American Airlines Pet Cargo Policy: How American PetEmbark Works in 2026

The American Airlines pet cargo policy is the set of rules American Airlines Cargo applies when a pet flies as freight through its American PetEmbark service instead of in the cabin. As of October 2026, American accepts checked pets at the ticket counter only for active-duty U.S. military and State Department Foreign Service staff on orders; every other pet too large for the cabin must book PetEmbark. Cargo pets fly only at 45–85°F, brachycephalic breeds are banned, sedation is refused, and a vet health certificate issued within 10 days is required.

This guide is written by the Animal Passport editorial team and draws only on American Airlines, American Airlines Cargo and U.S. government pages we opened while researching it. Airline rules change often, so treat this as a map and confirm details with the PetEmbark desk before you book. Last updated: October 10, 2026.

What is American PetEmbark?

American PetEmbark is the live-animal shipping product of American Airlines Cargo, the freight division of American Airlines. American's passenger pets page (aa.com, 2026) states that American Airlines Cargo "offers the American PetEmbark service for pets that don't qualify to travel as carry-on or checked pets."

In practice, PetEmbark is the default route for any dog or cat that is too big to fit in an under-seat carrier, because American no longer offers checked pets to the general public. The pet travels on a passenger aircraft in a pressurized, climate-controlled hold, but it is booked, tracked and paid for as a cargo shipment with its own air waybill number, according to the American Airlines Cargo PetEmbark FAQ (2026).

The airline's own marketing is not perfectly consistent: the same American Airlines Cargo PetEmbark page describes "more than 65 years of experience transporting animals" in one section and "more than 50 years of experience" in another. Either way, the service is long-established.

Who can use checked pets vs. cargo on American Airlines?

The most important point in the American Airlines pet cargo policy is who is forced into cargo. According to the American Airlines "Traveling with pets" page (2026), checked pets are accepted at the ticket counter only for active-duty U.S. military and U.S. State Department Foreign Service personnel traveling on official orders, with up to two pets, on a first-come basis because capacity is limited. Everyone else has two choices: a small cat or dog in the cabin, or PetEmbark cargo.

American's fee table notes that pets checked at the start of a trip must stay in the same category, checked pet or American Airlines Cargo, for the entire journey.

PPS vs. ExpediteFS: how cargo pets are classified

American Airlines Cargo's Policies and Restrictions page (2026) sorts PetEmbark shipments into two products:

• Priority Parcel Service (PPS): pets flying within the continental U.S., Puerto Rico or into Hawaii, with a combined pet-and-kennel weight under 100 pounds and a kennel no larger than 36 x 26 x 28 inches.
• ExpediteFS: pets flying internationally, flying out of Hawaii, or exceeding the PPS weight or kennel limits.

The same page states that an additional $150 handling fee per air waybill applies to animal rates. American publishes PPS rates through an online calculator and ExpediteFS rates on a rate sheet, so the final price depends on route, weight and kennel size.

Temperature and seasonal embargoes

Heat and cold are the most common reasons a cargo booking gets cancelled. American Airlines Cargo (2026) states that it transports warm-blooded animals only when ground temperatures are between 45°F and 85°F at the origin, every connection and the destination, based on forecasts for each departure and arrival time.

• Above 85°F: no transport.
• 20–44°F: transport only with a letter of acclimation signed and dated by a licensed veterinarian stating the exact lowest temperature the animal can tolerate.
• Below 20°F: no transport, even with a vet letter.

On top of the daily limits, the American Airlines Cargo PetEmbark page (2026) lists a warm-city embargo: pets are not accepted on flights originating, connecting or terminating in Phoenix (PHX), Las Vegas (LAS), Tucson (TUS) or Palm Springs (PSP) from May 1 through September 30. Cold-blooded animals such as reptiles are exempt from the temperature rules but must be packed to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Live Animals Regulations.

Breed, age and sedation restrictions

Restricted breeds

American Airlines Cargo (2026) refuses brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dogs and cats and their mixes because of hereditary breathing risks, and also refuses some historically aggressive dog breeds. The cargo list includes Affenpinscher, American Bully, American Staffordshire Terrier, Boston Terrier, all Boxers, Brussels Griffon, all Bulldogs, Cane Corso, Chow Chow, Dogue de Bordeaux, English Toy Spaniel, Japanese Chin, Lhasa Apso, all Mastiffs, Pekingese, Pit Bull, Presa Canario, all Pugs, Shar Pei, Shih Tzu, Staffordshire Terrier and Tibetan Spaniel. Restricted cats are Burmese, Exotic Shorthair, Himalayan and Persian.

Note a small inconsistency: American's passenger checked-pet list (aa.com, 2026) names "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" and does not list American Bully, while the cargo list does. If your dog is a mix, American Airlines Cargo says the breed verification form must name the predominant breed followed by "mix" or "mixed."

Minimum age

American Airlines Cargo's "How to Transport Your Pet" guide (2026) says dogs must be at least 8 weeks old for domestic travel and at least 6 months old for international travel. Two puppies or two kittens may share a kennel only if each is under 20 pounds, under six months old and comparable in size and temperament.

No sedation

Citing the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), American Airlines Cargo (2026) will not knowingly accept a dog or cat that has been, or appears to have been, sedated or tranquilized, because sedated pets face higher respiratory and cardiovascular risk at altitude.

Aircraft and route limits

Not every American flight can carry animals in the hold. American Airlines Cargo (2026) will not transport pets on Airbus A319, A320, A321, A321E, A321H, A321S, A321X, 32Q and 32B aircraft, except on New York JFK to/from Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO). American's passenger checked-pet section lists A319, A320 and A321 variants as excluded without mentioning that exception, so check the specific flight with the PetEmbark desk.

Other route rules from the American Airlines Cargo location table (2026):

• No single flight of 12 hours or more for warm-blooded animals, in line with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rules.
• No animals outbound from Canada, and no warm-blooded animals to or from China.
• Pets bound for Hawaii enter only through Honolulu (HNL), must be prepaid and may face up to 120 days of quarantine.
• No ferrets to or from California.
• Into the United Kingdom, only cats, dogs and ferrets, only to London Heathrow (LHR) and Manchester (MAN), with a customs broker.
• Pets originating outside the U.S. must be booked through an IATA-regulated freight forwarder or professional pet shipper with an American Airlines Cargo account.

Dogs entering the United States: CDC rules and the high-risk embargo

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the primary authority for dog imports, according to the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) pet travel page (last modified March 2026). The CDC's dog import rules took effect on August 1, 2024, and depend on where a dog was vaccinated and which countries it visited in the six months before arrival.

American Airlines Cargo (2026) has gone further than the CDC minimum: it embargoes new bookings for dogs originating in a CDC-classified high-risk rabies country, and for dogs that have been in a high-risk country within six months of travel, until further notice. Qualifying dogs from low-risk or rabies-free countries need a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, which the airline says can take 24 to 48 hours to arrive and must be printed and shown at drop-off.

Kennel requirements

American's checked-pet kennel guidelines (aa.com, 2026), which American Airlines Cargo also points customers to, require a kennel that:

• Lets the pet stand, turn, sit and lie down naturally without touching the sides or top.
• Weighs no more than 100 lb (45 kg) combined with the pet.
• Is made of rigid wood, metal or plastic with a welded or cast metal door, secured top and bottom with bolts or screws.
• Has ventilation on at least 3 sides for domestic U.S. travel and 4 sides for international travel.
• Has separate food and water dishes fixed inside and fillable from outside, plus a bag of food attached to the top.
• Contains absorbent bedding no more than 3 inches deep, with no straw, hay, wood shavings or toys.

All collars, harnesses, leashes, cone collars and clothing must be removed before acceptance, per the American Airlines Cargo PetEmbark FAQ (2026).

Documents you need

The American Airlines Cargo PetEmbark FAQ (2026) lists the core paperwork:

• A health certificate from a licensed veterinarian (American's pages describe this as within 10 days of travel; the cargo FAQ also phrases it as within 10 days of the animal's arrival at destination, so plan for the stricter reading).
• Rabies certification.
• Breed verification form.
• Signed customer acknowledgment forms.
• A temperature acclimation letter if any point on the trip may be 20–44°F.
• For international shipments, an English translation of the health certificate and American's international shipper certificate.

For destination country rules, American Airlines Cargo directs customers to the USDA APHIS Pet Travel site. USDA APHIS (2026) advises contacting a USDA-accredited veterinarian as soon as you decide to travel abroad, because endorsed health certificates take time.

How to book American PetEmbark: step by step

1. Check eligibility. Confirm breed, age, route, compatible aircraft and that forecast temperatures are within range.
2. Buy and acclimate the kennel. American Airlines Cargo recommends getting your pet used to the kennel two to three weeks before travel.
3. Request a booking. American Airlines Cargo's guide (2026) recommends booking at least 24 hours and no more than 10 days before travel; no payment is taken until the pet is accepted.
4. Gather documents. Health certificate, rabies certificate, breed verification, acknowledgment forms and any acclimation letter or CDC receipt.
5. Drop off. Offer a light meal and water within four hours before drop-off, bring two forms of identification, and arrive about two hours early for domestic and four hours for international shipments.
6. Track. Use the air waybill number on aa.com or sign up for email notifications.
7. Pick up. Pets are typically ready about one hour after arrival; international shipments need customs clearance and a customs broker.

Sources disagree on the London Heathrow window: American's "How to Transport Your Pet" guide says 30 days for inbound LHR bookings, while its location policy table offers a 60-day window. Ask the PetEmbark Animal Desk (1-800-227-4622, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central, seven days a week) which applies to your date.

Military discount, refunds and veterinary care

American Airlines Cargo (2026) gives active-duty U.S. military members 50% off published rates for cats and dogs within the domestic U.S. and San Juan when traveling on Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders dated within 120 days of the report date or Temporary Duty (TDY) orders dated within 30 days. You must upload military ID and orders at booking and bring them at drop-off.

If a pet misses its booked flight for reasons within American's control, American Airlines Cargo (2026) refunds 25% of freight charges for PPS or 100% for ExpediteFS on cancellation, but nothing for weather, mechanical or other events outside its control. If a pet falls ill, American will obtain veterinary care, but owners reimburse costs if the vet finds the condition was pre-existing. Comfort stops at kennel facilities are mandatory for dogs on long connections or itineraries over 24 hours, and are charged by connection city.

Is Animal Passport a pet travel document?

No. It is worth being clear, because the words "passport" and "pet travel" overlap. Animal Passport is a digital animal and livestock identity record built on muzzle biometrics: a phone photo of an animal's nose print, which is unique like a fingerprint, binds the animal to its owner, breed, estimated age (from a dental photo, with a confidence score), body condition score (1–5 from a side-profile photo) and vaccination history. It was used in livestock flood rescue in Pakistan in August 2025 so farmers could reclaim animals after paper tags washed away.

Animal Passport is not issued by any government, is not an airline document, and is not a substitute for a veterinary health certificate, a CDC Dog Import Form, a USDA APHIS endorsement or an EU pet passport. American Airlines Cargo has not said it accepts biometric ID records in place of its required forms. For an airline trip, follow the official paperwork above. For more on how animal identity records differ from travel documents, see the Animal Passport blog.

Bottom line: as of October 2026, if your pet is too big for the cabin and you are not on military or Foreign Service orders, the American Airlines pet cargo policy means PetEmbark is your only option on American, and temperature, breed and CDC rules decide whether your pet can fly at all.