When you’re tempted by a low-fare airline you might have to worry about extra baggage fees but we’ll help you navigate which airlines let you bring your dog or cat with you. Adventures are always better when you can bring your pet so check out our list of airlines with restrictions, fees, locations available, and even recommended carriers for in-cabin travel on popular discount airlines.
But before we outline all the specifics for each airline, here are some of the basic things we’ve found across discount airlines:
- There are many airlines (discount and not) that don’t allow pets in the cabin at all but there are actually more discount airlines that allow larger pets, especially in the EU. Vueling airline has the largest in-cabin pet size allowed for EU flights with standard airlines requiring 13-17lbs or less while vueling allows for up to 22 lbs.
- While your seat might be a little cheaper, we’re found that generally most discount airlines charge similar fees for your furry friends.
- Many discount airlines have more available pet flights to central and South America than traditional airlines
- Bag size is generally the same size or larger for in-cabin pets than traditional airlines
- Many low cost airlines require that your pet be considered your carry on so you’ll need to pay to check a bag
- Some airlines like Spirit do not need a prior pet reservation (per their website) but we always recommend prior booking
Check out our list of discount airlines and their pet requirements before you book your next trip!
Frontier
Restrictions: Age 8 weeks. No official weight limit. Must comfortably fit and turn around in case Maximum case size 18″ length x 14″ width x 8″ height.
Fees: $99 each way
Countries/Locations:
- US
- Mexico*
- Canada
- Costa Rica*
- Dominican Republic*
Spirit Airlines
Restrictions: Must be 8 weeks old or older. Combined weight of the carrier and pet must not exceed 40 lbs. Pet carrier maximum size is 18″x14″x9″ and pet must be able to comfortably stand up and move around in their carrier. Spirit does not require previous pet booking before flight but we always strongly recommend it.
Fees: $125 each way
Countries/Locations:
- US
- Puerto Rico
- St Thomas
- U.S. Virgin Islands
Alaska Airlines
Restrictions: Must be 8 weeks or older. Combined weight of the bag and pet cannot exceed 20 lbs. Maximum size of carrier is 17″ x 11″ x 9.5″
Fees: $100 each way or $105 when leaving Canada
Countries:
- US including Hawaii
- Canada
- Costa Rica
- Mexico
- Puerto Rico
*Alaska Air is currently partnering with other airlines in the OneWorld system. OneWorld’s partner airlines currently do not allow pet travel in-cabin to the EU. We will update our list if they change their policies.
Southwest Airlines
Restrictions: No size restrictions. 6 weeks old. 18.5” long x 8.5” high x 13.5” wide
Fees: $95 each way
Countries:
- US
- Puerto Rico
Allegiant Airlines
Restrictions: Must be 8 weeks old or older. No current weight restrictions but dog or cat must be able to comfortably move and turn around in their carrier. Carrier restrictions are 9”H x 16”W x 19”D
Fees: $50 each way
Countries/ Locations:
- US 48 states only
Vueling
Restrictions: 45x39x21 cm and no heavier than 10 kg (22 lbs) combined pet and bag weight
Fees: $40-55 each way
Countries:
- EU (not including UK or Ireland)
- Israel
- Some northern African countries*
Ryanair
Currently Ryanair does not allow pets on their flights. We’ll update our list if that changes but for now we recommend flying with other airlines when bringing your best (furry) friend.
EasyJet
EasyJet does not currently allow any pets on their flights and only accepts service animals. Make sure to book on a different airline should you decide you need to bring your cat or dog.