Pet air travel in 2026: what 154 airlines actually allow
Pawmit reads every airline's pet policy on its official page. Here is what the 154 airlines in our catalogue say, read between August 13, 2026 and September 24, 2026.
Updated September 29, 2026. Figures are recomputed each time the catalogue is re-verified.
Key findings
- 104 of 154 airlines (68%) accept a dog or cat in the cabin. 14 accept no pets at all — not in the cabin, the hold or as cargo.
- Of the 140 airlines that carry pets, 36 (26%) offer no cabin option: the pet flies in the hold or as cargo.
- 8 kg (17.6 lb) is the most common published cabin weight limit: 51 of the 85 airlines that publish a maximum weight. Limits range from 5 to 12 kg.
- 55 airlines (39% of those that carry pets) restrict snub-nosed breeds (bulldogs, pugs, Persians…); 23 refuse them in the hold outright.
- From 8 of the 11 Latin American departure countries in our catalogue (Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Panama), entering the European Union requires a rabies titre test and about 120 days of preparation, against 25 days from the others.
- Great Britain uses its own list: 8 of those countries (Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Panama) are not on it, and need a blood test followed by a 3-month wait before entry.
- In the United States, 11 of 51 jurisdictions require no health certificate for a pet flying domestically with its owner.
Transport modes accepted
| Mode | Airlines | Share of catalogue |
|---|---|---|
| Cabin | 104 | 68 % |
| Hold (checked baggage) | 95 | 62 % |
| Cargo | 67 | 44 % |
| No pets at all | 14 | 9 % |
Method
Catalogue of 154 airlines. Each policy was read on the airline's official page between August 13, 2026 and September 24, 2026; the address and read date are on each airline's page.
An airline “accepts the cabin” if its official page allows it on at least part of its network. Route-level restrictions (international flights, refused destinations) are detailed on each airline page and each route page.
Snub-nosed breeds: any published restriction (hold ban, cabin only, summer ban, breed list) is counted. Weight: the limit as the airline publishes it (with or without the carrier, depending on the airline).
Country lists: annex of the EU regulation (European Commission, read 2026-08-05) and GOV.UK's “listed countries” table (read 2026-09-29). US states: each state agency's official page.
Sources
Cite these figures
Pawmit, “Pet air travel in 2026: what 154 airlines actually allow”, updated September 29, 2026, https://www.pawmit.pet/en/data/pet-air-travel-2026