Flying With a Pet on American Airlines: A Step-by-Step Trip Plan for October 2026

Flying with a pet on American Airlines means booking your cat or dog as a carry-on pet that stays in a closed carrier under the seat in front of you, or shipping it through American Airlines Cargo. As of October 2026, American Airlines charges $150 per kennel each way for a carry-on pet. Checked pets are limited to active-duty U.S. military and State Department personnel on official orders, according to the airline's official pet policy.

This guide turns those rules into a trip plan: which option fits your pet, when to book, what paperwork you need from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS), and what happens at the airport. For a full rule-by-rule reference, see our companion guide, American Airlines pet rules, fees and carrier sizes.

By Animal Passport. Last updated: October 2, 2026. Airline and government pet rules change often, so check the official pages listed under Sources before you book.

Step 1: Work out which American Airlines option fits your pet

American Airlines offers four ways for an animal to fly. Which one you can use depends on your pet's species and size and on who you are. The table below summarizes the airline's pets page, its fee schedule and American Airlines Cargo's policies as of October 2026.

The quick test: if your cat or dog fits comfortably in a carrier that fits under an airline seat, book it as a carry-on pet. If it doesn't, and you aren't traveling on military or State Department orders, your American Airlines option is cargo. Emotional support animals, comfort animals and service animals in training travel as pets and pay pet fees, according to American Airlines' service animal page.

Step 2: Check your route before you buy a ticket

Your route affects eligibility more than anything else. American Airlines says pets can travel on most flights of up to 12 hours to and from the 48 contiguous states, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, St. Croix and St. Thomas. As of October 2026, the airline lists these exceptions for carry-on pets:

• Hawaii: no carry-on pets to or from Hawaii. Checked pets must connect through Honolulu (HNL) and follow Hawaii's quarantine rules, which American Airlines Cargo says can last up to 120 days.
• Trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific trips: no carry-on pets.
• South America: no carry-on pets to or from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia or Uruguay.
• Jamaica: no carry-on pets.
• Dogs from high-risk rabies countries: American does not accept dogs as carry-on pets if they started in or visited a CDC high-risk country for rabies in the previous six months. Service dogs that meet CDC requirements are exempt.

Also look for the words "Operated by" on your itinerary. American Airlines says it does not collect pet fees for flights operated by partner airlines, even if they carry an American flight number, so you have to follow each operating airline's pet rules separately.

Step 3: Book early and add the pet to your reservation

Cabin space for pets is capped per flight. As of October 2026, American Airlines allows up to 20 pet carriers across all cabins on mainline aircraft such as the Airbus A319, A320, A321 and Boeing 737, not counting service animals. American Eagle regional jets (CRJ-200, CRJ-700, CRJ-900, ERJ-145, ERJ-175 and ERJ-190) allow 1 carrier in the premium cabin and 5 in the main cabin.

Sources disagree here. A 2024 Simple Flying guide reported a limit of 7 kennels on mainline flights, but American Airlines' current pets page lists 20. Go by the airline's own page, and treat older blog figures as out of date.

How to add a carry-on pet

1. Find your trip on aa.com or in the American app.
2. In the Additional Services section, select "Add carry-on pets."
3. Review and agree to the carry-on pet requirements.
4. Choose the flights your pet will be on, then confirm.
5. At the airport, pay the fee at the American ticket counter. American takes credit cards and, where accepted, paper vouchers, but not cash or checks.

Seats you cannot choose

American Airlines does not allow carry-on pets in bulkhead or exit-row seats, in seat 13D on the Airbus A321neo, or in First and Business on the Boeing 777-200, 777-300ER, 787-8 and 787-9. The airline cites Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety requirements and a lack of under-seat space. On the three-cabin A321T, pets in First or Business ride in a dedicated compartment, and the pet plus carrier cannot weigh more than 20 lb (9.07 kg).

Step 4: Choose a carrier that passes the check-in inspection

American Airlines checks the pet and carrier at the ticket counter. These are its maximum carrier sizes as of 2026:

• Soft-sided (recommended), all flights: 18 x 11 x 11 inches (46 x 28 x 28 cm)
• Hard-sided, American mainline: 19 x 13 x 9 inches (48 x 33 x 22 cm)
• Hard-sided, American Eagle: 16 x 12 x 8 inches (40 x 30 x 20 cm)

Your pet must fit comfortably inside the closed carrier. Soft-sided carriers must be padded, water-repellent and ventilated with nylon mesh on at least 3 sides. The carrier counts toward your cabin allowance: besides the pet carrier, you can bring a personal item or a carry-on bag that fits in the overhead bin, but not both. Pet strollers have to be checked, and normal bag fees apply.

Step 5: Get the right paperwork, starting early

For international trips, the paperwork usually takes longer than the booking. USDA APHIS advises contacting a USDA-accredited veterinarian as soon as you decide to travel abroad.

Within the United States

American Airlines requires cats and dogs traveling within the U.S. and Puerto Rico to be at least 8 weeks old. Checked pets need a health certificate issued by a veterinarian within 10 days of travel. American Airlines Cargo requires a health certificate dated within 10 days of the animal's arrival at its destination, plus rabies certification and breed verification.

Dogs flying to Mexico

USDA APHIS says that since August 3, 2026, Mexico requires an "NWS Inspection Certificate for Pet Dogs Moving (Exporting) from the United States to Mexico" for pet dogs. The certificate must be signed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian no more than 5 days before entry, and it does not need APHIS endorsement. American Airlines checks it at check-in, and the rule also applies to service dogs. APHIS says pet cats still do not need a health certificate for Mexico, and Mexico currently prohibits ferrets from all U.S. states.

Dogs returning to the United States

The CDC is the main authority for dogs entering the U.S. Under rules that took effect on August 1, 2024, the requirements depend on where the dog was vaccinated and which countries it was in during the six months before arrival. CDC says a dog that is unvaccinated and has been in a high-risk country for dog rabies will not be allowed into the U.S. USDA APHIS adds that U.S.-vaccinated dogs that have been in a high-risk country need a "Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination" form, which a USDA-accredited veterinarian must submit before the dog leaves the U.S. Because APHIS considers Mexico affected by screwworm, dogs returning from Mexico must also meet APHIS screwworm-freedom requirements.

Europe

Carry-on pets cannot fly trans-Atlantic on American Airlines. For checked pets to the European Union, the airline requires a tattoo or implanted microchip that matches the ID number on the vaccination card. The European Commission's Your Europe portal says pets entering the EU from a non-EU country need an EU animal health certificate issued by an official state veterinarian no more than 10 days before arrival. The European pet passport is issued only to owners who live in the EU.

Step 6: Prepare your pet for the flight

• No sedation. Citing the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), American Airlines does not accept sedated or tranquilized pets, because they face higher respiratory and cardiovascular risks at altitude.
• Carrier training. American Airlines Cargo recommends getting your pet comfortable in its travel kennel at least two to three weeks before the trip. Leave the carrier open at home with a familiar chew or blanket inside.
• Food and water timing. For cargo pets, American Airlines Cargo asks owners to offer food and water within the 4 hours before drop-off. Federal rules also require a signed certification of the feeding time, attached to the kennel, for checked pets.
• Exercise. Walk your dog before you leave for the airport and bring a leash for after landing.

Step 7: What happens on travel day

Carry-on pet owners go to the American ticket counter, not a self-service kiosk, so staff can measure the carrier and collect the fee. Bring printed copies of every document. USDA APHIS notes that for Mexico, a paper copy of any endorsed health certificate must travel with the animal.

Temperature limits apply to checked and cargo pets, not to pets in the cabin. According to American Airlines, those pets cannot travel if the current or forecast temperature is above 85°F (29.4°C) anywhere on the itinerary. They also cannot travel to, through or from Phoenix (PHX), Tucson (TUS), Las Vegas (LAS) or Palm Springs (PSP) from May 1 to September 30. Between 20°F and 44°F, a veterinarian's acclimation letter is required. Below 20°F, the pet cannot fly at all.

For cargo, American Airlines Cargo recommends arriving at least 2 hours before domestic flights and 4 hours before international flights. You can book up to 10 days ahead, and the cargo team recommends booking at least 24 hours in advance. In line with USDA rules, it does not carry warm-blooded animals on any single flight of 12 hours or longer, and it does not fly pets on most Airbus A319, A320 and A321 aircraft because of their cargo-hold heating and ventilation. The exceptions are New York JFK flights to and from Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO).

Breed restrictions for checked and cargo pets

American Airlines does not accept brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dogs or cats, or mixes of those breeds, as checked or cargo pets because of their hereditary breathing problems. The list includes Pugs, all Bulldogs, Boxers, Boston Terriers, Shih Tzus, Persians, Himalayans, Burmese and Exotic Shorthairs. American Airlines Cargo also does not accept breeds it calls historically aggressive, such as the Pit Bull and Cane Corso. These breed lists do not apply to cats and dogs flying in the cabin.

Airline pet documents vs. Animal Passport

The word "passport" causes confusion in pet travel. The European pet passport, EU animal health certificates, USDA-endorsed health certificates, CDC dog import forms and Mexico's screwworm certificate are official documents that governments issue or recognize and that airlines check at the counter.

Animal Passport is something else. It is a digital animal and livestock identity record based on muzzle biometrics: the nose print, which is unique like a fingerprint. Owners capture it on a phone, and the record links the animal to its owner, breed, estimated age, body condition and vaccination history. Age is estimated from a dental photograph with a confidence score, and body condition is scored from 1 to 5 using a side-profile photo. In August 2025, Animal Passport was used in livestock flood rescue in Pakistan so farmers could reclaim animals after paper tags washed away.

Animal Passport is not a government-issued travel document or a veterinary health certificate, and American Airlines does not accept it in place of CDC, USDA APHIS or destination-country paperwork. For a flight, follow the official requirements above.

More on animal identity and traceability is on the Animal Passport blog.

Bottom line

As of October 2026, flying with a pet on American Airlines works best for cats and dogs small enough for an under-seat carrier on routes within North America and the Caribbean, at $150 each way. Book early because cabin spots are capped, use a soft-sided carrier no bigger than 18 x 11 x 11 inches, and start international paperwork with a USDA-accredited veterinarian weeks ahead. Pets too large for the cabin travel through American PetEmbark unless you are on military or State Department orders. Recheck American Airlines' official pets page in the week before you fly.