Airline guides

Flying pets from Seattle

Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines now share one pet policy and one cargo service. Here is how a pet can fly with them from SEA: in the cabin, as checked baggage, or on its own as cargo. Checked against the airlines' own pages.

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Three ways a pet can fly

Every airline question comes down to where your pet travels on the plane.

In the cabin: a small dog or cat in a soft carrier under the seat in front of you. You are on the same flight.
As checked baggage: your pet travels in the hold in a hard kennel, on the same flight as you. You check them in at the airport counter and collect them at baggage claim.
As cargo: your pet flies on its own, through the airline's cargo service. You do not need to be on the plane, or even in the same city.

Cargo is the part we handle for you, door to door, between Seattle and the cities on our routes.

Quick facts

Airlines covered: Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines (one pet policy since the merger)
Pet flies alone: Alaska Air Cargo, Pet Connect
Cabin carrier: Soft-sided, 17 x 11 x 9.5 inches
Hold limit: Pet and kennel together up to 150 lb
Minimum age: 8 weeks
Last checked: October 6, 2026

Side by side

Cabin, checked and cargo compared

Fees are the airlines' own passenger pet fees, each way, per carrier or kennel, as published on their sites. They are not our prices.

Airline	In the cabin	Checked (you fly too)	On its own (cargo)
Alaska Airlines	Small dogs, cats, rabbits and small birds in a soft carrier up to 17 x 11 x 9.5 inches. $100 ($35 within Hawaii).	Dogs, cats and some other small pets, up to 150 lb with the kennel. $200 ($100 within Alaska, $60 within Hawaii).	Yes: Alaska Air Cargo (Pet Connect). Health certificate for every pet. Priced by weight.
Hawaiian Airlines	Same policy as Alaska: $100, $35 within Hawaii. Dogs, cats and rabbits only to Hawaii. No pet carriers in Business Class on the A330 or 787.	Same policy as Alaska: $200, $60 within Hawaii. Only dogs and cats to or from Hawaii. No kennels over 28 inches high within Hawaii.	Yes, through Alaska Air Cargo, under the same Pet Connect rules.

Snub-nosed breeds cannot fly in the hold on either airline, as checked baggage or as cargo. Full rules in each airline guide below.

If your pet is flying on its own

On Alaska and Hawaiian, a pet that flies without its owner travels as cargo through Alaska Air Cargo, in a service called Pet Connect. Hawaiian Air Cargo no longer runs separately: since early 2026, cargo on Hawaiian aircraft is sold through Alaska Air Cargo under the same rules. The main points:

Health certificate: needed for every pet, from a licensed vet, within 10 days of the flight (14 days for dogs and cats going to Hawaii).
Temperature: pets generally fly only when the forecast is between 45°F and 85°F at every airport on the trip. Below 45°F, a vet acclimation letter is needed.
Crate: an airline approved hard kennel, series 100 to 500, with pet and kennel together up to 150 lb.
Hand-in and pickup: at the airline's cargo building, not the passenger terminal. Pets are handed in no more than 4 hours before the flight and must be collected within 4 hours of landing.
Price: the airline charges by the weight of your pet and the crate together. The route counts too.

Nothing is final until the airline confirms the space. Full guide: Alaska Airlines pet cargo.

If you are flying with your pet

A small pet that fits in a soft carrier of 17 x 11 x 9.5 inches can fly in the cabin with you. The airline does not publish a weight limit for the cabin, only the carrier size. The number of pets on each flight is limited and first come, first served, so add your pet to the booking early.

Bigger dogs and cats can fly in the hold as checked baggage when you are on the same flight, in a hard kennel, up to 150 lb with the kennel. A health certificate is needed, issued within 10 days of the first flight.

We can help around your flight: a crate that meets the airline rules, the vet visit for the health certificate, and a ride for your pet to SEA to meet you at check-in. You travel to the airport separately, because owners do not ride along. See airport pet transport.

Hawaii and Alaska

Two of the most common moves from Seattle go to states with their own rules. Hawaii is rabies free: dogs and cats need a microchip, rabies shots, a blood test and a waiting period before they land, or they go into quarantine. Plan months ahead with our guide to moving pets to Hawaii.

For Alaska, the airline asks for a rabies certificate for pets flying between the Lower 48 and Alaska, and winter cold often means a vet acclimation letter. See moving pets to Alaska.

Other airlines

Other airlines fly from SEA too. This guide covers only Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. If you plan to fly another airline, read its own pet pages: fees, crate sizes and breed rules are different on every airline.

Airline by airline

Full guides

Alaska Airlines pet policy

Pets in the cabin and as checked baggage: fees, carrier size, who can fly, health certificate and snub-nosed rules.

Alaska Airlines pet cargo

When your pet flies on its own: health certificate, temperature rules, summer city limits, kennels, hand-in and pickup.

Hawaiian Airlines pet policy

What changed after the merger with Alaska, fees within Hawaii, kennel limits between the islands and cargo to Hawaii.

Moving pets to Hawaii

The state rabies entry program step by step, with a timeline that starts months before the flight.

Moving with your pet? Start with moving pets across the country, check the summer heat rules, or see all our routes from Seattle.

Flying pets from Seattle: questions

Which airlines fly pets from Seattle?

Several airlines fly from SEA. This guide covers Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, which share one pet policy and one cargo service since their merger. For any other airline, read that airline's own pet pages before you book.

Can my dog fly alone from Seattle?

Yes. On Alaska and Hawaiian, a pet flying on its own travels as airline cargo through Alaska Air Cargo, in an approved hard crate. You do not need to be on the plane. Someone hands your pet in at the cargo building at SEA and someone collects your pet at the other end. See Alaska Airlines pet cargo, or let us handle the whole move.

How much is the Alaska Airlines pet fee?

Alaska lists $100 each way for a pet in the cabin ($35 within Hawaii) and $200 each way for a pet as checked baggage ($100 within Alaska, $60 within Hawaii). Hawaiian lists the same fees. A pet flying on its own as cargo is priced differently: by weight, the industry standard for air cargo.

Does my pet need a health certificate to fly?

For the cargo hold, yes: Alaska Air Cargo needs a health certificate from a licensed vet for every pet flying in the cargo hold, issued within 10 days of the flight (14 days for dogs and cats going to Hawaii). Checked pets need one too. In the cabin on mainland routes, the airline does not ask for one, but many states have their own entry rules. Every pet flying between Hawaii and the mainland needs one. See vet health certificate for flying.

Can snub-nosed breeds fly on Alaska or Hawaiian?

Not in the hold. Since October 1, 2026, snub-nosed dogs and cats, including all bulldogs, boxers, pugs and mastiffs, and Persian and Himalayan cats, are not accepted in the cargo hold of Alaska, Hawaiian or Horizon aircraft. Mixes count too. They can still fly in the cabin if they fit in the under-seat carrier. See snub-nosed breeds and flying.

Can pets fly in summer?

Yes, with limits. In the cargo hold, pets generally fly only when the forecast is between 45°F and 85°F at every airport on the trip, and some cities close to pets for part of the summer. Seattle itself has no summer limit. See summer heat rules.

Last checked against the official pages on October 6, 2026.

Airlines and states change their rules. Always check the official page before you book.

Want us to handle it?

We arrange home pickup in the Seattle area, the crate, the paperwork and your pet's cargo booking, door to door. On most routes you see your price on screen in about three minutes.

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