Dog Flight Cost Calculator

How Much Does It Cost to Fly a Dog?

Flying a dog in the cabin on a US airline costs between $50 and $150 each way in airline fees, charged per carrier rather than per pet. Allegiant is currently the cheapest at $50, Frontier is $99, Alaska is $100, Southwest, Spirit and JetBlue sit around $125, and American, Delta and United charge $150. Delta charges $200 each way on international routes. Because the fee applies each way, a round trip doubles it before you have spent anything else.

The airline fee is usually the smaller half of the real cost. An airline-compliant carrier runs $30 to $250, and a domestic health certificate with the accompanying vet exam runs $75 to $250. Because those certificates are commonly valid for only 10 days, trips longer than that need a second one for the return leg. A realistic all-in total for a round trip with a small dog is roughly $280 to $1,050.

The Question Behind the Question: Can Your Dog Fly in the Cabin at All?

Most people searching for flight costs are really asking something else first: whether their particular dog is allowed in the cabin. It is worth answering plainly, because the honest answer surprises a lot of owners.

Most US airlines do not publish a hard weight limit for in-cabin pets. What they publish instead is a maximum carrier size and a requirement that your dog can stand up and turn around comfortably inside that carrier while it sits under the seat in front of you. That is why searching for a definitive weight number is so frustrating: for several major carriers, no such number exists. The binding constraint is physical space, not a figure in a policy document.

In practice this caps in-cabin travel at roughly 20 to 25 lb for dog and carrier combined. A 40 lb or 50 lb dog has no in-cabin route on any US airline, regardless of how well behaved they are or what carrier you buy. Long-bodied dogs often fail on length before they come close to a weight limit, which is why measuring your dog standing up matters more than weighing them.

If Your Dog Is Too Large for the Cabin

The options have narrowed considerably in recent years. American, Delta and United have all restricted pet cargo to military and State Department relocations, so the old advice to simply put a large dog in cargo no longer applies on most major carriers. Alaska and Hawaiian still accept pets in the climate-controlled baggage compartment for general passengers, at roughly $150 and $60 to $225 respectively. Beyond that, a professional ground transporter is often the practical answer, and is usually cheaper than flying for trips under about 500 miles. Flat-faced breeds face additional restrictions: Alaska does not accept brachycephalic dogs at all, and heat embargoes close many routes between May and September.

Airline Pet Fee Comparison

Fees are per carrier each way and change without notice. Each figure in our data file carries its source and verification date. Always confirm on the airline's own site before booking.

Costs People Forget to Budget For

• The second health certificate. Domestic certificates commonly expire after 10 days, so any trip longer than that needs a fresh one before the return flight. This catches out more travellers than any other single cost.
• The fee is each way. A $150 pet fee is $300 for a round trip. Airlines quote the one-way figure.
• The carrier you already own probably does not comply. JetBlue caps at 17 x 12.5 x 8.5 inches while Frontier allows 18 x 14 x 11. Buy the carrier after choosing the airline, not before.
• Pet slots sell out before seats do. Airlines cap pets per flight and Delta allows only four. Booking your seat first and adding the dog later is the most common way people end up unable to fly together.
• Delta prices by ticket issue date. Tickets issued before 8 April 2025 are $95 domestic; those issued on or after are $150. A quote you saw last year may no longer apply.
• Connections can double the fee. American charges the pet fee per segment when an itinerary includes a stopover or connection of 4 hours or more. A one-stop trip with a long layover is therefore two fees in each direction, not one. This is one of the least advertised costs in pet travel and it is easy to miss when weighing a non-stop against a cheaper connecting fare.
• A second dog may need a second seat, not just a second fee. JetBlue allows a maximum of two pets per traveller, each in their own carrier, and requires you to buy a second seat as well as a second pet fee to bring the second one.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to fly a dog?

Published in-cabin pet fees on US airlines range from $50 on Allegiant to $150 on American, Delta, United and JetBlue, charged per carrier each way. Delta charges $200 on international routes. The airline fee is usually the smaller part of the cost: an airline-compliant carrier runs $30 to $250 and a health certificate runs $75 to $250 domestically, so a typical round trip with a small dog, including two health certificates, totals roughly $280 to $1,050.

Can I take my 40 pound dog on a plane in the cabin?

No. No US airline accepts a 40 lb dog in the cabin. The limit is not usually a published weight but a space rule: the carrier must fit under the seat in front of you and your dog must be able to stand up and turn around inside it. In practice that caps in-cabin travel at roughly 20 to 25 lb for dog and carrier combined. A 40 lb dog needs the climate-controlled baggage compartment on Alaska or Hawaiian, a ground transporter, or a sitter at home.

What is the biggest dog you can bring on a plane in the cabin?

Around 20 to 25 lb including the carrier, though the real constraint is dimensions rather than weight. The largest under-seat carrier allowances among US carriers are Frontier and Spirit at roughly 18 x 14 inches, and Southwest at 18.5 x 13.5 x 9.5 inches. A dog must be able to stand and turn around inside. Long-bodied breeds often fail on length before they fail on weight.

Which airline is cheapest for flying with a dog?

Allegiant has the lowest published in-cabin pet fee at $50 each way, followed by Frontier at $99 and Alaska at $100. Southwest, Spirit and JetBlue sit around $125, and American, Delta and United charge $150. Hawaiian is $35 for interisland flights. Both Allegiant and Frontier fly domestic routes only, so the cheapest option depends on whether they serve your route.

Do airlines have a weight limit for dogs in the cabin?

Most US airlines do not publish a hard combined weight limit for in-cabin pets. Instead they require that the carrier fits under the seat and the pet can stand up and turn around inside it. This is why a published number is hard to find and why gate agents have the final say. Where a weight cap does appear it is usually around 20 lb for dog and carrier combined. Checked pets are a different matter: American caps those at 100 lb combined and Alaska Air Cargo at 150 lb.

Is the pet fee charged each way or per booking?

Each way, and per carrier rather than per pet. A round trip doubles the airline fee. Southwest, for example, charges $125 per pet carrier per one-way flight, so a round trip is $250 before any other costs. Two small dogs sharing one compliant carrier are usually charged as a single carrier fee, though airlines differ on whether they permit this.

Can I still ship my dog in cargo?

Far less easily than a few years ago. American, Delta and United have all restricted pet cargo to military and State Department relocations. Alaska and Hawaiian still accept pets in the climate-controlled baggage compartment for general passengers, at roughly $150 and $60 to $225 respectively. Brachycephalic breeds such as Bulldogs and Pugs are refused in cargo by several carriers because of their elevated breathing risk, and heat embargoes restrict many routes between May and September.

What does a health certificate cost for flying a dog?

A domestic Certificate of Veterinary Inspection typically costs $75 to $250, including the vet exam. It is usually valid for only 10 days, so a trip longer than that requires a second certificate for the return leg, which many travellers overlook when budgeting. International paperwork is substantially more expensive and can reach $1,000 or more once import permits, titre testing and endorsements are included.

How much does it cost to fly a dog internationally?

Considerably more than domestic. Delta charges $200 each way for in-cabin international travel against $150 domestically. On top of the airline fee, international travel adds import permits, titre testing, endorsement fees and in some countries quarantine. Total international costs commonly run two to three times a comparable domestic trip. Several destinations including Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and the UK do not permit in-cabin pets at all.

What size carrier do I need to fly with my dog?

It varies by airline, which is why the carrier is worth choosing after you pick the airline. Delta, American and United allow soft carriers up to 18 x 11 x 11 inches. JetBlue is the most restrictive of the major carriers at 17 x 12.5 x 8.5 inches. Frontier and Spirit allow the widest at 18 x 14 inches. Southwest allows 18.5 x 13.5 x 9.5 inches. Soft-sided carriers are generally preferred because they compress slightly to fit under varying seat designs.

Can two dogs travel in one carrier?

Some airlines allow two small pets in a single compliant carrier and charge one carrier fee, since fees are assessed per carrier rather than per animal. Both animals must still fit comfortably and be able to stand and turn around, which in practice limits this to two very small dogs. Policies differ by carrier, so confirm before booking rather than assuming.

How far in advance should I book a pet on a flight?

As early as possible, and at the same time as your own ticket. Airlines cap the number of pets allowed in the cabin per flight, and Delta permits only four. Pet slots fill long before the flight itself sells out, particularly on holiday routes and in summer. Booking your own seat first and adding the pet later is the most common way people end up unable to travel with their dog on their chosen flight.

Where This Data Comes From

Every fee in this calculator carries a source URL and a verification date. Southwest and Delta figures were read directly from those airlines' own websites. The remaining figures come from a dated third-party airline policy comparison and are marked accordingly in our data. Where sources disagree, as they currently do for JetBlue, we show a range and flag it rather than picking a number and presenting it as settled.

Airline pet fees change without notice, and Delta already prices by ticket issue date. Treat every figure here as a planning estimate and confirm on the airline's own site before you book. We do not sell pet transport, flights or insurance, so this estimate has nothing to sell you.

Planning the rest of the trip? Work out what the whole trip costs once the flight fee is settled, or if your dog is staying behind, price up boarding and sitter rates while you are away. Before buying a carrier, check what crate size your dog actually needs.