Airline pet policies: who takes what in the cabin, the hold and cargo

Cabin, hold, cargo: three ways to fly

Before comparing airlines, it helps to separate the three ways a pet can travel, because the same airline may accept one and refuse another:

• In the cabin. A small dog or cat travels with you in a soft bag under the seat in front. Most airlines that allow it set the limit at 8 kg including the bag. IATA notes that only small animals can go in the cabin, and that some airlines do not allow them there at all.
• In the hold, as baggage. The pet is checked in at the counter on your ticket and travels in a rigid crate, in a heated and ventilated hold, on your flight.
• As cargo. The pet travels as a shipment in its own right, booked with the airline's cargo department, often through a freight forwarder. Cargo is required beyond the hold limits, for some destinations and when the pet is not on your flight. Our pet air cargo page explains how a shipment works.

In the hold and as cargo, the crate must meet IATA's requirements and the airline's own: see airline pet crates. To choose between the three for your pet, see also flying with a dog: cabin, hold or cargo?

The comparison, airline by airline

Rules read on each airline's official pages on 21 October 2026. Weights include the bag or crate. "Check with the airline" means the page we read did not say.

European airlines

• Air France (rules read on 21 October 2026): one dog or cat of up to 8 kg in the cabin, bag included, at least 15 weeks old; no pets in Business on intercontinental flights. From 8 to 75 kg the hold is compulsory, with up to three pets per passenger and a rigid plastic or fibreglass crate closed with bolts. Cargo, through an approved carrier, applies above the hold weight limit, when the destination requires it and for some snub-nosed breeds (Boxer, Pekingese, Shih Tzu, Persian, Burmese); Pugs, Bulldogs and Boston Terriers have not been accepted as cargo since 15 July 2019. French category 1 dogs are refused in every mode; category 2 dogs fly only as cargo, on flights operated by Air France. To Dubai, cargo is the only option.
• KLM (rules read on 21 October 2026): one cat or dog in the cabin in Economy, or in Business within Europe, in a closed bag of up to 46 × 28 × 24 cm and 8 kg; no pets in Premium Comfort or Business on intercontinental routes. In the hold, up to three pets and 75 kg including the crate. The pet must be at least 15 weeks old and on your flight. No pets in the hold on Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 or Airbus A321neo aircraft. With a connection of more than 3 hours, the hold is not possible and the pet can go through the cargo service instead. At Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Orly, pets are not transferred automatically: you collect your pet and check it in again.
• Lufthansa (rules read on 21 October 2026): up to 8 kg in the cabin, soft bag included; above that, the air-conditioned hold, in an IATA crate whose halves are joined with metal screws. The minimum age is 12 weeks, or 15 weeks for flights from, to or via Germany. No pets in the hold on connections via Munich. Lufthansa may refuse the hold when the weather at the destination is extreme, at short notice or for a whole season, and may refuse some routes, such as the UK or Ireland. Snub-nosed breeds have been barred from the hold since 1 January 2020; dogs classed as dangerous travel only in the hold, in a special crate.
• SWISS (rules read on 21 October 2026): up to 8 kg in the cabin in a soft bag of up to 55 × 40 × 23 cm; above that, the hold; two pets at most per passenger, at least 12 weeks old. No pets in the cabin in First or Business on the Airbus A350-900. Flat-faced breeds travel in the cabin only. Into the UK, Ireland, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and South Africa, pets may only enter as cargo, with Swiss WorldCargo.
• British Airways (rules read on 21 October 2026): no pets in the cabin on any route, apart from assistance dogs. Pets fly in the hold, but the trip is arranged by one of the airline's partners depending on where it starts; to reach the UK, that is IAG Cargo, British Airways' sister company.

The Gulf and Türkiye

• Emirates (rules read on 21 October 2026): no animals in the cabin, apart from falcons on some routes and guide dogs. Every itinerary ending in Dubai goes as cargo, with Emirates SkyCargo. The hold as checked baggage is only offered for journeys starting in Dubai, to countries that accept pets as baggage, with a total journey under 17 hours; beyond that, and for a connection of more than 6 hours in Dubai, cargo applies.
• Qatar Airways (rules read on 21 October 2026): only falcons and service dogs travel in the cabin. Dogs and cats go in the hold on most routes, up to 75 kg and 300 cm in total dimensions; beyond that, for a pet travelling alone or connecting to another airline, they go with Qatar Airways Cargo. To and from Australia and New Zealand, cargo is compulsory. The airline does not accept pets arriving on another airline's flight, and restricts some breeds at risk of heatstroke above 21 °C.
• Turkish Airlines (rules read on 21 October 2026): up to 8 kg in the cabin in a soft bag of up to 23 × 30 × 40 cm; up to 50 kg in the hold in a rigid crate of up to 75 × 75 × 125 cm; anything larger goes with Turkish Cargo. Snub-nosed cats and dogs (Persian, Pug, Bulldogs, Boxer, Shih Tzu…) are accepted in the cabin within the 8 kg limit, but no longer in the hold since 1 October 2021; otherwise they go as cargo. Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Pit Bulls and a few other breeds are refused on its flights; Rottweilers, Dobermans and Dogues de Bordeaux travel only in the hold, if Turkish Cargo accepts them. No pets on flights to the UK, connections included, and sedated pets are refused.

North America, Asia and the Pacific

• Air Canada (rules read on 21 October 2026): one cat or small dog per passenger in the cabin, in a soft bag under the seat, 40 × 43 × 20 cm on most wide-body aircraft; not in Premium Economy. In the hold, up to 45 kg and 292 cm in linear dimensions; beyond that, Air Canada Cargo. Snub-nosed dogs do not fly in the hold, and the hold is refused in summer above 29.5 °C, as well as during some periods.
• Delta Air Lines (rules read on 21 October 2026): small dogs and cats in the cabin, including to the European Union from 15 weeks old, but not in Delta One, Delta Premium or international Business, and never to or from the UK, the UAE or Hong Kong. Delta Cargo currently carries pets only for U.S. military and Foreign Service staff on permanent change of station orders. Snub-nosed breeds are refused on all Delta flights.
• Singapore Airlines (rules read on 21 October 2026): no cabin; pets fly in the hold on your flight, from 3 months old, up to 32 kg including the crate, and above that through a cargo agent. No pets on Boeing 737 flights, and none as baggage into London Heathrow, Dubai, Hong Kong, Australia or New Zealand. Snub-nosed breeds are refused, and the airline does not accept pets connecting to or from another airline.
• Cathay Pacific (rules read on 21 October 2026): no pets in the cabin except assistance dogs, and new bookings in the hold suspended until further notice: pets fly with Cathay Cargo. Since 1 September 2025, it has accepted direct bookings only from professionals (members of animal transport associations, IATA-accredited freight forwarders, holders of IATA live animals training). Some snub-nosed breeds are accepted on some routes, January to May and October to December.
• Air Tahiti Nui (rules read on 21 October 2026): up to 8 kg in the cabin in a bag of up to 40 × 35 × 20 cm, on four routes only: Los Angeles–Paris, Paris–Los Angeles, Papeete–Los Angeles and Papeete–Paris. Otherwise pets fly as cargo with Air Tahiti Nui Cargo, booked through a specialist forwarder when leaving from anywhere but Tahiti. Snub-nosed breeds and Pit Bull or American Staffordshire-type dogs are refused.

Snub-nosed breeds and restricted dogs

Brachycephalic breeds (French Bulldog, Pug, Boxer, Persian…) struggle to breathe under stress or in heat. Almost every airline in this comparison refuses them in the hold; some take them in the cabin at 8 kg or less, a few as cargo, and Delta refuses them on all its flights. The breed lists differ from one airline to the next, so we check the chosen airline's list before any booking. See also our guide to flying with a flat-faced dog or cat.

For French category 1 and 2 dogs, French law comes on top of airline rules. Air France refuses the first and takes the second only as cargo; Lufthansa, SWISS and Turkish Airlines require a special crate or cargo for the breeds they class as dangerous, and refuse some outright.

Rules that change often

These conditions change without notice: a country's new health rules, a seasonal embargo, a different aircraft on a route. The table shows the airlines' official pages as of 21 October 2026, not a commitment on their part. Three things to keep in mind:

• The operating airline decides. Lufthansa spells it out: on a codeshare flight, the rules of the airline operating the flight apply. Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines do not accept pets arriving on another airline's flight.
• The destination comes first. An airline that accepts pets in the hold does not exempt you from the country's rules: Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Great Britain require cargo.
• Book early. Pet places are limited on each flight, in the cabin and in the hold. Request deadlines range from 24 hours before departure (Air France, for the hold) to two weeks (Singapore Airlines).

We choose the routing around your pet and the destination, then re-read the chosen airline's conditions when we book.

Frequently asked questions

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