United Airlines Pet Policy: Check Your Trip
Check United's in-cabin pet rules, carrier sizes, fees, booking steps, international documents, and U.S. dog re-entry before you book.
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United Airlines Pet Policy: Check Your Trip
Information verified October 4, 2026.
United accepts ordinary pet cats and dogs only in the cabin. The animal must stay in an accepted carrier under the seat (United, "Traveling with pets"). United does not accept ordinary checked pets through PetSafe. Cargo is limited to some active-duty military or State Department travelers under a separate program (United). The pet ticket is $150 each way (United). Hard carriers can measure up to 9 × 17.5 × 12 inches. Soft carriers can measure up to 11 × 18 × 11 inches (United). On an international trip, airline approval does not replace the destination’s entry rules. The destination country sets those rules (USDA APHIS, "Travel With a Pet").
Start with three separate checks. Confirm that United accepts the pet and trip. Confirm that the destination accepts the animal. For a dog entering or returning to the United States, check the current CDC process live (United; USDA APHIS; CDC, "Bringing a Dog into the United States").
Does your pet and itinerary fit United's policy?
A "yes" in one row does not decide the other rows. United’s acceptance and government entry approval are separate checks (USDA APHIS).
| Check | Go only if | No-go signal | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal and service | Your ordinary pet is a cat or dog traveling in the cabin on United or United Express, and the destination permits pets. | The animal is not an ordinary pet cat or dog, the itinerary does not meet United’s flight or destination rule, or you need ordinary checked-pet service. | United |
| Live itinerary | The exact destination and any transit point are absent from United’s current excluded list. | United’s live page excludes the destination or transit point. | United |
| Carrier | The ventilated hard- or soft-sided carrier stays within United’s stated dimensions, fits under the seat, and holds the pet for the whole flight. | The carrier exceeds the applicable dimensions or cannot fit under the seat in front. | United |
| Booking and seat | United has added the pet to the booking, and the assigned seat is permitted for pet travel. | The pet has not been added, or the seat is an emergency exit row, a United Premium Plus seat, or the front row of a cabin. | United |
| Destination entry | The destination’s rules have been checked through USDA APHIS, and the required destination process is complete. | The destination requirements are unknown or incomplete. | USDA APHIS |
| U.S. dog entry or return | The traveler has checked the current CDC page and Dog Import Form process separately. | The current CDC check has not been completed. | United; CDC |
United posts a live list of barred destinations and transit points. That list can change. Check the current United pet page for the exact trip instead of using a copied list (United). For a wider planning view, see Airline Pet Policies.
What pets and flights can United accept?
United’s ordinary pet option is in-cabin travel for a cat or dog on an eligible trip (United). The destination must allow pets. The flight must be run by United or United Express (United). United no longer accepts ordinary checked pets through PetSafe (United). Its separate cargo program is limited to some active-duty military or State Department travelers (United).
Age is another eligibility check:
- For domestic flights, puppies and kittens must be at least two months old (United).
- For international flights, dogs must be at least six months old for CDC rules (United).
- For international flights, kittens must be at least four months old for vaccination rules (United).
Therapy and emotional-support cats and dogs travel as pets and follow the ordinary pet rules (United). Genuine service animals follow a separate United policy (United).
What carrier size does United allow?
United states no pet weight or breed limit. That does not mean every animal can travel (United). The cat or dog must travel in an accepted hard- or soft-sided carrier. It must have air vents and fit under the seat in front (United).
Use the carrier type to find the applicable maximum:
- A hard-sided carrier can measure no more than 9 inches high × 17.5 inches long × 12 inches wide, or 22 × 44 × 30 cm (United).
- A soft-sided carrier can measure no more than 11 inches high × 18 inches long × 11 inches wide, or 27 × 45 × 27 cm (United).
- Either carrier must be ventilated and fit under the seat in front (United).
The carrier and under-seat rules decide if a 25-pound or 70-pound dog can use United’s ordinary pet option. A stated pound cutoff does not decide this (United). Do not treat "no weight limit" as a promise of approval (United). Pet Carrier Backpacks for Travel covers carrier types. Still, United’s live size limits are the policy check (United).
A weight alone cannot produce a yes or no. United publishes no pet weight limit, while still requiring the animal to travel in an accepted carrier under the seat (United).
How do you add a pet and choose a seat?
Add the pet through an approved United booking channel before you treat the booking as ready (United). On united.com, select Travel with a pet as a traveler when you book. You can also add the pet to an existing booking through My Trips (United). United says you cannot add a pet through its app (United). International travelers must call United to add a pet (United).
On most flights, one person may bring up to two pets. A person with two pets must buy two seats. The second seat must be beside the assigned seat (United). United allows only one pet per person on the A319, A320, A321neo, 737-800/8, and 737-900/9. Space under the middle seats is limited on those planes (United).
A traveler with a pet cannot sit in these locations:
- An emergency exit row (United).
- A United Premium Plus seat (United).
- The front row of a cabin (United).
Seat limits also vary by plane. Use the live seat table on the United pet page. Do not reduce every plane to one rule (United). If more than one airline runs the trip, check each airline’s pet policy (United).
Separate financial-planning step: Compare expat pet insurance.
What happens at the airport and onboard?
The carrier stays closed and under the seat throughout the flight (United). United requires the pet to remain inside the closed carrier under the seat at all times onboard (United).
For a domestic United trip:
- Check in at an airport kiosk with the confirmation number (United).
- Collect the special carrier tag printed by the kiosk (United).
- Keep the pet inside the closed carrier under the seat at all times onboard (United).
For domestic U.S. travel, United urges you to get a vet health certificate. It does not require one for every trip. Some destinations may ask for one (United). That statement does not set the rule for an international destination. It also does not set the rule for every U.S. destination (United).
What paperwork does an international pet need?
A United pet booking does not mean a country will admit the animal (USDA APHIS). For travel from the United States, the destination country sets the pet entry rules (USDA APHIS). The rules also depend on the type of trip. It may be from the United States, into the United States, or interstate (USDA APHIS).
For a pet leaving the United States:
- Select the destination in the USDA APHIS pet travel tool. Use it to find that country’s entry rules (USDA APHIS).
- Work with a USDA-accredited vet on the shots, tests, and treatments. Also get the endorsed health certificate or other papers that the destination requires (USDA APHIS).
- Check the destination’s entry and exit rules as United directs international pet travelers to do (United).
United requires a health and shot certificate for dogs and cats on international trips. This includes trips to Canada and Mexico (United). For dogs and cats going from the United States to another country, United requires rabies and health certificates. United also states that the rabies shot must be complete at least 28 days before travel (United). Do not apply this United statement to every destination’s rules. Do not apply it to a domestic U.S. trip (United).
The USDA Pet Travel Guide can help you keep the government process distinct from the airline booking.
Do not merge the paperwork checks. The destination country sets its entry rules. United decides if it accepts the pet and trip (USDA APHIS; United).
What must a dog entering the U.S. check?
A dog entering or returning to the United States needs a separate current CDC check (United; CDC). United says the CDC rules have changed for dogs entering the United States from abroad. The rules include the CDC Dog Import Form (United).
Start with the live CDC Bringing a Dog into the United States page. Use its Dog Import Form process, as linked by United (United; CDC). Check that CDC page live for the current process. This guide does not assume any country-risk details or eligibility result. It also does not assume a timeline or form-validity rule.
United Airlines pet policy FAQ
These answers are policy checks, not acceptance promises (United). Confirm the exact itinerary on United’s live page before booking (United).
How much is the United pet fee?
The current pet ticket costs $150 each way, as verified October 4, 2026 (United).
Does United have a pet weight limit?
United says it has no pet weight or breed limits. Still, the cat or dog must travel in an accepted hard- or soft-sided carrier. The carrier must fit under the seat (United). Weight alone does not prove acceptance (United).
Can a 25-pound dog fly on United?
United does not publish a pound cutoff, so 25 pounds alone does not answer the question (United). The dog must travel in an accepted carrier that fits under the seat in front (United).
Does United accept pets as cargo?
United no longer accepts ordinary checked pets through PetSafe. Cargo is limited to some active-duty military or State Department travelers under a separate program (United). Do not infer wider cargo access from that exception (United).
How do I add a pet to a United booking?
On united.com, select Travel with a pet as a traveler while booking. You can also use My Trips for an existing booking (United). United says a pet cannot be added through its app. International travelers must call United to add one (United).
Can I bring two pets on United?
On most flights, one person may bring up to two pets. That person must buy two seats. The second seat must be beside the assigned seat (United). United permits only one pet per person on the A319, A320, A321neo, 737-800/8, and 737-900/9. Those planes have limited space under middle seats (United).
Can a large dog fly on United?
United states no pet weight or breed limits. Still, an ordinary pet must stay in an accepted carrier under the seat (United). United does not accept a large dog just because it posts no weight limit (United). Ordinary checked pets are not accepted through PetSafe. The separate cargo program is limited to some active-duty military or State Department travelers (United).
Separate financial-planning step: Compare expat pet insurance.
Written by the FG Team, the Furry Guardian editorial team, who keeps these border rules current.
- https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/travel/traveling-with-pets.html
- https://direct.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel
- https://www.cdc.gov/importation/dogs/index.html