Red Tape Travel

American Airlines pet policy

Flights operated by American Airlines. Pets that do not fly with their owner go through American Airlines Cargo, its cargo arm.

Last verified 13 primary sources

American carries only cats and dogs with passengers, checks pets into the hold only for U.S. military and State Department staff on official orders, and ships other pets through American Airlines Cargo.

Cabin
Varies by route
Hold
Varies by routeChecked pets only for active-duty U.S. military and State Department Foreign Service staff travelling on official orders.
Manifest cargo
AllowedPets that cannot fly as carry-on or checked pets travel with American Airlines Cargo's PetEmbark service.
Snub-nosed
RefusedSnub-nosed dog and cat breeds and their mixes are not accepted by American Airlines Cargo or as checked pets.

Routes American Airlines flies with pets

Fees are per animal, one direction, as published on .
RouteCabinHoldManifest cargoFee fromSnub-nosed
European Union → United States, dogAssistance dogs onlyRestrictedYesQuoted on requestRefused
European Union → United States, catNoRestrictedYesQuoted on requestRefused
Great Britain → United States, dogAssistance dogs onlyRestrictedYesQuoted on requestRefused
Great Britain → United States, catNoRestrictedYesQuoted on requestRefused
United States → European Union, dogAssistance dogs onlyRestrictedYesQuoted on requestRefused
United States → European Union, catNoRestrictedYesQuoted on requestRefused
United States → European Union, ferretNoNoYesQuoted on requestn/a
United States → Great Britain, dogAssistance dogs onlyNo(Great Britain rule)YesQuoted on requestRefused
United States → Great Britain, catNoNo(Great Britain rule)YesQuoted on requestRefused
United States → Great Britain, ferretNoNo(Great Britain rule)YesQuoted on requestn/a
United States → Hawaii, dogAssistance dogs onlyRestrictedYesQuoted on requestRefused
United States → Hawaii, catNoRestrictedYesQuoted on requestRefused
  • Great Britain → United States, dog: American's pets page lists a checked-pet fee for flights from the United Kingdom.
  • Great Britain → United States, dog: American's fee table has no checked-pet fee for Europe or the United Kingdom.
  • Great Britain → United States, dog: American's filed international tariff says checked pets are accepted through AA Cargo.

Notes

  • From May 1 to September 30, no pets outside the cabin to, through or from Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas or Palm Springs.

    All routes (dogs, cats and ferrets)

  • American Airlines Cargo will not carry animals when the ground temperature at the origin, a connection or the destination is above 85 or below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Between 20 and 44 degrees it needs a vet's acclimation letter, and even then carriage is not guaranteed.

    All routes (dogs, cats and ferrets)

  • American Airlines Cargo will not carry animals on any single flight of 12 hours or more.

    All routes (dogs, cats and ferrets)

  • Pets cannot be booked through to another airline, including codeshare flights with an American flight number that another airline operates. American Eagle and American Connection flights are not affected.

    All routes (dogs and cats)

  • No new cargo bookings for dogs from a CDC high-risk country for rabies, or for dogs that were in one at any point in the 6 months before travel.

    Great Britain → United States; European Union → United States (dogs)

  • A pet shipped from outside the United States must be booked through an IATA-regulated freight forwarder or professional pet shipper.

    Great Britain → United States; European Union → United States (dogs and cats)

  • No ferrets to or from California.

    United States → Great Britain; United States → European Union (ferrets)

  • No pets on nonstop flights to Maui, the Big Island of Hawaii or Kauai, and no pregnant pets past 45 days' gestation.

    United States → Hawaii (dogs and cats)

Where every rule above came from

Rules change without notice. Confirm each item against the linked official page before you book: we re-check weekly and date every check, but the official page is the authority.