Pet in cabin: weight limits, fees and airlines

A pet can fly in the cabin with you if its carrier fits under the seat in front of you: on most European airlines that means 8 kg (about 17.6 lb) or less, carrier included, while Delta sets no weight limit but caps the carrier’s size. Above that, most airlines send the dog to the hold, ship it as cargo, or refuse it. Here are the rules the airlines themselves publish: weight, carrier size, airlines, fees, and the options for a bigger dog. One of them keeps your dog at your feet without the weight limits of scheduled airlines: a private flight, which Loulou Air sells seat by seat with Pay-per-Seat.

What is the weight limit for a pet in the cabin?

8 kg (17.6 lb) including the carrier, on most European airlines. The rule comes down to space: in the cabin, your dog stays in a closed carrier under the seat in front of you for the whole flight, and KLM points out that it must fit entirely inside and be able to stand up and turn around. So the weight and size of the carrier are capped.

On Air France, a dog can fly in the cabin if it weighs less than 8 kg, carrier included. KLM, Transavia, Iberia, Corsair, TAP and La Compagnie apply the same 8 kg cap, carrier included.

“Carrier included” makes all the difference: a carrier often weighs one to two kilos on its own. The dog itself can weigh little more than 6 to 7 kg.

What size carrier for a pet in the cabin?

The carrier must fit under the seat in front of you, and the maximum size varies from one airline to another: it is often what rules a dog out.

• KLM: 46 × 28 × 24 cm maximum.
• Transavia: 40 × 30 × 24 cm, soft carriers only.
• Iberia: 45 × 35 × 25 cm.
• Corsair: 115 cm in total (length, width and height added together).
• La Compagnie: 55 × 35 × 25 cm.
• Delta: the kennel must fit fully under the seat in front of you, and Delta recommends a soft-sided kennel of up to 18 × 11 × 11 inches, about 46 × 28 × 28 cm.

Can I bring a 25 lb dog in the cabin?

Not on the major European airlines: 25 lb is about 11.3 kg, above the 8 kg cap that Air France, KLM, Transavia, Iberia, Corsair and TAP apply, carrier included. In the US, Delta sets no weight limit, but your dog must fit comfortably and move around inside a kennel that slides fully under the seat in front of you.

There are two exceptions in Europe. Vueling accepts a carrier of up to 10 kg with the pet inside, and never carries animals in the hold. ITA Airways offers a service called Large Dog On Board that accepts dogs of up to 30 kg in the cabin, but only on a selection of domestic flights within Italy.

Which airlines allow pets in the cabin?

Most major airlines take a small dog in the cabin, but not all: Ryanair and easyJet only take assistance dogs there, and Emirates takes no pet dogs in the cabin. The table below sums up cabin, hold and cargo, airline by airline.

Airline	In the cabin	In the hold	Good to know
Air France	Under 8 kg, carrier included	Up to 75 kg, crate included	To Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the UK, cargo only
KLM	8 kg, carrier included, 46 × 28 × 24 cm	Up to 75 kg, crate included	EUR 70 to 500 per one-way flight
Transavia	8 kg, soft carrier included	Yes, snub-nosed breeds refused	2 crates at most in the hold per flight
Iberia	8 kg, carrier included	Up to 45 kg, crate included
Corsair	8 kg, container included	Up to 50 kg, cargo above that	Snub-nosed breeds refused everywhere
TAP	8 kg, carrier included	32 kg to or from France and the US, 45 kg elsewhere
Vueling	10 kg, carrier included	Never
ITA Airways	Up to 30 kg on selected Italian domestic flights	Check with the airline	2 dogs at most per eligible flight
La Compagnie	8 kg, carrier included	Never	Paris–New York, 4 pets per flight
Delta	Carrier that fits under the seat	No	No pets in the cabin to the UAE
American Airlines	Carrier that fits under the seat	US military and diplomats only	Otherwise, American Airlines Cargo
Emirates	No	Departing Dubai only, with conditions	To Dubai, cargo is mandatory
Ryanair, easyJet	No	No	Assistance dogs only

Delta sets no weight limit in the cabin: the size of the carrier, which must fit under the seat, is what limits you. In practice, the result for a medium-sized dog is the same as in Europe.

How much does a pet in the cabin cost?

Expect a fee per pet and per one-way trip. Delta charges USD 150 within the US and Canada and USD 200 on international trips, or EUR 200 when leaving Europe, for tickets issued since 8 April 2025, and Alaska Airlines charges USD 100 to 200 per carrier, each way, depending on the route. In Europe, the airlines that publish their fares charge between 40 and 200 euros per journey in the cabin, for example EUR 60 to 180 one-way with Transavia: see Flying with a dog: what it really costs. The price follows the airline and the route, not your dog’s exact weight.

The hold: what to check before you choose

On Air France, a dog weighing more than 8 kg and up to 75 kg with its crate must travel in the hold, and must be added to the booking no later than 24 hours before departure. KLM applies the same 75 kg cap.

Three points are worth checking before you book.

The crate. IATA, the international airline association, requires a crate that lets the dog turn around while standing, stand and sit upright, and lie down in a natural position. For snub-nosed breeds, it recommends a crate 10% larger.

The breed. Snub-nosed dogs (bulldogs, pugs, boxers and similar breeds) breathe less easily, and many airlines refuse them in the hold: Transavia excludes them, and Corsair refuses them in both the cabin and the hold. IATA advises against transporting them in the hot season.

Space. The hold is not unlimited: Transavia accepts at most two crates with animals per flight. Book early.

When the hold is closed: cargo

On several routes, cargo is the only option left. The dog then travels as a shipment, through an approved carrier, often on a different flight from yours.

That is the case to Dubai: Air France only accepts animals there as cargo, and Emirates states that for all itineraries ending in Dubai, animals must be transported as cargo.

It is also the case on most US domestic flights. American Airlines only accepts checked pets for US military and State Department personnel on official orders, and directs everyone else to its cargo service. Delta no longer accepts pets as checked baggage. Alaska Airlines is the exception and still accepts pets in the hold.

Exceptions in the cabin

Assistance dogs. In Europe, the EU regulation on the rights of passengers with reduced mobility provides for recognised assistance dogs to travel in the cabin, subject to national rules. In the US, since 11 January 2021, only a dog trained to assist a person counts as a service animal: airlines may treat emotional support animals as ordinary pets.

Dedicated services. ITA Airways’ Large Dog On Board service lets a large dog travel in the cabin. It remains limited: Italian domestic flights only, two dogs at most per flight (one of 10 to 15 kg and one of 15 to 30 kg), and confirmation depends on the aircraft and the other animals on board.

By route: Paris–New York, Paris–Dubai, New York–Los Angeles

Paris–New York. On scheduled flights, a dog over 8 kg does not fly in the cabin. Air France accepts it in the hold up to 75 kg; La Compagnie takes no animals in the hold. On arrival, the United States requires a form from the CDC, the federal health authority, and the receipt must be shown to the airline before boarding. Everything is explained in our US entry requirements and our guide New York with your dog.

Paris–Dubai. On scheduled flights, your dog travels neither in the cabin nor in the hold: Air France and Emirates only accept cargo to Dubai, and Delta bars pets from the cabin to the UAE. UAE entry conditions are demanding, with an import permit and a rabies antibody test: see our UAE entry requirements. Also worth knowing: the UAE is on the CDC list of high-risk countries for dog rabies, which makes entry to the US stricter for a dog that has been there in the previous six months.

New York–Los Angeles. Delta and American Airlines only accept a dog whose carrier fits under the seat, and no longer take the general public’s pets in the hold. Alaska Airlines still accepts the hold. For a large dog that needs to stay with you, the answer is a private flight.

How can a large dog stay in the cabin with you?

On a private jet, there is no carrier to slide under a seat and no 8 kg threshold: the aircraft operator sets the conditions of carriage. There are two ways to fly: charter the whole aircraft, or pay only for your seat on a shared flight (Pay-per-Seat), as explained in Private jet with your dog: costs, how it works.

That is how Loulou Air works. It is a brand of AEROAFFAIRES, a private aviation broker since 1991, offering Pay-per-Seat travel on private jets, where your dog travels in the cabin with you, without the weight limits of scheduled airlines. It stays at your feet for the whole flight, never in the hold, and each ticket includes a seat for one human and their dog. Capacity depends on the aircraft and the number of animals on board, and a broker approves each dog case by case before booking.

Our flights serve New York, Dubai and Los Angeles: see our open flights. For another destination, we open new flights every month: talk to a broker about the trip you are planning. For a whole aircraft, our sister company AEROAFFAIRES offers full charters. Entry requirements are still those of the destination country: they are set out on our travel requirements by destination pages.

Frequently asked questions

What is the maximum weight for a pet in the cabin?

8 kg (17.6 lb) including the carrier on Air France, KLM, Transavia, Iberia, Corsair, TAP and La Compagnie. Vueling goes up to 10 kg including the carrier. Delta sets no weight limit: the carrier must fit under the seat.

Which airlines allow pets in the cabin?

Air France, KLM, Transavia, Iberia, Corsair, TAP and La Compagnie, up to 8 kg including the carrier, and Vueling up to 10 kg. Delta and American Airlines accept a dog whose carrier fits under the seat. Ryanair and easyJet only accept assistance dogs, and Emirates takes no pet dogs in the cabin.

What is the maximum weight for a dog in the hold?

75 kg including the crate on Air France and KLM, 50 kg on Corsair, 45 kg on Iberia. TAP limits the hold to 32 kg on flights to or from France and the US. Above that, cargo takes over.

Do I have to pay for a seat for my dog?

Usually not: on scheduled flights you pay a fee per animal, for example EUR 60 to 180 one-way in the cabin with Transavia, or EUR 70 to 500 with KLM. On a shared private flight, what is sold is the passenger’s seat, and the dog travels with its owner.