American Airlines Pets Policy: Carry-On Fees, Carrier Sizes, Cargo and Entry Rules (October 2026)

The American Airlines pets policy lets small cats and dogs fly in the cabin, in a carrier under the seat, for $150 per kennel each way on routes within and between the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Hawaii, trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific flights are excluded. Checked pets are reserved for active-duty U.S. military and U.S. State Department staff on official orders. Every other pet that is too big for the cabin flies with American Airlines Cargo. Trained service dogs fly free.

In short, the American Airlines pets policy is the set of rules that American Airlines publishes on aa.com for carry-on pets, checked pets, cargo pets and service animals. It covers fees, carrier sizes, breed and age limits, temperature embargoes and destination entry rules. This guide is current as of October 2026 and is based on American Airlines' own pages plus the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS). Fees and entry rules change often, so confirm with the airline before you book.

Byline: Animal Passport editorial team. Last updated: October 10, 2026. We report on animal identity and movement records. This article is general information, not legal or veterinary advice.

American Airlines pet options at a glance

American Airlines sorts animals into four travel categories. Which one applies depends on the animal's species, size and destination, and on who is traveling with it.

How much does American Airlines charge for pets?

The carry-on pet fee is $150 per kennel, according to the American Airlines bag and optional fees page (2026). That price is the same in Main Cabin, Premium Economy, Business and First. It applies each way and is nonrefundable.

The checked pet fee for eligible military and State Department travelers is $200 per kennel, or $150 to and from Brazil (American Airlines, 2026). If your trip includes a stopover or connection of 4 hours or more, American charges the fee again for each segment.

Cargo prices vary. American Airlines Cargo says smaller domestic pets fly as Priority Parcel Service (PPS) and larger or international pets fly as ExpediteFS. It adds a $150 handling fee per air waybill to the animal rates (American Airlines Cargo, 2026).

American does not accept cash or checks for pet fees. You pay by credit card or paper voucher at the airport or a travel center. It also does not collect pet fees for flights operated by partner airlines, even if they carry an American flight number. You pay those at check-in with the operating carrier.

Carry-on pet rules on American Airlines

Eligible animals and routes

Only cats and dogs can travel as carry-on pets. They must meet size, age and destination requirements (American Airlines, 2026). Pets flying within the U.S. and Puerto Rico must be at least 8 weeks old. American says pets can travel on most flights up to 12 hours, including within the 48 contiguous states, Alaska, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Thomas, and to Canada and Mexico.

As of October 2026, American Airlines does not allow carry-on pets on these routes:

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

Dogs that come from, or have visited, a country the CDC lists as high-risk for dog rabies in the previous six months cannot fly as carry-on pets. This embargo does not apply to service dogs that meet CDC requirements.

Carrier size limits

American Airlines publishes these maximum carrier dimensions (2026):

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

Your pet must fit comfortably inside the closed carrier. Soft-sided carriers must be padded and water-repellent, with mesh ventilation on at least three sides. Your pet has to stay in the carrier, under the seat in front of you, for the whole flight.

Cabin limits and seating

Most American mainline aircraft accept up to 20 pet carriers across all cabins, not counting service animals. American Eagle regional jets allow 1 carrier in the premium cabin and 5 in Main Cabin. Pets are not allowed in Premium cabins on the Boeing 777 and 787 or the Airbus A321XLR, because those seats lack under-seat storage. On the three-cabin Airbus A321T, First and Business passengers use a dedicated animal compartment at the front of the plane, and pet plus carrier must weigh no more than 20 pounds.

You cannot sit in bulkhead or exit rows with a carry-on pet. The carrier counts as your carry-on bag, so you can add only one more item: either a personal item or a carry-on bag, not both. Pet strollers must be checked, and normal bag fees apply.

How to add a carry-on pet

1. Find your trip on aa.com or in the American app.
2. In Additional Services, select Add carry-on pets.
3. Review and agree to the carry-on pet requirements.
4. Choose the flights your pet will take, then confirm.
5. At the airport, go to the ticket counter to pay the fee and have the pet and carrier checked.

Checked pets: military and State Department only

American Airlines 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). Each eligible traveler may check up to 2 pets, on a first-come basis. You must:

• Contact Reservations at least 48 hours before travel.
• Check in at the ticket counter with your orders, between 2 and 4 hours before departure.
• Provide a health certificate issued by a vet within 10 days of travel.
• Sign a written certification that your pet was offered food and water within 4 hours before drop-off, as federal rules require.

The kennel must be rigid, with a metal door and ventilation on at least 3 sides for domestic travel or 4 sides for international travel. Pet and kennel together cannot weigh more than 100 pounds (45 kg). Checked pets cannot fly on Airbus A319, A320 or most A321 variants. Connections are only allowed through 10 hubs, including Charlotte (CLT), Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Miami (MIA).

American Airlines Cargo and American PetEmbark

If your pet is too big for the cabin and you are not eligible for checked travel, it must fly as cargo through American PetEmbark. According to American Airlines Cargo (2026):

• Pets on domestic flights within the continental U.S., Puerto Rico or into Hawaii fly as PPS if pet and kennel weigh less than 100 pounds and the kennel is no larger than 36 x 26 x 28 inches.
• International pets, pets flying out of Hawaii, and larger shipments fly as ExpediteFS.
• Pets coming from outside the U.S. must be booked through an IATA-regulated freight forwarder or professional pet shipper. International arrivals require a customs broker.
• Warm-blooded animals cannot fly on any single flight of 12 hours or longer. Cargo does not carry animals outbound from Canada, or mammals and birds to or from China.
• Active-duty military on PCS or TDY orders can get 50% off published domestic rates for cats and dogs.

Breed, sedation and temperature restrictions

Snub-nosed breeds

American will not accept brachycephalic (snub-nosed) cats or dogs, or mixes of those breeds, as checked or cargo pets. The banned cats are Burmese, Persian, Himalayan and Exotic Shorthair. The banned dogs include pugs, all bulldogs, Boston Terriers, boxers, Shih Tzus, all mastiffs and pit bulls. The two official lists differ slightly: American Airlines Cargo also names the American Bully, which is missing from the aa.com checked-pet list. If your dog is a borderline breed, plan around the stricter cargo list. These breed bans do not apply to carry-on pets.

No sedation

Following American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) guidance, American Airlines does not accept sedated or tranquilized dogs or cats. Sedatives raise the risk of breathing and heart problems at altitude.

Heat and cold embargoes

Pets flying as checked bags or cargo cannot travel if the current or forecast temperature at any airport on the itinerary is above 85°F (29.4°C) (American Airlines, 2026). From May 1 to September 30, pets outside the cabin cannot travel to, through or from Phoenix (PHX), Tucson (TUS), Las Vegas (LAS) or Palm Springs (PSP). Below 45°F (7.2°C), you need a vet's acclimation letter. Below 20°F (-6.6°C), no pet can be checked, even with a letter.

Service animals and 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. Service dogs fly in the cabin at no charge. Emotional support animals, comfort animals and service animals in training travel as pets, and pet fees apply (American Airlines, 2026).

American recommends submitting the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Service Animal Air Transportation Form at least 48 hours before your flight. Flights over 8 hours also require the DOT relief attestation form. Once you are approved, American emails you a Service Animal ID (SVAN ID) that you can reuse until the dog's vaccination expires. Each passenger may bring up to 2 service animals. Service animals must be at least 4 months old, leashed or harnessed, and able to fit at your feet, under the seat or on your lap.

Government entry rules that apply on top of the airline policy

Dogs entering the United States (CDC)

The CDC sets the rules for every dog entering the U.S., including service dogs and returning pet dogs. The current rules took effect on August 1, 2024 (CDC, 2024). A dog that has only been in dog-rabies-free or low-risk countries for the past 6 months needs:

• A CDC Dog Import Form receipt. It is free and valid for 6 months.
• A microchip that a universal scanner can read.
• A minimum age of 6 months at entry.
• A healthy appearance on arrival.

Dogs that have been in high-risk countries face extra requirements. American Airlines also refuses those dogs as carry-on pets.

Dogs flying to Mexico (USDA APHIS)

USDA APHIS reports that, effective August 3, 2026, Mexico requires a New World Screwworm (NWS) Inspection Certificate for pet dogs entering from the United States. A USDA-accredited veterinarian must sign it no more than 5 days before entry. American Airlines checks this certificate at check-in, including for service dogs. According to APHIS, pet cats still do not need a health certificate to enter Mexico. Dogs returning to the U.S. from Mexico must also meet APHIS screwworm requirements.

Hawaii, the EU and the United Kingdom

Pets can reach Hawaii only through Honolulu (HNL), and they may face up to 120 days of state quarantine (American Airlines Cargo, 2026). For checked pets going to the European Union, American requires a tattoo or implanted microchip that matches the ID number on the vaccination card. The airline does not accept checked pets to the U.K. or Ireland, apart from service animals. Cargo accepts cats, dogs and ferrets into London Heathrow (LHR) and Manchester (MAN).

Airline pet documents vs. Animal Passport: not the same thing

Readers sometimes confuse airline pet paperwork with "animal passports." They are different things. The documents that count for an American Airlines flight are the ones the airline and governments ask for. Examples include a USDA-accredited vet's health certificate, the CDC Dog Import Form, Mexico's NWS certificate, an EU-compliant microchip and vaccination record, and DOT service animal forms. The EU pet passport and the U.K. pet travel scheme are separate, official schemes run by those governments.

Animal Passport is a different kind of product. It is a digital animal and livestock passport that identifies animals by muzzle biometrics. An animal's nose print is unique, like a fingerprint, and it is captured with a phone. The record links the owner, breed, estimated age, body condition and vaccination history. Age is estimated from a dental photograph with a confidence score, and body condition is scored 1 to 5 from a side-profile photo. In August 2025, Animal Passport was used in livestock flood rescue in Pakistan, so farmers could reclaim animals after paper tags washed away.

Animal Passport is not a government-issued travel document. It does not replace a microchip, a CDC form, a USDA health certificate or an EU pet passport, and American Airlines does not list it as an accepted document. Its value is identity and recordkeeping, especially for livestock. More on animal identity is available on the Animal Passport blog.

Pre-flight checklist for flying American with a pet

1. Check that your route allows your pet's category (carry-on, checked or cargo).
2. Add the carry-on pet to your reservation early, because cabin spaces are capped per flight.
3. Measure the carrier against American's mainline or American Eagle limits.
4. Check destination rules: CDC for dogs entering the U.S., USDA APHIS for exports such as Mexico, and Hawaii's quarantine rules.
5. Book a USDA-accredited vet visit if you need a health certificate or NWS certificate, and time it to the 5- or 10-day windows.
6. Check the weather forecast at every airport if your pet flies outside the cabin.
7. Bring a credit card for the fee and arrive early to check in at the counter.