Flying Delta With a Dog: 2026 Rules, Fees, and Documents You Need

Flying Delta with a dog means bringing your small dog into the cabin in an approved carrier under the seat in front of you, since Delta Air Lines currently allows in-cabin pet travel for a fee but has paused general checked-cargo pet shipping. The in-cabin fee is $150 one-way domestically and $200 internationally for tickets issued on or after April 8, 2025, per Delta's official pet travel page. Carriers must fit under the seat, and several countries and routes do not permit pets at all.

What Delta's Pet Policy Actually Covers in 2026

As of September 2026, Delta Air Lines' pet policy has two very different tracks: small pets riding in the cabin with a paying passenger, and pets shipped as checked cargo, which Delta Cargo has paused for the general public (Delta Air Lines, 2025). Service animals are governed by separate U.S. Department of Transportation accessibility rules and are not treated as pets. Understanding which track applies to your dog determines the fee, the paperwork, and whether the trip is possible at all.

In-Cabin Rules for Small Dogs on Delta

Delta allows small dogs, cats, and household birds in the cabin on most domestic and many international routes, provided the animal is small enough to stay in an approved carrier under the seat for the entire flight (Delta Air Lines, 2026).

Carrier size and fees

These figures come directly from Delta's official Pet Travel Overview page, current as of the airline's April 8, 2025 fee update (Delta Air Lines, 2025).

How many dogs are allowed per flight

• Domestic Main Cabin/Comfort: maximum 4 pets
• Domestic First Class: maximum 2 pets
• Delta Premium Select (domestic): maximum 2 pets
• Delta One and Business Class: pets are not permitted

Dogs also cannot occupy bulkhead rows, emergency exit rows, seats marked "no stowage," flat-bed seats, or certain rear rows on specific aircraft such as the A330 and B757 (Delta Air Lines, 2026).

Delta Cargo: Checked Pet Shipping Is Currently Paused

Unlike the in-cabin program, Delta Cargo's pet-shipping service for the general public is paused "until further notice." Delta currently accepts pet cargo shipments only from active-duty U.S. military members and U.S. State Department Foreign Service Officers traveling under permanent change of station (PCS) orders (Delta Air Lines Cargo, 2025). Eligible travelers must book at least 14 days ahead through Delta Cargo customer service rather than the standard passenger reservation system.

Breed restrictions that apply even to eligible cargo shipments

Delta Cargo does not accept brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dog and cat breeds, including pugs, bulldogs, boxers, Boston terriers, shih tzus, chow chows, and mastiffs, along with mixes of these breeds. Delta states there are no exceptions, including for military shipments, because these breeds face elevated risk of respiratory distress from pressurized cabins and temperature swings during ground handling (Delta Air Lines Cargo, 2025).

Routes and Destinations Where Delta Does Not Allow Pets

Even for in-cabin travel, Delta does not permit pets to or from several destinations, including Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Iceland, Jamaica, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates (Delta Air Lines, 2026). These restrictions typically reflect the destination country's own quarantine or biosecurity rules, not just Delta policy, so travelers should also check the destination government's pet import requirements before booking.

A note on Mexico

Delta has flagged an upcoming requirement, effective August 3, 2026, that dogs entering Mexico carry a New World Screwworm Inspection Certificate completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian within 5 days of arrival (Delta Air Lines, 2026). Confirm current status directly with Delta and Mexico's animal health authority before travel, since biosecurity rules can change with little notice.

Documents You Actually Need: Health Certificates, USDA APHIS, and CDC Rules

Paperwork requirements depend on whether your dog is flying within the U.S. or crossing an international border, and the two federal agencies involved — USDA APHIS and the CDC — have different jobs.

Domestic (state-to-state) 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, travelers must check the requirements of the destination state's animal health office directly (USDA APHIS, 2026). Airlines like Delta do not require a health certificate for a domestic in-cabin dog reservation, but individual states can still require one, so confirm with your destination state.

International travel from the U.S.

For international departures, most destination countries require a health certificate confirming your dog was examined by a licensed veterinarian and found fit to travel. Many countries require this to be issued using USDA APHIS Form 7001, the "U.S. Interstate and International Certificate of Health Examination for Small Animals," and endorsed by USDA APHIS if the destination requires it — which means the examining veterinarian must be USDA-accredited (USDA APHIS, 2026). Some countries require a country-specific certificate instead of Form 7001, so check the destination's exact requirements before your appointment.

Bringing a dog into the United States

Separately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regulates dogs entering the United States. Since new rules took effect August 1, 2024, all dogs entering the U.S. must appear healthy, be at least 6 months old, be microchipped, and arrive with a completed CDC Dog Import Form receipt (CDC, 2024). Dogs that were in a country the CDC classifies as high-risk for dog rabies within the prior 6 months, and that lack valid proof of a U.S.-issued rabies vaccination, must enter through one of a small number of airports with a CDC-registered Animal Care Facility and may face additional testing or quarantine requirements (CDC, 2024).

Cabin Pet vs. Cargo Pet vs. Service Animal on Delta

Does My Dog Need a "Pet Passport" to Fly Delta?

For a domestic Delta booking, no official "passport" document exists or is required — you need a carrier, the fee, and (for interstate moves) whatever your destination state's animal health office asks for. The term "pet passport" most often refers to the official EU pet passport, a document that an authorized veterinarian issues to record a pet's microchip number and rabies vaccination history for travel within or into the European Union, under EU pet-movement regulations (European Commission, 2026). That EU document is unrelated to any Delta booking unless your itinerary actually enters the EU, and it is not something Delta issues or checks for U.S. domestic flights.

It is also worth separating the EU pet passport from newer biometric animal-ID tools built for a different purpose. Animal Passport is a phone-based digital identity record that uses muzzle biometrics — a nose print, similar to a human fingerprint — along with a dental photo for an age estimate and a side-profile photo for a body condition score, to bind an owner, breed, and vaccination history to a specific animal. It was used during livestock flood rescue efforts in Pakistan in August 2025, helping farmers reclaim animals after paper ear tags were washed away. That is a livestock identification and recovery tool, not a substitute for an EU pet passport, a USDA-endorsed health certificate, or any document Delta requires for a companion dog booking. For more on how digital animal ID is being used in the field, see the Animal Passport blog.

Step-by-Step: Booking and Preparing to Fly Delta With Your Dog

1. Confirm your dog qualifies for in-cabin travel: it must fit and stand/turn/lie down comfortably in a carrier no larger than roughly 18" x 11" x 11".
2. Check that your route and destination allow pets — Delta excludes several countries and Hawaii entirely from in-cabin pet travel.
3. Add your pet to your reservation before travel; Delta limits the number of pets per cabin, so late requests can be denied.
4. Pay the pet fee ($150 domestic or $200 international, per current Delta pricing).
5. For interstate travel, check your destination state's animal health office for any required paperwork.
6. For international travel, schedule an exam with a USDA-accredited veterinarian to get a health certificate — Form 7001 or a country-specific form — endorsed by USDA APHIS if your destination requires it.
7. If entering the U.S. with a dog, complete the CDC Dog Import Form and confirm your dog is microchipped and, if arriving from a high-risk country, properly vaccinated against rabies.
8. Avoid booking a brachycephalic breed into Delta Cargo — it will be declined regardless of documentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bring my dog on a Delta flight in the cabin?

Yes, small dogs that fit in an approved carrier under the seat can fly in the cabin on most Delta routes for a fee, but pets are excluded on flights to and from certain countries and to Hawaii (Delta Air Lines, 2026).

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

For tickets issued on or after April 8, 2025, Delta charges $150 USD/CAD one-way within the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and $200 USD/CAD/EUR one-way for other international itineraries (Delta Air Lines, 2025).

What size carrier does Delta require for a dog?

Delta recommends a soft-sided carrier no larger than 18" x 11" x 11" that fits completely under the seat in front of you, with ventilation on at least three sides for domestic flights and four sides for international flights.

Can I check my dog as cargo on Delta?

Not currently for most travelers — Delta Cargo has paused general-public pet shipments "until further notice," limiting checked pet transport to active-duty U.S. military and State Department Foreign Service Officers on PCS orders (Delta Air Lines Cargo, 2025).

Which breed restrictions apply to dogs flying Delta?

Brachycephalic, or snub-nosed, breeds such as pugs, bulldogs, boxers, and Boston terriers — and their mixes — are barred from Delta Cargo with no exceptions, due to documented breathing risk in flight.

Does my dog need a health certificate to fly Delta?

Delta does not require a health certificate for a domestic in-cabin booking, but your destination state may; international travel typically requires a USDA-accredited veterinarian's health certificate, sometimes endorsed by USDA APHIS.

Do I need a "pet passport" to fly Delta with my dog?

No — the EU pet passport is a separate official European Union document required only when a pet is moving within or into the EU; it is not issued or required by Delta for standard U.S. bookings.

Which destinations don't allow pets on Delta flights?

Delta does not permit in-cabin pets to or from Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Iceland, Jamaica, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, or the United Arab Emirates (Delta Air Lines, 2026).

Always verify fees, carrier limits, and destination rules directly on Delta's official pet travel pages before booking, since airline and government pet policies change with little notice.