Flying With a Dog on American Airlines: Fees, Carrier Sizes and Documents (2026)

Flying with a dog on American Airlines means booking your dog as a carry-on pet that stays in a closed carrier under the seat in front of you, paying a $150 fee per kennel each way, and meeting the health rules of your destination. As of October 2026, American Airlines accepts carry-on dogs only on eligible routes within and between the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Dogs too large for the cabin must ship through American Airlines Cargo.

This guide is based on American Airlines' official pet and service animal pages and on primary rules from 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 U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Last updated: October 6, 2026. By Animal Passport. Airline pet policies change often, so confirm your booking with American Airlines Reservations before you fly.

American Airlines dog policy at a glance

American Airlines offers three ways to move a dog. It also has a separate category for trained service dogs. The fees below come from American Airlines' official pet and optional-fees pages as of 2026.

According to American Airlines (2026), all pet fees are nonrefundable and charged per kennel, each way. If your trip includes a stopover or connection of 4 hours or more, the fee applies to each connecting segment. You pay at the airport or a travel center by credit card or paper voucher. American does not accept cash or checks for pet fees.

Which routes allow a dog in the cabin?

American Airlines says carry-on pets can travel on most flights of up to 12 hours, and on flights to or from these places:

• The 48 contiguous United States
• Alaska
• Between the U.S. and Canada
• Mexico
• Puerto Rico, St. Croix and St. Thomas

The same policy lists exclusions. You cannot bring a carry-on pet:

• To or from Hawaii
• On trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific trips
• To Jamaica
• To or from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia or Uruguay

American also has an embargo on dogs from high-risk rabies countries. It does not accept a dog as a carry-on pet if the dog started its trip in, or has visited, a country on the CDC's high-risk list for dog rabies in the six months before travel. Service dogs that meet CDC requirements are exempt. The CDC's list includes several Caribbean and Central American countries on American's network, such as the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, so check your dog's travel history before you book.

Carrier size and weight rules

American Airlines (2026) recommends soft-sided, collapsible carriers. They must be secure, padded, made of water-repellent material, and have nylon mesh ventilation on three or more sides. Your dog must fit comfortably inside with the carrier fully closed or zipped.

Sources describe the soft-sided limit differently. American's own page says soft-sided kennels "can be slightly larger" than the listed size, as long as they fit under the seat without being excessively collapsed. The travel site Upgraded Points (2026) says a soft-sided carrier "must be smaller than" 18 x 11 x 11 inches. Since gate agents enforce American's policy, the safest choice is a carrier that fits within 18 x 11 x 11 inches.

American does not publish one weight limit for carry-on dogs on every aircraft. The exception is the three-cabin Airbus A321T: in First and Business on that plane, the dog and carrier together must weigh no more than 20 pounds (9.07 kg), and American weighs them at check-in.

How many pets fit on each plane?

American Airlines caps the number of pet carriers per flight. That means space can run out, so add your dog to the booking early.

• Mainline Airbus A319, A320, A321, A321neo and Boeing 737: up to 20 pet carriers across all cabins. Pets cannot fly in premium cabins on these planes.
• Boeing 777-200, 777-300ER, 787-8, 787-9 and Airbus A321XLR: up to 20 pet carriers, Main Cabin only. Premium cabins have no under-seat storage.
• American Eagle regional jets (CRJ-200/700/900, ERJ-145/175/190): a maximum of 1 pet carrier in the premium cabin and 5 in the Main Cabin.

Where can you sit with a dog?

American Airlines does not allow carry-on pets in bulkhead seats or exit rows. It cites Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety requirements and the lack of under-seat storage. Pets are also barred from First and Business on the Boeing 777-200, 777-300ER, 787-8 and 787-9, and from seat 13D on the Airbus A321neo. In First or Business on the A321T, the carrier goes in a dedicated animal-friendly compartment at the front of the cabin.

Your dog has to stay in the carrier, under the seat in front of you, for the entire flight. Besides the carrier, American lets you bring only one more item on board: either a personal item or a carry-on bag that fits in the overhead bin, but not both. Pet strollers must be checked at the ticket counter, and checked bag fees apply.

How to book a dog on American Airlines: step by step

1. Check route eligibility. Confirm every segment is on an allowed route and that no segment is operated by a partner airline. American says it does not collect pet fees for other operating airlines, so look for "Operated by" on your ticket.
2. Measure your dog and carrier. Use the table above. For a hard-sided kennel, call American Airlines Reservations to confirm the under-seat dimensions of every aircraft on your trip.
3. Add the pet to your trip. Find your trip on aa.com or in the American app. In Additional Services, select "Add carry-on pets," agree to the requirements, choose the flights and confirm.
4. Collect destination documents. See the documents section below for Mexico, Canada and re-entry to the U.S.
5. Check in at the ticket counter. At the airport, American requires you to pay the fee at the ticket counter, where agents check your dog and kennel against the rules.
6. Do not sedate your dog. Following the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recommendation, American does not accept sedated or tranquilized pets, citing higher respiratory and cardiovascular risk at altitude.

What documents does your dog need?

Domestic U.S. flights

American Airlines (2026) requires dogs flying within the U.S. and Puerto Rico to be at least 8 weeks old. American's page does not list a health certificate for domestic carry-on pets. It does require a veterinary health certificate for checked pets: issued within 10 days of travel, and within 60 days of your return if the return is on the same ticket. Some U.S. states and territories set their own entry rules, so check your destination.

Flying from the U.S. to Mexico

USDA APHIS (page updated September 2026) says that since August 3, 2026, Mexico has required pet dogs to arrive with a New World Screwworm (NWS) Inspection Certificate. The certificate must be signed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian no more than 5 days before entry. It does not need APHIS endorsement. American Airlines checks this certificate at check-in and says the rule also applies to service dogs. On arrival, Mexico's agriculture authority (SENASICA) inspects the dog and may remove disposable bedding, toys and extra food from the carrier.

Flying into or back to the United States

The CDC is the primary authority for dogs entering the U.S. Its rules apply to every dog, including returning pets and service dogs. Under CDC requirements in effect since August 1, 2024, a dog that has been only in dog-rabies-free or low-risk countries for the past 6 months needs:

• A free CDC Dog Import Form receipt, valid for 6 months
• A microchip that a universal scanner can read
• To be at least 6 months old and appear healthy on arrival

Dogs that have been in a high-risk country face more requirements, including rabies vaccination and possibly a serology titer. American will not carry them as carry-on pets in any case. Sources differ on minimum age: one section of American's page says dogs from high-risk countries must be at least 16 weeks old, while the CDC sets 6 months for all dogs entering the U.S. Follow the CDC rule, because U.S. entry depends on it. USDA APHIS also says that because Mexico has been considered affected by screwworm since November 22, 2024, dogs re-entering the U.S. from Mexico must meet APHIS screwworm-freedom certification requirements.

Canada and other international trips

American Airlines notes that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has suspended imports of commercial dogs from high-risk rabies countries. For checked pets going to the European Union, American requires a tattoo or implanted microchip that matches the ID number on the vaccination card. The EU pet passport is an official EU document, issued under EU rules by authorized veterinarians, and it is separate from any airline booking.

What if your dog is too big for the cabin?

A dog that won't fit comfortably in an under-seat carrier cannot fly in the cabin with you. American Airlines (2026) accepts checked pets only from active-duty U.S. military and U.S. State Department Foreign Service personnel traveling on official orders. Other owners must use American Airlines Cargo's PetEmbark service. Upgraded Points (2026) reports that cargo pet rates start at $415 for domestic flights. American says cargo fees vary by route and kennel size and are confirmed at booking.

Animals in the hold face stricter rules than carry-on pets. American bans brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dogs of any mix as checked pets, including bulldogs, pugs, boxers, Boston terriers, Shih Tzus, pit bulls and mastiffs. Pets cannot travel in the hold if the temperature at any point on the itinerary is above 85°F (29.4°C) or below 45°F (7.2°C). A vet letter can waive the cold limit, but never below 20°F. From May 1 to September 30, pets not flying in the cabin cannot travel to, through or from Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas or Palm Springs.

Service dogs vs. emotional support animals

The DOT's final rule under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2020, defines a service animal as a dog "individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability," including psychiatric disabilities. The rule lets airlines treat emotional support animals as pets. American Airlines does exactly that: emotional support animals, comfort animals and service animals in training travel as pets and pay the pet fee.

To fly with a trained service dog at no charge, American asks you to:

• Submit the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form at least 48 hours before your flight, or present it at the airport
• Also submit the DOT Service Animal Relief Attestation Form if any flight is longer than 8 hours
• Keep the dog harnessed, leashed or tethered, and within your foot space, under your seat or on your lap (lap animals must be smaller than a 2-year-old child)
• Bring no more than 2 service animals. Dogs under 4 months old cannot travel as service animals

Once approved, American emails a Service Animal ID (SVAN ID) you can reuse on future bookings until the dog's vaccination expires.

Airline pet documents vs. Animal Passport's biometric ID

People often confuse "pet passports" with digital animal ID products, so it's worth being clear. The documents American Airlines checks are government and veterinary records: CDC Dog Import Form receipts, USDA-accredited veterinary health and NWS inspection certificates, DOT service animal forms and, for Europe, EU pet passports. None of them is replaced by a private app.

Animal Passport is a different kind of product: a digital livestock identity record built on muzzle biometrics, since an animal's nose print is unique like a fingerprint. A farmer photographs the animal with a phone, and the record links the owner, breed, an estimated age from a dental photo (with a confidence score), a 1–5 body condition score from a side-profile photo, and vaccination history. During the August 2025 floods in Pakistan, farmers used it to reclaim livestock after paper tags washed away. It is not a government-issued travel document, it gives no veterinary diagnosis, and American Airlines does not list it as accepted pet travel documentation. For more on animal identity, see the Animal Passport blog.

Pre-flight checklist for flying with a dog on American Airlines

• Every segment is American-operated and on an eligible carry-on route
• Your dog wasn't in a CDC high-risk rabies country in the last 6 months
• The carrier fits the size limits for each aircraft, and your dog can stand and turn inside
• The pet is added to the booking and you've planned for the $150 fee each way
• Your seat is not a bulkhead, exit row or restricted premium seat
• Destination paperwork is ready: an NWS certificate for Mexico (within 5 days) and a CDC Dog Import Form receipt for U.S. re-entry
• No sedatives; plan extra time at the ticket counter

Bottom line: as of October 2026, a small dog in an approved carrier can fly in the cabin on most American Airlines routes in North America and the Caribbean for $150 each way. Larger dogs need American Airlines Cargo, and international trips depend on CDC and USDA APHIS paperwork.