American Airlines offers two real pet-travel options for most travelers: bringing your pet into the cabin as a carry-on, or shipping it through American Airlines Cargo’s PetEmbark® service. A third option you’ll see mentioned — “checked pets” — is easy to misread as a general option, but it isn’t one.
Current as of 2026: Airline pet policies change more often than government import rules. Confirm current details directly with American before booking, and check CDC’s dog import requirements separately — airline policy doesn’t replace them.
The Short Answer: Your Two Real Options
- Carry-on (cabin): for cats and dogs small enough to fit in a carrier under the seat in front of you, on eligible routes.
- American PetEmbark® (cargo): American Airlines Cargo’s service for pets that don’t qualify as carry-on.
- Checked pets at the ticket counter are NOT a general-public option. American only accepts these for active-duty U.S. Military and U.S. State Department Foreign Service personnel traveling on official orders.
- Service dogs fly free in the cabin under a separate policy — not subject to pet fees.
Which Destinations Allow Pet Travel?
American allows pet travel on most flights up to 12 hours, or on flights to and from the 48 contiguous United States, the U.S. and Canada, Alaska, Mexico, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas. American’s own site notes that additional special restrictions may apply for Canada and Mexico specifically — confirm directly with American if either is on your itinerary.
Carry-On (Cabin) Pets
To bring your pet into the cabin as a carry-on:
- Pay the carry-on pet fee.
- Keep your pet in its carrier, under the seat in front of you, for the entire flight.
- Bring only one additional item alongside the pet carrier — either a personal item (like a purse) or a carry-on bag that fits in the overhead bin, not both.
Pet strollers can’t come into the cabin — they must be checked at the ticket counter, with standard checked-bag fees applying.
Checked Pets: Military and State Department Only
This is the restriction most travelers miss. American’s “checked pet” service at the ticket counter is limited to active-duty U.S. Military and U.S. State Department Foreign Service personnel traveling on official orders. If that’s not you, this isn’t your option — PetEmbark cargo is.
For those who do qualify:
- Up to 2 pets may be checked, on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Contact Reservations at least 48 hours before travel.
- Check in at the ticket counter with your official orders.
- Arrive at least 2 hours, but no more than 4 hours, before your flight.
- Complete a checklist with an agent.
- Provide a health certificate issued within 10 days of travel, 60 days of the return (same ticket), or 10 days of the return (separate ticket).
Pets checked at the start of a trip have to stay in the same category — checked pet or PetEmbark cargo — for the whole itinerary. You can’t mix the two.
American PetEmbark® (Cargo)
For pets that don’t qualify as carry-on or as a military/State Department checked pet, American Airlines Cargo offers the American PetEmbark® service — in practice, this is the real cargo option for the general public. Booking happens through a separate PetEmbark site, not American’s normal reservation system.
Fees
| Service | Region | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Checked pet (Military/State Dept only) | Within/between US, Canada, Mexico, Central/South America, Caribbean, Europe, UK | $200 per kennel ($150 to/from Brazil) |
| PetEmbark cargo pet | Varies | Confirmed at time of booking |
| Carry-on pet | Within/between US, Canada, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean | $150 per kennel |
| Service animals | All destinations | No charge |
A few things worth knowing about how these fees work:
- Fees apply per destination without a stopover or connection of 4+ hours. A connection of 4+ hours means a separate fee for each segment.
- All pet fees are nonrefundable and charged per kennel, each way.
- Payment is by credit card or paper voucher only — not cash or checks.
- Carry-on and checked-pet fees above are fixed. PetEmbark cargo pricing is different — it’s quote-based and confirmed only at the time of booking, not published as a flat rate.
- If you’re on a codeshare or partner flight, American doesn’t collect the pet fee — even if the ticket shows an American flight number. You’ll pay the operating airline directly. Look for “Operated by” on your ticket to check. American’s partner airlines with their own pet-travel information include British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Qantas, and Qatar Airways.
Temperature Restrictions
American applies temperature restrictions to checked pets and PetEmbark cargo pets in the animal holding areas, at terminal facilities, while moving between the terminal and the plane, and on a plane awaiting departure. American doesn’t publish the exact degree thresholds on its main pets page — confirm current limits directly with American or PetEmbark before booking during extreme weather.
Check CDC’s Requirements Too
American’s own site flags that CDC has requirements for bringing dogs into the United States — this is separate from, and in addition to, American’s own policy above. See our CDC Dog Import Requirements and Rabies Vaccination Requirements guides for the federal side of this.
