American Airlines Pet Policy: Fees, Carrier Rules, and Requirements

The American Airlines pet policy allows small dogs and cats to fly in the cabin for a $150 fee each way in an airline-compliant carrier that fits under the seat, while checked-baggage pet travel is restricted to active-duty U.S. military and State Department personnel. Larger pets or general-public travelers needing more space must book through American Airlines Cargo's PetEmbark program instead. This guide breaks down fees, carrier sizes, breed and temperature restrictions, and paperwork, based on the airline's published policy pages and recent reporting, as of August 2026.

American Airlines Pet Policy at a Glance

• In-cabin: Small cats and dogs, $150 each way, one carrier per passenger.
• Checked baggage: Active-duty U.S. military and U.S. State Department Foreign Service personnel only, $200 (or $150 to/from Brazil).
• Cargo (PetEmbark): Dogs, cats, birds, and primates for the general public, booked separately through American Airlines Cargo.
• Service animals: Trained dogs fly free with a completed U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Service Animal Air Transportation Form.
• Emotional support animals: Treated as standard pets since the DOT's 2020 rule change; standard fees apply.

In-Cabin Pet Travel: Fees, Carriers, and Eligibility

American Airlines permits one small dog or cat per passenger in the cabin on most domestic and many international routes, provided the animal stays in an approved carrier under the seat for the entire flight. According to a policy summary compiled by PetTravel.com, pets must be at least 8 weeks old, and only one pet is allowed per carrier except for a nursing mother with an unweaned litter.

The in-cabin pet fee is $150 per pet, each way. That rate reflects a roughly 20% increase from the prior $125 fee, which took effect for bookings made after mid-February 2025, according to reporting by Mighty Travels (2025). Coverage of the change from CBS News also noted that American simultaneously loosened its carry-on rules, letting passengers traveling with a pet bring a separate standard carry-on bag in addition to the pet carrier — a change from the earlier rule limiting travelers to one small item alongside the pet.

Approved Carrier Dimensions

American Airlines does not permit pets in the cabin on transatlantic or transpacific flights, to Hawaii, or on flights to and from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Jamaica, Uruguay, Venezuela, or European Union countries; only service dogs are permitted on routes to Ireland and the United Kingdom. Pets are also excluded from First and Business Class on several long-haul aircraft types, including the Boeing 767, 777, and 787, and the Airbus A330.

Checked Baggage: Military and State Department Only

Unlike some competitors, American Airlines does not accept pets as general checked baggage at the ticket counter. Per the airline's published policy, checked-baggage pet transport is limited to active-duty U.S. Military personnel and U.S. State Department Foreign Service employees traveling on official orders. Eligible travelers may check up to two pets in an IATA-compliant crate, on flights under 12 hours, for $200 each way ($150 to or from Brazil).

American Airlines Cargo (PetEmbark): Rules for the General Public

Travelers who are not military or State Department personnel, or whose pet is too large for the cabin, must book through American Airlines Cargo, marketed as PetEmbark. This service accepts warm-blooded animals including dogs, cats, birds, and primates that are at least 15 weeks old. Reservations must be made between one and ten days before departure, and crate size limits vary by aircraft — for example, up to 63 inches tall on Boeing 767, 777, and 787 aircraft, versus 28 inches on Boeing 737 and Airbus A330 aircraft. Several narrow-body Airbus models (A319, A320, A321 variants) are excluded from animal cargo except on specific New York–Los Angeles and New York–San Francisco routings.

Temperature and Seasonal Restrictions

American Airlines will not accept pets as checked baggage or cargo when actual or forecast temperatures exceed 85°F (29.4°C) or fall below 45°F (7.2°C) at any airport on the itinerary, with a lower floor of 20°F available if an acclimation certificate from a veterinarian is provided. From May 1 through September 30, the airline also blocks pet cargo and checked baggage to and from four hot-weather airports: Phoenix (PHX), Tucson (TUS), Las Vegas (LAS), and Palm Springs (PSP). These seasonal and temperature rules do not apply to pets traveling in the cabin.

Breed Restrictions

Brachycephalic, or flat-faced, breeds are restricted from checked baggage and cargo travel because of their heightened risk of respiratory distress at altitude and in cargo holds. Restricted dog breeds include Affenpinscher, American Staffordshire Terrier, Boston Terrier, all Boxer breeds, Brussels Griffon, all Bulldog breeds, Cane Corso, Chow Chow, Dogue de Bordeaux, English Toy Spaniel, Japanese Chin, Lhasa Apso, Mastiff, Pekingese, Pit Bull, Presa Canario, Pug, Shar-Pei, Shih Tzu, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and Tibetan Spaniel. Restricted cat breeds include Burmese, Exotic Shorthair, Himalayan, and Persian. These breed restrictions do not apply to pets traveling in the cabin, only to checked baggage and cargo.

Service Animals vs. Emotional Support Animals

Since the U.S. Department of Transportation's final rule on traveling by air with service animals, effective January 11, 2021, a service animal is legally defined as a dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Emotional support animals no longer qualify for free service-animal travel and are now handled under standard pet rules and fees, as summarized by aviation law firm Eckert Seamans in its analysis of the rule.

Passengers flying with a service dog on American Airlines must complete the DOT's Service Animal Air Transportation Form, and, for flights of 8 hours or longer, a Relief Attestation Form. Forms are generally required once per trip and should be submitted at least 48 hours before departure, or at the airport if booked more recently. There is no fee for a documented service dog.

Do You Need a Health Certificate or "Pet Passport"?

No health certificate is required for a pet traveling in the cabin on a domestic American Airlines flight. For international travel, checked baggage, or cargo, American requires a veterinary health certificate issued within 10 days of travel, proof of current rabies vaccination, and any destination-specific import paperwork. For international trips, most countries require a federally accredited veterinarian to complete a United States Interstate and International Certificate for Health Examination (USDA APHIS Form 7001), which the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) then endorses.

It's worth being precise about terminology here: neither American Airlines nor USDA APHIS issues anything called a "pet passport" in the way the European Union does for pets moving within the EU under its PETS scheme. American Airlines' pet policy is an airline transport rule governing fees, carriers, and cabin space — it is a separate matter from any government-issued animal identification or health document. Animal Passport's own product, a phone-based biometric ID that captures a muzzle image, an estimated age from a dental photo, and a body condition score for livestock and working animals, is likewise a separate tool built for on-farm identification and recordkeeping — including use during livestock flood rescue efforts in Pakistan in August 2025, where paper ear tags had washed away — and is not a substitute for an airline's pet travel paperwork or any government pet passport. Read more about how the identification system works at Animal Passport, or browse related coverage on the Animal Passport blog.

How American Airlines Compares to Other U.S. Airlines

Pet fees and cargo access vary across major U.S. carriers. The comparison below, compiled from Chewy's airline pet policy guide, shows how American stacks up against Delta, United, Southwest, and Alaska for in-cabin travel and general-public cargo access.

American's in-cabin pricing sits in line with Delta and United, but its checked-baggage policy is more restrictive than airlines that offer general-public pet checking. Travelers with pets too large for the cabin need to plan around American's cargo-only path rather than assuming they can check a pet at the counter.

Booking Tips

1. Reserve your pet's cabin spot when you book your ticket — flights cap the number of pets allowed, and slots fill quickly.
2. Measure your carrier against American's exact dimensions before you travel; gate agents can deny boarding for oversized carriers.
3. If flying internationally or via cargo, contact a USDA-accredited veterinarian early, since health certificates and country-specific import rules can take days or weeks to complete.
4. Check seasonal temperature restrictions for your departure and arrival airports if your pet is not flying in the cabin.
5. Submit DOT service animal forms at least 48 hours before departure to avoid gate delays.

Animal Passport reports on animal identification, travel, and welfare topics. This article summarizes American Airlines' published pet policy and related U.S. government rules; always confirm current fees and restrictions directly with the airline before booking, since airline policies change without notice.