Delta Airlines Pet Travel: Rules, Fees, and Required Documents (2026)

Delta airlines pet travel means flying with a small dog, cat, or household bird in the cabin for a fee — Delta Air Lines charges $150 each way on domestic U.S./Canada routes and $200 each way internationally for tickets issued on or after April 8, 2025, and requires the pet to ride in an approved carrier under the seat in front of you, according to Delta's official pet travel page. Pet cargo shipping is currently paused for most customers. Below is what Delta actually requires, the federal rules behind it, and how it differs from official travel documents like the EU pet passport.

Delta's official in-cabin pet policy at a glance

Delta allows small dogs, cats, and household birds to travel in the cabin on most domestic and many international flights. Reservations are first-come, first-served because each aircraft has a strict cap on the number of pet carriers allowed onboard, and pets cannot be added through online check-in or third-party booking sites — you must call Delta Reservations directly, per Delta's pet travel page (delta.com).

Where in-cabin pets are not allowed

Delta does not permit pets in the cabin on flights to or from Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Iceland, Jamaica, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates, according to Delta's pet travel page. These restrictions typically reflect the destination country's own quarantine or import rules, not just a Delta preference, so check the destination government's requirements as well before booking.

Pets also cannot sit in bulkhead rows, emergency exit rows, "no stowage" rows, flat-bed seats, or certain rows on specific aircraft types, since there must be floor space in front of the passenger's seat for the carrier.

Delta pet cargo: currently paused

As of this writing, Delta has paused pet shipping through its cargo hold for the general public. The service remains available only to active-duty U.S. military members and State Department Foreign Service Officers traveling on Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders, per Delta's official policy. Travelers who need cargo transport for a large dog should check with Delta directly for current availability or research alternative pet-shipping carriers.

The federal paperwork behind airline pet travel

Airline pet policy is only half the picture — U.S. federal agencies set the health and identification rules a pet must meet before an airline will let it board at all.

Interstate (domestic) travel

The United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) does not endorse health certificates for pets moving between U.S. states or territories. Instead, requirements are set by the destination state's veterinarian office, so travelers should confirm requirements with that state before flying, per USDA APHIS.

International travel out of the U.S.

For international trips, USDA APHIS advises contacting a USDA-accredited veterinarian as early as possible. That vet determines the destination country's entry rules — vaccinations, tests, or treatments — and helps obtain a USDA-endorsed international health certificate, which almost every country requires within a set number of days before departure, per USDA APHIS.

Dogs entering or returning to the United States

Separately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires all dogs entering or returning to the U.S. to be accompanied by a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, appear healthy, be microchipped, and be at least 6 months old. Dogs arriving from countries the CDC classifies as high-risk for dog rabies need additional documentation, including — for U.S.-vaccinated dogs traveling abroad — a Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian before departure, per CDC.gov.

Industry standards

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) publishes the Live Animals Regulations (LAR), the global baseline airlines reference for animal welfare and container standards — for example, a pet carrier must let the animal turn around, stand, sit, and lie in a natural position. IATA is explicit that individual airlines like Delta set their own cabin dimensions and fees on top of this baseline, per IATA.org.

Delta pet travel vs. the EU pet passport: don't confuse the two

A common point of confusion is treating an airline's pet policy as the same thing as an official government travel document. It isn't. Delta's in-cabin rules govern whether an airline will let a carrier onboard; the EU pet passport is a separate, government-recognized identity and health document.

Under the European Union's official rules for travelling with pets, an EU pet passport is available only for dogs, cats, and ferrets, issued by an authorized veterinarian, and it records the animal's microchip number and rabies vaccination history. The European Union states a pet must be at least 12 weeks old before its first rabies vaccination and must wait at least 21 days after that vaccination before travel, per the European Union's official Your Europe portal. Travelers entering the EU from outside the bloc instead need an EU animal health certificate, issued by an official government vet within 10 days of travel.

Delta's own age minimum for cabin travel to the EU (15 weeks) is a Delta booking rule; it does not replace the EU's separate vaccination and passport requirements. Always satisfy the destination government's rules first, then check the airline's cabin policy.

How Animal Passport's biometric ID fits — and where it doesn't

Animal Passport is a different category of product from any airline pet policy or government travel document. It's a phone-based digital identity record that uses muzzle biometrics — a nose print that is unique to each animal, similar to a human fingerprint — to bind an owner's record to a specific animal, along with breed, an estimated age generated from a dental photograph with a confidence score, and a body condition score (1–5) from a side-profile photo. Owners can also log vaccination history in the record.

This tool was used during livestock flood rescue efforts in Pakistan in August 2025, where it let farmers reclaim animals after paper ear tags were washed away — a use case built for herd identification in a disaster, not for booking or documenting an airline pet.

Animal Passport does not replace a Delta cabin reservation, a USDA-endorsed international health certificate, a CDC Dog Import Form, or an EU pet passport. It is not a veterinary diagnosis, legal document, or government-issued travel credential unless a specific official authority states otherwise. If you're flying Delta with a pet, you still need Delta's phone reservation and the destination country's official paperwork; a biometric ID record is a separate identity tool, most relevant today for livestock and herd management rather than commercial air travel. Learn more about how the identity model works at Animal Passport, or read more use cases on the Animal Passport blog.

Step-by-step: booking a pet on a Delta flight

1. Book your own airline ticket first through delta.com or your travel agent.
2. Call Delta Reservations to add your pet — this cannot be done through online check-in or a third-party site, per Delta's policy.
3. Confirm your carrier meets the soft-sided, under-seat dimensions Delta recommends (18 x 11 x 11 in) with the correct mesh ventilation (3 sides domestic, 4 sides international).
4. Check whether your destination is on Delta's list of countries that don't allow in-cabin pets.
5. Contact a USDA-accredited veterinarian well before departure if you're traveling internationally, to start the health certificate process.
6. If entering or returning to the U.S. with a dog, complete the CDC Dog Import Form online before travel.
7. Arrive with all required paperwork and pay the in-cabin fee ($150 domestic / $200 international) at check-in.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to bring a pet on a Delta flight?

Delta charges $150 each way for in-cabin pets on domestic U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands routes, and $200 each way on international routes, for tickets issued on or after April 8, 2025, per Delta's official pet travel page.

What size carrier does Delta allow in the cabin?

Delta recommends a soft-sided carrier no larger than 18 x 11 x 11 inches that fits fully under the seat in front of you, but the exact usable space depends on the aircraft type, so Delta advises confirming fit is not guaranteed on every flight.

Can I ship my pet as cargo on Delta?

Not currently for most travelers. Delta has paused pet cargo shipping for the general public, and the service is limited to active-duty U.S. military and State Department Foreign Service Officers on PCS orders, per Delta.com.

Can I book a pet seat online with Delta?

No. Delta requires you to call Delta Reservations directly to add a pet to your booking; pets cannot be added through online check-in or third-party travel websites.

Which countries does Delta not allow in-cabin pets to or from?

Delta lists Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Iceland, Jamaica, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates as destinations where in-cabin pets are not permitted.

Is a Delta pet reservation the same as a pet passport?

No. A Delta pet reservation only confirms cabin space on the aircraft. Government travel documents like the EU pet passport are separate and are issued by an authorized veterinarian to record microchip and rabies vaccination status under European Union rules.

What paperwork do I need for my dog to enter or return to the U.S.?

All dogs entering or returning to the United States need a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, must be at least 6 months old, microchipped, and appear healthy; dogs from CDC-designated high-risk countries need additional rabies documentation, per CDC.gov.

Does Animal Passport book Delta pet flights or replace USDA paperwork?

No. Animal Passport is a biometric identity record using muzzle prints, an estimated age from a dental photo, and a body condition score — it is a separate identity tool, not an airline booking system or a substitute for USDA, CDC, or EU pet-travel documentation.

Bottom line

As of August 2026, flying Delta with a pet means paying $150–$200 each way for a cabin spot in an approved carrier, calling Delta Reservations to book it, and separately satisfying USDA, CDC, or destination-country paperwork depending on where you're headed. Airline pet policy and government pet-travel documents are two different systems — plan for both, and don't assume one covers the other.