Guides / Flying with pets
How much does it cost to fly a dog in 2026? Pet fees on 13 airlines
What 13 Canadian and US airlines charge to fly a dog or cat, in the cabin and in cargo, and whether the fee is each way or per flight, each checked against the airline's own page in October 2026.
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WayFur answer
Flying a dog in the cabin costs $50 to $150 each way on the major Canadian and US airlines, paid on top of your own ticket. Air Canada, WestJet, Porter and Air Transat charge about $50 (CAD or USD) within Canada and to the US, and American, Delta, United and JetBlue charge US$150. Where an airline still carries pets in cargo, in the hold of your own flight, it costs more: about $100 to $200 each way within North America and up to $324 on international routes. A round trip pays the fee twice, and Air Transat and Allegiant charge per flight, so a connection adds another fee.
How much does it cost to fly a dog?
Say you live in Calgary and want to fly Juno, a 12 lb terrier mix, to Toronto for Christmas and home again in January. Juno fits under the seat, so her fare is the airline's cabin pet fee, paid each way. On WestJet that is $50 to $59 each way, in CAD or USD depending on where the trip starts, so $100 to $118 for the trip. The same dog costs a different amount on every airline below.
Canadian airlines label their currency in different ways, so each Canadian fee below says which currency it is in, as the airline's own page puts it. The US airlines charge in US dollars. Cargo here means your pet flies in the hold of your own flight. Where the airline uses its own name for that, it is in brackets.
Pet fees on 13 Canadian and US airlines, checked against each airline's own pages on 6 and 9 October 2026
| Airline | Cabin fee | Cargo fee | How it's charged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada | $50 to $60 within Canada and to the US, $100 to $120 international, CAD or USD | $105 to $126 within Canada and to the US, $270 to $324 international, CAD or USD (Air Canada: checked baggage) | One way. Air Canada lists one amount for both currencies ("CA/US"). The range is tax |
| WestJet | $50 to $59 within Canada and the US, $100 to $118 outside, CAD or USD | $100 to $118 within Canada and the US, $200 to $236 outside, CAD or USD (WestJet: checked baggage) | Each direction. WestJet charges in CAD or USD, depending on where your trip starts |
| Porter | $50 plus tax ($50 to $57.50), CAD or USD | No pets in cargo (Porter: baggage hold) | Per direction. Porter lists the fee as "CAD/USD" |
| Flair | $79 to $129, flights within Canada only | No cargo option listed | A range, so confirm the amount when you book. Flair's pet page shows the fee in dollars without naming a currency |
| Air Transat | $50 within Canada and to the US, $100 to the South, Europe and Africa, CAD or USD | $100 within Canada, $150 to the US, $275 to the South, Europe and Africa, CAD or USD (Air Transat: checked baggage hold) | Per pet, per flight segment. Air Transat lists the same amount in CAD and USD |
| American | US$150 per kennel within and between the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean | US$200 per kennel (American: checked pets), only for active-duty US military and State Department staff on orders. Other pets are shipped separately as cargo freight through American PetEmbark, priced at booking | Each way. A stopover or connection of 4 hours or more adds the fee again |
| Delta | US$150 within the US and to Canada ($95 on tickets issued before 8 April 2025), $200 international | Shipped separately as cargo freight through Delta Cargo, only for US military and State Department staff on orders | Each way |
| United | US$150 | Cargo only for active-duty military and State Department staff | Each way |
| Alaska | US$100 per kennel, $35 within Hawaii | US$200 per kennel, $60 within Hawaii, $100 within Alaska (Alaska: baggage compartment) | Each way |
| Southwest | US$125 per carrier on the US mainland, $35 between the Hawaiian Islands | No pets in cargo | One way, US flights only |
| JetBlue | US$150 | No pets in cargo | Each way |
| Allegiant | US$50 per carrier | No pets in cargo (Allegiant: cargo bin) | Per segment |
| Frontier | US$149 per pet, flights within the US only | No pets in cargo (Frontier: cargo hold) | Per direction |
Where this comes from
Every fee was read on the airline's own pet or fee page, on 9 October 2026 except United's cargo rule (6 October). Air Canada, Porter and Air Transat show the same number in Canadian or US dollars, WestJet charges in CAD or USD depending on where your trip starts, and the US airlines charge in US dollars (Delta charges the same number in Canadian dollars when you leave Canada). Fees change, so check the airline's page when you book.
Each way, per flight: what a round trip really costs
Almost every airline here charges the pet fee each way, so a return trip pays it twice. Juno's Christmas trip on WestJet costs $100 to $118 in pet fees, and any round trip on American or JetBlue costs US$300.
Connections are where the unit matters. Air Transat charges per pet, per flight segment, and Allegiant per segment, so a trip with one connection each way pays four fees instead of two. American charges once each way unless you stop or connect for 4 hours or more, and then each segment pays.
Practical tip
Before you compare fares, check how each airline counts its pet fee. A cheaper ticket with a connection on a per-segment airline can cost more than a nonstop on an airline with a higher fee.
Flying a dog in cargo costs more, where you can
Say Juno's brother Moose, a 60 lb shepherd mix, is coming too. He is too big for any cabin here, so his fare depends on who still carries pets in cargo. Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat and Alaska take pets in cargo for any passenger. American checks pets only for US military and State Department staff on orders, and ships other pets separately as cargo freight through American PetEmbark. Delta (through Delta Cargo, as freight) and United carry pets in cargo only for that same military and State Department group. Porter, Southwest, JetBlue, Allegiant and Frontier carry no pets in cargo at all, and Flair lists no cargo option.
For Moose, Calgary to Toronto in cargo costs $100 to $118 (CAD or USD) each way on WestJet or $105 to $126 (CAD or USD) on Air Canada, about twice Juno's cabin fee. On international routes the cargo fee climbs to $200 to $236 on WestJet and $270 to $324 on Air Canada.
Easy to miss
Air Canada carries no pets as checked baggage or cargo from 18 December to 4 January, so for those dates Moose would need another airline that carries pets in cargo. Check holiday and temperature limits before you price cargo.
If your dog is a flat-faced breed, cargo may be off the table whatever the price. Our French Bulldog guide goes through the options.
The costs that aren't the airline fee
The pet fee is only one line in the budget. Crossing a border can mean a vet visit and paperwork before you fly. You may need a carrier or kennel that meets the airline's size rules. At the other end, many hotels add a pet fee per night or per stay. Add those up before you decide between flying, driving and leaving your dog at home.
Put in your route, date and your pet's breed, weight and age. A free readiness check lists what your pet needs for that trip, such as the paperwork for a flight between Canada and the US, plus any breed law where the trip starts and ends, with the source behind each requirement and when it was last verified. Confirm the fee on the airline's own page, linked in the table above, when you book.
Sources
- Air Canada: Travelling with your pet
- WestJet: Fees (travelling with pets and kennels)
- Porter Airlines: Travelling with pets in the aircraft cabin
- Flair Airlines: Pet travel in cabin
- Air Transat: Pets and assistance dogs (en-CA)
- American Airlines: Traveling with pets (fees table)
- Delta Air Lines: Pet travel overview
- Delta Air Lines: Shipping your pet
- United Airlines: Traveling with pets
- Alaska Airlines: Optional services and fees
- Southwest Airlines: Travel fees
- Southwest Airlines: Pet policy
- JetBlue: Traveling with pets
- Allegiant Air: Traveling with pets
- Frontier Airlines: Optional services (pet charge)
- Frontier Airlines: Do you allow pets on the plane
Common questions
How much does it cost to fly a dog?
In the cabin, $50 to $150 each way on the major Canadian and US airlines: about $50 (CAD or USD) within Canada and to the US on Air Canada, WestJet, Porter and Air Transat, $79 to $129 on Flair, US$100 on Alaska, $125 on Southwest, $149 on Frontier and $150 on American, Delta, United and JetBlue. In cargo, where it's offered, about $100 to $200 each way within North America and up to $324 internationally. A round trip pays the fee twice.
How much is a plane ticket for a dog?
On these airlines your dog doesn't need its own ticket. You pay a pet fee, and your dog rides in a carrier under the seat in front of you or in cargo. JetBlue also lets you buy an extra seat, and your pet stays in its carrier on that seat during the flight. On JetBlue a second pet needs both a second seat and a second pet fee.
How much does it cost to fly a cat?
The same as a small dog. The airlines here charge their cabin fee per pet or per carrier, whether the pet is a cat or a dog, so a cat flies for $50 to $150 each way depending on the airline.