United Airlines Pet Policy 2026: Fees, Carrier Rules and Where Pets Can’t Fly

United Pet Policy at a Glance

Source: United's official pet policy, checked October 11, 2026.

What Most Sites Get Wrong

Most United pet policy pages, including the top results on Google, repeat information that was true at some point and isn't now. These are the errors that can cost you a flight.

• "Pets can't fly to five places: the UK, Australia, Hawaii, Guam and the UAE."United's list has 33 entries, and the ban covers flights to, from and even through them. Ireland, Iceland, Sweden, Brazil, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Thailand and South Africa are all on it. Full list below.
• "You can bring two pets if you buy an extra seat."Only on some aircraft. On the A319, A320, A321neo, 737-800, 737 MAX 8, 737-900 and 737 MAX 9, United allows one pet per person because there's limited space under the middle seat. Those jets fly a large share of United's domestic routes, so check your aircraft before you plan on two. United's own FAQ also says "you can only bring one pet with you," which contradicts the two-pet rule on the same page [VERIFY: call United to confirm two pets on your specific flight before booking the second seat].
• "Any soft carrier up to 11 inches tall will fit."Not on the Boeing 737 MAX, where United caps carrier height at 10 inches. A soft carrier at the 11-inch maximum is legal on paper and too tall on that aircraft.
• "Pay and check in at the counter, not the kiosk."United's current instructions are the opposite for domestic flights: check in at a kiosk with your confirmation number, and the kiosk prints the tag for your pet's carrier.
• "Snub-nosed breeds can't fly United."For the cabin, United states there are no weight or breed limitations. Breed rules matter for cargo, which civilians can no longer use anyway.
• "Pick any seat with floor space."You can't sit with a pet in an emergency exit row, in a United Premium Plus seat, or in the front row of any cabin. On some aircraft United also requires a window or aisle seat.
• "Delta charges $95 and American $125."Both are out of date. Delta charges $150 for tickets issued on or after April 8, 2025, and American charges $150 per kennel. See the comparison.

Source: United's official pet policy, checked October 11, 2026.

The $150 Fee

United charges $150 each way for a pet in the cabin, per United's official pet policy. A round trip costs $300. Two pets cost $300 each way, plus the price of the second seat, which has to be next to yours.

• Connections. United describes the fee as "each way." [VERIFY: whether a connection on a one-way itinerary is charged once or per segment]
• Long layovers. [VERIFY: whether United still charges an extra $125 for layovers over 4 hours domestic or 24 hours international; this is not on United's pet page]
• When you pay. [VERIFY: whether the $150 is charged online when you add the pet on united.com, or at the airport]
• Carry-on allowance. [VERIFY: whether the pet carrier replaces your carry-on bag or your personal item on United]
• Pet strollers must be checked in the lobby and count toward your checked bag allowance.

Source: United's official pet policy, checked October 11, 2026.

Carrier Size and the 737 MAX Limit

Every pet flies in a carrier, closed, under the seat in front of you, for the whole flight. Only service animals fly without one. The carrier must be ventilated, and if it doesn't fit under the seat, your pet doesn't fly.

United lists these sizes as height x length x width (9 x 17.5 x 12 and 11 x 18 x 11). We've reordered them to match how carriers are usually sold. United sets no weight limit and no breed limit for cabin pets: if your pet fits a compliant carrier, it can fly.

Source: United's official pet policy, checked October 11, 2026.

Where You Can Sit, by Aircraft

United caps the number of pets per cabin, and the cap depends on the aircraft. Once the cabin is full, no more pets can be added to that flight.

Aircraft missing from the premium row (A321neo, 757-200, 767, 777, 787) have no premium-cabin pet allowance listed in United's table [VERIFY: confirm that pets are not accepted in premium cabins on these aircraft, including Polaris].

Seat rules

• No pets in emergency exit rows, United Premium Plus seats, or the front row of any cabin.
• Boeing 757-200, Economy: you must sit in a window seat for the carrier to fit.
• Boeing 737-800, 737 MAX 8, 737-900 and 737 MAX 9: you must sit in a window or aisle seat, not the middle.
• These rules cover United mainline flights. For United Express, United asks you to contact them.

Source: United's official pet policy, checked October 11, 2026.

Where United Won't Fly Your Pet

United does not allow pets to fly to, from, or even through the places below. This is the airline's own list, separate from each country's entry rules. Connecting through one of them is enough to be refused.

Pet travel from Guam to the U.S. mainland counts as international. On codeshares and partner flights, the operating airline's pet policy applies, so check each carrier on your itinerary. For destination rules, see our guides on Canada, Colombia, Japan and the pet passport.

Source: United's official pet policy, checked October 11, 2026.

How to Book Your Pet on United

1. 1
   Check the route. Make sure no airport on your itinerary is on the no-fly list above, including connections.
2. 2
   Check the aircraft. On united.com, look up the aircraft type for each flight. It decides how many pets you can bring, which seats you can choose, and whether a 737 MAX height limit applies.
3. 3
   Add the pet on the website. Select "Travel with a pet" as a traveler while booking on united.com, or add the pet to an existing trip in My Trips. You can't do this in the United app. For international flights, call United to add the pet.
4. 4
   Do it early. Pets fly only if space is available, and each cabin has a cap of 2 to 6 pets.
5. 5
   Choose a legal seat. No exit rows, no Premium Plus, no front row. Window seat on the 757-200 in Economy; window or aisle on the 737-800, 737-900 and their MAX versions. With two pets, book the seat next to yours.
6. 6
   Check in at the airport. For domestic flights, use a kiosk with your confirmation number. It prints your pet's carrier tag. [VERIFY: check-in process for international flights with a pet]

Source: United's official pet policy, checked October 11, 2026.

International Trips: The Paperwork

United requires a health certificate and a rabies vaccination certificate for dogs and cats on every international flight, including Canada and Mexico. The rabies vaccine must be given at least 28 days before travel. Puppies and kittens must be 2 months old for domestic flights; for international flights, dogs must be 6 months old (to meet CDC rules) and cats 4 months.

Flying a dog to Mexico

Dogs entering Mexico need a New World Screwworm (NWS) Inspection certificate, including service dogs. The certificate must be signed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian no more than 5 days before travel, and the dog must be free of parasites, wounds and signs of disease. Dogs originally from Mexico don't need it but do need a Mexican health certificate and vaccination record. Dogs only transiting the U.S. from another country don't need it either.

Bringing a dog back to the U.S.

Dogs entering the U.S. need the CDC dog import form, with stricter rules if they've been in a country the CDC considers high risk for rabies. The USDA may also require a screwworm certificate for dogs coming from affected regions, which include many countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. United recommends checking CDC requirements at least two months before the trip.

Within the U.S., United doesn't require a health certificate but recommends one, since some destinations ask for it on arrival.

Source: United's official pet policy, checked October 11, 2026.

United vs American vs Delta

All three now charge $150 each way for a domestic cabin pet. The differences are in carrier size, international reach and how many pets you can bring.

Pick United if you need to fly two pets on a widebody or 757 route, or if you're crossing an ocean to a country that isn't on its list. Pick American for the most generous hard-sided carrier on mainline flights within the Americas. Delta charges $200 for international cabin pets, and won't accept pets originating in Brazil, Colombia or the Dominican Republic.

Sources: United's official pet policy, American's official pet policy, Delta's official pet travel page, checked October 11, 2026.

United Pet Policy FAQ

United Pet Travel Checklist

• No airport on the itinerary is on United's 33-place no-fly list, connections included
• Aircraft type checked for every flight
• Carrier within 17.5 x 12 x 9 in (hard) or 18 x 11 x 11 in (soft), and 10 in tall or less on a 737 MAX
• Pet added on united.com or in My Trips (by phone for international)
• Second seat booked next to yours if bringing two pets, on an aircraft that allows two
• Seat is not an exit row, Premium Plus or front row; window or aisle where required
• $150 each way budgeted per pet
• Pet meets the minimum age: 2 months domestic, 6 months dogs or 4 months cats international
• International: health certificate and rabies vaccine at least 28 days before travel
• Mexico: NWS Inspection certificate issued within 5 days of travel
• Returning to the U.S. with a dog: CDC import form ready

Every rule on this page was checked against United's official pet policy on October 11, 2026. Airlines change pet rules without notice, so check the official page again in the week you fly.