Delta Flying With Dog in 2026: In-Cabin Rules, Fees, Kennels and Documents

Delta flying with dog means taking a small pet dog in the cabin of a Delta Air Lines flight, inside a ventilated kennel that fits under the seat in front of you. As of September 2026, Delta charges $150 each way within the U.S. and Canada, or $200 each way internationally. Book the pet through Delta Reservations and check in at the Special Service Counter. Delta Cargo is not currently accepting household pets from the general public.

This guide was last updated on September 29, 2026 by the Animal Passport editorial team. Every rule below comes from Delta Air Lines, Delta Cargo, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) or the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Airline pet policies change often, so check Delta's own page again before you fly.

What is Delta's pet policy for dogs in 2026?

Delta Air Lines says small dogs, cats and household birds that meet its age, health, size and kennel rules can fly in the cabin on domestic flights within the contiguous U.S. for a one-way fee collected at check-in. That is stated on Delta's Pet Travel Overview page (2026). Dogs can travel outside the contiguous U.S. only if the owner has every document needed to enter the destination and, where relevant, to return home.

Larger dogs have far fewer options. Delta's travel-agent pet policy page says Delta Cargo has an embargo on all pet-in-hold bookings with no end date. The only exception is active U.S. military personnel and U.S. State Department Foreign Service Officers (and their spouses) with change-of-assignment orders, and only on flights under 12 hours (Delta Professional, 2026). The Delta Cargo live-animal page also says a household-pets embargo is in place until further notice (Delta Cargo, 2026).

In practice, most owners flying Delta with a dog need a dog small enough to ride under the seat. If your dog is too big for that, and it is not a trained service dog, Delta cannot carry it for you as of September 2026.

How much does it cost to fly a dog on Delta?

Delta charges the in-cabin pet fee each way, and the amount depends on when your ticket was issued. The table below uses Delta Air Lines' Pet Travel Overview (2026).

Where sources disagree: Delta's travel-agent page lists $200 for travel within the U.S. That figure sits under the checked pet-in-hold section, which only military and Foreign Service travelers can use. It is not the in-cabin fee. Delta's older Pet Travel Requirements page also still carries outdated figures, such as a 10-week minimum age. Treat the current Pet Travel Overview as the authoritative cabin fee, and remember that Delta says the fee is set by the contract of carriage in force when the ticket is issued.

What size carrier does Delta allow for dogs?

Delta Air Lines recommends a soft-sided kennel no larger than 18 x 11 x 11 inches, which it says fits most aircraft types (Delta Pet Travel Overview, 2026). Under-seat space varies by aircraft, so the real maximum depends on the plane you are booked on. Delta's other kennel rules are:

• One pet kennel per passenger.
• The dog must be able to move around without touching or sticking out of the sides.
• The kennel must fit fully under the seat in front of you.
• Soft-sided kennels must be leak-proof, with ventilation on 3 sides for domestic flights and 4 sides for international flights.
• The kennel counts as carry-on baggage. You can bring 1 personal item or 1 carry-on bag in addition.
• The dog stays in the kennel with the door secured at the gate, in a Delta Sky Club and on board.

Delta does not publish a weight limit for in-cabin dogs. What matters is whether the dog fits the kennel and the kennel fits under the seat.

How old does a dog need to be to fly on Delta?

According to Delta Air Lines (2026), a pet must be at least 8 weeks old for domestic travel and at least 15 weeks old to travel to the European Union. A dog must be at least 6 months old to fly into the United States from another country. That last rule matches the CDC requirement that every dog entering the U.S. be at least 6 months old.

Delta usually allows one pet per kennel. The exceptions are a mother with an unweaned litter aged 8 weeks to 6 months, or two compatible pets of the same breed and size aged 8 weeks to 6 months, which are charged as one pet.

How many dogs can fly in the cabin on a Delta flight?

Delta books cabin pets first come, first served, and caps them per cabin (Delta Pet Travel Overview, 2026):

• Delta Comfort and Delta Main: up to 4 pets.
• Delta First (domestic, including Canada, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam): up to 2 pets, and none in cabins with flat-bed seats.
• Delta One, Delta Premium Select and international Business Class: no pets (service animals excepted).

Passengers with a cabin pet also cannot sit in bulkhead rows, exit rows, seats marked no-stowage, flat-bed seats, rows 46 to 51 on the Airbus A330-200, rows 54 to 59 on the A330-300, or middle seats on the Boeing 757-200.

Another disagreement: Delta's consumer page says no pets in international Business Class. Delta's travel-agent page says Delta is accepting cabin pets in international Business and First Class when the aircraft does not have flat-bed seats. Confirm your specific flight with Delta Reservations.

How to book and fly with your dog on Delta: step by step

1. Check the route. Make sure neither your origin nor your destination is on Delta's list of places where cabin pets are not allowed (see below).
2. Measure your dog and kennel. Write down the kennel's length, width and height, plus your dog's breed and weight. Delta's travel-agent page says bookings need the breed, weight and kennel dimensions.
3. Book your own ticket, then call Delta Reservations as soon as possible to add the pet, before the cabin limit fills up.
4. Get the documents. For international trips, contact a USDA-accredited veterinarian as soon as you decide to travel, as USDA APHIS advises (Travel With a Pet page, last modified March 20, 2026). Dogs flying into the U.S. need the CDC Dog Import Form receipt.
5. Check in at the Special Service Counter. A Delta agent checks the dog and kennel, collects the fee and gives you a cabin pet tag. Allow extra time.
6. Go through security. Delta says you will have to take your dog out of the kennel at the checkpoint. After that, the dog stays in the kennel except in designated pet relief areas.
7. Board and stow the kennel under the seat in front of you. Keep the dog inside the kennel for the whole flight.

Delta warns that breaking its pet rules, including letting the dog out of the kennel at the airport or on board, can cost you the right to fly with a pet in the future.

Where can't you take a dog in the cabin on Delta?

Delta Air Lines' Pet Travel Overview (2026) says pets are not permitted in the cabin to or from:

• Australia, Barbados, Hong Kong, Iceland, Jamaica, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates
• Hawaii (no pets on flights to Hawaii)
• Brazil, Colombia and the Dominican Republic, for pets originating there

Delta's travel-agent pet policy page also lists Ireland, which the consumer page does not. That page says the Dominican Republic cabin-pet embargo began on January 24, 2025, and the Brazil and Colombia embargo applies to tickets bought on or after June 7, 2021. Customers who started their trip in the U.S. can generally return with their pet if they meet CDC rules. If you are flying to Ireland with a dog, confirm with Delta before you book.

Which documents does a dog need to fly Delta internationally?

Returning to or entering the United States

The CDC is the main authority for dogs entering or returning to the United States, according to USDA APHIS (2026). Under the CDC rules in effect since August 1, 2024, every dog entering the U.S. must be at least 6 months old, microchipped, healthy-looking and accompanied by a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. Extra documents depend on where the dog was vaccinated against rabies and whether it has been in a high-risk rabies country in the past 6 months. A U.S.-vaccinated dog returning from a high-risk country needs a Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination, which a USDA-accredited veterinarian must submit before the dog leaves the U.S. (USDA APHIS, 2026).

Flying to Mexico after August 3, 2026

Delta Air Lines says that from August 3, 2026, all dogs entering Mexico need a New World Screwworm Inspection Certificate completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian. The certificate must be issued no more than 5 days before arrival, and Delta checks it at check-in. USDA APHIS also requires similar screwworm documentation, issued within 5 days, for dogs arriving in the U.S. from affected countries.

Flying to the European Union

Delta requires pets flying to the EU to be at least 15 weeks old. For the official entry paperwork, USDA APHIS advises owners to work with a USDA-accredited veterinarian. The vet checks the destination's requirements and helps you get a USDA-endorsed pet health certificate. That certificate is a different document from the product described at the end of this article.

Service dogs and emotional support animals on Delta

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Air Carrier Access Act final rule, published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2020, defines a service animal as a dog of any breed that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. The rule lets airlines treat emotional support animals as pets. Delta Air Lines applies this rule: emotional support animals are not recognized as service animals and must travel under the pet policy, with the pet fee and kennel rules (Delta Trained Service Animals page, 2026).

For trained service dogs, Delta requires the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form, plus the DOT Relief Attestation Form for flights of 8 hours or more. Submit them at least 48 hours before departure. Delta allows up to 2 service animals per passenger. Service dogs must be at least 4 months old, fully vaccinated and able to fit in your foot space. Delta charges no fee for them.

Which dog breeds are restricted on Delta?

Delta's travel-agent page says Delta does not accept snub-nosed (brachycephalic) dogs or cats as checked baggage or cargo, with no military exception. Delta's older requirements page lists breeds including Boston Terrier, Boxer, Bulldog, French Bulldog, Pug, Shih Tzu and all Mastiff breeds. These restrictions apply to the hold and cargo, not to the cabin. A small snub-nosed dog that meets the kennel rules is not barred from the cabin by this list. Even so, ask your veterinarian whether your dog is fit to fly.

What about large dogs, farm animals and livestock?

Delta Cargo's live-animal page lists farm animals among the species it transports, excluding cattle, horses and any animals with horns. It also says household pets are under an embargo until further notice (Delta Cargo, 2026). Shipments must follow the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Live Animals Regulations for containers, be tendered at a Delta Cargo warehouse, and meet a ground temperature window of 20 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Owners of large dogs usually turn to a professional pet shipper or to another airline that still carries pets in the hold.

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

People searching for Delta pet rules often come across the term animal passport, so the distinction matters. The EU pet passport, the UK pet travel scheme, USDA APHIS health certificates and the CDC Dog Import Form are official documents issued under government schemes. Airlines such as Delta check those at the counter.

Animal Passport is a separate product: a digital animal and livestock passport based on muzzle biometrics. An animal's nose print is unique, much like a human fingerprint. It is captured with a phone, and the record links the animal to its owner, breed, estimated age, body condition and vaccination history. The platform can estimate age from a dental photograph with a confidence score and gives a body condition score from 1 to 5 from a side-profile photo. In August 2025 it was used in livestock flood rescue in Pakistan, helping farmers reclaim animals after paper tags washed away.

Animal Passport is not a government-issued travel document, not an EU pet passport and not something Delta Air Lines asks for. It gives no veterinary or legal advice. For a Delta flight, rely on your veterinarian, USDA APHIS and the CDC for the official paperwork. For more on animal identity and travel rules, see the Animal Passport blog.

Bottom line

As of September 2026, flying Delta with a dog works well for small dogs. Use a soft kennel of about 18 x 11 x 11 inches, call Delta Reservations early, budget $150 each way in the U.S. or $200 internationally, and sort out CDC and USDA paperwork weeks before an international trip. Delta cannot currently carry large pet dogs for the general public. Delta's own pages disagree on a few details, including Ireland and international Business Class, so confirm your exact flight with Delta Reservations before you pay.