Airline Pet Fees 2026: What It Costs to Fly With a Dog in the Cabin

Flying with a small dog in the cabin costs $125 to $150 each way on the big U.S. airlines we checked, and the fee is per pet carrier, not per trip. A round trip is double. Each airline's own pet page is the source for every number below (checked Oct 30, 2026). Fees change, so confirm on the airline's site before you book.

In-cabin pet fees by airline

Airline	Fee (one way, per carrier)	Key rules	Source
American	$150 within the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Nonrefundable. A stopover of 4+ hours means the fee applies to each segment.	Soft carrier max 18 x 11 x 11 in. Hard carrier max 19 x 13 x 9 in. on mainline, 16 x 12 x 8 in. on American Eagle. The pet counts as your carry-on, so you get one more personal item only. No carry-on pets to or from Hawaii, and none on transatlantic or transpacific flights.	American Airlines
Delta	$150 within the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and USVI for tickets issued on or after April 8, 2025 ($95 for older tickets). $200 international.	Pet must be at least 8 weeks old on domestic flights. Up to 4 pets in Main or Comfort, 2 in First, none in Delta One or Premium Select. Recommended soft kennel 18 x 11 x 11 in. No cabin pets to Hawaii, the UK or Australia, among others.	Delta
United	$150	Cats and dogs only. Hard carrier max 17.5 x 12 x 9 in., soft carrier 18 x 11 x 11 in. Pet must be at least 2 months old for domestic travel. You can't add a pet in the United app. No pets to Hawaii and some other places.	United
Southwest	$125 on the U.S. mainland, $35 between Hawaiian islands	The pet carrier counts as your carry-on bag or personal item. Southwest sells a pet carrier for $58.	Southwest travel fees
JetBlue	Not shown on JetBlue's pet help page. Check at booking.	Small dogs and cats only. Carrier max 17 x 12.5 x 8.5 in.; it counts as your personal item. Up to 2 pets per traveler if you buy the seat next to you. No pets in Mint, exit rows or bulkhead. JetBlue sells carriers at the counter for $55.	JetBlue

How to save money and hassle

Book the pet right after you book your seat. Airlines cap the number of pets per flight, so spots can run out. Most let you add the pet by phone or through 'manage trip'; United says you can't do it in its app.
Fly nonstop if you can. On American, a stopover of 4 hours or more means paying the fee again for the next segment.
Measure your carrier against the strictest airline on your trip. Regional jets often have less room under the seat, and American lists a smaller hard-carrier limit for Eagle flights.
Plan for one less bag. On American and Southwest the carrier takes the place of a carry-on or personal item. On JetBlue it counts as your personal item.
Arrive early. Pets are checked in at the counter (Delta's Special Service Counter, United's kiosk then the counter, JetBlue's counter for the pet tag). Don't plan on mobile-only check-in.

Flying to Mexico or abroad?

International rules are stricter and change often. For example, Delta says that from August 3, 2026, pets flying to Mexico need a health certificate covering New World screwworm issued no more than 5 days before arrival (Delta pet travel). Check the destination's entry rules too: see taking a dog abroad (USDA) and, for coming home, CDC rules for bringing a dog into the U.S.

Emotional support animals are treated as pets under DOT rules, so the fees above apply to them. Trained service dogs follow different rules (U.S. DOT). General tips: flying with a dog in the cabin.

Driving instead? See our road trip checklist, dog car safety and pet-friendly hotel fees. Leaving the dog home? Compare boarding and sitters.

Sources (checked Oct 30, 2026): American Airlines pets, Delta carry-on pets, Delta pet travel overview, United traveling with pets, Southwest optional travel charges, JetBlue traveling with pets, U.S. DOT. We left out Frontier and Spirit because the fees we found disagreed between sources.

Info may be outdated. Verify with the source.

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