Flying With Pets on American Airlines: 2026 Rules, Fees, Carriers and Paperwork

Flying with pets on American Airlines means bringing a small cat or dog in the cabin as a carry-on pet, checking a pet in the hold (allowed only for active-duty U.S. military and State Department staff), or shipping it through American Airlines Cargo. As of October 2026, American Airlines charges $150 per kennel, each way, for carry-on pets. The pet must stay in a carrier under the seat in front of you. Dogs also need the CDC and USDA paperwork for their route.

By Animal Passport. Last updated October 6, 2026. Fees and rules below come from American Airlines, 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 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Airline pet rules change often, so confirm with American Airlines Reservations before you book.

The three ways to fly a pet on American Airlines

American Airlines says pets can travel as a carry-on or through American Airlines Cargo, depending on breed and size, and that carry-on pets are limited to cats and dogs that meet size, age and destination requirements (American Airlines, 2026). The table below compares the three options.

American Airlines also states that all pet fees are nonrefundable, apply per kennel and each way, and that a stopover or connection of 4 hours or more triggers a fee for each segment (American Airlines, 2026).

American Airlines carry-on pet rules in 2026

American Airlines lets you bring one pet carrier on board if you pay the carry-on pet fee and your pet stays in the carrier, under the seat in front of you, for the entire flight (American Airlines, 2026). The carrier takes the place of one of your two usual cabin items. You may add either a personal item or a carry-on bag that fits in the overhead bin, but not both.

Which routes allow pets?

According to American Airlines (2026), you can travel with a pet on most flights of up to 12 hours, or on flights to and from these places:

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

Pets flying within the U.S. and Puerto Rico must be at least 8 weeks old (American Airlines, 2026).

Carrier size limits

The airline recommends soft-sided carriers. They must be padded and water-repellent, with mesh ventilation on 3 or more sides, and must fit under the seat without being squashed. Your pet must be able to fit comfortably inside with the carrier closed (American Airlines, 2026).

How many pets fit on each plane?

American Airlines caps carry-on pets at 20 carriers across all cabins on mainline aircraft such as the Airbus A319, A320, A321 and Boeing 737. On American Eagle regional jets (CRJ and ERJ types), the cap is 1 carrier in the premium cabin and 5 in the main cabin (American Airlines, 2026). On Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft and the Airbus A321XLR, pets are not allowed in premium cabins because there is no under-seat storage. On the three-cabin A321T, First and Business pets go in a dedicated compartment, and the pet plus carrier must weigh no more than 20 pounds.

Seats you cannot choose

Carry-on pets are not allowed 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 (American Airlines, 2026).

No sedation

Citing the American Veterinary Medical Association, American Airlines says it does not accept sedated or tranquilized pets. It notes that these drugs raise the risk of breathing and heart problems at altitude (American Airlines, 2026).

How to add a carry-on pet to your booking

1. Find your trip on aa.com or in the American app.
2. In Additional Services, select Add carry-on pets.
3. Review and agree to the carry-on pet requirements.
4. Select the flights your pet will be on.
5. Confirm, then pay the fee at the American ticket counter on travel day, where staff will check the pet and kennel.

American Airlines says it does not collect pet fees for partner airlines, even on codeshare flights with an American flight number, and it does not accept cash or checks for pet fees (American Airlines, 2026).

Checked pets: military and State Department only

American Airlines accepts checked pets only for active-duty U.S. military and U.S. State Department Foreign Service personnel traveling on official orders. Each traveler may check up to 2 pets, on a first-come basis (American Airlines, 2026). Requirements include:

• Contact Reservations at least 48 hours before travel.
• Check in at the ticket counter with your orders, between 2 and 4 hours before departure.
• Bring a veterinary health certificate issued within 10 days of travel. On the same ticket, it can be up to 60 days old for the return; on a separate return ticket, it must be within 10 days.
• Use a rigid kennel with a metal door and ventilation on at least 3 sides (4 for international trips), weighing no more than 100 lb (45 kg) with the pet inside.
• Connect only through Charlotte, Chicago O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York JFK, New York LaGuardia, Miami, Philadelphia, Phoenix or Washington Reagan.

American Airlines does not accept brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dogs or cats of any mix as checked pets. The list includes pugs, all bulldogs, Boston terriers, boxers, shih tzus, Persians and Himalayans (American Airlines, 2026).

Temperature embargoes

For checked and cargo pets, American Airlines (2026) will not fly an animal if the current or forecast temperature is above 85°F (29.4°C) anywhere on the itinerary. It also will not fly one if the ground temperature is below 45°F (7.2°C), unless a vet's acclimation letter is provided. Below 20°F (-6.6°C), no letter is accepted. Pets not traveling in the cabin cannot fly to, through or from Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas or Palm Springs from May 1 to September 30.

American Airlines Cargo and American PetEmbark

If your pet is too large for the cabin and you are not eligible to check it, American Airlines directs you to American Airlines Cargo's American PetEmbark service. PetEmbark is for pets that do not qualify as carry-on or checked pets. Fees vary with the trip and the size of the animal and kennel, and they are confirmed at booking (American Airlines, 2026). The airline adds that a pet checked at the start of a trip must stay in the same category, checked or cargo, for the whole journey.

Where you cannot fly with a carry-on pet

American Airlines (2026) lists these carry-on pet exclusions:

• Hawaii: no carry-on pets to or from Hawaii. Checked pets may go only via Honolulu (HNL) under Hawaii's quarantine rules, not on nonstop flights to Maui, the Big Island or Kauai.
• Jamaica: no carry-on pets.
• 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.
• United Kingdom and Ireland: no checked pets apart from service animals, though dogs and cats can go to London Heathrow and Manchester with American Airlines Cargo.

Government paperwork you still need

Airline approval is not the same as government entry clearance. American Airlines says customers are responsible for meeting every destination's entry requirements.

Dogs entering or returning to the United States

The CDC is the primary federal authority for dog imports. Its requirements, in force since August 1, 2024, depend on where the dog was vaccinated and which countries it visited in the 6 months before arrival (CDC, 2024). An unvaccinated dog that has been in a high-risk country for dog rabies in the past 6 months will not be allowed into the U.S. American Airlines goes further. It will not carry a dog as a carry-on pet if the dog started in, or visited, a high-risk rabies country in the 6 months before travel (American Airlines, 2026).

Flying to Mexico with a dog

USDA APHIS states that, effective August 3, 2026, Mexico requires a New World screwworm (NWS) Inspection Certificate for pet dogs moving from the United States to Mexico. A USDA-accredited veterinarian must sign it no more than 5 days before entry, and it does not need APHIS endorsement (USDA APHIS, 2026). APHIS warns that missing or incorrect NWS paperwork can get a dog denied entry or held at the border. American Airlines says it checks this certificate at airport check-in. Pet cats do not need a health certificate or NWS document to enter Mexico (USDA APHIS, 2026).

Coming home is a separate step. The AVMA (2026) says dogs and cats returning from Mexico need a screwworm certificate from a full-time salaried official government veterinarian in the region of origin, dated within 5 days of U.S. entry. Dogs also need the CDC Dog Import Form.

Leaving the U.S. for other countries

USDA APHIS advises contacting a USDA-accredited veterinarian as soon as you decide to travel internationally with a pet. The vet will help you meet the destination's vaccination, testing and health certificate rules (USDA APHIS, 2026). For checked pets going to the European Union, American Airlines requires a tattoo or implanted microchip that matches the ID number on the vaccination card.

Service animals versus pets

American Airlines defines a service animal as a dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Service dogs fly in the cabin free of charge (American Airlines, 2026). Emotional support animals, comfort animals and service animals in training travel as pets, with pet fees. The airline recommends submitting the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Service Animal Air Transportation Form at least 48 hours before departure. A DOT relief attestation form is also required for any flight over 8 hours. Service dogs must be at least 4 months old, and each traveler may bring up to 2.

Where official sources differ

American Airlines' own pages are not perfectly consistent. The pet travel page lists Europe and the United Kingdom among the checked-pet fee regions. The bag and optional fees page lists only the Americas and the Caribbean, plus Brazil. The pet page applies per-segment fees to connections of "4 hours or more," while the fees page says "more than 4 hours" (American Airlines, 2026). If your itinerary depends on either detail, get written confirmation from American Airlines Reservations.

Pre-flight checklist

1. Confirm your route allows carry-on pets and that your aircraft has not hit its pet cap.
2. Buy a carrier within the size limits and let your pet get used to it.
3. Add the pet to your reservation through Additional Services.
4. Book a USDA-accredited veterinarian if your destination or the airline needs a health certificate or NWS inspection certificate.
5. Complete the CDC Dog Import Form if a dog is entering or returning to the U.S.
6. Don't sedate your pet, and arrive early to pay the $150 fee at the ticket counter.

Is Animal Passport a pet travel document?

No. Animal Passport is a digital animal and livestock identity record built on muzzle biometrics. An animal's nose print is unique, like a fingerprint, and is captured with a phone camera. The record links the animal to its owner, breed, estimated age, body condition and vaccination history. Age is estimated from a dental photo with a confidence score, and body condition is scored from 1 to 5 using a side-profile photo. In Pakistan's August 2025 floods, it helped farmers reclaim livestock after paper tags washed away.

Animal Passport is not a government-issued travel document. American Airlines, the CDC and USDA APHIS do not list it as a substitute for a veterinary health certificate, CDC Dog Import Form, NWS inspection certificate or EU pet passport. For airline trips, use the official forms above. Read more animal identification and travel guides on the Animal Passport blog.