Delta Pet Policy In Cabin: Fees, Kennel Rules, and How to Book

As of September 2026, the Delta pet policy in cabin lets small dogs, cats, and—on U.S. domestic flights—household birds ride under the seat in an approved kennel for a one-way fee collected at check-in. Delta Air Lines charges $150 USD/CAD for tickets issued on or after April 8, 2025 on U.S./Canada/Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands routes, and $200 USD/CAD/EUR on most international itineraries, according to Delta’s Pet Travel Overview (2025–2026). Space is limited and first-come, first-served; you must call Delta Reservations to add the pet after booking your own ticket.

The Delta pet policy in cabin is Delta Air Lines’ set of rules for carrying a qualifying companion animal in the passenger cabin as a secured under-seat kennel, separate from cargo shipping and from trained service-animal rules. This guide summarizes fees, kennel size, seating limits, destination bans, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) dog import rules, and European Union (EU) pet-travel documents—and distinguishes those official travel schemes from Animal Passport’s biometric livestock identity product.

What the Delta pet policy in cabin covers

On domestic flights within the contiguous United States, Delta states that small dogs, cats, and household birds that meet age, health, size, and kennel requirements may travel in the cabin for a one-way fee collected at check-in, per Delta Air Lines’ Pet Travel Overview (as of 2026). Dog or cat travel outside the contiguous U.S. is permitted only when the passenger holds all required entry and return documentation and still meets Delta’s age, health, size, and kennel rules.

Household birds are limited to domestic U.S. flights only, according to Delta’s agency Pet Policies page (2025–2026). Pets in cabin are not the same as trained service animals; Delta directs service-animal travelers to separate guidelines on its pet-travel overview.

In-cabin pet fees (as of September 2026)

Delta ties the cabin fee to the contract of carriage in effect when the ticket was issued. On the consumer Pet Travel Overview, Delta Air Lines publishes these one-way fees:

Delta notes that a CAD amount is charged when exiting Canada and a EUR amount when exiting Europe, and that fees follow the contract of carriage at ticket issuance (Delta Air Lines, Pet Travel Overview). Older Delta pages and third-party summaries sometimes still quote pre–April 2025 amounts; when sources disagree, treat the live Pet Travel Overview and your ticket issue date as controlling, and confirm with Delta Reservations.

Fees are collected at the Special Service Counter at check-in. Delta’s agency materials also state that animal fees can be assessed each time a pet is checked in at stopover points for hold/cargo-style products; for cabin pets, arrive early so agents can verify the kennel and collect the published fee before you go to security.

How to book an in-cabin pet on Delta

1. Book your own seat first on a flight and cabin that allow under-seat pets (see seating limits below).
2. Call Delta Reservations promptly to request the pet. Delta uses a first-come, first-served limit on total pets per flight (Delta Air Lines, Pet Travel Overview).
3. Have kennel dimensions ready—length, width, and height—when you call, as Delta requests on its overview page.
4. Confirm destination rules for international or Hawaii/UK-style restricted markets before you rely on cabin space.
5. Check in at the Special Service Counter so agents can inspect the pet and kennel and collect the fee; then clear security and keep the animal secured afterward.

Per-cabin kennel caps on Delta-operated flights, as published on the Pet Travel Overview, are:

• Delta First (domestic), including Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam: up to 2 pets—not in cabins with flat-bed seats.
• Business Class (international), Delta One (domestic and international), and Delta Premium (domestic and international): 0 pets (service animals excluded from this ban).
• Delta Comfort / Delta Main (domestic and international): up to 4 pets, with possible further restrictions.

For flights operated by partner airlines, Delta tells customers to verify that carrier’s own in-cabin animal rules.

Kennel and size requirements

Delta requires one kennel per customer. The pet must fit comfortably with room to move without touching or protruding from the sides, and the kennel must fit fully under the seat directly in front of you (Delta Air Lines, Pet Travel Overview).

Delta recommends a soft-sided kennel with maximum dimensions of 18 inches × 11 inches × 11 inches because that size fits most aircraft types, while stressing that under-seat space varies by aircraft. Soft-sided kennels must be leak-proof and have ventilation openings on three sides for domestic travel and four sides for international travel, according to the same overview.

Delta’s agency Pet Policies page also describes soft- or hard-sided in-cabin kennels as leak-proof and ventilated on at least two sides. Those two Delta pages do not use identical ventilation wording; when they differ, follow the stricter consumer overview (three/four sides) and confirm aircraft-specific fit with Delta Reservations before travel day.

You may bring one personal item or one carry-on bag in addition to the pet kennel. The pet must remain inside the secured kennel in boarding areas, Delta Sky Club lounges, and onboard the aircraft. Failure to keep the pet kennelled as required may result in losing future pet-travel privileges on Delta, per the airline’s published note on its overview page.

Age rules and how many animals per kennel

• Domestic travel: pet must be at least 8 weeks old (Delta Air Lines, Pet Travel Overview).
• Dogs entering the U.S. from another country: Delta states the dog must be 6 months old; cats at least 16 weeks old.
• Travel to the European Union: Delta states the pet must be at least 15 weeks old—aligned with typical EU rabies timing (12 weeks at primary vaccination plus at least 21 days), as explained by the European Commission’s Your Europe pet-travel guidance.

Usually one pet per kennel. Delta allows exceptions for a female cat or dog with her unweaned litter (litter between 8 weeks and 6 months, all fitting safely) and for two pets of the same breed and size between 8 weeks and 6 months that fit and are compatible—charged as one pet if accepted in one kennel (Delta Air Lines, Pet Travel Overview).

Seats you cannot select with a cabin pet

Customers with an in-cabin pet may not select bulkhead seats, emergency exit rows, seats marked “no stowage,” flat-bed or Delta One seats, rows 46–51 on the Airbus A330-200, rows 54–59 on the Airbus A330-300, or center seats on the Boeing 757-200, according to Delta’s Pet Travel Overview. The agency Pet Policies page adds further aircraft notes (for example, certain First Class row 1 and window seats without under-seat stowage, and Boeing 737-900ER details). Always verify your specific aircraft map when you book.

Airport day: Special Service Counter and TSA screening

At the airport, visit the Special Service Counter to check in with your pet. A Delta agent verifies the pet and kennel and collects the fee. After you receive a cabin pet tag, you proceed to security.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires you to remove the pet from the carrier and send the empty carrier through the X-ray machine. Maintain control of the animal; remove the leash when carrying the pet through the metal detector. Carriers get visual and/or physical inspection. TSA’s FAQ also tells travelers to confirm airline pet policy before arrival. After screening, Delta requires the pet back in the kennel except in designated relief areas.

Destinations where cabin pets are not allowed

Delta’s Pet Travel Overview lists markets where pets are not permitted in the cabin to or from: Australia; Barbados; Brazil, Colombia, and Dominican Republic (with the note that pet travel originating in Brazil, Colombia, or the Dominican Republic is not allowed); Hawaii (no pet travel on flights to Hawaii); Hong Kong; Iceland; Jamaica; New Zealand; South Africa; United Kingdom; and United Arab Emirates.

Delta’s agency Pet Policies page also lists Ireland among destinations where pets are not accepted in the cabin to/from, while Delta’s International & Connection Pet Travel page describes cabin travel to the Republic of Ireland as requiring advance notice to Ireland’s Department of Agriculture. Treat Ireland as a special case: confirm directly with Delta Reservations and Irish authorities before booking. Embargo details for pets originating in the Dominican Republic (effective January 24, 2025 on named airports) and for Brazil/Colombia (tickets purchased on/after June 7, 2021) appear on Delta’s agency Pet Policies page; return travel rules differ from outbound origin bans.

International travel to other Delta destinations may still be allowed if you hold all required destination entry documents. Delta points travelers to the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) “Travel With a Pet” resources for destination paperwork.

CDC dog import rules when flying into the United States

Delta emphasizes that the CDC has documentation requirements for all dogs traveling to the United States. On CDC’s entry page for dogs from dog-rabies-free or low-risk countries (updated guidance effective August 1, 2024), dogs must:

• Appear healthy upon arrival
• Be at least 6 months old at entry or return
• Have a microchip detectable with a universal scanner
• Be accompanied by a completed CDC Dog Import Form receipt (free; one form per dog)

The CDC states the receipt is valid for up to 6 months unless the dog visits a high-risk country or a different low-risk/rabies-free country of departure than listed. Dogs with recent presence in high-risk rabies countries need additional USDA-endorsed or foreign vaccination documentation and, in some cases, CDC-registered animal care facility reservations—requirements Delta summarizes on its agency Pet Policies page and that CDC publishes in full on its importation site.

USDA APHIS (pet travel hub, last modified March 20, 2026) confirms CDC is the primary authority for dog imports into the United States and directs exporters to USDA-accredited veterinarians for destination health certificates when leaving the U.S.

New World screwworm documentation (2026)

As of 2026, Delta’s Pet Travel Overview and International Pet Travel page state that dogs entering Mexico effective August 3, 2026 need a New World Screwworm Inspection Certificate from a USDA-accredited veterinarian issued no more than 5 days before arrival, verified at check-in. USDA APHIS likewise requires screwworm inspection documentation within 5 days for dogs arriving in the United States from affected countries. Check USDA country disease-status lists before you fly.

EU pet passports vs airline cabin rules vs Animal Passport

For travel involving the European Union, official companion-animal rules are not the same as Delta’s under-seat kennel policy—and neither is the same as Animal Passport’s livestock identity product.

Under EU non-commercial pet travel rules summarized by the European Commission’s Your Europe portal, dogs, cats, and ferrets generally need identification (microchip, or a readable tattoo applied before July 3, 2011), valid rabies vaccination (first vaccine at minimum 12 weeks of age, then at least 21 days before travel for a primary vaccination), and either a European pet passport (for EU-resident owners traveling between EU countries) or an EU animal health certificate (when entering from many non-EU countries). Some destinations also require Echinococcus multilocularis tapeworm treatment for dogs. Those documents are government-standard veterinary travel papers—not airline fees and not a biometric farm ID app.

Animal Passport is a digital animal and livestock passport that uses muzzle biometrics (a nose print unique like a fingerprint), phone-based capture, and a record that binds owner, breed, estimated age, body condition, and vaccination history. Age can be estimated from a dental photograph with a confidence score; body condition is scored 1–5 from a side-profile photo. The product was used in livestock flood rescue in Pakistan in August 2025 so farmers could reclaim animals when paper tags washed away. It is not a government-issued airline or EU pet travel document and does not replace Delta, CDC, USDA APHIS, or EU entry paperwork.

For more field and identification context from the publisher, see Animal Passport blogs. Keep veterinary diagnosis and legal advice with licensed professionals; this article is informational reporting on published airline and government rules.

Practical checklist before you fly Delta with a cabin pet

1. Confirm your destination is not on Delta’s cabin-pet exception list.
2. Call Reservations early; cabin pet slots sell out.
3. Measure the kennel and practice under-seat fit at home.
4. For dogs entering the U.S., complete the CDC Dog Import Form and carry the receipt digitally or printed.
5. For international trips, start USDA APHIS / embassy paperwork weeks ahead with a USDA-accredited veterinarian.
6. Budget the current one-way cabin fee plus possible connection re-checks and destination quarantine costs.
7. Arrive early for Special Service Counter inspection; plan TSA pet-out-of-carrier screening.
8. Keep soft-sided carriers leak-proof and ventilated per Delta’s published domestic/international side counts.

When cabin travel is not an option

Delta does not treat ordinary pets as standard checked baggage for most customers. Larger animals typically move via Delta Cargo under separate booking, temperature, and drop-off rules, with military and certain Foreign Service exceptions described on Delta’s agency Pet Policies page. Delta Cargo bookings, temperature windows, and known-shipper rules for international shipments are outside the cabin policy; contact Delta Cargo for that product. Service animals follow a different Delta process and are excluded from several cabin-pet bans.

Bottom line: treat Delta’s live Pet Travel Overview as the primary airline source for the Delta pet policy in cabin, layer CDC and USDA APHIS rules for dogs entering the United States, and use EU pet passport or health-certificate rules only when your itinerary requires them—never confuse those official schemes with Animal Passport’s biometric livestock ID.

Last updated September 2026. Byline: Animal Passport editorial. Rules change; verify fees, embargoes, and forms on Delta, CDC, USDA APHIS, TSA, and destination authority sites before you travel.