In the cabin: what Hawaiian actually accepts
Hawaiian's own rules, in plain English. Confirm the current details at hawaiianairlines.com.
These are the core of Hawaiian's in-cabin pet program, travelling in a soft-sided carrier that fits fully under the seat in front of you, max 17 x 11 x 9.5 in. There's no hard-sided carrier option, and no larger-carrier fee or workaround if yours doesn't meet the limit.
Hawaiian also allows these in the cabin on many routes, alongside dogs and cats. But both come with a real exception tied to Hawaii specifically: rabbits aren't accepted in the cabin on any flight to Hawaii, and birds aren't accepted in the cabin on any flight to or from Hawaii. Confirm your exact route before assuming either is coming with you.
Hawaiian requires an in-cabin pet be at least 8 weeks old before it can travel. Confirm your pet clears this before you book, since a very young puppy or kitten simply won't be accepted.
In the cargo hold: larger pets, a hard weight cap
Not every route offers cargo pet service, confirm yours does before you count on it.
On many routes, larger pets can travel in Hawaiian's temperature-controlled cargo hold, but the combined weight of the pet and its carrier together cannot exceed 150 pounds. This cap is firm, there's no upgrade path around it.
Brachycephalic breeds, bulldogs, pugs and similar snub-nosed dogs and cats, are excluded from Hawaiian's cargo hold everywhere, with one exception: flights that stay entirely within the Hawaiian Islands. If your snub-nosed dog needs to travel beyond Hawaii, cargo on Hawaiian isn't an option for it.
Cargo pet service isn't offered on every Hawaiian route. Confirm it's available on your specific flight before you plan around it, rather than assuming it's a systemwide option.
Hawaii's entry rules, the biggest thing on this page
This is not an airline rule, it's a state requirement that sits on top of Hawaiian's own policy.
Hawaii is rabies-free, and it protects that status with some of the strictest animal entry rules anywhere in the country. That means specific paperwork, health checks and timing that have to be arranged well ahead of your travel date, not thrown together the week before. Miss a step and the outcome isn't a delay, it can mean your pet is held in quarantine on arrival instead of coming home with you the same day.
This applies no matter how your pet is flying, in the cabin or in the cargo hold, and it applies whether Hawaii is your final destination or just one stop on a longer trip. Because the requirements are specific to your pet, your dates and your point of origin, we won't guess at the details here. Start researching Hawaii's entry process as soon as you know you're travelling, and call us with your dates, we'll help you keep the timeline straight rather than letting it slip until it's too late to fix.
Where Hawaiian won't fly an in-cabin pet at all
A short list, but it catches people planning international trips off guard.
Hawaiian bans in-cabin pets on flights to a number of international destinations, including all of Europe, Japan, Korea and Australia, among others. If any leg of your itinerary touches one of these, the honest answer is that your pet may simply not be able to fly with you on that route, cabin or otherwise. We'd rather tell you that plainly before you book than let you find out at the check-in counter. Tell us your full routing and we'll flag it early if a leg is a problem.
The pet fees, $100 in the cabin, $200 in cargo
A few of the numbers Hawaiian puts in writing. Confirm they haven't changed before you book.
Hawaiian's in-cabin pet fee is $100 each way per kennel. If your entire itinerary stays within Hawaii, inter-island only, that fee drops to $35 each way.
For the cargo hold, Hawaiian's fee is $200 each way on the mainland. Two lower fees apply on shorter routes: a lower fee within Alaska, and a lower fee again for trips that stay entirely within Hawaii. Fees like this change, so treat these figures as a starting point, confirm the current amounts at hawaiianairlines.com, or call us and we'll verify before anything is booked.
Carrier size and where you can't sit
This affects your seat selection, not just your pet's carrier.
An in-cabin carrier on Hawaiian must be soft-sided, and it has a hard ceiling of 17 x 11 x 9.5 in, it needs to slide fully under the seat in front of you, not propped against your legs or partly in the aisle. Travelling with a pet also rules out an exit row or a bulkhead seat, since neither offers the under-seat space a carrier needs. If we book your trip, we'll pick a compatible seat from the start rather than leaving you to sort it out at check-in.
Service animals are different
Don't assume the pet rules above apply.
Trained service animals follow a separate policy from pets on Hawaiian, with different carrier requirements, different documentation and no pet fee. We haven't independently verified Hawaiian's current service-animal specifics closely enough to state them here, so we won't guess. Check Hawaiian's own accessibility information at hawaiianairlines.com, or call us and tell us your situation, we'll route it correctly rather than treating a service animal like an ordinary pet.
Before you book, the checklist
A few minutes now avoids a pet turned away at the gate, or held at the border.
- Does your itinerary touch Hawaii? Start entry paperwork now, this is the single biggest risk on this page
- Does it touch Europe, Japan, Korea or Australia? In-cabin pets are banned on these routes
- Cabin or cargo? Cabin needs a 17 x 11 x 9.5 in carrier, cargo caps at 150 pounds combined
- Flying a rabbit or bird? Rabbits aren't accepted to Hawaii, birds aren't accepted to or from Hawaii
- Budgeted for the pet fee? $100 each way in the cabin, $200 each way in cargo on the mainland
If Hawaii is anywhere on your itinerary, start the entry paperwork today, not next week. It is the single biggest reason a pet trip on Hawaiian goes wrong, and it has nothing to do with the airline's own carrier or weight rules. And remember: a route touching Europe, Japan, Korea or Australia may not take an in-cabin pet at all. Tell us your pet, your route and your dates, and we'll confirm what's actually possible before you book anything.
Frequently asked
Can my dog or cat fly in the cabin on Hawaiian?+
Can I bring a rabbit or a bird on Hawaiian?+
Can my pet fly in the cargo hold if it's too big for the cabin?+
Why is flying a pet to Hawaii so much stricter?+
Are there places Hawaiian won't fly an in-cabin pet at all?+
How much does it cost to fly with a pet on Hawaiian?+
Contact options
Reach Hawaiian directly, or let us confirm your pet and book the trip.
Contact Hawaiian Airlines directly
The airline's own official channels, free.
These are Hawaiian's own channels; confirm current pet rules at hawaiianairlines.com. No separate Spanish-language reservations line is published.
More Hawaiian Airlines help
Related guides.