Alaska Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington. With its oneworld® Global Alliance and additional airline partners, guests can travel to more than 1,000 destinations on more than 20 airlines while earning and redeeming miles on flights to locations around the world. Alaska Airlines provides Fur-st Class Care™ for all of its furry friends with options for transporting your pet safely with top-notch care from just $100 each way.
If you plan to fly with your pet on Alaska Airlines, here are some important up-to-date policies you’ll need to know. Being prepared and knowing what to expect can help you and Fido have a seamless journey.
The Booking Process
Small pets traveling with Alaska Airlines must be booked over the phone or on its official website using the chat feature. When planning to travel with dogs, cats, rabbits, and household birds, you’ll need to first verify that the flight you’re taking allows pets. Then, call Alaska Airlines to reserve a spot for your pet as soon as your travel plans have been finalized, prior to the day of travel. There is a limit on the number of pets allowed in the cabin and reservations are on a first come-first serve basis. The airline representative will ask for your pet(s)’s name, breed and weight. You’ll also need to have your carrier dimensions (length, width and height) ready in case they ask for that information.
There is limited capacity for pets traveling in the cabin (Three carriers in the first class cabin and eight in the main cabin, per flight), and as checked baggage so be sure to book your travel as early as possible to guarantee your furry friend a spot. You’ll pay the additional pet fee when you arrive at the airport.
Carrier
Pets traveling in the cabin must be small enough to fit comfortably in the carrier under the seat in front of you and should be able to stand and turn around in the carrier.
- Hard-sided pet carriers must not exceed 17" x 11" x 7.5" for in-cabin travel.
- Soft-sided pet carriers must not exceed 17" x 11" x 9.5" for in-cabin travel.
- Soft- and hard-sided kennels must be clean and without cracks/tears, leak-proof with absorbent bedding made of material that is safe and non-toxic to the animal, have adequate ventilation, and be escape-proof.
Pets traveling in the baggage compartment should be secured in a hard-sided, leak- and escape-proof plastic kennel with plenty of ventilation, absorbent and comfortable bedding, and food and water dishes attached to the interior door. The carrier must be large enough for your pet to stand up and turn around freely, and prevent it from putting any part of its body outside the carrier. The carrier must be constructed of solid material suitable for air transportation and the top and bottom of the carrier must be secured with nuts and bolts. The pet and carrier combined may weigh up to 150 lbs. Should the pet and carrier weigh 151 pounds or more, contact Alaska Air Cargo for information about its Pet Connect™ service.
*For pets traveling in the baggage compartment, carriers must not exceed the dimensions 40" x 27" x 30".
Your pet must stay in its carrier (including its head and tail) with the door/flap secured at all times in the boarding area (during boarding and deplaning), Alaska Lounge, and while onboard the aircraft.
Proper identification is especially important when traveling with your pet. Whether you are traveling with your pet, or someone is picking them up, write the name, address and telephone number of your pet’s destination on top of their carrier. In addition, make sure your pet has current and updated identification on a properly fitting collar or harness and consider having them microchipped.
Check-In
Because you can't pay the pet fee in advance, you won’t be able to check in to your flight more than four hours before departure. Plan to reach the airport with plenty of time, especially if your pet is flying as checked baggage or cargo. Alaska Airlines suggests arriving at least two hours before your scheduled flight if you’re traveling with your pet in the cabin. This will give you plenty of time to find a pet relief area at the airport. Pets traveling in the baggage compartment can be checked up to two hours prior to departure. A valid boarding pass must be received and baggage and pets checked at least 60 minutes prior to departure from all airports except at Seattle or Guadalajara when they must be checked 90 minutes before takeoff.
When you arrive at the airport, you will need to go to the Alaska Airlines Counter to check in with your pet. At check-in, an Alaska agent will ensure your pet and carrier/kennel meet the necessary requirements for your trip and collect the required one-way pet fee. Remember to allow extra time at check-in to ensure your pet is ready for take-off.
Once you and your pet are checked in and have your cabin pet tag, you are ready to go to the security checkpoint. At the checkpoint, you will need to take your pet out of its carrier. Your pet must remain in the carrier in the airport apart from at the security checkpoint and designated relief areas.
Save time and stress at the airport by creating your pet profile on BringFido’s website or mobile app for iOS or Android. You can upload your pup’s health records for one-touch access whenever you need them.
Alaska Airlines Pet Policy
Depending on the animals' breed, size and requirements, pets can travel on Alaska Airlines in a carrier in the cabin or be shipped in cargo via Alaska Air Cargo’s Pet Connect. With the exception of trained service animals, only cats, dogs, rabbits and small domestic birds are permitted on board.
Carry-On Pets
Small pets are accepted for travel in the passenger cabin, subject to availability, for a fee of $100 each way on Alaska Airlines. Travelers must be at least 18 years old to fly with a pet in the cabin. Pets are welcome in the cabin if they are weaned and older than eight weeks. They must be small enough to fit comfortably in a small, ventilated pet carrier that fits under the seat in front of you. Up to two pets of the same species and similar size may travel in the same carrier, provided no body parts protrude from the carrier and the animals are not in distress. The pet must be stowed under the seat, in its carrier during taxi, takeoff and landing.
The fee for carrying on a pet in the cabin is $100 each way for flights to or from the U.S., Belize, Costa Rica and Mexico. The fee for carrying on a pet in the cabin is $105 for flights to or from Canada. There is no charge for service animals.
Pets in Cargo
Alaska Airlines accepts most domesticated pets (cats, dogs, ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, household birds, non-poisonous reptiles, pot-bellied pigs, rabbits, and tropical fish) for travel in its climate-controlled baggage compartments for a fee of $100. For pets traveling as checked baggage, there may be specific check-in requirements at your departure airport. Your pet will be available for pick-up in the baggage claim area approximately 30 minutes after the flight arrives.
Pets that do not meet the size requirements to fly in the cabin can be shipped by Alaska Air Cargo’s Pet Connect™ program. Pet Connect reservations are accepted a minimum of 24 hours and a maximum of 30 days before travel. Reservations requiring travel partially on other airlines domestically or internationally must be booked within 3-7 business days before the date of travel.
Pet owners will also need to provide the animal’s health certificate, which must be issued by a vet within 10 days of the pet’s travel/shipment with Alaska Air Cargo.
A rabies vaccination certificate is required for transport between the Lower 48 states to/from Alaska, as well as within the state of Alaska. A combined health/rabies certificate is acceptable. Dogs or cats less than three months old do not require a rabies certificate.
Brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dogs and cats and their mixes are not permitted in the baggage compartment on Alaska Airlines flights (including flights operated by Horizon and SkyWest) or Alaska Air Cargo. Brachycephalic or "short-nosed" dogs and cats may still travel in the cabin with their passenger provided their pet carrier fits under the seat.
If temperatures at the origin, destination, or connecting airports exceed certain limits, Alaska Airlines may decline acceptance in the baggage compartment or cargo area for the animal's welfare.
All pet owners traveling in cargo must sign a live animal checklist at check-in confirming that the pet has been offered food and water within four hours of check-in. They must also provide all feeding and watering instructions for a 24-hour period. And, if in-transit feeding is necessary, the pet’s food must be provided by the owner.
The fee for transporting pets via Alaska Air Cargo Pet Connect varies depending on weight and the destination and will be confirmed at the time of your booking.
Pertaining to all airlines, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a temporary suspension of dogs (carry-on or checked), including fully-trained service dogs, traveling to the U.S. from a country considered high-risk for dog rabies.
For more information about Alaska Airlines’ pet policy, restrictions and guidelines, check our Alaska Airlines travel page. For flights outside of the US, visit our International Pet Travel Page for information on restrictions and documentation.