American matters more than its share of search traffic suggests, and for one reason: it is the last of the three large US carriers whose cargo hold is still open to the general public. Delta and United both closed theirs to everyone outside active military and State Department orders. American did not. If your dog is too large for a carrier under the seat, American Airlines Cargo is the mainline option that still exists.
That makes this guide two guides. The first half is the ordinary carry-on policy, which is competitive but not remarkable. The second half is how a pet flies without you, which is the part almost nobody explains properly. Figures verified from American’s own passenger and cargo pages, checked September 2026.
What It Costs
A carry-on pet is $150 per kennel, each way, within and between the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, subject to the destination country’s own entry rules.
A checked pet is $200 per kennel, and $150 to or from Brazil, but see the section below on who is actually allowed to check one.
A cargo pet has no published flat fee. The rate depends on the route and the size of the kennel, and it is confirmed at the time of booking. There is also a $150 handling fee per air waybill on top of the animal rate, which is easy to miss when comparing a cargo quote against a cabin fee.
Active members of the US military traveling under PCS or TDY orders receive 50% off the published rate for cats and dogs within the domestic United States and San Juan, on production of military identification and the orders themselves.
Carry-On: the Carrier, and the Allowance You Give Up
American publishes three carrier limits rather than one, and the third is the one that gets a carrier refused at the gate.
A soft-sided carrier, which American recommends, may be up to 18 by 11 by 11 inches (46 by 28 by 28 cm) on all flights. A hard-sided carrier may be up to 19 by 13 by 9 inches (48 by 33 by 22 cm) on American mainline flights. But on American Eagle, the regional operation, a hard-sided carrier drops to 16 by 12 by 8 inches (40 by 30 by 20 cm), which is a substantially smaller box on the aircraft most likely to be flying a short domestic leg.
So a carrier bought for a mainline flight can be refused on the regional connection at the other end of the same itinerary. Check the aircraft on every leg, not just the long one.
There is a second cost that is not a fee. On American you may bring one additional item with your pet carrier: either a personal item such as a handbag, or a carry-on bag for the overhead bin. Not both. So the pet carrier does not travel free of your baggage allowance, it consumes one of the two pieces you would otherwise bring. Pet strollers are checked at the ticket counter and the usual checked bag fees apply.
Where You Can Take a Pet, and Where You Cannot
American accepts pets in the cabin on most flights up to 12 hours, and on flights within the 48 contiguous states, between the United States and Canada, to Alaska, Mexico, Puerto Rico, St. Croix and St. Thomas. Canada and Mexico carry additional restrictions of their own.
The 12 hour figure is not an American preference. USDA regulations prevent the carriage of warm-blooded animals on any single flight of 12 hours or more, so it applies to the hold as well as the cabin and it is not something any airline can waive.
Checked Pets Are Military and State Department Only
American accepts checked pets at the ticket counter only for active-duty US military and State Department Foreign Service personnel traveling on official orders. That is the same restriction Delta and United apply, and it means the middle option is closed to everyone else here as well.
For the general public there are therefore two doors, not three: the cabin, or cargo. There is nothing in between.
PetEmbark: How a Pet Flies Without You
American Airlines Cargo runs its animal service under the name American PetEmbark, and unlike its two large rivals it is open to anyone. This is the honest answer to the question of whether a pet can fly alone: yes, on a carrier that still runs a live animal program, booked through the freight side of the business rather than the passenger side.
There are two rate products underneath the brand and which one applies is decided by geography and size rather than by preference. Priority Parcel Service covers domestic flights within the continental United States, Puerto Rico and inbound to Hawaii, for a pet and kennel weighing under 100 pounds combined, in a kennel no larger than 36 by 26 by 28 inches. Anything international, anything leaving Hawaii, and anything over those limits moves as ExpediteFS.
Two things follow that are worth knowing before you price anything. The kennel size, not the dog, decides the product and therefore the rate, which is why a crate measurement is the first thing any honest quote asks for. And if the animal does not travel on its booked flight for a reason within American’s control, it refunds 25% of the freight charge on Priority Parcel Service and 100% on ExpediteFS, which is an unusually specific commitment for this industry.
If the pet is being sent from outside the United States, American requires the booking to go through an IATA-regulated freight forwarder or a professional pet shipper holding an American Airlines Cargo account. At an international destination a customs broker is required on arrival. Those two rules are why an international unaccompanied move is rarely something an owner completes alone, and they are stated by the airline rather than by us.
The Temperature Rule That Decides Your Travel Date
American carries warm-blooded animals when ground temperatures are between 45 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and it checks that at origin, at every connection and at the destination, against the actual or forecast temperature for each departure and arrival time.
Above 85 degrees or below 20 degrees it will not carry the animal at all. Between 20 and 44 degrees it will, but only with a letter of acclimation signed by a licensed veterinarian stating the exact lowest temperature the animal may be exposed to. A letter that says the animal is generally hardy is not enough; it has to name a number.
The practical effect is that a summer move through Phoenix and a winter move through Minneapolis are both scheduling problems rather than paperwork problems, and the connection city can disqualify an itinerary even when both ends are comfortable.
Aircraft, Breeds and Sedation
American will not carry animals on the Airbus A319, A320 and A321 family, with a narrow exception for New York JFK to and from Los Angeles and San Francisco. On a network with a great deal of Airbus flying, that alone can reroute a pet.
The breed list is long and it covers both species. Refused dogs include the Affenpinscher, American Bully, American Staffordshire Terrier, Boston Terrier, all Boxers, Brussels Griffon, all Bulldogs, Cane Corso, Chow Chow, Dogue de Bordeaux, English Toy Spaniel, Japanese Chin, Lhasa Apso, all Mastiffs, Pekingese, Pit Bull, Presa Canario, all Pugs, Shar Pei, Shih Tzu, Staffordshire Terrier and Tibetan Spaniel. Refused cats are the Burmese, Exotic Shorthair, Himalayan and Persian. A mixed breed has to declare its predominant breed, so a cross is not a way around the list.
American will not knowingly accept a dog or cat that has been sedated or tranquilized, following the American Veterinary Medical Association’s position that sedation raises the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular problems at altitude. Its own recommendation is crate acclimation well in advance, which is the same advice every honest source gives.
Comfort Stops and What Happens on a Long Itinerary
American requires a comfort stop for a dog if the first leg is seven hours or more and involves a connection, if the connection between flights on the same day is seven hours or more, if a same-day connection is not possible, or if the itinerary runs longer than 24 hours. Cats need one only past 24 hours, and may have one on request.
A comfort stop is a kennel facility near the connecting airport where the animal is checked, allowed to relieve itself, given food and water, and has soiled bedding replaced. It is charged, and the fee depends on the connection city. It is also the reason a cheaper two-stop itinerary is sometimes the more expensive one.
The Route Rules That Decide Whether American Works at All
American publishes a set of location rules that are easy to miss and expensive to discover late. The most consequential for anyone reading from the north: American does not transport any animals outbound from Canada. A Canadian departure is not an American Airlines Cargo move, whatever the passenger side allows.
Beyond that: no warm-blooded animals to or from China, though reptiles, fish, amphibians, insects and crustaceans are accepted. Cats, dogs and ferrets into the United Kingdom only at London Heathrow and Manchester, with a customs clearance broker required, and a 60 day booking window inbound to Heathrow. No ferrets to or from California. Dogs departing Colombia must be at least one year old. And for Hawaii, Honolulu is the only port of entry, every shipment must be prepaid, and the animal may face up to 120 days of quarantine under the state program.
Non-domesticated, wild, exotic and zoo animals may only be dropped at a cargo terminal. Ordinary household pets, which includes ferrets, birds, rabbits, rodents and pot-bellied pigs as well as cats and dogs, can also be tendered at passenger ticket counters and baggage service offices.
What We Do When a Move Goes on American
American is the carrier we spend the most time on, because it is the one that can still move a dog that does not fit under a seat, and because its rules interact in ways that are easy to get wrong one at a time.
The work is mostly elimination in a fixed order. Breed first, because no amount of scheduling fixes a refused breed. Then aircraft, because the Airbus restriction removes a large part of the network. Then temperature at all three points of the itinerary against the travel window, which is what usually moves the date. Then kennel size, which sets the rate product and therefore the price. Only then the routing and the comfort stop question.
For an international departure from outside the United States, American requires an IATA-regulated forwarder or a professional pet shipper with a cargo account, so that leg is not something an owner arranges directly. We are licensed and insured, and our team holds IATA Live Animals Regulations certification. Documentation for departures from the United States follows USDA APHIS requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Can my pet fly on American without me?
Yes. American Airlines Cargo, under the PetEmbark name, accepts unaccompanied animals from the general public, which Delta and United no longer do. The booking goes through the cargo side of the business rather than passenger reservations, and the rate depends on the route and the kennel size rather than a published flat fee.
How much does American charge for a pet?
$150 per kennel for a carry-on pet, and $200 per kennel for a checked pet, which only active-duty military and State Department personnel on orders may use. Cargo is quoted per booking, with a $150 handling fee per air waybill on top of the animal rate.
What size carrier does American allow in the cabin?
Soft-sided up to 18 by 11 by 11 inches on all flights. Hard-sided up to 19 by 13 by 9 inches on mainline, but only 16 by 12 by 8 inches on American Eagle regional flights, so check the aircraft on every leg rather than the longest one.
Does American fly pets in and out of Canada?
A pet may travel in the cabin between the United States and Canada, subject to Canadian entry rules. But American Airlines Cargo does not transport any animals outbound from Canada, so a Canadian departure cannot be booked as an American cargo move.
What temperature will American refuse to fly a pet in?
Above 85 degrees Fahrenheit or below 20 degrees, at origin, at any connection or at the destination. Between 20 and 44 degrees the animal travels only with a veterinarian’s letter of acclimation naming the exact lowest temperature it may be exposed to.
Which breeds will American not carry?
A long list of brachycephalic and snub-nosed breeds plus several classed as historically aggressive, covering both dogs and cats, and a mixed breed must declare its predominant breed. If your dog appears on that list the answer is a different carrier or a different mode, not a different booking.
Where These Numbers Come From
Carry-on fees, carrier dimensions and destination limits come from American’s passenger pet page. The cargo rules, temperature policy, breed list, aircraft restrictions, comfort stop requirements, location rules and the refund commitment come from American Airlines Cargo’s own animal policy pages. Checked September 2026. Airline pet policy changes more often than almost anything else in this field, so confirm the fee, the carrier limit and the temperature window with American before booking.
Last updated 8 September 2026