In the cabin: cats and dogs, sized by carrier, not by weight
American's own rules, in plain English. Confirm the current details at aa.com.
American does not publish a general carry-on pet weight limit, what matters is whether the carrier fits fully under the seat in front of you. Soft-sided carriers are allowed up to about 18 x 11 x 11 in on any American flight. Hard-sided carriers are allowed up to about 19 x 13 x 9 in on mainline aircraft, but only up to 16 x 12 x 8 in on American Eagle regional jets, noticeably tighter, and the size that trips people up on a small connecting flight.
Carry-on pets are limited to cats and dogs a minimum of 8 weeks of age for domestic travel. A dog entering the US from a country the CDC treats as high-risk for rabies must meet a higher minimum age, a separate, stricter rule tied to that specific situation, not a general rule.
There is no in-cabin pet to or from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia or Uruguay, and carry-on pets are banned outright on every trans-Atlantic route. Several of the places our travelers fly sit on that list, check your exact route first, because it changes the whole plan.
Each traveler may bring one pet carrier. How many pets the whole cabin can hold isn't fixed, it's roughly 1 on some regional jets, around 5 on some mainline aircraft, and as many as 20 on some widebodies (service animals aren't counted against that number). On a small connecting aircraft, that single regional-jet spot is the single biggest reason to book early.
American's only published pet weight rule is narrow: if two pets share a single kennel, each must be small and young (American publishes the exact weight and age limits at aa.com). That's a specific exception for a shared kennel, it is not a general weight limit for a pet traveling alone.
There's no fixed advance-booking window published for a carry-on pet, but American says to arrange it before you travel, spots are limited and go quickly. Checked pets (military / State Dept only) need Reservations contacted at least 48 hours ahead.
Too big for the cabin? Read this before you plan
The single most important thing to know, and where most people are wrong.
American accepts checked pets (as baggage) only for active-duty US Military and US State Department Foreign Service personnel traveling on official orders. For everyone else, a pet that doesn't fit in the cabin can't be checked at the counter, don't plan on bringing a large dog to check-in as a bag. It will be refused.
A larger animal generally travels as freight through American Airlines Cargo, booked entirely separately from a passenger ticket, with its own availability, routing and rules. It has to be arranged in advance, it isn't something to sort out at the airport.
Brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dog and cat breeds, and their mixes, are not accepted as checked pets, because of the added health risk to those breeds. Confirm your specific breed against American's published list at aa.com before you plan around checking a pet.
No pet travels if the forecast is above 85°F or below 45°F anywhere on the itinerary. On top of that, there's a named summer embargo (May through September) for pets that aren't in the cabin at Phoenix (PHX), Tucson (TUS), Las Vegas (LAS) and Palm Springs (PSP), four cities where a hot-weather routing can quietly cancel a pet's trip.
Hawaii isn't a ban, it's a quarantine routing
Worth knowing on its own, because it's easy to lump in with the countries above.
Hawaii is not on American's list of banned in-cabin destinations, and it isn't a trans-Atlantic route either, but it isn't a normal domestic pet trip. Pets traveling to Hawaii route through Honolulu for quarantine, under the state's own animal-import rules, separate from anything American controls. If Hawaii is part of your itinerary, plan around the state's quarantine process well before travel day, it has its own timeline and paperwork that has nothing to do with American's carrier-size or aircraft-cap rules above.
Sedation: not allowed, full stop
Stronger than a caution, this is a refusal.
American does not accept sedated or tranquilized pets for travel, under any circumstance. That's a straightforward policy, not a soft recommendation, it cites American Veterinary Medical Association guidance on how unpredictable sedatives are for animals at altitude. If your pet is anxious about flying, that's a conversation to have with your vet well ahead of your trip, not a reason to sedate it and hope the counter doesn't ask.
Service animals vs. emotional-support animals
This changed, and getting the category wrong can strand you at the gate.
American recognizes a service animal as a trained dog only that performs work or tasks for a person with a disability. A qualifying service dog rides in the cabin at no charge, but American requires the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form, submit it at least 48 hours ahead if you can, and a second DOT Relief Attestation form for any flight over 8 hours. Maximum two service dogs per passenger, and each must be at least 4 months old.
Emotional-support animals no longer fly as service animals. ESAs, comfort animals and service animals still in training now travel as ordinary pets, meaning the carrier-size limits, the aircraft cabin caps, and the pet fee all apply, same as any other pet. If you're unsure which category yours falls under, don't guess at the airport, call us and we'll set it up correctly, with the paperwork done ahead of time. For the full documentation checklist, see our special assistance guide.
Service-animal and pet policies carry real rules that vary and change; American sets and updates them. Always confirm the current requirements at aa.com before you travel.
The fee, quoted, not guessed
One number American does publish.
American charges $150 per kennel for a carry-on pet. A checked pet (military / State Dept only) carries a separate fee, we confirm the current amount at aa.com. Trained service animals travel free. Fees like this change, so treat the figure above as a starting point, confirm the current amount at aa.com, or call us and we'll verify it along with your carrier size and route before anything is booked.
Before you book, the checklist
Thirty seconds now saves a ruined trip at the counter.
- Does your carrier fit the aircraft you're actually flying? American Eagle regional jets are tighter than mainline
- Is an in-cabin pet even allowed on your route? Not to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia or Uruguay, or trans-Atlantic
- Destination entry rules, vaccination records, health certificates, sometimes import permits; Hawaii adds its own quarantine process
- The season & the heat rule, over 85°F or under 45°F anywhere on the route, or a summer PHX/TUS/LAS/PSP routing, can block it
- Flying a regional jet on any leg? Confirm the pet spot is actually available, some hold just one for the whole plane
Reserve the pet spot before you reserve the seats, especially on a regional jet. A flight can be wide open for people and still have just one pet spot, already taken. If that spot's gone, your itinerary doesn't work as planned, so we confirm the pet first, on the exact aircraft, then build the trip around it.
Frequently asked
Can my dog or cat fly in the cabin on American?+
Can I check my pet as baggage on American?+
Does American accept sedated pets?+
Does American accept emotional-support animals?+
Why does the aircraft type matter for pet travel on American?+
Contact options
Reach American directly, or let us confirm your pet and book the spot.
Contact American Airlines directly
The airline's own official channels, free.
These are American's own channels; confirm current pet rules at aa.com.
More American Airlines help
Related guides.