Best Airline for Flying with Pets in Cabin (2026)

Fees, policies, and figures in this guide reflect what we verified as of Oct 2026 and can change afterward. Our live tools and the data behind them are re-verified more often than the written guide.

Update (May 2026): Spirit Airlines, which used to allow the most generous in-cabin weight in the US (40 lb combined), ceased all operations on May 2, 2026. It no longer flies, so it is not in the comparison below.

The best airline for flying with a pet in cabin in 2026 is Alaska Airlines for most small dogs and cats. Its fee is $100 each way, lower than any Big 4 US carrier. The carrier limit is 17 x 11 x 9.5 inches (43 x 28 x 24 cm), soft-sided only. It accepts more kinds of pets than most: small dogs, house cats, domesticated rabbits and small household birds.

Flying with a pet has gotten harder over the last few years. United ended its PetSafe program and now flies pets in cargo only for certain active-duty military and State Department travelers. Service-animal rules narrowed to trained dogs, so emotional support animals now fly as pets. For a cabin-eligible pet, though, the programs are predictable: the pet rides in a carrier under the seat in front of you, you pay a fee each way, and the hard part is matching the airline’s rules to your pet and route.

For specific trips, the winner changes. JetBlue suits cats. Allegiant is the cheapest fee. Lufthansa publishes its international prices by route, and Air France and KLM share the same 8 kg limit. Below is the full breakdown.

Side-by-side comparison

Figures come from each airline's own policy pages, checked Oct 1, 2026 to Nov 2, 2026. "Not published" means there is no single figure for that column; each airline's section below has the detail.

Short version: Alaska, JetBlue and Hawaiian are the three friendliest US carriers in 2026. Allegiant is the cheapest. British Airways doesn’t carry pets in the cabin on any route, so it is not in the table.

What we looked for

• Real cabin fee, since a pet costs $35 within Hawaii on Alaska and Hawaiian and $200 each way on a Delta international flight
• Carrier size limits, where an inch matters when your pet has to fit a soft-sided bag under the seat
• Combined weight caps, which most airlines don’t publish at all; the carrier size is usually the real limit
• Cabin and route rules, since some cabins and destinations take no pets at all
• Pets per flight, since limited spaces go first-come, first-served

1. Alaska Airlines (overall winner)

Alaska is the structural pick for most small dogs and cats in 2026. The fee is $100 each way per carrier ($35 if the trip is wholly within Hawaii), lower than any Big 4 carrier. The carrier must be soft-sided and no bigger than 17 x 11 x 9.5 inches (43 x 28 x 24 cm); hard-sided kennels are not allowed in the cabin.

Pets per flight. Alaska doesn’t publish a fixed cap. It says its First Class and Main Cabin pet allotments vary by aircraft type, and reservations are first-come, first-served, so book the pet as early as you book the seat.

Accepts more species. Small dogs, house cats, domesticated rabbits and small household birds are all accepted. Up to two pets of the same species and similar size can share one carrier, which can save money for a two-cat household.

Route limits. Alaska and Hawaiian share one pet policy. Pets in cabin are not allowed to Europe, London Heathrow, Japan, Seoul or Sydney, among other international points.

2. JetBlue (best for cats)

JetBlue’s carrier limit is 17 x 12.5 x 8.5 inches (43 x 32 x 22 cm). At 12.5 inches it is the widest carrier among the US airlines in the table, but at 8.5 inches also the lowest, which suits a cat that curls up better than a tall dog. The fee is $150 each way, the same as American, Delta and United, so you’re paying for the carrier shape, not a discount.

Booking limits. A maximum of two pets per traveler is allowed, each in its own carrier, and a second pet needs a second seat and a second fee. A total of 6 pets are allowed on each flight, so book early.

Caveat: JetBlue doesn’t allow pets in Mint, and it does not carry dogs or cats in cargo at all. If you’ve paid for Mint, your pet cannot come.

3. Hawaiian Airlines (best for Hawaii routes)

Hawaiian charges $100 each way per carrier, and $35 when the trip is wholly within Hawaii. It shares Alaska’s pet policy, so the same soft-sided 17 x 11 x 9.5 inch (43 x 28 x 24 cm) carrier limit applies.

No published weight cap. The in-cabin page lists no combined weight limit for the pet and carrier. The pet must be small enough to fit and stay comfortably in the carrier under the seat, so confirm with the airline before you book a heavier dog.

To Hawaii. Dogs, cats and rabbits are the only animals that can fly in the cabin to Hawaii, and rabbits only to Honolulu. Hawaii’s own quarantine and entry rules apply on top of the airline’s, so start the paperwork weeks ahead.

4. Spirit Airlines (shut down May 2026)

Spirit’s 40 lb combined cabin pet weight cap used to be the most generous in the US. That ended on May 2, 2026, when Spirit ceased all operations.

What this means for heavier-pet owners now. Most surviving airlines publish no weight cap, so the limit is the carrier. United says there are no weight or breed limitations for cabin pets, but the carrier still has to fit under the seat (11 x 18 x 11 inches soft-sided). For a dog that cannot fit, the options are cargo on an airline that still takes pets in the hold, a pet-transport service, or driving.

5. Allegiant Air (cheapest US cabin fee)

Allegiant’s $50 per segment per carrier is the cheapest in-cabin pet fee in the US. A nonstop round-trip costs $100 in pet fees, against $200 round trip on Alaska or $300 round trip on JetBlue.

Check in at the counter. Passengers with pets must check in with an Allegiant agent at the ticket counter or gate counter at least one hour before departure, so the agent can confirm the pet and carrier meet the rules.

Carrier limits. Measured fully closed, a soft-sided carrier can be up to 18 x 12 x 11 inches (46 x 31 x 28 cm) and a hard-sided one up to 17 x 11 x 10.5 inches (43 x 28 x 27 cm). Allegiant suggests the soft-sided kind.

Contiguous 48 states only. Allegiant takes cabin pets within the contiguous 48 United States; its international and US-territory routes do not accept all pets.

6. Delta, American, and United (the legacies)

Delta. $150 each way within the US, Canada, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, and $200 international, for tickets issued on or after April 8, 2025. Delta publishes no weight cap and recommends a soft-sided kennel of 18 x 11 x 11 inches (46 x 28 x 28 cm), which fits most aircraft. Call Delta Reservations to book the pet. Limits are per cabin: 4 pets in Delta Main and Delta Comfort, 2 in Delta First on domestic flights (not in flat-bed seats), and none in Delta One, Delta Premium or international Business. Pets cannot fly in the cabin to or from Australia, Barbados, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Iceland, Jamaica, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK or the UAE.

American. $150 per kennel each way. It is the only US airline in the table with a published weight cap, 20 lb (9 kg) for pet plus carrier, and soft carriers go up to 18 x 11 x 11 inches (46 x 28 x 28 cm). Carry-on pets are accepted within and between the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, and American’s destination list names the 48 contiguous states, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, St. Croix and St. Thomas. Hawaii is not on it. You can bring one additional item alongside the pet carrier: a personal item or a carry-on bag, not both.

United. $150 each way, cats and dogs only. United says there are no weight or breed limitations for pets in the cabin; the soft-sided carrier maximum is 11 x 18 x 11 inches (27 x 45 x 27 cm). PetSafe is gone, and pets only fly in cargo with certain active-duty military or State Department employees. The in-cabin program works, but for a pet that might need cargo, United has no option.

7. Southwest (mid-tier fee)

Southwest’s cabin pet fee is $125 per carrier on US mainland flights and $35 per carrier on inter-island Hawaii flights. It takes small vaccinated cats and dogs, and the pet carrier counts as your carry-on or personal item. The carrier limit on record is 18 x 10.5 x 10 inches.

8. International carriers (Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, British Airways, Air Canada)

Lufthansa. Up to 8 kg (17.6 lb) for the animal including a soft carrier, and a 55 x 40 x 23 cm (22 x 16 x 9 in) carrier. The price depends on the route and is charged once per direction: EUR 65-85 domestic, EUR 80-100 within Europe, and EUR 125-145 (USD 145-165) on intercontinental long haul. For European trips from the US, Lufthansa is the structural pick.

Air France. Cats and dogs under 8 kg (17.64 lb) including the carrier fly in the cabin, in a soft bag of 46 x 28 x 24 cm (18 x 11 x 9.5 in). The fee depends on the route: Air France’s US fee table lists $70 to $400 for pets, covering the cabin and the hold.

KLM. One cat or dog in Economy, or in Business within Europe, in a bag of 46 x 28 x 24 cm (18 x 11 x 9 in) that weighs no more than 8 kg (17.6 lb) with the pet inside. No pets in the cabin in Premium Comfort or in Business on intercontinental routes. Fees range from EUR 70 to EUR 500 per one-way flight. A UK embargo also stops KLM from flying pets to the UK as passenger baggage.

British Airways. No in-cabin pets on any route. Pets travel in the hold through BA’s partners (PetAir UK from the UK, IAG Cargo into the UK). For a cabin pet, pick another airline.

Air Canada. Cats and small dogs only, in a soft-sided carrier, one per passenger. The fee is CA/US $50-60 one way within Canada and between Canada and the US, and CA/US $100-120 internationally. The carrier size depends on the aircraft (for example 40 x 43 x 20 cm on most mainline jets), and pets cannot fly in Premium Economy.

Worst airlines for cabin pet travel

British Airways. Doesn’t carry pets in the cabin at all. Avoid it for any trip where the pet has to sit with you.

KLM Business and Premium Comfort on intercontinental routes. No cabin pets. Book Economy or a different airline.

Delta to Hawaii, the UK, Australia, New Zealand or Hong Kong. No cabin pets on those routes. Delta is fine elsewhere.

United for a pet near the size limit. The cabin program works, but with PetSafe gone there is no United fallback if the pet does not fit under the seat. Alaska and JetBlue are better picks at the same or lower price.

Frontier. It publishes a $149 fee per pet each way but, unlike the others here, no carrier size on its fees page, so confirm the size before you fly.

Booking tips for cabin pet travel

• Book early. Cabin pet spaces are first-come, first-served on Alaska, Hawaiian and Delta, and JetBlue caps each flight at 6 pets. For peak holiday travel, book weeks in advance.
• Call to confirm. Even airlines that accept online pet bookings benefit from a confirmation call. Pet policies change, and online booking screens sometimes lag the current policy.
• Bring health documents. International travel requires them, and having a recent veterinary record on hand reduces friction at the counter.
• Check in at the counter where required. Allegiant and Air Canada require you to see an agent at check-in with your pet, so allow extra time.
• Skip the bulkhead row. Alaska and Hawaiian don’t let you sit in an exit or bulkhead row with a pet, and JetBlue won’t assign one, because there is no under-seat space in front of you.
• CDC dog import rules apply to returning US dogs. Requirements for bringing a dog into the US depend on where it was vaccinated and which countries it has been in during the 6 months before entry. Check the CDC dog import rules before an international trip.

The bottom line

For most cabin-eligible pets in 2026, Alaska Airlines is the right choice. The $100 fee, the 17 x 11 x 9.5 inch (43 x 28 x 24 cm) soft carrier, the wide range of accepted species and two-pets-per-carrier rule make it the safest default.

For cats specifically, JetBlue’s wider 17 x 12.5 x 8.5 inch (43 x 32 x 22 cm) carrier is worth the $50-per-way premium over Alaska if your cat likes to stretch out flat. For a heavier dog, check the carrier size first: most airlines publish no weight cap, and United says it sets no weight or breed limitations. For Hawaii, Alaska and Hawaiian are the sensible picks. For European routes, Lufthansa is the safest default.

Avoid British Airways entirely for cabin pets. Avoid Delta if you’re going to Hawaii, the UK, Australia or New Zealand. Avoid KLM Business on intercontinental routes.

The honest summary: most cabin pet travel works on most major carriers most of the time. The differences between Alaska and JetBlue are real but small. The differences between Alaska and British Airways are not small. Pick the airline whose policy matches your pet and your route, bring documentation, book early, and never assume gate enforcement will match the published policy.

For airline-specific baggage and personal-item rules that apply alongside pet carriers, see the Alaska carry-on guide, JetBlue carry-on guide, or Southwest carry-on guide. For destination-specific travel content, browse packing lists by activity for trips with pets.