When flying with a cat or dog, there’s no doubt that pet safety is paramount. They’re precious cargo after all! Many international airlines allow small cats and dogs in the cabin for a small fee when travelling with an adult passenger. If your pet is of the required size and weight whilst in their travel carrier, they can fly in the passenger cabin with you, with their travel bag stowed underneath the seat in front. So, if your pet meets the airline’s stipulations, you can take them on a plane, without letting them out of your sight! Let’s explore fifteen international pet friendly airlines in 2024 that allow cats and dogs to fly in the cabin.
Table of contents
Are Pets Safe on Planes?
Firstly, it’s important to be aware of the differences between flying your pet in the cabin, or in the hold as cargo or checked baggage. The cheapest, and most pet friendly option is flying with your cat or dog in the cabin. But, due to size and weight restrictions, this isn’t always possible. Of course, if you have a registered Assistance or Service Dog (SVAN), they will fly with you free of charge in the passenger cabin. On flights within the US, or direct flights to and from other countries, you are usually allowed to fly with a Psychiatric Service Dog (PSVD) in the cabin, regardless of size, provided that you sign the USDoT attestation.
But, other pets have to meet the airline’s criteria, and this can vary greatly across the board. The good news is that if your pet is small enough to fly in the passenger cabin within their approved travel carrier, they will be at your feet the entire flight. In this case, safety isn’t a general issue, unless there was an in flight emergency.
However, for pets flying in the hold as checked baggage or cargo, it’s important to be aware of safety issues and to ensure that you have a suitable pet travel kennel to minimise the risk of injury. Pet incidents on planes aren’t significant in number, but in our eyes, even one is enough. Be sure to do your homework about an airline’s history with pets when you have no option but to fly your feline, canine or other species in the hold.
Restrictions on Pets Arriving in Cabin
Prior to planning your pet adventure, if you want to take your furry friend in the cabin, be aware that some countries don’t allow pets to arrive in the cabin of the plane. Those that don’t permit pets to arrive in the passenger cabin, except Assistance and Service dogs, include:
- Australia
- Hong Kong
- New Zealand
- United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- United Kingdom (Scotland, England, Wales & Northern Ireland)
When flying a pet to these locations, your pet must travel in the hold, and usually as manifest cargo rather than checked baggage.
1. Transavia
We’ve flown with Transavia Airlines a couple of times with our dogs in the passenger, and it was a breeze! From booking your pet, to check-in, you’ll find it’s a simple process with this Dutch airline. We’d definitely fly our pets in the cabin again with Transavia.
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ✅ |
| Pets flying in Cargo Hold | ✅ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
Small cats and dogs, in their travel carrier, with a combined weight of up to 8 kg are welcome to fly in the cabin with Transavia. Each passenger may take one pet in the cabin at a cost of €45 per pet, per flight.
Check out the full Transavia pet policy for more information.
2. KLM
Another Dutch pet friendly airline in continental Europe comes as no surprise given that Holland is leading the way in animal welfare. Transavia is part of the Air France/KLM group, therefore KLM also permits cats and dogs weighing up to 8kg to fly in the cabin with you. Pets between 8kg-75kg are welcome to travel in the hold as checked baggage. The cost of flying a pet in the cabin with KLM starts at €30, depending on the planned route.
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ✅ |
| Pets flying in Cargo Hold | ✅ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
View the pet travel policy for KLM airlines for more details.
3. Air France
Moving outside Holland and into France, you’ll find Air France is also a pet friendly airline for travelling with cats and dogs in the cabin in the EU, and beyond.
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ✅ |
| Pets flying in Cargo Hold | ✅ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
Like Transavia and KLM, Air France permits cats & dogs of up to 8kg in the plane cabin, while pets up to 75kg may travel in the hold. Again, prices start at €30, and increase the longer the flight duration.
4. Brussels Airlines
Brussels Airlines, based in Belgium, allows cats and dogs to fly in the passenger cabin.
Cats and dogs weighing up to 8 kg combined with their travel bag, can happily fly in the cabin with Brussels Airlines. In cabin travel for pets on domestic flights costs €30, while an international flight is €60 per pet per flight.
Dogs and cats weighing over 8 kg must fly in the hold, and all other domestic pets must also travel in the hold. Only cats and dogs can fly in the Brussels Airlines cabin.
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ✅ |
| Pets flying in Cargo Hold | ✅ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
Have a look at the Brussels Airlines complete pet travel policy for 2024.
5. TAP Air Portugal
We’ve flown with Tap Air Portugal on a few occasions with Django and Arya in the cabin, and found them very pet friendly. Based in Portugal, Tap Air Portugal offers various options for flying with cats and dogs in the cabin or hold, on domestic and intercontinental flights. Pet in cabin fees start at €35, depending on the route.
Again, cats and dogs weighing up to 8kg may fly in the cabin, while pets up to 45kg can travel in the hold of the aircraft.
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ✅ |
| Pets flying in Cargo Hold | ✅ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
View the full pet travel policy for Tap Air Portugal.
6. Iberia Airlines
Spanish airline Iberia also accepts cats and dogs in the passenger cabin, weighing up to 8kg in their travel carrier. If your pet weighs more than 8kg, and up to 45kg they are able to fly in the hold of the plane. Again, depending on route, pet in cabin prices start at €30.
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ✅ |
| Pets flying in Cargo Hold | ✅ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
View the full Iberia Airlines pet policy for 2024.
7. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)
Based in Denmark, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) sticks to the 8 kg maximum weight trend for in cabin pets with pet friendly airlines in Europe. Small cats and dogs in their travel bags are accepted in the cabin of Scandinavian Airlines flights, up to a combined weight of 8 kg. You can take one pet carrier in the SAS cabin as carry-on baggage, containing up to two cats or dogs, provided that they don’t exceed 8kg.
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ✅ |
| Pets flying in Cargo Hold | ✅ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
Have a look at the complete pet travel policy for Scandinavian Airlines.
8. Lufthansa
Lufthansa is another EU based pet friendly airline from Germany and is a member of the Star Alliance group, along with 25 other airlines, including Tap Air Portugal.
Like the other airlines mentioned so far, pets up to 8 kg can fly in the cabin. However, Lufthansa differs from many other EU pet friendly airlines as they permit TWO pets per passenger! European travel with cats and dogs in the cabin is therefore a great option if you have two waggy-tailed travel companions. Prices start at €55 per pet in cabin on domestic flights.
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ✅ |
| Pets flying in Cargo Hold | ✅ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
View the pet travel policy for Lufthansa for 2024.
9. Aegean Airlines
Still in the EU and over to Greece, where Aegean Airlines offers pet friendly travel in Europe, for cats and dogs weighing up to 8 kg. See the pattern here?!
As with Lufthansa, Aegean Airlines allows two pets of the same species to travel in the same travel carrier in the cabin, as long as their combined weight doesn’t exceed 8 kg. But, if you’re flying with an infant, you can’t take a pet in the Aegean Airlines cabin.
If your feline or canine weighs more than 8 kg, they must travel in the hold in accordance with the Aegean Airlines pet policy. Aegean Airlines accepts pets in the hold of Airbus 319, 320 and 321 aircraft only.
The cost of flying a cat or dog one way in the cabin with Aegean Airlines starts €30.
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ✅ |
| Pets flying in Cargo Hold | ✅ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
Read the full Aegean Airlines pet travel policy.
10. Vueling
Last, but not least, we have Vueling, another Spanish based European pet friendly airline for cats and dogs. Django and Arya have flown with Vueling a couple of times without any hiccups, and the pet travel process itself ran very smoothly.
Vueling only permits pets to fly in the cabin, not the hold, but they extend the in cabin invitation to birds, fish and turtles, as well as cats and dogs. For domestic flights, you’ll pay €40 per pet on domestic flights, and €45 per pet on international and Canary Island routes.
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ❌ |
| Pets flying in Cargo Hold | ❌ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
Check out Vueling’s full pet travel policy.
11. Albawings
Albawings permits dogs, cats and ferrets to fly in the cabin. If your pet is on the larger side, you’ll be happy to hear that Albawings accepts pets, in their travel carrier, weighing up to 10kg. Albawings is an Albanian pet friendly airline.
Albawings charges €10 per kg, based on the weight of your pet within their travel carrier.
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ❌ |
| Pets flying in Cargo Hold | ❌ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
Read the full Albawings pet policy for 2024.
12. Alaska Airlines
The Alaska Airlines pet travel policy accepts small dogs and cats to fly in the cabin within their FAA approved travel carrier. Pets can only travel in the Alaska Airlines cabin with an adult passenger, aged at least 18 years. In addition to cats and dogs, rabbits and domestic birds can also be transported in the Alaska Airlines passenger cabin.
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ✅ |
| Pets flying as Cargo | ✅ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
It costs $100 each way to take your pet as additional carry-on baggage in the cabin with Alaska. Flights departing from Canada are $105 per pet carrier.
Check out the full Alaska Airlines pet policy 2024.
13. Air Canada
Air Canada has an impressive pet friendly international travel policy as one of the few airlines that flies cats and dogs in the cabin from the UK on international flights. Pets may also travel in the hold as checked baggage or cargo. Of course, when entering the UK on an Air Canada flight, or with any other airline, your furry friendly is only accepted as cargo in the hold.
Your pet within their carrier will count as one standard piece of carry-on baggage.
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ✅ |
| Pets flying in Cargo Hold | ✅ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
The pet in cabin price with Air Canada is:
- Within Canada or USA – 50 CAD/59 USD
- International Flights – 100 CAD/119 USD
Read the full Air Canada pet policy 2024.
14. Delta Airlines
The Delta Airlines pet policy 2024 accepts dogs and cats to fly in the cabin within their travel bag.
As well as cats and dogs, Delta allows small, domestic birds to be transported. However, birds are only permitted on domestic flights, except Hawaii, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam.
There’s no weight restriction when flying a cat or dog in the cabin with Delta, but the pet travel carrier must meet the dimensions specified in their pet policy.
The pet travel bag counts as your carry-on item, so you can also take one small personal item into the Delta cabin.
The following fees are charged for pets flying in the Delta Airlines cabin:
US/Canada/Puerto Rico $125
US Virgin Islands/International Flights $200
Brazil $75
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ❌ |
| Pets flying as Cargo | ✅ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
Check out the full Delta pet policy 2024.
15. Air Europa
Back across the Atlantic to Air Europa, where you’ll find that, pets plus their carrier weighing up to 10 kg are accepted to fly in the cabin.
Air Europa accepts cats and dogs in the cabin, along with many other pets. The following species are permitted to fly in the cabin on short and medium haul Air Europa routes, as long as their weight combined with their travel bag is no more than 10 kg:
- Aquarium Turtles
- Cats
- Dogs
- Fish
- Guinea Pigs
- Hamsters
- Rabbits
- Small Birds (excluding birds of prey)
However, on long haul flights, only cats and dogs are allowed, as all other pet species can only fly on short and medium haul journeys. Also note that cats and dogs aren’t permitted in the Business Cabin on long haul Air Europa pet friendly routes.
The Air Europa pet travel policy for 2024 states that your pet can’t weigh more than 8 kg, but when combined with their travel carrier, a generous 10 kg maximum is accepted.
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ✅ |
| Pets flying in Cargo Hold | ✅ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
Check out the full Air Europa pet policy 2024.
We hope that you find a suitable pet friendly airline to fly your cat dog or other pet in the cabin in 2024. Remember to tell us all about it!
