United Airlines

United Airlines is a major American airline based in Chicago, IL. Small pets are welcome to fly in the cabin with United Airlines. Visit Website

Or call (800) 864-8331 for more information. You can use BringFido to find a pet friendly place to stay at your destination.

Pets in the Cabin

Small pets (dogs, cats and rabbits) can travel in-cabin with United Airlines. Pets must remain inside their pet carrier underneath the seat in front throughout the journey. On most flights, you can bring up to two pets per person, but owners must buy two seats if bringing two pets as animals need to be in separate carriers. The second seat must be next to your assigned seat. Traveling with pets in-cabin is only allowed for cats and dogs when there’s space available. Puppies and kittens must be at least 2 months old on domestic flights and 6 months old on international flights. The fee for pets in the cabin is $150 each way on United Airlines flights.

Pets in Checked Baggage

Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed to travel as checked baggage with United Airlines.

Carrier Guidelines

For pets traveling with you in the cabin, carriers must be hard or soft-sided. Hard-sided carriers can be a maximum of 17.5" x 12" x 9" (44 cm x 30 cm x 22 cm) and soft-sided carriers can be a maximum of 18" x 11" x 11" (45 cm x 27 cm x 27 cm). Pets must be able to stand up and safely turn around in the carrier.

Other Restrictions

Some of our planes have limited space under the middle seat. United only allows one pet per person on the following aircraft: A319, A320, A321neo, 737-800 and 737-8 (MAX 8), 737-900 and 737-9 (MAX 9).

Reviews

BringFido Guest Rating

United Airlines is rated 2.3 bones out of 5 by 41 canine critics on BringFido.


Travelers report mixed experiences flying with pets on United Airlines. While some travelers had smooth flights with no issues, many others faced challenges, including their pets being denied boarding, even after previously flying successfully with the airline. Customers describe United as having strict and inconsistent policies around pet size and carrier requirements that agents enforce differently across flights and airports. Some travelers felt mistreated by rude and unhelpful staff. However, a few travelers had positive experiences with attentive and accommodating pilots and cargo staff. Overall, the reviews suggest United's pet policies and their application are unpredictable, making the airline a risky choice for those traveling with pets.

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