American Pet Policy | Pet Baggage Policy

American carry-on pet policy

For pet owners, travelling with their furry family members on American Airlines is now less of a headache. According to a discreet modification made to American Airlines' website on March 28, pet owners are allowed to bring one pet carrier as a carry-on and pay the carry-on pet fee.

American carry-on pet policy

According to American pet policy, you are permitted to check one pet carrier as carry-on on American Airlines flights provided you do these things:

You cover the pet carry-on cost.
Throughout the whole flight, your pet remains in the pet carrier and beneath the seat in front of you.
Only one extra item may be brought on board with your pet:

a private object such as a pocketbook or tiny handbag; or
A compliant carry-on bag that slides into the overhead bin

Bags for carry-on

You are only allowed to bring one pet carrier—not both. All checked bag fees are applicable, and strollers with pets must be checked at the ticket booth.

What are the steps to bring a pet on a plane?

As per American pet policy, if you want to bring a pet to the trip you need to make a pet reservation. There are some steps to follow to do so as per American pet policy:

Use the American app or aa.com to plan your journey.
Choose "Add carry-on pets" under the Special Services section.
Examine and accept the requirements for bringing a pet along.
To finish the modifications, confirm your carry-on pet and choose the flights you want your pet to go on.

What are carry-on pet limitations?

Your pet must travel with American Airlines Cargo if it is too big to fit in the cabin. Remember that the pet carrier has to adhere to all kennel requirements for checked pets, and that as per American Airlines pet policy, they only accept checked pets from active-duty members of the US military and US State Department Foreign Service personnel who are travelling on official business. Your pet might not be able to travel if you don't meet these standards.

American checked baggage pet policy

Only active-duty members of the US military and US State Department foreign service personnel travelling on official business are permitted to bring checked pets with them. Pets may be checked for up to two, if they fit the destination's minimum age and health standards. American Airlines take checked pets first come, first served because of their limited capacity.

American checked baggage pet policy, you must follow these rules,

Make contact with Reservations at least 48 hours before your trip.
Present your formal orders while checking in at the ticket desk.
Give yourself additional time to check in—at least two hours, but no more than four hours—before your flight.
Work with an agent to finish a checklist.
Give a certificate of health

Only the following cities will allow checked dogs to connect if you're taking a connecting flight:

Charlotte, NC (CLT)
Chicago O'Hare, IL (ORD)
Dallas / Fort Worth, TX (DFW)
Los Angeles, CA (LAX)
New York Kennedy, NY (JFK)
New York LaGuardia, NY (LGA)
Miami, FL (MIA)
Philadelphia, PA (PHL)
Phoenix, AZ (PHX)
Washington Reagan, DC (DCA)

Aircraft and permissible kennels for checked baggage

Checked pets are not permitted on the A319, A320, A321, A321H, A321neo, or A321S aircraft.

What is the American pet fee?

If you're travelling with American Airlines, you can use a credit card or paper voucher (where applicable) to pay your pet travel cost at the airport or travel center. They don't take cheques or cash as payment.

Amenities	Area of travel	Pet fee
Checked pet for Active-duty U.S. Military and State Department personnel only*	Between the United States and Europe, as well as from the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean	$200 per kennel $150 to/from Brazil
Cargo pet	Varies	Varies, At the time of booking, fees will be determined.
Carry-on pet	Within and between Canada, and the United States, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean (as per the acceptance policy of that particular country)	$150 per kennel
Service animals	All destinations	No charge

American airlines pet carrier guidelines

American Airlines will take no responsibility for the welfare or health of pets that are carried on. These guidelines must be strictly adhered to:

Pets have to be tiny enough to fit through the closed, zippered container with ease.
Non-collapsible kennels cannot be larger than the under-seat measurements.
It is recommended to use soft-sided collapsible kennels, which can be slightly larger but still need to fit under the seat. They ought to be well-fitting, cushioned, composed of water-resistant material, and ventilated with nylon mesh on three or more sides.

What are checked pet kennel guidelines?

According to American pet policy, there are particular standards for your pet's kennel when you check them in:

Big enough for your pet to lie down, sit, turn, and stand in a natural posture (without touching the top or any of the container's sides)
Must not weigh more than 100 pounds (45 kg) when combined pet and kennel weight.
Consist of wood, metal, plastic, or materials that are comparable.
Have a cast iron or welded door that is fastened with bolts or screws at the top and bottom.
Be waterproof and able to escape with a tightly shut door.
For domestic travel inside the United States, have ventilation on at least three sides; for foreign travel, have ventilation on four sides.
Securely attach separate feeding and watering dishes within the kennel.
Attach a tiny food bag that will last for a whole day to the top.
Maintain hygiene and stock up on absorbent materials (no hay, straw, or wood flakes)

According to American pet policy, when taking two pets on a trip in the same kennel, they have to be:

the pet should be of same kind (two cats or two dogs)
a comparable size and weigh between eight weeks and six months less than twenty pounds, or nine kilograms, apiece.

What is American airline service animal policy?

If they fit the standards, fully trained assistance dogs are allowed to travel in the cabin for free in accordance with American pet policy. A dog that has been specially taught to work or carry out tasks for the benefit of a qualified person with a disability is known as a service animal. This includes qualified individuals with mental, intellectual, psychiatric, physical, or sensory disabilities, including but not limited to:

limitations of vision
Lack of hearing
Convulsions
limitations to mobility
trauma-related stress disorder

In order to ascertain whether your pet qualifies as a service animal that is permitted for travel, American Airlines staff members will ask specific questions.

American airlines pet policy emotional support

Please be aware that comfort animals, emotional support animals, and service animals in training may travel as pets rather than as assistance animals. There will be an application process and associated costs.

Which forms must be submitted when travelling with a service dog?

According to American pet policy, you should electronically submit the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Service Animal Air Transportation Form, which verifies your service animal's health, training, and behavior, to the Special Assistance Desk at least 48 hours prior to your flight, if you plan to travel with it on an American Airlines aircraft.
As soon as your paper is accepted, we'll let you know. On the day of departure, you can also show the completed form at the airport. Make sure you get there early.

7 Criteria for service animal travel

According to American pet policy, there are some rules if you want to travel with service animal and rules are as follows:

Animals must always be restrained, leashed, or tethered.
Service animals under four months of age are not permitted to travel.
The animal needs to be tidy and well-mannered.
The animal must be tiny enough to fit under your seat, at your feet, or in your lap (lap animals cannot be larger than a two-year-old).
Until you go to the airport, and it's confirmed that the animal can fit safely at your feet, the travel request won't be officially approved.
In the event that the animal is housed in a kennel, it must fit beneath the seat in front of you.
A person is only permitted to have two service animals.

FAQs on American pet policy

1. What is an American pet fee?

Ans. According to American pet policy, for checked baggage, it is 150 to 200 dollars, and for carry-on, it is $150 per kennel. For cargo travel, the American pet fee varies, and after booking, you can know that.

2. Are two pets allowed in one kennel?

Ans. According to American Airlines pet carrier policy, the pets of the same kind i.e two dogs or two cats are allowed in one kennel. In addition to that the age and weight should not exceed six months and 20 pounds, respectively of each pet.

3. Are emotional support animals allowed on American Airlines?

Ans. Emotional support animals, and service animals are both considered normal pets and should follow all the rules under American pet policy.

American Carry-on Pet Policy

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