American Airlines Pets in Cargo: How PetEmbark Works in 2026

American Airlines pets in cargo means sending a dog, cat or other animal that is too big for the cabin through American Airlines Cargo’s American PetEmbark service. As of October 2026, American only accepts checked pets at the ticket counter from active-duty U.S. military and U.S. State Department Foreign Service personnel on official orders. Everyone else books PetEmbark, where pets fly only between 45°F and 85°F, on approved aircraft, in an IATA-style kennel, with a vet health certificate.

This guide covers the official rules for cargo pet travel on American: who qualifies, what it costs, which breeds and routes are blocked, and what paperwork you need. Every rule below names its source. American updates these policies often, so check the airline’s pages again before you book.

What is American PetEmbark?

American PetEmbark is American Airlines Cargo’s live-animal shipping product for pets that cannot fly as carry-on or checked pets. American Airlines says on its Traveling with pets page (2026) that if your pet is too large for the cabin, it must travel with American Airlines Cargo. American Airlines Cargo says it has more than 65 years of experience transporting animals and is a member of the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA).

Cargo pets ride in a pressurized, climate-controlled compartment. According to the American Airlines Cargo FAQ (2026), pets wait in a climate-controlled area, are driven to the aircraft, board last and come off first.

Cabin, checked or cargo: which option applies to your pet?

American runs three separate ways for animals to travel. You cannot switch between them partway through a trip: American Airlines (2026) says pets must stay in the same category, checked pet or American Airlines Cargo, for the whole itinerary.

How much does it cost to ship a pet in cargo on American Airlines?

American Airlines Cargo does not publish a single flat price. Its FAQ (2026) says the cost depends on the size of your pet and whether they’re flying domestically or internationally. There are two products:

• Priority Parcel Service (PPS): for pets flying within the continental U.S., Puerto Rico or into Hawaii, where pet plus kennel weighs less than 100 lb and the kennel is no larger than 36 x 26 x 28 inches.
• ExpediteFS: for international trips, flights out of Hawaii, and any pet over the PPS weight or kennel limits.

American Airlines Cargo (2026) charges an extra $150 handling fee per air waybill on top of animal rates. Active-duty U.S. military members moving under Permanent Change of Station (PCS) or Temporary Duty (TDY) orders can get 50% off the published rate for cats and dogs within the domestic U.S. and San Juan. Comfort-stop kennel fees and destination customs fees are also extra.

If your pet misses its booked flight for reasons American controls, American Airlines Cargo (2026) refunds 25% of freight charges for PPS or 100% for ExpediteFS if you cancel instead of rebooking. Delays caused by weather, mechanical problems and other events outside American’s control do not qualify.

Temperature rules for pets in cargo

Temperature is the most common reason a cargo pet booking gets moved. American Airlines Cargo (2026) checks the actual or forecast temperature at each departure and arrival time for every airport on the route: origin, connection and destination.

1. 45°F to 85°F: warm-blooded animals are accepted.
2. 20°F to 44°F: accepted only with a letter of acclimation signed and dated by a licensed veterinarian that gives the exact lowest temperature the animal can tolerate.
3. Above 85°F or below 20°F: not accepted under any circumstances.

On top of these limits, American Airlines Cargo applies a warm-city embargo from May 1 through September 30. During that period, pets are not accepted on flights that start, connect or end in Phoenix (PHX), Tucson (TUS), Las Vegas (LAS) or Palm Springs (PSP). Cold-blooded animals such as reptiles are exempt from the temperature rules but must be packed to IATA standards.

The two official pages describe the vet-letter rule a little differently. The American Airlines passenger page (2026) says the letter must be dated within 10 days of the first flight. The American Airlines Cargo page (2026) gives the 20–44°F acclimation wording instead. If your trip is close to a cutoff, ask the PetEmbark desk which version applies to you.

Which breeds can’t fly in cargo on American Airlines?

American Airlines Cargo (2026) refuses brachycephalic and snub-nosed dogs and cats, and their mixes, due to the risks associated with their hereditary respiratory issues. It also refuses some breeds it calls historically aggressive.

Restricted dog breeds

Affenpinscher, American Bully, American Staffordshire Terrier, Boston Terrier, Boxer (all), Brussels Griffon, Bulldog (all), Cane Corso, Chow Chow, Dogue de Bordeaux, English Toy Spaniel, Japanese Chin, Lhasa Apso, Mastiff (all), Pekingese, Pit Bull, Presa Canario, Pug (all), Shar Pei, Shih Tzu, Staffordshire Terrier and Tibetan Spaniel.

Restricted cat breeds

Burmese, Exotic Shorthair, Himalayan and Persian.

For mixed-breed pets, the breed verification form must name the predominant breed followed by the word mix or mixed. The breed lists also differ slightly between pages: the cargo list includes American Bully, but the checked-pet list on aa.com does not. If you are booking cargo, follow the cargo list.

Aircraft, route and destination restrictions

• Aircraft: American Airlines Cargo (2026) does not carry animals on Airbus 319, 320, 321, 321E, 321H, 321S, 321X, 32Q and 32B aircraft, except between New York JFK and Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO). The stated reason is that these aircraft lack the needed heating and ventilation.
• Flight length: under U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rules, American will not carry warm-blooded animals on any single flight of 12 hours or longer.
• Canada: no animals are carried outbound from Canada.
• China: no mammals or birds to or from China.
• United Kingdom: cats, dogs and ferrets are accepted only into London Heathrow (LHR) and Manchester (MAN), and a customs broker is required.
• Hawaii: Honolulu (HNL) is the only port of entry, and pets may face up to 120 days of state quarantine.
• California: no ferrets to or from the state.
• International origin: pets shipped from outside the U.S. must be booked through an IATA-regulated freight forwarder or a professional pet shipper that holds an American Airlines Cargo account.

Dogs entering the United States

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has set entry requirements for all dogs since August 1, 2024. Which rules apply depends on where the dog was vaccinated and which countries it has been in during the previous 6 months. In response, American Airlines Cargo (2026) has stopped taking new bookings for dogs that start in a CDC high-risk rabies country, or that spent any time in one within 6 months of travel. Dogs from low-risk or rabies-free countries need a printed CDC Dog Import Form receipt at drop-off. American Airlines Cargo suggests allowing 24–48 hours to receive it.

How to book American Airlines cargo pet travel: step by step

1. Check eligibility. Make sure the breed, aircraft type, route and season are all allowed under the American Airlines Cargo policies page.
2. Book within the window. American Airlines Cargo (2026) accepts bookings up to 10 days before the flight and recommends booking at least 24 hours ahead. Inbound flights to London Heathrow have a 60-day window. The PetEmbark desk is at 1-800-227-4622, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time, seven days a week, or [email protected].
3. See a veterinarian. Get a health certificate and rabies certificate. For international trips, use a USDA-accredited veterinarian. USDA APHIS (2026) advises contacting one as soon as you decide to travel.
4. Prepare the kennel. Use a rigid kennel your pet can stand, turn and lie down in, with a welded or cast metal door. It needs ventilation on at least three sides for domestic trips and four for international trips. Attach empty food and water dishes inside, and tape a bag of dry food to the top.
5. Complete the forms. These include the Customer Acknowledgment Form, the breed verification form, an acclimation letter if needed, and the international shipper certificate plus an English translation of the health certificate for international trips.
6. Feed and water on schedule. Offer food and water within 4 hours before drop-off and provide signed written certification of the time, as federal regulations require.
7. Arrive early. American Airlines Cargo recommends arriving at least 2 hours before domestic flights and 4 hours before international flights, and you must meet your station’s minimum drop-off time.
8. Track the shipment. Use your air waybill number in the American Airlines Cargo online tracking tool.

What documents does a cargo pet need?

American Airlines Cargo’s FAQ (2026) lists the following:

• Health certificate (see the timing note below)
• Rabies certificate
• Breed verification form
• Acknowledgment forms
• Temperature acclimation letter, if needed
• For international trips: English translation of the health certificate, the international shipper certificate, and any destination-country forms

The sources disagree on health-certificate timing. The American Airlines Cargo FAQ (2026) says the certificate must be dated within 10 days of the animal’s arrival at the destination, and that return trips more than 10 days later need a new exam. The aa.com checked-pet section (2026) allows 60 days for a return on the same ticket. For cargo shipments, follow the stricter Cargo rule.

For international destinations, USDA APHIS (2026) points owners to its Pet Travel website for each country’s entry rules. Separately, American Airlines (2026) notes that pets entering the European Union need a tattoo or implanted microchip that matches the vaccination record.

Kennel and comfort rules

American Airlines Cargo’s kennel rules are based on the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Live Animals Regulations (LAR). IATA describes the LAR as the reference for container requirements, documentation and handling. According to IATA, the 53rd edition (2027) updates container dimensions for snub-nosed breeds and ventilation standards.

• Remove all collars, harnesses, leashes, cone collars and clothing before drop-off, because they are choking hazards.
• Bedding is fine but no more than 3 inches deep. Straw, hay and wood shavings are not allowed.
• Toys are not allowed. A T-shirt that smells like you is allowed.
• Two puppies or two kittens can share a kennel if each is under 20 lb, under 6 months old and similar in size.
• Dogs must have a paid comfort stop if the first leg is 7 or more hours and includes a connection, if a same-day connection is 7 or more hours or not possible, or if the whole trip is longer than 24 hours.

American will not accept sedated dogs or cats. American Airlines Cargo (2026) cites the AVMA’s warning that sedated pets face a higher risk of respiratory and cardiovascular problems at high altitudes. Instead, it recommends getting your pet used to the kennel two to three weeks before the trip.

How safe is cargo pet travel on American Airlines?

U.S. airlines must report animal losses, injuries and deaths to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), which publishes them in its monthly Air Travel Consumer Report. A 2026 summary of DOT data by PetFlight counted 3 American Airlines incidents in 2025: one dog lost on January 8 and two dogs injured on June 3 and July 3, with no deaths. Across all reporting carriers, the same summary counted 8 incidents in 2025, compared with 12 in 2024.

These numbers are small, but they do not include unreported events or the total number of animals carried. American Airlines Cargo’s acknowledgment form also says American won’t be liable for any loss, damage, delay or expense arising from injury to or illness of your pet. Owners must also pay for vet care if the consulting vet finds the condition was pre-existing.

Airline pet travel documents vs. Animal Passport

Search results for this topic often mix up pet travel paperwork with digital animal ID products, so here is the difference.

• Official travel documents include USDA-endorsed health certificates, the CDC Dog Import Form, EU entry documents and the American Airlines Cargo acknowledgment and breed forms. These are what airlines and border authorities check.
• Animal Passport is a digital animal and livestock passport built on muzzle biometrics. An animal’s nose print is unique, like a fingerprint. A phone photo links the animal to a record of owner, breed, estimated age (from a dental photo, with a confidence score), body condition score from 1 to 5 (from a side-profile photo) and vaccination history.

Animal Passport is not a government-issued travel document. It does not replace a veterinarian’s health certificate, a microchip required by a destination country, or any American Airlines form, and it does not provide veterinary diagnosis or legal advice. It was built for identity and ownership, for example in the August 2025 livestock flood rescue in Pakistan, where farmers used it to reclaim animals after paper tags washed away. More on animal identification is on the Animal Passport blog.

Bottom line

For most travelers, flying a large pet on American Airlines means booking American PetEmbark. Your chances depend on four things: a non-brachycephalic breed, a route on approved aircraft, temperatures between 45°F and 85°F at every stop, and complete paperwork. As of October 2026, confirm the details with American Airlines Cargo before booking, and have a USDA-accredited veterinarian check your destination’s rules.