If you’re a canine owner, you might be planning a trip with your pet. When you start searching for the best airline dog weight limit, you’ll find there isn’t an accurate answer.
The maximum limit also varies by airline. Many factors determine your dog’s total weight, so it can change.
Let’s look at what affects a pet’s total weight, including how much to pack if you’re counting your dog’s carry-on as your baggage. Keep reading to learn more about the maximum carry on dog weight limit for airlines, so you can prepare for your trip.
American Airlines
American Airlines has some restrictions in place when you fly with your dog. For carry-on dogs, the greatest weight limit is 20 lbs including the bag or carrier. Animals that weigh between 20 lbs and the maximum allowable size and weight of a carry-on bag, 45 lbs, must be transported as cargo.
The pet must also be carried in an appropriate kennel, according to the rules and regulations. The travel kennel must also fit within the carrier size restriction of 21″ long x 16″ wide x 9″ high. If these requirements are met, your pup can travel safely with their best companion. Please call the airline for further details about traveling with a carry-on pet.
Delta Airlines
Delta Airlines’ maximum carry on dog weight limit is usually 20 pounds. This includes the weight of the pet, the pet container, and any accessories or food. Pets traveling in the cabin must be crated or otherwise contained.
Delta Airlines requires any animal or container held in the passenger cabin to fit under the seat in front of the passenger. The animal and its container will count as one carry-on item. This must not exceed the overhead bin size or weight limit.
If the pet is too large or heavy for a cabin, it must travel as cargo in the temperature-controlled, pressurized hold area of the plane. The maximum weight limitation for a pet traveling as cargo is up to plus or minus 20 lbs. and the dimensions cannot exceed 72″ for length, width, and height combined.
Southwest Airlines
The maximum carry on luggage for dog weight limit for Southwest Airlines is a combined weight of the pet and the carrier of no more than 20 lbs – 10 lbs each. The carrier size must not exceed 18.5″ L X 13.5″ W X 8.5″ H and must fit comfortably under your seat. All pets must remain inside their kennel while inside the terminal and while onboard the plane.
Customers must provide valid health and vaccination documents for the pet. Domestic Animal Health Certificates will not be accepted. Southwest does not accept brachycephalic or snub-nosed pets as checked or as carry-on pets on U.S. flights. Southwest Airlines reserves the right to refuse and/or deny transportation of any animal that poses a threat to the health or safety of other Customers and/or Crew Members.
United Airlines
United Airlines has one of the strictest carry-on animal policies compared to other domestic airlines. Due to safety regulations, they only accept one pet per flight in the cabin, and the limit for the combined weight of the pet and its carrying case is twenty pounds. Animals that weigh more than twenty pounds must travel as checked luggage.
Customers who wish to travel with their pet on the same flight must buy a pet ticket and the pet must be in a kennel that meets specific TSA guidelines and airline regulations. Animals traveling as checked luggage need to be at least 8 weeks old and must remain in the kennel for the entirety of the flight. They do not accept hazardous breeds or exotic animals in the cabin or as checked luggage.
JetBlue Airlines
The JetBlue Airlines maximum carry on dog weight limit is 20 lbs, including the crate and the dog. All dogs must be in a kennel that’s small enough to fit under the seat in front of the passenger, so this generally means carriers that are smaller than 19″ long x 13″ wide x 9″ high.
Passengers should check with reservations before the flight to confirm the size and weight restrictions with their pet and carrier. A fee of $125 each way is applicable, and passengers should be aware that certain breeds of dogs aren’t allowed, including pit bull terriers, rottweilers, and more. JetBlue also doesn’t accept pets in first-class cabins or Mint or Mint Suite seats.
Alaska Airlines
The maximum weight limit for a carry-on dog on Alaska Airlines is roughly 20 pounds, though the exact limit is determined by the ticketed passenger’s class of travel and the size of the pet carrier. Any carry-on pet must also fit in the carrier without expanding the sides.
Consider that you may need to buy a dog carrier at the airport that fits under the seat in front of you. You can check a dog carrier on this site for a comfortable flight. Don’t forget that you must also pay an extra fee, depending on the pet breed, to bring your carry-on pet on board with you on Alaska Airlines.
Be sure to check the airline’s website beforehand to get all the details on the size, weight, and fee limits. If your pet exceeds the maximum weight limits, you might need to travel by cargo, where size and weight restrictions are further assessed.
Spirit Airlines
The maximum carry-on dog weight limit for passengers flying with Spirit Airlines is 40 pounds. All eight Spirit Airlines aircraft fleets are known to accept pets and need passengers to notify the airline in advance of bringing their pets. While a few airlines may have lighter weight restrictions, the majority of airlines, including Spirit, need that any animal must be able to fit underneath the seat in an FAA-approved carrier and must not weigh more than 40 pounds.
All animals must also be up-to-date on pet vaccinations and be able to fit into a carry-on size carrier to fly. For all pet-related services, Spirit Airlines also charges a fee of $110 per kennel, which will be placed in the cargo area to allow the animal to travel safely and comfortably.
Know the Carry on Dog Weight Limit on Airlines Today
It is important to follow individual airlines’ carry on dog weight limit regulations, as restricting pets to an appropriate weight will ensure their safety during flights. To find out specific policies, contact your preferred airline’s Customer Service or refer to its website before booking tickets.
Let’s do our best to travel safe and sound with our furry friends!
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