United Flying With Pets: What Owners Need to Know in 2026
Key takeaways
- Checked on 14 November 2026, United charges $150 each way for a cat or dog in the cabin.
- Soft-sided carriers are listed at 11 x 18 x 11 inches and hard-sided carriers at 9 x 17.5 x 12 inches. A 737 MAX carrier can be no more than 10 inches tall.
- Most flights allow two pets per person if you buy the next seat. The A319, A320, A321neo, 737-800, 737-8, 737-900, 737-9, and 757-300 allow one pet per person.
- Pets cannot sit in an exit row, United Premium Plus, or the front row of a cabin. Many countries and Hawaii are on United's no-pet list.
- Domestic pets can be added on united.com, not in the app. International pets are added by phone. Cargo through PetSafe is closed to the public.
- International flights, including Canada and Mexico, need a health and vaccination certificate. From the U.S., the rabies vaccination must be at least 28 days old.
United flying with pets means a cat or dog in the cabin. Checked on 14 November 2026, United's pet page says pet tickets cost $150 each way and are only for cats or dogs. A soft-sided carrier is listed at a maximum of 11 x 18 x 11 inches. A hard-sided carrier is listed at 9 x 17.5 x 12 inches. United does not label which of those numbers is the height. On a Boeing 737 MAX, the carrier can be no more than 10 inches tall. The public cannot check a pet through PetSafe. Cargo is limited to certain active-duty military or State Department employees.
Carrier size
United says there is no weight or breed limit. The pet has to travel in a hard-sided or soft-sided carrier that is ventilated and fits under the seat in front of you. If it does not fit, the pet cannot fly. On the plane the pet stays in the carrier, door closed, under the seat.
| Carrier | Maximum United prints |
|---|---|
| Soft-sided | 11 x 18 x 11 inches |
| Hard-sided | 9 x 17.5 x 12 inches |
| Boeing 737 MAX | No more than 10 inches tall |
How many pets, and which planes
On most flights a person may bring up to 2 pets and must buy 2 seats. The second seat has to be next to the assigned seat. United allows only one pet per person on the A319, A320, A321neo, 737-800, 737-8, 737-900, 737-9, and 757-300, because of limited space under the middle seat.
A pet cannot be in an emergency exit row, a United Premium Plus seat, or the front row of a cabin. United also publishes a cabin cap. These figures are for United flights, not United Express:
| Cabin | Pet cap United prints | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | Up to 2 | A319, A320, 737-700, 737-900, 757-300ER, CRJ-450, CRJ-550 |
| Premium | Up to 1 | ERJ 175 |
| Economy | Up to 4 | A319, A320, A321neo, 737, 757-200, 757-300ER, CRJ-200, EMB 145 |
| Economy | Up to 3 | ERJ 175 |
| Economy | Up to 2 | CRJ-450, CRJ-550 |
| Economy | Up to 6 | 767, 777, 787 |
United says Economy passengers on the 757-200 need a window seat for the carrier to fit. It also says some Economy seats require an aisle or window seat, without naming that aircraft in the note next to the table.
Where United does not take a pet
United does not allow pets to, from, or through: Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Cuba, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, French Polynesia (Tahiti), Greenland, Guam, Guyana, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Jamaica, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Morocco, New Zealand, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), Palau, the Philippines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates (Dubai), the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
United's exceptions: a pet may fly from Guam to Tokyo-Narita or to the U.S. mainland, but not back to Guam, and Guam-to-mainland travel is treated as international. In-cabin pets are prohibited to and from Bilbao only, not all of Spain. In-cabin pets are prohibited from Kaohsiung to and from Tokyo-Narita and from Taipei to and from Guam.
How to add the pet
On united.com, choose "Travel with a pet" while booking, or add the pet in My Trips. The United app cannot add a pet. International trips have to be added by phone. A domestic check-in can be done at a kiosk, which prints a tag for the carrier. Pet strollers are checked and count toward the checked-bag allowance. Therapy and emotional support cats and dogs fly as pets, not as service animals. Service animals are the only animals United allows out of a carrier. United's page points those rules to a separate service-animal section, which this update did not restate.
Age and paperwork
On domestic flights, puppies and kittens must be at least 2 months old. On international flights, dogs must be at least 6 months old and kittens 4 months old. United requires a health and vaccination certificate for every international flight, including Canada and Mexico. For travel from the United States to another country, United says the rabies vaccination must be completed at least 28 days before travel. A domestic health certificate is encouraged, not described as a requirement. United tells customers that CDC rules for a dog entering the United States include a form, and to use the CDC site. This page does not restate those CDC rules.
United says a dog entering Mexico needs a New World screwworm inspection certificate signed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and issued no more than 5 days before travel. The dog must show no signs of infectious disease, be free of parasites as stated on a health certificate, and have no wounds. Dogs originally from Mexico need a health certificate and vaccination record issued in Mexico instead. Dogs only connecting through the United States, and coming from another country, do not need that certificate under United's page.
Cargo
United says it no longer lets customers check pets through PetSafe. Pets can fly in cargo only with certain active-duty military or State Department employees. This page does not repeat third-party crate weights or a Guam-Honolulu timetable, because those details are not on the pet page checked on 14 November 2026.
This page is not a pet passport
United's cabin rule is an airline ticket. An EU pet passport is a government travel document. Animal Passport is a phone record of an animal's muzzle photo and health notes. It does not replace United's rules or a government certificate.
See the airline comparison for the fees checked on 14 November 2026.
FAQ
- Does United Airlines allow pets in the cabin?
- Yes. United's pet page, checked 14 November 2026, allows a cat or dog in the cabin when there is space. The pet stays in a carrier under the seat with the door closed.
- How much does United charge to fly with a pet?
- United says pet tickets cost $150 each way and are only for cats or dogs. The page checked on 14 November 2026 does not publish a layover surcharge.
- Can I fly my dog in cargo on United?
- Not as a member of the public. United says PetSafe checking has ended, and cargo is limited to certain active-duty military or State Department employees.
- What size pet carrier does United allow?
- United lists a soft-sided maximum of 11 x 18 x 11 inches and a hard-sided maximum of 9 x 17.5 x 12 inches. It does not label which number is height. On a Boeing 737 MAX the carrier can be no more than 10 inches tall.
- Is there a weight limit for pets on United?
- United says there is no weight or breed limit for cabin pets. The carrier still has to be ventilated and fit under the seat.
- Can I bring two pets on a United flight?
- On most flights, yes, up to two pets per person, and you must buy the neighboring seat. United allows only one pet per person on the A319, A320, A321neo, 737-800, 737-8, 737-900, 737-9, and 757-300.
- Do emotional support animals fly free on United?
- No. United says therapy and emotional support cats and dogs must fly as pets. Service animals are the only animals allowed without a carrier. This page does not restate the separate service-animal form.
- How old does a pet have to be to fly United?
- Domestic puppies and kittens must be at least 2 months old. On international flights United requires dogs to be at least 6 months old and kittens 4 months old.
Sources
- Traveling with pets — United Airlines