Airline Pet Policy
Last verified against Hawaiian's official policy: October 11, 2026
Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines now run one pet policy, published on both websites. What changes on Hawaiian is the geography: most trips touch Hawaii, a rabies-free state where your pet's arrival time, airport and paperwork matter as much as the airline fee. A cabin pet costs $35 between the islands and $100 to the mainland. This guide covers what's specific to flying Hawaiian; the shared cabin and hold rules are in our Alaska Airlines pet policy guide. Everything is checked against Hawaiian's official pet policy.
In this guide
| Cabin fee | $35 each way within Hawaii; $100 on other routes |
| Hold fee | $60 within Hawaii; $200 other routes; $100 military on orders |
| In cabin | Small dogs, house cats, domesticated rabbits, small household birds (with route limits) |
| Baggage compartment | Yes, on your flight, up to 150 lb pet plus kennel |
| Cabin carrier | Soft-sided only, 17 x 11 x 9.5 in |
| Carry-on allowance | Within Hawaii the pet doesn't count; elsewhere it's one of your two items |
| Pets per passenger | 1 carrier with up to 2 same-species pets; 2 carriers with an extra seat |
| Honolulu arrival | Between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. only |
| Neighbor Island arrival from mainland | Dogs and cats only, with a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit |
| Booking | Chat or call Hawaiian before the day of travel |
| No pets | Japan, Seoul, Sydney, Pago Pago, Papeete, Rarotonga, Europe, London, Belize, Guatemala |
Source: Hawaiian's official pet policy, in-cabin rules, baggage compartment rules, Hawaii pet rules, checked October 11, 2026.
Source: Hawaiian's official pet policy, baggage compartment rules, in-cabin rules, Hawaii pet rules, checked October 11, 2026.
| Wholly within Hawaii | Other routes (incl. Hawaii to mainland) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cabin | $35 | $100 |
| Baggage compartment | $60 | $200 ($100 military on orders) |
| Counts toward carry-on | No | Yes, one of your two items |
| Health certificate | Not required | Required between Hawaii and the mainland (14 days) |
Fees are each way, per carrier or kennel, and cover Alaska and Hawaiian flights only. Military on orders flying Honolulu to select Japan cities pay $340 (JPY 41,000) for a hold pet. Trained service animals fly free.
Source: Hawaiian's official pet policy, in-cabin rules, baggage compartment rules, checked October 11, 2026.
| Animal | Within Hawaii | Mainland to Hawaii | International |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dogs, cats | Cabin or hold | Cabin or hold | Cabin or hold, on allowed routes |
| Domesticated rabbits | Cabin [VERIFY: rabbits on Neighbor Island flights] | Cabin, to Honolulu only | No |
| Small household birds | Cabin, or hold (max 2 per carrier) | No | No |
| Ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, reptiles, pot-bellied pigs, fish | [VERIFY: other hold animals within Hawaii] | No | No |
Poultry, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, peacocks, crows and any livestock, wild or nuisance bird are never accepted. Dogs, cats and rabbits must be at least 8 weeks old and fully weaned.
Source: Hawaiian's official pet policy, in-cabin rules, baggage compartment rules, Hawaii pet rules, checked October 11, 2026.
Hawaii is the only rabies-free U.S. state. A pet that arrives without the right paperwork can be quarantined in Honolulu for up to 120 days at your expense, and the airline won't cover it. The state's Animal Quarantine program sets those requirements. Start with them, then book the flight. [VERIFY: current Hawaii Department of Agriculture requirements and lead times, e.g. rabies titer test and waiting period]
Our rabies titer test guide and USDA health certificate guide cover the documents that take longest.
Source: Hawaiian's official pet policy, Hawaii pet rules, checked October 11, 2026.
Full cabin details, including carrier construction and stroller rules, are in our Alaska Airlines guide, since the rules are identical.
Source: Hawaiian's official pet policy, in-cabin rules, checked October 11, 2026.
Source: Hawaiian's official pet policy, baggage compartment rules, checked October 11, 2026.
No pets, in the cabin or baggage compartment, to or from:
| Destination | Rule |
|---|---|
| Japan, all locations | No pets; some exceptions for active-duty military on orders (HNL to select Japan cities) |
| Seoul (ICN) | No pets |
| Sydney (SYD) | No pets |
| Pago Pago (PPG), Papeete (PPT), Rarotonga (RAR) | No pets |
| Europe and London (LHR) | No pets |
| Belize City (BZE), Guatemala City (GUA) | No pets |
| Auckland (AKL) | Not on the list [VERIFY: whether Hawaiian accepts pets to or from Auckland] |
Source: Hawaiian's official pet policy, in-cabin rules, baggage compartment rules, checked October 11, 2026.
Source: Hawaiian's official pet policy, Hawaii pet rules, checked October 11, 2026.
| Hawaiian / Alaska | Southwest | United | American | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mainland to Hawaii, cabin | Yes, $100 | No | No | No |
| Mainland to Hawaii, hold | Yes, $200 | No | No | Military only, via HNL |
| Between the islands, cabin | $35 | $35 | No | No |
For a pet flying between the mainland and Hawaii, Hawaiian and Alaska are the only options of the four. United bans pets to, from and through Hawaii, American takes no cabin pets there, and Southwest only flies pets between the islands.
Sources: Hawaiian's official pet policy, Southwest's official pet policy, United's official pet policy, American's official pet policy, checked October 11, 2026.
A pet in the cabin costs $35 each way on flights wholly within Hawaii and $100 each way on other routes, including Hawaii to the mainland. A pet in the baggage compartment costs $60 within Hawaii and $200 each way on other routes, or $100 for active-duty U.S. military on travel orders. Fees are per carrier or kennel.
On flights wholly within Hawaii, a pet in the cabin does not count toward your carry-on allowance. On other routes, the pet carrier counts as one of your two items, so you bring it plus a personal item or a standard carry-on bag.
A domesticated rabbit can fly in the cabin to Hawaii only on flights to Honolulu (HNL), not to Maui, Kona or Lihue. Small household birds can't fly to Hawaii from the mainland, but they can fly in the cabin on Neighbor Island flights within Hawaii with the proper documents.
Dogs, cats and rabbits can't arrive at Honolulu before 8:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m., because of the hours of Hawaii's Animal Quarantine Facility at the airport. The facility is open about 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., so a pet arriving later in the evening will likely stay overnight.
Yes, dogs and cats only, with a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture for your first airport of entry. You print the permit and give it to the agent at check-in. Rabbits can only enter through Honolulu.
Yes in the cabin, if the carrier fits under the seat. They are not accepted in the baggage compartment. Hawaiian and Alaska don't accept brachycephalic dogs or cats in the hold, including French Bulldogs, pugs, Boston Terriers, Boxers and Persian cats.
Pets can't fly in the cabin or baggage compartment to or from Japan, Seoul, Sydney, Pago Pago, Papeete, Rarotonga, Europe, London Heathrow, Belize City or Guatemala City. Active-duty military on orders have some exceptions on routes between Honolulu and Japan.
Every rule on this page was checked against Hawaiian's official pet policy and its linked policy pages on October 11, 2026. Airlines change pet rules without notice, so check the official page again in the week you fly.
Hawaiian shares fees and infrastructure with Alaska Airlines now, but the two still have different route networks and different quarantine exposure depending on where you're flying from. Compare who will take your pet, and how, before you lock in dates.
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