Red Tape Travel

Independent guide · not a government service

United Airlines pet policy

Flights operated by United Airlines and United Express.

Last verified Check overdue: last checked 5 primary sourcesSite-wide weekly check overdue: due

United carries pet cats and dogs in the cabin only. It no longer takes pets as checked baggage, and the public cannot send pets as cargo.

Cabin
AllowedCats and dogs fly in the cabin with you, if there is space.
Hold (checked baggage)
Not allowedUnited no longer takes pets as checked baggage through PetSafe.
Manifest cargo
Not allowedUnited Cargo suspended cats and dogs through PetSafe in February 2020 and embargoes every other household pet. Only its Military Pet Program, for military and State Department staff on orders between Guam and Honolulu, carries pets in cargo.
Snub-nosed
Case by caseUnited's Contract of Carriage refuses some dog breeds in the cabin without naming them.

Routes United Airlines flies with pets

This is what United Airlines offers on each route. An airline can offer less than the rules allow.

Hold means checked baggage. Manifest cargo is a separate booking, even when the animal travels in the same aircraft hold.

Fees are one direction; charging units vary by airline, as published on .
RouteCabinHold (checked baggage)Manifest cargoFee fromSnub-nosed
Great Britain → United States, dog
Great Britain → United States, cat
Northern Ireland → United States, dog
Northern Ireland → United States, cat
United States → Great Britain, dog
United States → Great Britain, cat
United States → Great Britain, ferret
United States → Hawaii, dog
United States → Hawaii, cat
United States → Northern Ireland, dog
United States → Northern Ireland, cat
United States → Northern Ireland, ferret

Where every rule above came from

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