Airlines That Allow Large Dogs in the Cabin (2026)
Only 3 of the 43 airlines we track let a large dog ride in the cabin: BARK Air (any size, no carrier), ITA Airways (up to 30 kg, selected domestic flights) and JSX (under 80 lb, with an extra seat). Every other airline that takes pets in the cabin requires your dog to fit in a carrier under the seat in front of you; the most room is 55 × 40 × 27 cm on Porter Airlines. For a bigger dog, Aer Lingus, Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air France, Alaska & Hawaiian Airlines, American Airlines, Avianca, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Condor, Emirates, Iberia, Icelandair, ITA Airways, KLM, LATAM Airlines, Lufthansa, Norwegian, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines, Viva Aerobus, Volaris and WestJet offer a way to fly in the hold.
Built from airline pages last verified October 24, 2026
PetFlightCheck is independent and not affiliated with any airline. This guide is built from the airlines' official pages; confirm the rules with your airline before you book. Report an error
Airlines that take large dogs in the cabin
These let a dog that's too big for an under-seat carrier ride in the cabin with you. Their rules and prices are very different, so read each one.
Dogs of any size or breed ride in the cabin without a carrier, on the floor next to you.
Each ticket covers one dog and one human (or two dogs whose combined weight is under 50 lb).
Your dog stays on a leash on the tarmac, while taxiing, during takeoff and landing, and in turbulence.
After you book, BARK Air's crew asks about your dog's size, allergies and socialization preferences to plan the seating.
Price: The ticket covers you and your dog. On September 27, 2026, BARK Air's booking page listed one-way tickets from $7,075 (New York ⇄ Los Angeles) to $14,550 (New York ⇄ Stockholm).
Dogs up to 30 kg can fly in the cabin on a selection of ITA Airways domestic flights marked as Large Dog flights.
Only on a selection of domestic flights identified as Large Dog flights. Each one takes at most two dogs: one over 10 kg and up to 15 kg, and one over 15 kg and up to 30 kg.
You can only request and buy it through ITA's CIAO Contact Center, not online or through travel agencies, and web check-in isn't available. Request it at least 4 days before the flight.
The dog needs a crash-tested harness that complies with CMVSS 213 and FMVSS 213, used to secure it to the seat belt for the whole flight.
Documents include health papers, the dog's ID document (if applicable), a fitness-to-fly certificate that also states its weight, liability insurance for the dog, and the Pet Acceptance Form signed by the owner.
Availability depends on the aircraft, other animals on board and operating conditions. Assistance dogs have priority over Large Dog On Board dogs.
Price: ITA Airways doesn't publish a price for this service on the page. Confirm it with the CIAO Contact Center.
Dogs under 80 lb that don't fit in a carrier can ride in the cabin too, on the floor in front of an extra seat you buy.
Buy the seat next to yours for your dog. Your dog lies on the floor in front of that seat, not on it.
One large dog per customer, on a leash at all times.
On planes with two seats on one side, your dog uses the space in front of the window seat (C) and you sit in the aisle seat (B), in any row except the exit rows. The leash is tied to the seat frame before the plane moves.
The two seats must be available together when you book.
Price: The price of the extra seat, which varies by route, plus any seat selection fee. JSX's fees page also lists a $100 pet fee; its policy doesn't say whether that fee applies to a large dog with its own seat, so confirm with JSX.
The biggest carrier each airline allows, from roomiest to tightest. A bigger carrier means a slightly bigger dog can fit, but the dog still has to fit under the seat.
No weight limit doesn't mean any size. Air Canada, Alaska, Allegiant, American, Avelo, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, LATAM, Porter, Southwest, Sun Country, United, WestJet don't publish a weight limit for cabin pets, but your dog still has to fit comfortably inside a carrier that fits under the seat.
Aer Lingus accepts domestic cats and dogs only. Maximum weight limits apply to containers and animals, but the page doesn't give them: it refers you to IAG Cargo. Customers travelling with pets from North America can contact the North American Pet Desk at 1 (866) 300-4004 (Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST) or petdesk@iagcargo.com.
Dogs, cats and birds can fly checked in the hold on your flight, up to 45 kg with a hard kennel. No checked pets if it's above 35°C or below 7°C at the origin, transit or destination airport. The checked service covers Aeromexico-operated flights only: collect and re-check your pet at each connection. At most 4 checked pets per flight on the Embraer 190, and 10 on the 737-700, 737 MAX 8/9 and 787-8/9.
Pet and kennel together can weigh up to 100 lb (45 kg), up to 115 in (292 cm) in length + width + height, in a hard-sided kennel. One-way fees are $105 to $120.75 within Canada and Canada/U.S. and $270 to $318.60 international (CAD or USD, tax included). Heavy seasonal limits apply: no checked pets from December 18 to January 4, no pets under 10 lb in the hold, and summer embargoes on many routes. Pets traveling alone go through Air Canada Cargo (AC Animals).
Cats and dogs from 8 kg up to 75 kg (with the kennel) must travel in the hold, in an IATA-approved, bolted, rigid plastic or fiberglass kennel. Up to 3 animals per passenger. Add the pet at least 24 hours before departure.
Pets in the climate-controlled baggage compartment
Checked pets cost $200 each way per kennel ($100 wholly within Alaska or for active-duty U.S. military on travel orders, $60 wholly within Hawaii). Pet and kennel together can weigh up to 150 lbs (68 kg), and you must be on the same flights. Pets traveling without a passenger go through Pet Connect, the Alaska and Hawaiian Air Cargo service.
Checked pets at the ticket counter are only for active-duty U.S. military and State Department Foreign Service personnel on official orders. PetEmbark is American Airlines Cargo's service for pets that don't qualify to travel as carry-on or checked pets, and its fees are confirmed at booking.
Pets up to 70 kg (154 lb) with their kennel can fly in the hold in a rigid kennel you supply (fiberglass, metal or plastic). Heavier pets go through Avianca Cargo. No hold pets on aircraft with a non-ventilated hold.
Pets fly in the hold, with travel managed by a British Airways partner depending on where the trip starts: PetAir UK for pets leaving the UK, and IAG Cargo (British Airways' sister company) for pets coming to the UK.
From September 1, 2025, Cathay Cargo accepts direct bookings of pet shipments only from members of the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA) or the Animal Transport Association (ATA), IATA accredited freight forwarders, and holders of a valid IATA Live Animals Regulations training certificate. Cathay Pacific recommends using a pet travel agent that's an IPATA or ATA member. If your pet is travelling from Hong Kong, you can book Cathay Live Animal through any agent. Cathay Pacific can decide whether to accept your animal, subject to the laws of the places you depart from, arrive at and transit through.
Condor needs the pet's weight including the box and the exact box dimensions when you register, and the breed for dogs. The box can be 55 cm or 75 cm wide. Hold registration closes 48 hours before departure.
Emirates says pets can go as checked baggage on trips that start in Dubai and go to countries that allow animals as excess baggage, if the total journey time is under 17 hours (it counts about 1 hour for check-in and 1 hour for delivery at arrival). Journeys over 17 hours must go as cargo. Trips ending in Dubai, connections in Dubai over 6 hours, and cages over 300 cm must go as cargo (Emirates SkyCargo or a cargo agent). Up to two adult animals of similar size, up to 14 kg each, can share a container if they live together.
Cats and dogs up to 45 kg with the carrier, authorized in advance through Iberia's booking offices at least 48 hours before departure. Connections must be 90 minutes to 4 hours. Hold pets are restricted on some routes, such as Madrid to/from Boston, Toronto, Washington, San Juan, Recife and Fortaleza. Pets that can't fly as baggage can go through IAG Cargo or WOOF Airlines.
Animal transport in the climate-controlled hold area (flights within Iceland only)
For flights within Iceland: a hard plastic IATA-compliant crate with a waterproof bottom (no collapsible metal or folding fabric crates), big enough for the animal to stand, turn and lie down. Icelandair allows at most 2 animal crates in the hold of each aircraft, up to 110 lb (50 kg) per crate with the animal inside, and up to 36 in (92 cm) long, 25 in (64 cm) wide and 27 in (71 cm) high. Two animals of the same species may share a crate if it is big enough for both. Book online under extra baggage services by choosing “Animal transport”. For international moves Icelandair points to animal shipper services and says its own Icelandair Cargo animal transportation is currently unavailable.
The carrier must have a rigid shell made only of fiberglass or hard plastic, a metal door that locks at the central, upper and lower points, and metal (not plastic) side air vents. Wheels must be removed, or secured with tape if retractable. The maximum carrier size depends on the aircraft on your flight, so check with ITA in advance.
Up to 3 pets in the hold; pet and kennel together under 75 kg. Kennel max 122 x 81 x 89 cm (102 x 69 x 76 cm on KLM European flights with Boeing 737 and Embraer aircraft). No hold pets on the Boeing 787-9, 787-10 or Airbus A321neo, on German Airways flights, on KLM Cityhopper flights over 2 hours, or with a transfer of 3 hours or more.
Rigid kennel in the hold. Twin-aisle aircraft (B767, B777, B787): up to 45 kg with the kennel (32 kg to, from or via Europe, Argentina or Venezuela). Single-aisle (A319, A320, A321): up to 32 kg on flights up to 4 hours, 23 kg for 4 to 5 hours, not over 5 hours. Fees depend on weight and route.
Pets as excess baggage in the air-conditioned cargo hold
Dogs and cats over 8 kg with their carrier travel in the hold, in an IATA-compliant hard kennel secured with metal screws. The price depends on the route and kennel size, plus a EUR 150 / USD 170 surcharge for transfers via Brussels, Geneva, Frankfurt, Vienna or Zurich. No pets in the hold on connecting flights via Munich.
Up to two cats or two dogs can share a crate if they know each other and are of similar size, at most 14 kg each; a dog and a cat can't share. On connecting flights within Norway (not Svalbard) via Oslo Gardermoen, Bergen Flesland or Trondheim Værnes, pets can fly in the hold if the transfer is between 1 and 2 hours. Norwegian warns that hold temperatures change with the weather and flight stage, and can drop to 0°C or rise while the plane is on the ground. When connecting from an international to a domestic flight, you collect your pet in the cargo hold, clear customs and check in again.
Cats, dogs and birds fly as checked baggage in a dedicated part of the hold. Pets must go as Qatar Airways Cargo instead if they travel alone, weigh over 75 kg, exceed 300 cm, connect from another airline, or fly to or from Australia or New Zealand.
Your pet flies on the same flight as you, as checked baggage in the temperature-controlled bulk cargo hold, in an IATA-standard container. If your pet and its container weigh more than 32 kg together, it has to travel through a cargo agent instead. The container's maximum height depends on the aircraft: 70 cm on the A350, 60 cm on the A380, 101 cm on the B777 and 111 cm on the B787.
Pets in the air-conditioned hold (as checked baggage)
Dogs and cats over 8 kg with their carrier, or in a carrier bigger than 55 x 40 x 23 cm, travel in the hold. The carrier must be an IATA-compliant crate with ventilation openings no bigger than 25 x 25 mm for dogs; since May 4, 2026 SWISS refuses non-compliant crates at check-in. Bring your pet to check-in 2 to 3 hours before departure. SWISS says some destinations accept animals only as cargo (Hong Kong, Ireland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, South Africa), and that large animals can't go as cargo to certain destinations.
Pets too heavy for the cabin fly in the hold: up to 32 kg (70 lb) including the carrier on flights to, from or via the U.S., in a sturdy carrier with locks and screws, no wheels, and ventilation on all four sides. Heavier pets go as cargo. TAP doesn't accept snub-nosed breeds in the hold.
Pet and kennel up to 50 kg, kennel up to 125 x 75 x 75 cm with a hard shell. Dogs up to 14 kg each and cats up to 10 kg each can share a kennel in some cases. Bigger kennels go through Turkish Cargo.
Dogs over 16 weeks old can fly in the hold in a rigid carrier. The dog and carrier together can weigh up to 99 lb, and the carrier can be up to 126 linear inches (length + width + height). Viva takes at most 5 pets in the hold per flight. Viva's Terms and Conditions give different limits: 45 kg, 319 linear cm and a minimum age of 4 months on domestic flights.
Pets and kennel up to 45 kg (100 lb) can fly checked, in a rigid, ventilated, wheel-free kennel no taller than 90 cm. Up to USD 190 on international routes.
Pet and hard-sided kennel up to 45 kg (100 lb), kennel up to 101 x 68 x 81 cm. Checked pet fees are $100 to $118 within Canada and the U.S., and $200 to $236 elsewhere. Pets traveling on their own go through WestJet Cargo.
Short-nosed breeds aren't accepted in the hold.
No cargo or checked pets: Allegiant Air, Avelo Airlines, Breeze Airways, Delta Air Lines, easyJet, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Porter Airlines, Ryanair, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.
How to check if your dog will fit
Find your airline's maximum carrier size in the ranking above. The sizes are the most the airline allows, not a guarantee for every seat.
Measure the carrier you plan to use from the outside, with it fully closed, and compare all three sides.
Let your dog settle inside the closed carrier at home. If it can't lie down and turn around comfortably, it's too small for the cabin.
Read your airline's page for its carrier-type and seat rules before you buy a carrier.
What about emotional support dogs?
Alaska, American, Avelo, Breeze, British, Delta, ITA, JSX, Southwest, Swiss International, United treat emotional support animals as regular pets. The same carrier size rules and pet fees apply. Trained service dogs follow separate rules, which are on each airline's page.
Built from each airline's official pages. Rules change, so confirm with your airline before you book. Full details and sources are on each airline page.