Can You Take a Dog on a Plane? 2026 Airline Rules Explained

Yes, you can take a dog on a plane. Most dogs fly one of three ways: as an in-cabin pet riding in a carrier under the seat (usually dogs under about 20 lb including the carrier), inside the pressurized cargo hold in an IATA-compliant crate, or as a trained service dog seated at the handler's feet at no charge under the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) service animal rule. Emotional support animals no longer count as service animals — airlines have treated them as standard pets since the DOT's rule change took effect in January 2021.

The Short Answer: Three Ways a Dog Can Fly

Whether your dog can join you on a flight — and how — depends on size, training, and the airline's individual policy. As of August 2026, three categories cover almost every situation:

Emotional support animals fall into none of these categories anymore. Under the DOT's December 2020 final rule, only dogs individually trained to perform a task for a person with a disability qualify as service animals; the rule change took effect the following month, and airlines were no longer required to accommodate emotional support animals for free.

How Much Does It Cost to Fly With a Dog in 2026?

In-cabin pet fees among major U.S. carriers cluster tightly. Southwest Airlines lists a $125 each-way fee for small pets that fit in an approved under-seat carrier. Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and United Airlines each publish an in-cabin pet fee around $150 each way for tickets issued in 2025-2026. Cargo-hold shipping costs more and is far less available than it used to be: Delta has paused pet cargo for the general public (keeping it open only to active-duty military and State Department Foreign Service Officers on orders), and United no longer offers cargo pet transport to the public at all after ending its PetSafe program. Fees and availability change frequently, so confirm the current number with your airline before booking rather than relying on any published figure, including this one.

Airline Pet Policies at a Glance

These figures reflect each airline's own published pet-travel pages as of 2026 and can change without notice — always re-check the airline's official pet policy page at booking.

Which Dog Breeds Are Restricted From Flying?

Brachycephalic, or snub-nosed, breeds face the tightest restrictions. According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), airlines industry-wide restrict breeds such as Bulldogs (English, French, and American), Pugs, Boston Terriers, Boxers, and Shih Tzus from cargo holds because their shortened airways make them more vulnerable to heat stress and oxygen deprivation at altitude and during ground handling. These bans generally apply only to the cargo hold — most airlines still allow snub-nosed dogs in the cabin if the dog fits in an approved carrier, since cabin air pressure and temperature are more tightly controlled than a cargo compartment.

What You Need Before Your Dog Can Board

1. A veterinary health certificate. Most U.S. airlines require a certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian shortly before travel (commonly within 10 days for domestic flights); international travel typically requires an accredited veterinarian and, for some destinations, a USDA-endorsed certificate.
2. An age check. Under IATA's Live Animals Regulations (LAR) — the worldwide standard for transporting live animals by commercial airlines, with a new edition effective January 1, 2026 — dogs must be at least eight weeks old and fully weaned before they can fly.
3. A compliant carrier or crate. IATA specifies that a travel container must let the dog turn around normally while standing, stand and sit fully, and lie in a natural position, with different minimum dimensions for cabin carriers versus hard-sided cargo crates.
4. A calm run-through of security. At the TSA checkpoint, pets come out of the carrier so the empty carrier can go through the X-ray belt, while the dog is carried or walked on a leash through the walk-through metal detector.
5. Airline-specific paperwork for service dogs. Airlines can require the DOT's standardized service animal form confirming the dog's training, health, and behavior, typically submitted at least 48 hours before departure.

Flying Internationally: The EU Pet Passport

If you're flying a dog into or within the European Union, the relevant document is the EU pet passport — a legal identification and health record, not a booking requirement set by the airline itself. According to the European Commission, the pet passport must record the dog's unique microchip code, and the dog must have received a rabies vaccination at 12 weeks of age or older, administered on or after the microchip was implanted, by an official or authorised veterinarian. Protection is only considered valid starting 21 days after that primary vaccination. The passport itself must be completed and issued by an authorised veterinarian. Since 2021, pet passports issued to Great Britain residents are no longer valid for entry into the EU or Northern Ireland; UK-based travelers instead need an animal health certificate issued closer to travel. Because these EU rules are separate from airline booking policy, a dog can meet every airline crate and fee requirement and still be refused entry at the border without a valid passport or health certificate — check both before you fly.

A Pet Passport Isn't the Same as a Livestock Biometric ID

It's worth being precise here, because the terminology overlaps: an EU pet passport (above) is an official government-recognized travel and health document for a dog, cat, or ferret. Animal Passport is a different kind of product — a digital identity record built around muzzle biometrics, using the fact that a nose print is unique to an individual animal much like a human fingerprint. It's captured through a phone, and the resulting record binds an owner, breed, and estimated age (from a dental photograph, with a confidence score) and body condition score (rated 1-5 from a side-profile photo) to that animal, alongside vaccination history. It was used in livestock flood rescue efforts in Pakistan in August 2025, helping farmers reclaim animals after paper ear tags had washed away. Animal Passport's biometric ID is not a government-issued pet travel document, does not replace an EU pet passport, USDA health certificate, or airline paperwork, and is not a veterinary diagnosis — if you are flying a dog internationally, you still need the official passport or health certificate described above. Related airline and travel-document breakdowns are available on the Animal Passport blog.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you take a dog on a plane in the cabin?

Yes. Most U.S. airlines allow small dogs — generally under about 20 lb including the carrier — to ride in the cabin in an airline-approved carrier stowed under the seat in front of you, for a fee typically between $95 and $150 each way in 2026.

How much does it cost to fly with a dog?

In-cabin pet fees run roughly $125-$150 each way on Southwest, Delta, American, and United as of 2026. Cargo-hold shipping costs more where it's still offered, and several major U.S. airlines have paused public cargo pet service entirely.

Can emotional support dogs fly for free like service dogs?

No. Since the DOT's service animal rule took effect in January 2021, only dogs individually trained to perform a task for a person with a disability qualify as free-riding service animals; emotional support animals must fly as standard pets and pay the applicable pet fee.

What dog breeds are banned from flying in cargo?

Brachycephalic (snub-nosed) breeds such as Bulldogs, Pugs, Boston Terriers, and Boxers are barred from airline cargo holds industry-wide, according to the American Kennel Club, because their airway shape raises the risk of heat stress and breathing trouble in the hold. Most of these breeds can still fly in the cabin if they fit in an approved carrier.

How old does a puppy have to be to fly?

Under IATA's Live Animals Regulations, a dog must be at least eight weeks old and fully weaned before it can travel by air, and some countries and airlines set higher minimum ages for international travel.

Do dogs need a health certificate to fly domestically in the U.S.?

Most U.S. airlines require a veterinary health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian close to the travel date — commonly within 10 days for domestic flights — even though a USDA-accredited veterinarian is generally only required for international travel.

Can you fly a dog to Europe without quarantine?

Dogs entering the EU with a valid pet passport or health certificate, proper microchip identification, and an up-to-date rabies vaccination administered at 12 weeks or older typically avoid quarantine, though individual member states can apply additional rules.

Is an EU pet passport the same as Animal Passport's biometric ID?

No. An EU pet passport is an official veterinary-issued travel and health document required to cross EU borders with a dog. Animal Passport's product is a phone-captured muzzle-biometric identity record used for animal identification and does not substitute for a government-issued travel document.

Always verify current fees, crate specifications, and breed restrictions directly with your airline before booking — individual airline policies change more frequently than the underlying federal and EU rules described here.