The Most Pet-Friendly Airlines in 2023

Jul 4, 2024 3:42 PM

Traveling with a pet can be stressful and expensive, period. And some airlines make it especially so. Some airlines that used to happily ship your pet in cargo will transport them no more. Your emotional support animal likely can no longer fly for free. COVID-19 upended many facets of the travel industry, and flying with pets is no exception.

We analyzed nine U.S. airlines on 12 variables to find the most pet-friendly airlines. We combed through the fine print, fees and policies of all the major airlines to find which ones charge the lowest fees, are the most flexible in terms of what pets you can bring and how well they handle pet transport.

And the reality is, flying with pets is a bleak undertaking with any airline. Airlines were rated on a five-point scale, yet only one scored higher than a four (that’s our winner, Alaska). Only one other airline, Southwest, scored a 3 — and everything else fell below that.

While none are exactly great, here are the best airlines for traveling with a pet.

The official rankings

We analyzed the same nine U.S. airlines that were reviewed as part of NerdWallet's greater Best Of Airlines rankings. There are certainly other, smaller airlines that can often be better for pets (JSX is a great air carrier for pets), but they weren't included in our official rankings because they didn't meet all the criteria for consideration (namely too small of a network to be relevant to most people).

NerdWallet's rankings considered factors including whether pets are allowed, the average pet fee and airline safety records to determine what airline is best for pet travel.

Here are the airlines we reviewed and the overall rankings of each:

Which airlines are pet-friendly? The simple answer is Alaska, Southwest and Frontier offer the best overall experiences for flyers with pets, according to NerdWallet's analysis.

Here's a snapshot of some of the data we collected to help you plan for flying with dogs, cats and other pets.

	Cost for main cabin pet transportation	Number of pets allowed per passenger	Types of animals allowed in main cabin
Alaska Airlines	$100 (per carrier, with up to 2 per carrier).	4 (if you purchase an adjacent seat, otherwise two).	Dogs, cats, rabbits and household birds.
American Airlines	$125.	2.	Cat or dog.
Delta Air Lines	$95 for tickets issued on/after Feb. 28, 2022.	1 (Two if between the age of 10 weeks and 6 months and they can fit in a single carrier).	Dogs, cats and household birds.
Frontier Airlines	$99.	1.	Domesticated dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters or small household birds.
Hawaiian Airlines	$125 between Hawaii and North America. $60 within Hawaii.	1 (Two puppies or kittens of the same breed or litter between 8 weeks and 6 months old, weighing 25 pounds or less).	Cat or dog.
JetBlue Airways	$125.	2 (Only one pet per carrier. You can travel with two pets, but you must book and pay for the second seat and pet fee).	Cat or dog (maximum of six pets per flight; not available in Mint).
Southwest Airlines	$125 (refundable).	2 (if in the same carrier).	Cat or dog (maximum of six pets per flight).
Spirit Airlines	$125 each way, plus an additional $125 charge for each stopover of more than four hours within the U.S.	2 (if in the same carrier).	Dogs, cats, rabbits and household birds.
United Airlines	$125 each way, plus an additional $125 charge for each stopover of more than four hours within the U.S.	2 (with purchase of a second ticket).	Cat or dog.

The average pet fee across airlines is $113 — airlines typically charge from $95 to $125 each way per pet. You'll find lower pet fees at brands like Delta, Southwest, Frontier and Alaska.

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