Pet-friendly air travel, decoded
Fly with your dog or cat the way they deserve.
FlyWithPets pulls together airline pet policies, airport relief areas, and country-by-country import rules into one editorial guide — so you arrive at the gate without surprises.
Pet relief areas
US DOT requires post-security relief areas at every commercial airport with 10,000+ enplanements. We map the location at every major hub.
Airline pet policies
Cabin or cargo, soft- or hard-sided, brachycephalic restrictions — compare the fine print across 6+ carriers.
International import rules
Microchips, rabies titers, quarantine windows. Plan the six-month runway you need for the UK, EU, Australia, or Japan.
Featured airports
Hubs travellers ask about most
Pet relief area locations, terminal-by-terminal facilities, and travel-day timing for the world's busiest airports.
Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) operates pet relief areas in every concourse (T, A, B, C, D, E, F) post-security as well as outdoor relief areas on the lower-l…
LHRLondon Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow (LHR) does not currently maintain dedicated indoor pet relief areas in any of its five terminals because UK biosecurity rules require almost all…
LAXLos Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) operates 14 indoor and outdoor pet relief areas across its nine terminals. Every terminal has at least one post-security…
CDGCharles de Gaulle International Airport
Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) provides outdoor pet relief areas at Terminals 1, 2, and 3, located on the Arrivals (lower) curb adjacent to the taxi rank. Indoor…
DXBDubai International Airport
Dubai International (DXB) processes pets through the Emirates SkyCargo Animal Hotel at Cargo Mega Terminal, separate from the passenger terminal. UAE law restri…
NRTNarita International Airport
Tokyo Narita (NRT) maintains an outdoor pet relief area at the Animal Quarantine Service building near the cargo complex, which serves both inbound pets clearin…
JFKJohn F Kennedy International Airport
New York JFK operates post-security pet relief areas in Terminals 1, 4, 5, 7, and 8 — every passenger terminal currently in operation. The Terminal 4 relief are…
AMSAmsterdam Airport Schiphol
Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) provides one of Europe's most thoughtful pet relief programmes, including an outdoor "Pet Welcome Area" near Departures Hall 1 with gra…
SINSingapore Changi Airport
Singapore Changi (SIN) processes inbound and outbound pets through its Animal & Plant Quarantine Station near the cargo complex, separate from the passenger ter…
FRAFrankfurt am Main Airport
Frankfurt (FRA) is home to the Lufthansa Animal Lounge, the world's largest dedicated animal handling facility at an airport. Passenger pets travelling with Luf…
SYDSydney Kingsford Smith International Airport
Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) is one of the strictest airports in the world for pet handling because Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestr…
YYZLester B. Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson (YYZ) operates pet relief areas in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, including post-security indoor relief areas in Terminal 1 at the internationa…
Carriers your airline will actually accept
Every airline publishes slightly different under-seat dimensions, but a soft carrier of 17.5 × 11 × 9 inches fits the envelope on Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. For European carriers, the standard 46 × 28 × 24 cm cap applies on Lufthansa, KLM, and Air France.
Buy the carrier four weeks before you fly so your pet can sleep in it at home until it feels like a familiar den. Top-loading models save time at the security checkpoint where you must remove your pet for the metal detector.
Read the carrier-size guide →Airline pet policies
Compare carriers side-by-side
Cabin allowance, cargo program status, fees, and breed restrictions for the world's largest passenger airlines.
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines accepts small dogs, cats, and household birds in the main cabin on most domestic and many international flights. The pet must travel in a soft- or hard-si…
UAUnited Airlines
United Airlines accepts cats and dogs in the main cabin on flights operated by United and United Express, with the booking made by phone within 24 hours of buying the tic…
AAAmerican Airlines
American Airlines accepts pets in the cabin on most flights of seven hours or less within the 50 US states, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. The combin…
WNSouthwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines is one of the simpler US carriers to fly with a pet because the program is cabin-only and the rules are uniform across all domestic flights. Small vacc…
B6JetBlue Airways
JetBlue Airways accepts small dogs and cats in the cabin on every JetBlue-operated flight, including domestic, Caribbean, Latin American, and most transatlantic routes. T…
ASAlaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is one of the most pet-friendly US carriers because it carries pets in both the main cabin and the temperature-controlled cargo hold under its long-runnin…
Guides & deep dives
The reading list every pet traveller deserves
Long-form articles on the things airlines and government websites never quite explain in plain English.
Your First Flight With a Pet: The Complete 6-Week Checklist
A six-week countdown that walks new pet-travel families through booking, vet visits, kennel acclimation, and airport day.
EquipmentPet Carrier Sizes Decoded: How to Pick One Your Airline Will Actually Accept
Why every airline publishes slightly different carrier dimensions and how to buy one carrier that works on most major US, European, and Asian carriers.
AirportsAirport Pet Relief Areas: What US Law Requires and What to Expect Internationally
Every US commercial airport with 10,000+ enplanements is legally required to provide a post-security relief area. International airports vary widely.
InternationalFlying Internationally With a Pet: Rabies, Microchips, and Country Import Rules
A country-by-country overview of what your pet needs to enter the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, Japan, and other strict import jurisdictions.
SafetyIs It Safe to Fly a Pet in Cargo? An Honest Look at the Numbers
Cargo travel has improved dramatically since 2010, but it is still not the right choice for every pet. Here is how to decide.
SafetyBreed Restrictions in the Air: Why Some Dogs and Cats Cannot Fly
A practical guide to brachycephalic-breed bans, dangerous-dog laws, and the country lists that determine whether your pet can travel with you.