If you intend to fly with your pet, contact the airline to find out what the specific policies and procedures are for flying with animals. Some airlines do not allow any pets to travel in the cabin. Check the airline's website or call the airline to get information about their specific policies.

The FAA allows each airline to decide if they will allow you to travel with your pet in the passenger cabin. If an airline does allow you to bring your pet into the cabin, you pet container is considered carry-on baggage and you must follow all carry-on baggage rules (14 CFR part 121, section 121.589):

You pet container must:

• be small enough to fit underneath the seat without blocking any person's path to the main aisle of the airplane,
• be stowed properly before the last passenger entry door to the airplane is closed in order for the airplane to leave the gate,
• remain properly stowed the entire time the airplane is moving on the airport surface, and for take off and landing.

You must follow flight attendant instructions regarding the proper stowage of your pet container.

If an airline allows you to travel with your pet in the cabin, you must follow all FAA regulations. Usually, most airlines have additional policies and procedures for you to follow to make sure that the flight is comfortable for all passengers on the airplane. These additional procedures may include a:

• limited list of the types of pets that you can bring into the cabin
• limit on the number of pets in the cabin
• limit on the number of pets that may accompany you on the airplane
• requirement that your pet be harmless, inoffensive and odorless
• requirement that your pet remain in the container for the entire flight
• requirement that you be able to produce a recently issued health certificate for your pet

Even if an airline does not allow pets in the cabin, you cannot be sure that there will be no animals on your flight. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has rules (14 CFR part 382) that require airlines to allow passengers to fly with their service animals in the cabin on all U.S. airlines. Service animals are not pets. They are working animals that assist persons with disabilities. There is no limit to the number of service animals that can be on any flight. Service animals do not need any health certificates to travel and they do not need to be confined in a container or cage.

For travelers with severe allergies to pet dander, there are a few precautions you can take:

• Choosing an airline that does not allow pets in the cabin will reduce the chance that there will be an animal in the cabin on your flight.
• You will still be exposed to pet dander on every flight, even without any pets in the passenger cabin. This is because most allergens are carried into the cabin on the clothes of other passengers.
• Ask the reservation agent for your airline if another passenger on the same flight has made reservations to travel with a pet.
• Check with your allergist or doctor before your trip to discuss travel related risks and ask if you should carry medications with you.
• If a reaction should occur during the flight, follow your doctor's treatment instructions and ask a flight attendant for assistance.

Additional Information

• Can I take my pet through the TSA security checkpoint?
• I have a service animal; what type of TSA security screening should I expect?
• Traveling with Animals (Department of Transportation)
• Traveling with Pets (USDA)