate your pet.
7. Arrive early. Pay the fee at the ticket counter, where staff will check your pet and carrier.

Where Animal Passport fits, and where it doesn't

An airline pet booking, a veterinary health certificate and a CDC Dog Import Form are official travel requirements. Animal Passport is a different kind of product, and we want to be clear about that. It is a digital animal and livestock passport built on muzzle biometrics: an animal's nose print is unique, much like a human fingerprint. Owners capture it with a phone. The record links owner, breed, estimated age, body condition and vaccination history. Age is estimated from a dental photograph and comes with a confidence score, and body condition is scored from 1 to 5 using a side-profile photo.

Animal Passport is not an airline document, a government-issued pet passport, a CDC or USDA form or a substitute for a veterinary health certificate. It does not replace the microchip the CDC requires for dogs entering the U.S. USDA APHIS also treats livestock and poultry differently from pets. On its Travel With a Pet page (last modified March 20, 2026), the agency says animals considered livestock or poultry, such as pigs or chickens, do not qualify for pet travel and fall under separate import and export regulations.

Muzzle-print ID makes the most difference where paper systems fail. In the August 2025 floods in Pakistan, Animal Passport was used in livestock rescue so farmers could reclaim their animals after paper tags washed away. You can read more field reporting on the Animal Passport blog.

How we researched this guide

Every fee and rule here comes from American Airlines, American Airlines Cargo, CDC and USDA APHIS pages reviewed on September 28, 2026. Rules change often, so confirm with American Airlines before you fly. This is general information, not veterinary or legal advice.

Last updated: September 28, 2026. By Animal Passport.