Delta Requirements for Pet Travel: 2026 Guide to Fees, Kennels, Age Rules and Restricted Routes

Delta requirements for pet travel are the rules Delta Air Lines sets for flying with an animal. As of October 2026, small dogs, cats and household birds can fly in the cabin in a leak-proof, ventilated kennel that fits fully under the seat in front of you (Delta recommends 18 x 11 x 11 inches). Pets must be at least 8 weeks old for domestic flights. The fee is $150 each way within the U.S. and Canada and $200 on international routes. Delta Cargo is shipping pets only for military and Foreign Service moves.

This guide summarizes Delta Air Lines' official pet pages, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the European Commission. It was last updated on October 4, 2026, by the Animal Passport editorial team. Airline pet policies change often, so check the details with Delta Reservations before you book.

What are Delta's requirements for pet travel in 2026?

As of October 2026, Delta offers three ways to fly with an animal. Most travelers can only use the first:

• In-cabin pets (carry-on): small dogs, cats and household birds that meet Delta's age, health, size and kennel rules can fly in the cabin for a one-way fee collected at check-in, according to Delta Air Lines' Pet Travel Overview (2026).
• Checked pets: Delta only accepts animals as checked baggage for active U.S. Military members and U.S. State Department Foreign Service Officers (and their dependents) who are traveling on active transfer orders, according to Delta's Military Pet Travel page (2026).
• Delta Cargo: until further notice, Delta is "only allowing the shipment of pets" for active U.S. Military or Foreign Service Officers with permanent change of station orders, according to Delta's Shipping Your Pet page (2026).

In practice, if you are a civilian and your pet cannot fit under the seat, Delta is not currently an option. You would need another carrier or a professional pet shipper.

Delta in-cabin pet requirements

Which animals can fly in the cabin?

Delta allows small dogs, cats and household birds in the cabin on domestic flights within the contiguous United States, according to Delta's Pet Travel Overview (2026). Dogs and cats can also fly in the cabin outside the contiguous U.S., but only if you hold every document needed to enter the destination and to return home. An older Delta pet options page states that household birds are permitted only on domestic U.S. flights.

Minimum age rules

As of October 2026, Delta's Pet Travel Overview lists these age minimums:

• At least 8 weeks old for domestic travel.
• Dogs must be 6 months old to travel to the U.S. from another country. Cats must be at least 16 weeks old.
• Pets must be at least 15 weeks old to travel to the European Union (EU).

Delta's own pages do not all match. An older Delta "Pet Travel Options" page still says pets must be at least 10 weeks old for domestic travel and lists a $125 fee within the U.S. and Canada. The current Pet Travel Overview and the Delta Professional agency policy page both say 8 weeks. Treat the current Pet Travel Overview as authoritative, and confirm by phone if your pet is close to either age limit.

One pet per kennel, with two exceptions

Delta allows one pet per kennel, with two exceptions listed in its Pet Travel Overview (2026). A mother cat or dog can travel with her un-weaned litter if the litter is between 8 weeks and 6 months old. Two pets of the same breed and size, aged 8 weeks to 6 months, can share a kennel if they fit and are compatible. In that case they are charged as one pet.

Kennel (carrier) requirements

Under Delta's Pet Travel Overview (2026), your in-cabin kennel must meet these rules:

1. You can bring one pet kennel on board, plus one personal item or one carry-on bag.
2. Your pet must be able to move around inside without touching or sticking out of the sides.
3. The kennel must fit fully under the seat directly in front of you.
4. A soft-sided kennel must be leak-proof and have ventilation on 3 sides for domestic flights and 4 sides for international flights.
5. Under-seat space varies by aircraft. Delta recommends a soft-sided kennel no larger than 18 x 11 x 11 inches, which fits most of its aircraft.
6. Your pet must stay in the kennel throughout the airport, during boarding and deplaning, in Delta Sky Club lounges and on board. The exceptions are the security checkpoint and designated pet relief areas.

Delta warns that if you break its pet policies, including taking your pet out of the kennel, you may lose the right to fly with a pet on future flights.

How much does Delta charge for pets in 2026?

Delta charges a one-way in-cabin pet fee at check-in. The fee is set by the contract of carriage in effect when your ticket was issued. Delta's Pet Travel Overview (2026) lists these in-cabin fees:

Pet fees are separate from your free baggage allowance. Delta's Military Pet Travel page (2026) states that animals are not covered by the free bag allowance that comes with a Delta SkyMiles American Express Card.

How many pets are allowed per flight, and where can you sit?

Delta takes in-cabin pets on a first-come, first-served basis and caps the number per cabin. As of 2026, its Pet Travel Overview allows:

• Delta First (domestic): 2 pets, but none in cabins with flat-bed seats.
• Delta Comfort and Delta Main (domestic and international): 4 pets.
• Delta One, Delta Premium Select and international Business Class: 0 pets (service animals are excluded from this rule).

Travelers with a pet in the cabin cannot choose bulkhead seats, emergency exit rows, seats marked "no stowage," flat-bed or Delta One seats, rows 46–51 on the A330-200, rows 54–59 on the A330-300, or middle seats on the B757-200.

Step by step: how to book and check in a pet on Delta

1. Book your own ticket first, then call Delta Reservations as soon as possible to add your pet. Have the kennel's length, width and height ready.
2. Check your aircraft's under-seat dimensions for every flight segment.
3. Get the destination's documents from a USDA-accredited veterinarian if you are leaving the contiguous U.S. (see below).
4. Allow extra time at the airport. Check in at the Special Service Counter, where an agent inspects your pet and kennel and collects the fee.
5. At the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint, take your pet out of the kennel as instructed. After security, it must go back in the kennel.
6. If you connect to a Delta Connection flight, such as one operated by SkyWest Airlines or Endeavor Air, the Delta flight must be confirmed at least 48 hours before the connecting flight, according to Delta's Connection Carriers page. Partner airlines such as Air France, KLM, Aeromexico, Korean Air, LATAM and Virgin Atlantic have their own pet rules.

Where Delta does not allow pets in the cabin

As of October 2026, Delta's Pet Travel Overview says pets cannot fly in the cabin to or from Australia, Barbados, Hong Kong, Iceland, Jamaica, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. It also bans pets on flights to Hawaii and pets originating in Brazil, Colombia or the Dominican Republic. Delta's International Pet Travel page adds a temporary embargo on pet travel to and from Egypt, which follows the CDC's suspension of dog imports from Egypt.

Ireland is unclear. The Delta Professional travel-agent policy page includes Ireland on its no-cabin list, but the consumer Pet Travel Overview does not. Delta's International Pet Travel page tells customers flying in the cabin to the Republic of Ireland to notify Ireland's Department of Agriculture in advance. If Ireland is on your itinerary, get written confirmation from Delta before you book.

Hawaii has its own rules. Delta's International Pet Travel page says it accepts only trained service animals to Hawaii, only on direct flights to Honolulu, and notes that Hawaii quarantines are generally 120 days unless specific pre-arrival requirements are met.

Delta Cargo and checked pets: who still qualifies?

As of October 2026, Delta's Shipping Your Pet page says Delta Cargo is shipping pets only for active U.S. Military members and Foreign Service Officers with permanent change of station orders. These shipments still have to meet Delta's live-animal rules:

• Crate: must meet Container Requirement #1 of the International Air Transport Association Live Animals Regulations (IATA LAR). Your pet must be able to stand, sit upright, lie down and turn around inside.
• Health certificate: issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian or veterinary authority within 10 days of travel. International trips need an international health certificate.
• Temperature: Delta Cargo does not ship pets when the temperature on the ground is above 80°F (27°C) or below 20°F (-7°C) at any point in the trip. A Certificate of Acclimation is required between 20°F and 45°F (7°C).
• Breed: brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dogs, cats and their mixes are refused at all times. Delta Cargo's restricted breed list includes Pugs, Bulldogs, Boxers, Boston Terriers, Shih Tzus, Persians, Himalayans and Scottish Folds.
• No sedation: Delta does not allow household dogs and cats to be sedated or given any medication that causes sedation.
• Timing: cargo bookings open 14 days before departure. Military checked-pet bookings must be made at least 48 hours ahead, and Delta does not accept checked animals on any single flight longer than 12 hours.

Government paperwork that Delta checks

Delta enforces the airline's own rules, but your documents come from government agencies. If anything is missing, Delta can refuse your pet at check-in.

Dogs entering or returning to the United States (CDC)

USDA APHIS (2026) says the CDC is "the primary authority for dog imports," including dogs returning to the U.S. Delta's International Pet Travel page (2026) summarizes the CDC rules: dogs must appear healthy, be microchipped, be at least 6 months old and travel with a receipt for a completed CDC Dog Import Form. The CDC says further requirements depend on where the dog was vaccinated against rabies and whether it was in a high-risk rabies country in the previous 6 months. USDA APHIS adds that U.S.-vaccinated dogs that have been to a high-risk country need a "Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination" form, submitted by a USDA-accredited veterinarian before the dog leaves the U.S.

Mexico and New World screwworm (2026)

From August 3, 2026, all dogs entering Mexico need a New World Screwworm (NWS) Inspection Certificate signed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian no more than 5 days before arrival, according to USDA APHIS (page updated September 21, 2026). Delta says it verifies this certificate at check-in. USDA APHIS says pet cats still do not need a health certificate to enter Mexico, and Mexico currently prohibits pet ferrets from the U.S.

European Union

The European Commission (2026) says that pet dogs, cats and ferrets moving within the EU must have a microchip and a rabies vaccination given at 12 weeks of age or older. The vaccination becomes valid 21 days after the primary dose. Pets traveling within the EU need an EU pet passport. Pets arriving from a non-EU country travel on an animal health certificate. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 now governs non-commercial pet movement within the EU. Delta's International Pet Travel page still cites the older Regulation (EC) No 998/2003, so rely on the European Commission's own pages for the legal details.

Delta's pet rules versus Animal Passport: two different things

The word "passport" causes confusion. An EU pet passport or a USDA-endorsed health certificate is an official travel document issued by an authorized veterinarian under government rules. Delta and border officials check these documents.

Animal Passport is something else: a digital animal and livestock identity record. It identifies an animal by its muzzle biometrics, since a nose print is unique like a fingerprint. The record is captured on a phone and links the animal to its owner, breed, estimated age, body condition and vaccination history. It can estimate age from a dental photograph, with a confidence score, and give a body condition score from 1 to 5 from a side-profile photo. In August 2025, it was used during 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 CDC Dog Import Form, a USDA-endorsed health certificate, an EU pet passport or an NWS inspection certificate, and Delta does not list it as an accepted document. USDA APHIS also notes that animals considered livestock or poultry, such as pigs or chickens, do not qualify for pet travel and fall under separate import and export rules. For livestock identity topics, see the Animal Passport blog.

Practical tips before you fly with Delta

• Get your pet used to the carrier for several weeks before the trip. Delta notes that getting animals used to confinement "can take weeks to months."
• Book early. Each cabin has a fixed pet limit, and spaces go first come, first served.
• Talk to your veterinarian about age, breed and medical risks. Delta sets no maximum age, but it highlights heart, kidney and breathing conditions in older animals.
• Screenshot the Delta policy page on the day you book. Fees depend on the date your ticket is issued.
• For dogs, start the CDC paperwork before your outbound flight, not just before the return.