American Airlines Pet Rules in 2026: Fees, Carrier Sizes, Destinations and Service Dogs

American Airlines pet rules are the airline's official conditions for flying with a cat, dog or service animal: who can fly in the cabin, which carrier sizes are accepted, which routes are allowed, and what each option costs. As of October 2026, American Airlines charges $150 per kennel, each way, for a small cat or dog in an under-seat carrier on flights within and between the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Checked pets are limited to active-duty U.S. military and State Department personnel, and trained service dogs fly free.

This guide summarizes the rules published on the American Airlines pet travel page and cross-checks them with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS), and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). By Animal Passport. Last updated October 9, 2026. Airline policies change often, so confirm your exact itinerary with American Airlines before you fly.

American Airlines pet rules at a glance

American Airlines offers three ways for an animal to travel, according to its pet travel page (American Airlines, 2026): as a carry-on pet in the cabin, as a checked pet (restricted to specific government travelers), or as cargo through American Airlines Cargo and its American PetEmbark service. Trained service dogs are handled separately and are not charged.

Carry-on pet rules on American Airlines

Carry-on pets are limited to cats and dogs that meet American's size, age and destination requirements, the airline states (American Airlines, 2026). Your pet must stay inside its closed, zipped carrier and under the seat in front of you for the entire flight.

Where carry-on pets can fly

American Airlines says you can travel with a pet on most flights of up to 12 hours, and lists these eligible locations (American Airlines, 2026):

• Within the 48 contiguous United States
• Between the U.S. and Canada (special restrictions may apply)
• Alaska
• Mexico (special restrictions may apply)
• Puerto Rico, St. Croix and St. Thomas

The same page lists clear exclusions. As of 2026, American Airlines does not accept carry-on pets:

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

Age and health

Pets traveling within the U.S. and Puerto Rico must be at least 8 weeks old, according to American Airlines (2026). The airline also refuses pets that have been sedated or tranquilized, citing the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recommendation that sedated animals face higher respiratory and cardiovascular risk at altitude.

Carry-on pet carrier size limits

American Airlines publishes these maximum carrier dimensions (American Airlines, 2026):

Soft-sided carriers must be secure, padded, water-repellent and ventilated with nylon mesh on 3 or more sides. Your pet must fit comfortably inside with the carrier closed. On the three-cabin Airbus A321T, pets in premium cabins go in a dedicated animal-friendly compartment, and the pet plus carrier must not exceed 20 pounds (9.07 kg); American weighs them at check-in.

Your carry-on allowance with a pet

The pet carrier counts toward your cabin allowance. American Airlines (2026) says you may bring only one additional item: either a personal item such as a purse, or a carry-on bag that fits in the overhead bin, not both. Pet strollers must be checked at the ticket counter, and normal checked bag fees apply.

How many pets per flight and where you can sit

Cabin capacity is capped. American Airlines (2026) allows a maximum of 20 pet carriers across all cabins on its larger mainline aircraft (excluding service animals). On American Eagle regional jets such as the CRJ-900 and ERJ-175, the limit is 1 carrier in the premium cabin and 5 in the main cabin.

Carry-on pets are not permitted in bulkhead seats, exit rows, or First and Business seats on the Boeing 777-200, 777-300ER, 787-8 and 787-9, because of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety requirements or lack of under-seat space, according to American Airlines (2026).

How to add a carry-on pet to an American Airlines booking

American Airlines describes this process on its pet travel page (2026):

1. Find your trip on aa.com or in the American app.
2. In the Additional Services section, select "Add carry-on pets."
3. Review and agree to the carry-on pet requirements.
4. Select the flights your pet will travel on.
5. Confirm the carry-on pet to complete the change.
6. At the airport, go to the American ticket counter to pay the fee and have your pet and carrier checked.

Fees are paid by credit card or paper voucher where accepted; American does not accept cash or checks. If any flight is "Operated by" a partner airline, American does not collect that partner's pet fee, so you must check in and pay with each operating airline separately (American Airlines, 2026).

American Airlines pet fees in 2026

American Airlines lists these pet fees on both its pet page and its bag and optional fees page (American Airlines, 2026):

• Carry-on pet: $150 per kennel, each way, within and between the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean (subject to each country's entry policy); not allowed to Hawaii.
• Checked pet (eligible military and State Department travelers only): $200 per kennel; $150 between the U.S. and Brazil.
• American Airlines Cargo pet: varies and is confirmed at booking.
• Service animals: no charge.

All pet fees are nonrefundable and apply per kennel, each way. If your trip includes a stopover or connection of 4 hours or more, American charges the fee again for each connection segment.

Checked pets and American Airlines Cargo

Most travelers cannot check a pet as baggage on American. The airline states that it accepts checked pets only for active-duty U.S. military and U.S. State Department Foreign Service personnel traveling on official orders (American Airlines, 2026). Eligible travelers may check up to 2 pets, must contact Reservations at least 48 hours before travel, check in 2 to 4 hours before departure, and provide a health certificate issued by a veterinarian within 10 days of travel.

Kennel requirements for checked pets

A checked kennel must let the animal stand, turn, sit and lie down naturally, must not exceed 100 lbs (45 kg) combined with the pet, needs a metal door, and requires ventilation on at least 3 sides for domestic travel or 4 sides for international travel, according to American Airlines (2026). You must also attach a written certification that the pet was fed and offered water within 4 hours before delivery, which the airline attributes to federal regulations.

Breed and temperature restrictions

American Airlines (2026) does not accept brachycephalic (short-nosed) cats and dogs of any mix as checked pets, including Persian cats, pugs, bulldogs, boxers and Shih Tzus. Checked and cargo pets also cannot travel if the temperature is above 85°F (29.4°C) or below 45°F (7.2°C) anywhere on the itinerary, and pets not traveling in the cabin cannot travel to, through or from Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas or Palm Springs from May 1 to September 30.

American PetEmbark

Pets that do not qualify as carry-on or checked travel through American PetEmbark, a service of American Airlines Cargo. Prices depend on the animal, kennel size and route and are confirmed at booking.

Service animals and emotional support animals

Under the DOT's Air Carrier Access Act rule, Traveling by Air With Service Animals, published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2020, a service animal is a dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. That rule lets airlines treat emotional support animals as pets and limit each passenger to two service animals.

American Airlines applies this definition. According to its service animal page (2026):

• Fully trained service dogs fly in the cabin at no charge.
• Emotional support animals, comfort animals and service animals in training travel as pets, with pet fees.
• American recommends submitting the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form at least 48 hours before the flight, or presenting it at the airport.
• Flights over 8 hours also require the DOT Service Animal Relief Attestation form.
• Animals under 4 months old cannot travel as service animals, and a passenger is limited to 2 service animals.

Once approved, American emails a Service Animal ID (SVAN ID) that can be reused on future bookings until the animal's vaccination expires.

International rules that affect American Airlines pet travel

Bringing a dog into the United States

The CDC is the primary authority for dogs entering the U.S., a point confirmed by both the CDC and USDA APHIS. CDC requirements effective August 1, 2024 depend on where the dog was vaccinated and which countries it visited in the 6 months before arrival. American Airlines (2026) adds its own embargo: it does not accept dogs as carry-on pets if they originate from or have visited a CDC high-risk country for dog rabies in the 6 months before travel, although qualifying service dogs are exempt.

Flying to Mexico with a dog

Both American Airlines and USDA APHIS say dogs flying to Mexico need a New World screwworm (NWS) Inspection Certificate signed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and issued no more than 5 days before entry, and the rule also applies to service dogs. USDA APHIS states the requirement took effect on August 3, 2026, and American verifies the certificate at check-in. Pet cats do not need a health certificate or NWS document to enter Mexico, according to APHIS (2026).

The EU, UK and Hawaii

For the European Union, American Airlines (2026) says a checked pet must have a tattoo or microchip that matches the ID on its vaccination record, and travelers are responsible for all entry rules. Apart from service animals, American does not accept checked pets to the United Kingdom or Ireland, though dogs and cats can go to London Heathrow and Manchester through American Airlines Cargo. Pets bound for Hawaii must travel as checked pets via Honolulu and follow Hawaii's quarantine rules.

For pets leaving the U.S., USDA APHIS advises contacting a USDA-accredited veterinarian as soon as you decide to travel, because destination health certificates take time to arrange.

American Airlines pet rules vs. Animal Passport: what is the difference?

The documents American Airlines asks for are official health and import papers: veterinary health certificates, CDC dog import forms, USDA APHIS-endorsed export certificates, the Mexico NWS certificate, and DOT service animal forms. Only the issuing authorities and accredited veterinarians can provide them.

Animal Passport is a different product. It is a digital animal and livestock identity record that uses muzzle biometrics, because an animal's nose print is unique like a fingerprint. Using a phone, it links the owner, breed, estimated age (from a dental photograph, with a confidence score), a 1–5 body condition score (from a side-profile photo) and vaccination history to that animal. In August 2025, it was used during livestock flood rescue in Pakistan so farmers could reclaim animals after paper tags washed away.

Animal Passport is not an EU pet passport, an airline document, a veterinary diagnosis, or a government-issued travel certificate, and American Airlines does not list it as an accepted document. Treat it as an identity and record-keeping tool, and use official channels for every travel form. More identity and travel explainers are on the Animal Passport blog.

Pre-flight checklist for flying with a pet on American Airlines

1. Confirm your route allows pets: no carry-on pets to Hawaii, Jamaica, several South American countries, or on trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific trips.
2. Add the carry-on pet to your reservation early, because cabin capacity is capped per flight.
3. Measure your carrier against the 18 x 11 x 11 inch soft-sided limit, or the hard-sided limit for your aircraft.
4. Avoid bulkhead and exit-row seats when choosing seats.
5. Get destination paperwork from a USDA-accredited veterinarian, including the NWS certificate for dogs going to Mexico.
6. For dogs entering the U.S., check the CDC requirements for your dog's vaccination and travel history.
7. Pack only one extra item: a personal item or a carry-on bag.
8. Arrive early and pay the $150 fee at the ticket counter by card.

American Airlines notes that its pages can change and that some destinations add their own restrictions. When the airline's rules and a government's entry rules differ, you must meet both.