Airline guide

Alaska Airlines pet policy: flying with a dog or cat

On Alaska Airlines your pet can fly in the cabin with you, in the hold on your flight, or on its own as cargo. Here are the Alaska Airlines pet fees, the carrier size and the rules, checked against Alaska's own pages.

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Alaska Airlines pets in short

In the cabin: small dogs, house cats, domesticated rabbits and small household birds, in a soft-sided carrier under the seat in front of you.
As checked baggage: your pet flies in the hold on the same flight as you, in a hard kennel, up to 150 lb with the kennel.
On its own: as cargo through Alaska Air Cargo. Covered in our Alaska Airlines pet cargo guide.

Since the merger, Hawaiian Airlines uses the same pet pages word for word, so everything here applies to Hawaiian flights too, with a few aircraft differences. See the Hawaiian Airlines pet policy.

Quick facts

Cabin fee: $100 each way ($35 within Hawaii)
Checked fee: $200 each way ($100 within Alaska, $60 within Hawaii)
Cabin carrier: Soft-sided, 17 x 11 x 9.5 inches
Checked limit: 150 lb (68 kg), pet and kennel
Minimum age: 8 weeks, weaned
Health certificate: Checked pets: within 10 days. Cabin: not on mainland routes

In the cabin

Alaska Airlines pets in the cabin

Fee

$100 each way per carrier, or $35 on flights wholly within Hawaii.

Which pets

Small dogs, house cats, domesticated rabbits and small household birds. To Hawaii: dogs, cats and rabbits only (rabbits to Honolulu only, no birds).

Dogs, cats and rabbits must be at least 8 weeks old, fully weaned and eating solid food for at least 5 days.

Alaska Airlines pet carrier size

A soft-sided carrier up to 17 x 11 x 9.5 inches (43 x 28 x 24 cm). Alaska calls this size "50". Hard-sided kennels are not allowed in the cabin. Alaska does not publish a weight limit, so the carrier size is what counts.

Up to two pets of the same species and similar size can share one carrier. One person can bring two carriers only by buying the seat next to them.

The rules

Soft-sided carriers only. Hard-sided kennels are not allowed in the cabin.
The carrier counts as your carry-on or personal item (not on flights within Hawaii).
The passenger must be 18 or older, or travel with someone who is.
No pets in exit or bulkhead rows, and no pet carriers in Business Class on the A330 or 787.
Space is limited and first come, first served. Book the pet before the day of travel.
No health certificate is needed for the cabin on mainland routes, but many states have their own entry rules. Pets flying between Hawaii and the mainland need one.

Some destinations outside the US do not take pets in the cabin at all, so check before you book an international trip.

Checked baggage

Pets as checked baggage on Alaska

Fee

$200 each way per kennel. $100 on flights wholly within Alaska or for active-duty US military on orders. $60 on flights wholly within Hawaii.

Which pets

Cats, dogs, ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, household birds, non-poisonous reptiles, pot-bellied pigs, rabbits and tropical fish (only dogs and cats to or from Hawaii).

The rules

You must be on the same flight as your pet.
Pet plus kennel up to 150 lb. Heavier pets travel as cargo.
Hard-sided kennel with a metal door, top and bottom held with nuts and bolts, wheels removed.
Check in no more than 2 hours before departure. The cut-off is 90 minutes before departure.
Food offered and water shown within 4 hours before check-in.
Snub-nosed breeds cannot travel in the baggage compartment.
Kennels over 28 inches high are not allowed on flights within Hawaii.
Connections only on Alaska, Hawaiian, Horizon or SkyWest flights for Alaska, up to 4 hours. Alaska does not transfer pets to other airlines.
There is a limit on the number of pets in the hold on each flight. Alaska does not publish the number.

The kennel

Alaska takes kennels in five sizes, series 100 to 500. The kennel must be hard-sided with a solid roof, its top and bottom held together with nuts and bolts. It needs one metal grated door, closed with releasable zip ties. Your pet must be able to stand without the ears touching the top, turn around and lie down. Soft-sided, wire and collapsible kennels are not accepted, and wheels must come off.

We sell airline crates set up to these rules, and our crate size calculator suggests a size from your pet's measurements. The size is always an estimate until your pet is measured, and the airline makes the final call at check-in.

Health certificate

A health certificate is needed for every checked pet, issued within 10 days of the first flight (within 30 days for the return on the same ticket). It must show your pet's breed, sex, age, description and the exam date. You also fill in a Pet Check record at the counter, confirming food was offered and water shown within 4 hours of check-in.

Heat and cold

Alaska may decline checked pets when it is very hot or very cold at an airport on the trip, and posts dated heat advisories for some airports in summer. In winter, Alaska suggests mid-day flights. See summer heat rules.

Snub-nosed breeds

Snub-nosed (short-nosed) dogs and cats cannot fly in the hold on Alaska. Alaska's checked pet page lists these breeds "and mixed breeds thereof":

Dogs: Boston Terrier, Boxer, Brussels Griffon, Bulldog, Chow Chow, Dutch Pug, English Bulldog, English Toy Spaniel, French Bulldog, Japanese Mastiff, Japanese Pug, Japanese Spaniel, Mastiff (all breeds), Pekingese, Pug, Shih Tzu, Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Cats: Burmese, Exotic Shorthair, Himalayan, Persian.

Since October 1, 2026, a similar list applies to pets flying as cargo on Alaska, Hawaiian and Horizon aircraft, with no exceptions. Snub-nosed pets can still fly in the cabin if they fit the carrier. More in snub-nosed breeds and flying.

Alaska's pages do not agree with each other about pit bull types, American Staffordshire Terriers and Bull Terriers. If your dog is one of these breeds, check with the airline before you book, or ask us and we check it with you.

Flying to Hawaii with your pet

Only dogs and cats can fly in the hold to or from Hawaii. In the cabin: dogs, cats and rabbits (rabbits to Honolulu only, no birds).
Every pet flying between Hawaii and the mainland needs a health certificate dated no more than 14 days before arrival, cabin pets included. For the return on the same reservation, 30 days.
Alaska does not let dogs, cats or rabbits arrive in Honolulu before 8:00 am or after 10:00 pm. Hawaii's state inspection asks owners to land by 3:30 pm.
Kennels over 28 inches high are not allowed on flights within Hawaii.
Hawaii's own entry rules (microchip, rabies shots, blood test and a waiting period) apply on top. Read our guide to moving pets to Hawaii before you book anything.

Flying to Alaska with your pet

The airline asks for a rabies certificate for dogs and cats 3 months and older flying between the Lower 48 and Alaska. Alaska state has its own entry rules too. See moving pets to Alaska.

Alaska Airlines pet policy: questions

How much is the Alaska Airlines pet fee?

Alaska lists $100 each way for a pet in the cabin, or $35 on flights wholly within Hawaii. A pet as checked baggage is $200 each way, $100 wholly within Alaska or for active-duty US military on orders, and $60 wholly within Hawaii. The fee is per carrier or kennel.

What size pet carrier does Alaska Airlines allow?

A soft-sided carrier up to 17 x 11 x 9.5 inches (43 x 28 x 24 cm), length x width x height. Alaska calls this size "50". Hard-sided kennels are not allowed in the cabin. Alaska does not publish a weight limit for cabin pets.

Can I bring my dog in the cabin on Alaska Airlines?

Yes, if your dog fits in the soft carrier under the seat in front of you. Dogs must be at least 8 weeks old and weaned. The carrier counts as your carry-on or personal item, and the number of pets on each flight is limited, so add your pet to your reservation before the day of travel.

Can my dog fly as checked baggage on Alaska?

Yes, when you are on the same flight. Your dog travels in the hold in a hard kennel, with dog and kennel together up to 150 lb. You need a health certificate issued within 10 days of the first flight. Snub-nosed breeds cannot travel this way.

Does Alaska Airlines need a health certificate for pets?

For checked pets, yes: within 10 days of the first flight, or within 30 days for the return on the same ticket. For the cabin on mainland routes, Alaska does not ask for one, but many states have their own entry rules. Every pet flying between Hawaii and the mainland needs one, cabin included. See vet health certificate for flying.

Can snub-nosed dogs fly on Alaska Airlines?

In the cabin, yes, if they meet the cabin rules. Not in the hold: snub-nosed breeds are not accepted as checked baggage, and since October 1, 2026 they are not accepted as cargo either. Mixes count too. See snub-nosed breeds and flying.

Can my pet fly on Alaska without me?

Yes, as cargo through Alaska Air Cargo (Pet Connect). That is what we arrange from Seattle, door to door: home pickup, the crate, the paperwork and the cargo booking. See Alaska Airlines pet cargo or get a price.

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 vet paperwork and your pet's flight, door to door. On most routes you see your price on screen in about three minutes.

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