American Airlines pet policy
✓ Last verified against the official American Airlines pet policy page.
| Pets in cabin | Yes |
|---|---|
| Species accepted | Cats and dogs |
| Max carrier size | Soft-sided (recommended): 18 x 11 x 11 in (46 x 28 x 28 cm); hard-sided mainline: 19 x 13 x 9 in; hard-sided American Eagle: 16 x 12 x 8 in |
| Max weight (pet + carrier) | 20 lb (9.07 kg) pet + carrier on A321T premium cabins; checked kennel max 100 lb (45 kg) combined. No general in-cabin limit stated. |
| Fees |
|
| Checked bag / cargo option | Checked pets only for active-duty U.S. Military and State Department Foreign Service on official orders. Others: American Airlines Cargo (PetEmbark). |
| Breed restrictions | Checked: brachycephalic cats (e.g. Burmese, Persian, Himalayan, Exotic Shorthair) and brachycephalic dogs (e.g. Boxer, Bulldog, Pug, Shih Tzu, Pit Bull, Mastiff, and more). |
| Route restrictions | No carry-on pets to/from Hawaii, Jamaica, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, or on trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific trips. |
| Service animals | Fully-trained service dogs fly in the cabin at no charge if they meet requirements. |
Good to know
Carry-on pets: max 20 carriers per flight on most mainline aircraft; no dogs as carry-on from CDC high-risk rabies countries.
Recent changes
No dated changes recorded yet. We log changes here when we detect them.
Before you book, re-check the official page and call the airline to reserve pet space; space is usually limited per flight.