Flying with a Small Dog
Alice has been flying with me since 2014 and she is a pro! She is not a registered service dog or therapy dog, but she is small enough to travel in a carrier that fits underneath the seat in front of me. Most of the time, the other people in our row don’t even realize Alice is on the flight until we are about to deplane. Alice has traveled all over the United States on several different airlines, and she has also traveled to Europe. Alice weighs 16 pounds and her carrier is approximately 18 in x 12 in x 10 in - it’s a soft carrier that can be easily adjusted and maneuvered if needed. Read more about our experiences with domestic and international travel below!
Domestic Flights
Southwest Airlines
We travel Southwest most frequently because checked bags are free (since a pet-in-cabin counts as a carry-on, I always have to check a bag) and the pet fee is $30 cheaper than other airlines. I have had great experiences with them, no one has ever questioned Alice’s size or carrier (we bought our carrier through Southwest’s website, but it doesn’t appear to be available anymore), and the flight attendants are usually very excited to see a pet is boarding!
Pet-in-Cabin Fee: $95
United Airlines
United now lets you reserve a pet-in-cabin online! I’ve had one weird interaction while checking in with Alice at LaGuardia - an employee questioned Alice’s size and made me put her in her carrier… then said she was too big and couldn’t be counted as a pet-in-cabin. I told her Alice had flown with me over fifty times, including many United flights, and then she suddenly turned very kind and didn’t mention Alice’s size again. We’ve never had issues on United otherwise. United does have an extra charge for checked bags.
Pet-in-Cabin Fee: $125 Domestic; $200 International
Delta Airlines
We’ve flown Delta both domestically and internationally and have had mostly positive experiences. When checking in at LAX, a Delta employee told me she has to see Alice in her carrier before she could check us in. Alice sat in the carrier, didn’t lie down (we have a routine, Alice isn’t used to getting in her carrier until we’re at the gate), and I could tell the Delta employee wasn’t convinced she would fit… So I assured her we had been flying for many years, on long flights, and she is perfectly content. Delta has an extra charge for checked bags.
Pet-in-Cabin Fee: $125 Domestic; $200 International
Jet Blue Airlines
We’ve flown Jet Blue a few times and have always had good experiences. You can add a pet-in-cabin to your reservation online or using the app. There is an extra charge for checked bags.
Pet-in-Cabin Fee: $125
International Flights
You need to know some important information about the documentation required to travel to the European Union! Read about our experience flying to Lisbon, Portugal here.
