Short answer: flying a small dog in the cabin costs $100 to $150 each way on the big US airlines. A dog too big for the cabin costs far more, because most airlines no longer carry pets below deck for ordinary passengers.
Alaska and Hawaiian charge $200 for a pet in the hold on your flight. Shipped as cargo, American’s PetEmbark runs $325 to $580 by weight plus tax and a $150 fee, and Alaska’s Pet Connect charges $1,126 for a 90 lb dog and kennel from Seattle to Boston. Going abroad adds at least $101 for the USDA endorsement, before vet fees.
Not so long ago, moving a big dog across the country was fairly simple. You booked your seat, paid a fee, and your dog flew in the hold of the same plane.
That world has mostly gone. United has retired its PetSafe programme, and American and Delta now take pets below deck only for military and State Department families travelling on official orders.
Southwest and JetBlue don’t carry pets in the hold at all. So the price of moving a dog now depends, more than anything, on one question: does your dog fit under the seat in front of you?
If it does, the bill is small and predictable. If it doesn’t, you’re into cargo rate charts, zone maps and paperwork, and that’s where the real money goes.
Here is what each option actually costs in 2026, from the airlines’ own fee pages and rate calculators, plus the official fees you’ll meet if your dog is crossing a border.
Flying in the cabin: $100 to $150
For a dog that fits in a carrier under the seat, every major US airline charges a flat fee each way. It’s the cheapest way by far to move a dog any real distance.
| Airline | Cabin pet fee, each way | Pets in the hold for ordinary passengers |
|---|---|---|
| American | $150 | No, cargo via PetEmbark |
| Delta | $150 in the US and Canada, $200 international | No |
| United | $150 | No |
| JetBlue | $150 | No |
| Southwest | $125 | No |
| Alaska and Hawaiian | $100 ($35 within Hawaii) | Yes, $200 |
Most of these airlines set a carrier size rather than a weight limit for the dog. United says outright that there are no weight or breed limits for cabin pets, as long as the carrier fits.
The limits are tight, though. American allows a soft carrier up to 18 x 11 x 11 in, United 18 x 11 x 11 in soft or 17.5 x 12 x 9 in hard, JetBlue 17 x 12.5 x 8.5 in, and Southwest 18 x 10.5 x 10 in.
American is the exception on one plane: on its A321T, pet and carrier together can’t weigh more than 20 lb. Delta’s $150 applies to tickets issued since 8 April 2025, when it rose from $95.
If you forget the carrier, JetBlue sells them at the airport ticket counter for $55, which is a pricey way to remember next time.
When your dog is too big for the cabin
This is where the bill jumps, and where most of the confusion lives. Here’s who will still carry a large dog, and how.
Alaska and Hawaiian: $200
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian are now the main US airlines that will put a pet in the baggage compartment of the flight you’re on. The fee is $200 each way per kennel, and dog plus kennel can weigh up to 150 lb.
American PetEmbark: $325 to $580, plus tax and fees
American accepts checked pets only for active-duty military and State Department staff on orders. Everyone else with a big dog is sent to PetEmbark, its cargo service, where your dog flies as a shipment rather than as your luggage.
Alaska Pet Connect: priced by zone
Alaska’s cargo arm can also fly your dog to another city without you on board. It charges a flat rate per kennel, set by the two zones and the combined weight of dog and kennel.
United, Delta, Southwest and JetBlue: no
United no longer lets ordinary passengers ship pets as cargo, and Delta Cargo is limited, until further notice, to military and State Department families with permanent change of station orders. Southwest and JetBlue carry pets in the cabin only.
What cargo actually costs
American publishes its PetEmbark rates through the AA Cargo rate calculator. It asks only for the total weight of dog and kennel, with no field for breed or travel date.
| Dog plus kennel | PetEmbark rate | With 6.25% tax | With the $150 live animal fee (calculated) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 25 lb | $325 | $345.31 | about $495 |
| 26 to 50 lb | $365 | $387.81 | about $538 |
| 51 to 70 lb | $460 | $488.75 | about $639 |
| 71 to 100 lb | $580 | $616.25 | about $766 |
I got exactly the same four bands for New York to Los Angeles, Chicago to Miami, Seattle to Boston and Atlanta to Dallas. The calculator covers pieces under 100 lb, and American confirms the final fee when you book.
Alaska’s Pet Connect chart works differently, by zone. Seattle sits in Zone 4 and Boston in Zone 8, so here is what that coast-to-coast route costs per kennel under the rates in force since 1 February 2026.
| Dog plus kennel, Seattle to Boston | Alaska Pet Connect, per kennel |
|---|---|
| 1 to 29 lb | $400 |
| 30 to 44 lb | $504 |
| 45 to 68 lb | $804 |
| 69 to 104 lb | $1,126 |
| 105 lb and over | $1,400 |
Those rates exclude any taxes, and the date you fly makes no difference to the chart.
Because both charts price by combined weight, the kennel counts. A lighter kennel that still meets the rules can occasionally drop you into a cheaper band, so weigh dog and kennel together before you book.
Four trips, priced
To make this concrete, here are four common trips priced from the airlines’ own published rates.
| Trip | How | Published price, one way |
|---|---|---|
| Chihuahua, New York to Los Angeles | In the cabin on American, Delta, United or JetBlue | $150, plus your own ticket |
| Beagle, Chicago to Miami | PetEmbark, if dog and kennel land in the 26 to 50 lb band | $387.81 with tax, about $538 with the $150 fee |
| Labrador, New York to Los Angeles | PetEmbark, about 90 lb with a 500-series kennel | $616.25 with tax, about $766 with the $150 fee |
| Labrador, Seattle to Boston | Alaska Pet Connect, 69 to 104 lb | $1,126 per kennel, before any taxes |
The first and last rows are the whole story of shipping a dog in 2026. A dog that fits under the seat crosses the country for $150, and one that doesn’t can cost more than $1,100.
Weather and breed limits that can cost you a booking
Flat-faced breeds have the fewest options. American won’t take brachycephalic dogs of any mix as checked pets, Delta says snub-nosed dogs and cats aren’t permitted on its flights, and Alaska bars short-nosed dogs from the baggage compartment.
Temperature matters too. American won’t fly a pet if it’s above 85°F anywhere on the itinerary, and below 45°F on the ground it needs a vet’s acclimation letter, with no pets accepted below 20°F even with one.
Alaska won’t carry pets in the hold when it’s hotter than 85°F or cooler than 45°F at the departure or arrival city. American’s PetEmbark also refuses pets on flights to, from or through Phoenix, Las Vegas, Tucson and Palm Springs from 1 May to 30 September.
No airline publishes a weather surcharge. What a heat wave really costs you is a rebooking, so leave room in your plans in summer and midwinter.
Driving instead, or hiring a ground transporter
Ground pet transporters don’t publish standard rates, so there’s no honest average to give you here. Prices are quoted trip by trip.
What you can check is the paperwork. Under the Animal Welfare Act, anyone paid to transport animals, down to a pet taxi, has to register with USDA APHIS as a carrier, so ask any transporter for its USDA registration before you hand over your dog.
If you’re driving the dog yourself, our guide to the long road trip with a dog covers the practical side.
Paperwork and official fees
Within the US, paperwork usually means a vet visit, and vets set their own prices. For trips abroad, a USDA-accredited vet issues the health certificate, and USDA APHIS endorses it for a fee that rose sharply on 10 January 2025.
| APHIS endorsement, one pet | Fee since 10 January 2025 | Fee before |
|---|---|---|
| No lab tests needed | $101 | $38 |
| 1 or 2 lab tests | $160 | $121 |
| 3 to 6 lab tests | $206 | $150 |
| 7 or more lab tests | $275 | $173 |
On certificates that need lab tests, each extra pet costs $10, $18 or $21, depending on the tier. Service dogs are endorsed free, though emotional support animals pay the normal fee.
You don’t need to visit an office. The accredited vet can submit the certificate to APHIS electronically.
Taking your dog abroad
Each country sets its own rules, and some set costs that dwarf the flight. Here are the destinations people ask about most, from each government’s own pages.
Canada
A pet dog aged 8 months or older coming from the US needs a valid rabies vaccination certificate and must look healthy. There’s no quarantine and no microchip rule, and a CFIA inspection fee applies only if your dog is referred for inspection.
European Union
Dogs from the US enter on an EU animal health certificate, not an EU pet passport, and new versions are required from 1 October 2026. The certificate is valid for 10 days, your dog needs a microchip and a rabies vaccine at least 21 days old, and no titer test is required from the US.
Great Britain
From the US you need a Great Britain pet health certificate, and your dog must arrive within 10 days of it being issued. Dogs also need a tapeworm treatment between 24 hours and 5 days before arrival.
Japan
Japan needs at least two rabies vaccinations, a blood test, and a wait of 180 days from the blood sample before arrival. You must notify the quarantine service 40 days ahead, and dogs that don’t comply can be held for up to 180 days.
Australia
Australia is the long road. Dogs from the US need an import permit, a rabies antibody test and a 180-day wait after the sample reaches the lab, and they must fly into Melbourne.
They then spend at least 30 days at the Mickleham quarantine station, or 10 days only if extra conditions were met before the blood test. Accommodation alone is AUD $53 a day, which is AUD $1,590 for a 30-day stay, before the permit and other fees.
The EU rules changed this autumn, so read our guide to the 2026 EU pet travel rules before you book.
Bringing your dog back to the US
Every dog entering or returning to the US needs the CDC Dog Import Form, which is free, plus a microchip, and must be at least 6 months old. Dogs that have only been in rabies-free or low-risk countries can then come in at any airport, seaport or land crossing.
Dogs that have been in a high-risk country in the past six months face more steps and more cost. A US-vaccinated dog needs the CDC’s Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form, and the CDC says the costs are set by the vet and the USDA.
A dog coming from a high-risk country with a foreign rabies vaccination has to land at an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility, with a reservation there and either a valid titer or a 28-day quarantine. The CDC doesn’t publish what those facilities charge, so ask the facility directly. Our guide to the CDC dog rules walks through each case.
The crate
For cargo you need a rigid kennel that meets IATA’s Live Animals Regulations. IATA doesn’t approve or certify crates, so “IATA-compliant” is the honest label to look for.
The rules are specific: ventilation openings no bigger than 25 by 25 mm for dogs, a kennel long enough for your dog to stand, turn and lie down naturally, and 10% more room for snub-nosed breeds. American also only takes 400-series kennels or smaller on its 737s and regional jets.
Our guide to travel crates compares the ones we’ve used.
How safe is flying a dog?
US airlines that carry animals in the hold report every death, injury and loss to the Department of Transportation. In 2025 they reported 3 deaths, 5 injuries and 1 loss among 117,861 animals, or 0.76 incidents per 10,000.
Alaska flew the most animals by far, 64,217, with 2 deaths and 1 injury. Pets travelling in the cabin aren’t counted in these figures.
Keeping the cost down
If your dog can possibly fit a cabin carrier, that’s the single biggest saving. Measure the carrier against the airline’s limit, not the dog’s weight.
Book early, because cabin pet spots are limited per flight and fill up fast in the holidays. Our guide to holiday pet rules for 2026 lists each airline’s limits.
For cargo, weigh dog and kennel together and check where you land in the band. And for trips abroad, ask your vet how many lab tests the certificate needs, since that decides your APHIS fee.
If this is your dog’s first flight, start with our first-time flying guide, and for a bigger move, these pet relocation mistakes are worth a read.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to ship a dog in the US?
In the cabin, $100 to $150 each way on the major airlines. A large dog costs $200 in the hold on Alaska or Hawaiian, or $325 to $580 plus tax and a $150 fee as cargo with American’s PetEmbark, and Alaska’s Pet Connect charges up to $1,400 per kennel on a coast-to-coast route.
Can I still check my dog as baggage?
On most big US airlines, no. American and United take pets below deck only for military and State Department families on orders, Delta limits its cargo service the same way, and Southwest and JetBlue are cabin only. Alaska and Hawaiian still carry pets in the baggage compartment for $200.
How much does the USDA charge to endorse a health certificate?
Since 10 January 2025, APHIS charges $101 per certificate when no lab tests are needed, rising to $160, $206 or $275 as the number of tests goes up. It was $38 before. Service dogs are endorsed free.
Is there a weight limit to fly a dog in the cabin?
Most US airlines set a maximum carrier size rather than a weight limit, and United says it has no weight limit for cabin pets. American’s A321T is an exception, with a 20 lb limit for pet and carrier together.
How much does it cost to ship a dog to Australia?
There’s no published total, but quarantine alone is AUD $53 a day, and dogs from the US stay at least 30 days unless extra conditions are met, so about AUD $1,590 before the import permit, tests, vet fees and the flight.
Do I pay anything to bring my dog back into the US?
The CDC Dog Import Form is free. Costs come from the vet work and, for dogs returning from high-risk countries, the certification form or a stay at a CDC-registered animal care facility, which the CDC doesn’t price.
References
Airline pages: American Airlines pets, American Airlines Cargo PetEmbark, AA Cargo kennel guidelines, Delta pet travel and shipping your pet, United traveling with pets, JetBlue traveling with pets, Southwest optional travel charges and pet policy, Alaska Airlines pet travel, Hawaiian Airlines pets, Alaska Air Cargo live animal rates 2026 and zone map.
US government: USDA APHIS, cost to endorse and pet travel process; Federal Register, Veterinary Services user fees (2025); Animal Welfare Act and regulations; CDC bringing a dog into the US; DOT Air Travel Consumer Report, February 2026.
Other governments: Canadian Food Inspection Agency; European Commission; GOV.UK pet health certificate and tapeworm treatment; Japan Animal Quarantine Service; Australian Department of Agriculture, Category 3 guide for dogs and quarantine fees.
IATA. Pet container requirements.
We rewrote this guide in October 2026, replacing the old estimated price ranges with the airlines’ published fees and rate charts, and correcting the USDA fee, the Australian quarantine period and the EU and UK paperwork.
The Nomad Paws is in memory of Woody, a great traveler and, most of all, the best, kindest and wisest friend I have ever had.
Every price here comes from an airline’s own fee page or rate calculator, or from a government fee schedule, checked in October 2026. Airlines change fees without much notice, so confirm the final price when you book. Here is how I make my guides.
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