United Airlines Pet Travel Policy 2026: Every Rule You Need Before You Book

United Airlines pet travel policy, as of October 2026: United carries only cats and dogs, and only in the cabin, in a ventilated carrier that fits under the seat in front of you. The fee is $150 each way per pet. Pets cannot fly as checked baggage or cargo unless they travel with active-duty U.S. military personnel or State Department staff on official orders. International trips also need government health paperwork, which United does not handle.

The United Airlines pet travel policy is the set of rules the airline publishes for carrying non-service animals on its flights. It covers which species qualify, the fee, carrier size, seating, aircraft and destination limits, and how the airline treats service and emotional support animals. This guide sets out each rule, names the source, and shows where independent trackers disagree.

United Airlines Pet Policy at a Glance (October 2026)

• Species: Domestic cats and dogs only. No other pets are accepted in the cabin.
• Where pets ride: In the cabin only, in a carrier stowed under the seat in front of you for the whole flight.
• Fee: $150 each way per pet. According to pet-travel tracker CanIBringMyPet, this rose from $125 on April 26, 2024.
• Weight or breed limits: None are published. Your pet just has to fit comfortably in an approved carrier, according to CabinPets (last verified September 2026).
• Cargo: Closed to the general public since 2018, with exceptions only for military PCS moves and State Department assignments.
• Booking: Choose "Travel with a pet" on united.com or in My Trips. You cannot add a pet in the United app.

Which Animals Can Fly on United?

Only cats and dogs. Third-party summaries of United's policy, including CabinPets and PetsTravel Info in 2026, agree that rabbits, birds, ferrets and every other species must stay home or travel another way. The only animals allowed in the cabin outside a carrier are trained service dogs, covered below.

Minimum age

For domestic flights, puppies and kittens must be at least 2 months (8 weeks) old. For international flights, PetsTravel Info and CabinPets report minimums of 4 months for kittens and 6 months for dogs. The dog figure lines up with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which in 2024 set 6 months as the minimum age for any dog entering or returning to the United States.

How Much Does United Charge for Pets?

United charges $150 each way for each pet traveling in the cabin, so a round trip with one cat or dog costs $300 in pet fees. This is the figure every 2026 tracker we reviewed reports. For a full breakdown and a comparison with other airlines, see our guide to the United pet fee in 2026.

Where sources disagree: United adds a surcharge when a domestic layover runs longer than 4 hours or an international layover longer than 24 hours. CanIBringMyPet lists it as $125, while PetsTravel Info lists it as $150. Confirm the current amount with United when you book.

United Pet Carrier Size Requirements

The carrier has to fit completely under the seat in front of you, and your pet must be able to stand up and turn around inside it. CabinPets lists United's published maximums as of September 2026:

• Soft-sided carrier (recommended): 18 x 11 x 11 inches (about 45 x 27 x 27 cm)
• Hard-sided kennel: 17.5 x 12 x 9 inches (about 44 x 30 x 22 cm)
• Boeing 737 MAX exception: a maximum carrier height of 10 inches, so an 11-inch carrier that fits most United aircraft will not fit on these jets

Soft-sided carriers are the safer choice because they compress slightly to fit under different seat frames. Before you buy, check which aircraft is scheduled for your flight in your booking.

How Many Pets Can You Bring, and Where Can You Sit?

On most United flights, one passenger can bring up to two pets. The second pet needs its own purchased seat next to yours and its own fee, and both carriers still go on the floor under the seats in front of you. Under-seat space is tighter on some narrowbody aircraft, where United allows only one pet per passenger.

Where sources disagree: CabinPets lists the one-pet aircraft as the Airbus A319, A320 and A321neo and the Boeing 737-800/MAX 8 and 737-900/MAX 9. PetsTravel Info names only the A319/A320 and 737 MAX 8/9. If your flight uses any of these types, assume the one-pet limit applies.

Seats that are off-limits with a pet

• Emergency exit rows
• The front (bulkhead) row of any cabin, because there is no seat in front to stow the carrier under
• United Premium Plus seats, according to CabinPets

United also caps the number of pets per cabin on each flight, and spaces go first come, first served, so add your pet as soon as you book.

Why United No Longer Flies Pets in Cargo

United paused new reservations for its PetSafe cargo program in March 2018, after a run of high-profile incidents. Military.com reported on March 23, 2018 that these included pets delivered to the wrong families and the death of a small dog in an aircraft cabin. On May 1, 2018, United announced a partnership with American Humane to review pet handling and said PetSafe would resume "later this summer." It never reopened to the general public.

What remains is an exemption announced in March 2018. Active-duty U.S. military personnel on Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders, State Department Foreign Service personnel, and their spouses can move pet dogs and cats in the hold on assignment to or from international destinations. Military.com reported at the time that active-duty personnel traveling for personal reasons are covered by the normal pet policy instead. If your dog is too big for an under-seat carrier, you cannot fly it on United as a civilian. You will need a licensed pet shipper on another carrier, or ground transport.

Destinations Where United Will Not Carry Pets

United does not let pets fly to, from or through a list of places with strict animal-import rules. As of September 2026, CabinPets reports that the list includes Hawaii, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Hong Kong, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, plus more than 20 other locations. The list changes, so check it on united.com before you book any international or Hawaii itinerary.

Service Dogs, Emotional Support Animals and Pets Compared

In December 2020 the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a final rule under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA). It defines a service animal as "a dog, regardless of breed or type, that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks" for a person with a disability. The same rule lets airlines treat emotional support animals as pets and limit each passenger to two service animals. United follows this rule: trained service dogs fly free, and emotional support animals pay the pet fee and must stay in a carrier.

The DOT rule also lets airlines require a DOT service animal form, and on flights of 8 hours or more a form confirming the dog can avoid relieving itself or do so in a sanitary way. Airlines can ask for these forms up to 48 hours before travel if you booked earlier than that.

How to Book a Pet on United: Step by Step

1. Check eligibility. Make sure your pet is a cat or dog, meets the minimum age, and that no stop on your route is on United's restricted list.
2. Measure your pet and carrier. Compare the carrier's outside dimensions with the soft-sided (18 x 11 x 11 in) or hard-sided (17.5 x 12 x 9 in) limit, and use 10 inches as the height limit on a 737 MAX.
3. Add the pet when you book. Select "Travel with a pet" on united.com, or add it later in My Trips. You can't do this in the app.
4. Pick an eligible seat. Avoid exit rows, bulkhead rows and Premium Plus, and check whether your aircraft has a one-pet limit.
5. Get the paperwork for your route. For international trips, talk to a USDA-accredited veterinarian early (see the next section).
6. Check in for the pet tag. CabinPets reports that a check-in kiosk prints the pet tag, while PetsTravel Info advises checking in at the counter. Leave time for either.
7. Keep the carrier closed on board. Your pet has to stay in the carrier, under the seat, for the whole flight.

Government Paperwork for International Trips

Airline rules and government entry rules are separate, and you need to meet both. The United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) says in its 2026 guidance that airlines "have their own policies and requirements" beyond destination-country rules. It tells owners to contact a USDA-accredited veterinarian "as soon as you decide to travel."

Dogs entering or returning to the United States

APHIS names the CDC as the primary authority for dog imports. Since August 1, 2024, the CDC has required the following for dogs that have only been in dog-rabies-free or low-risk countries in the past 6 months:

• A CDC Dog Import Form receipt, which is free, required for each dog, and valid for 6 months
• A minimum age of 6 months
• A microchip that a universal scanner can read
• Appearing healthy on arrival

Dogs that have been in a high-risk country for dog rabies face stricter requirements. APHIS notes in 2026 that U.S.-vaccinated dogs in that situation need a "Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination" form, completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian before the dog leaves the United States.

Flying a dog to Mexico on United

Mexico is one of United's busiest international pet routes, and its rules changed this year. According to the USDA APHIS Mexico pet travel page (last modified September 21, 2026), Mexico has required a New World screwworm (NWS) inspection certificate for pet dogs since August 3, 2026. A USDA-accredited veterinarian must issue it no more than 5 days before entry, and it does not need APHIS endorsement. Pet cats still need no health certificate or NWS document and are inspected at the border by Mexico's National Service of Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety and Quality (SENASICA). APHIS also notes that Mexico currently bars entry of pet ferrets and pet rabbits from the United States.

A United Pet Ticket Is Not a Pet Passport, and Neither Is Animal Passport

Three things that people often mix up are actually very different:

• A United pet ticket is an airline service charge for cabin space. It gives you a receipt and a carrier tag, not an identity or health document.
• Government travel documents, such as the CDC Dog Import Form, health certificates endorsed by USDA APHIS, and the EU pet passport used for movement within the European Union, are official records issued under public animal-health law.
• 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.

An Animal Passport record links that biometric ID to the owner, breed, estimated age (from a dental photograph, with a confidence score), a body condition score from 1 to 5 (from a side-profile photo), and vaccination history. In August 2025 it was used in livestock flood rescue in Pakistan, so farmers could reclaim animals after their paper ear tags washed away.

Animal Passport is not a government-issued travel document. It does not replace a CDC form, an APHIS-endorsed health certificate or an EU pet passport, and it does not give veterinary diagnoses or legal advice. APHIS itself says that animals considered livestock or poultry do not qualify for pet travel and fall under separate import and export rules, which is exactly the area where field-level biometric ID matters most. You can read more about animal identification on the Animal Passport blog.

How to Verify United's Pet Rules Before You Fly

United updates its pet rules without much notice, and third-party trackers, including the ones cited here, sometimes lag behind or disagree. Treat this guide as a checklist, and confirm three things on united.com or with United reservations before you travel: the current layover surcharge, the one-pet aircraft list for your flight, and the restricted-destination list. For government requirements, the CDC dog import pages and the USDA APHIS pet travel pages are the official sources.

By Animal Passport. Last updated October 3, 2026.