Airlines That *Don't* Allow Pets in their Cabins

[Christy Ruggieri]

If you’re anything like me, then you dread seeing someone get on a plane with a cat or small dog. Personally, I have allergies to pets and the thought of spending hours trapped in a small space with one or more of them is not a pleasant one. No one wants to end up at their destination with allergy issues.

An airline will remove peanuts for a peanut allergy but many do nothing for the people with pet allergies. In fact, it seems like more and more airlines are becoming pet friendly. If you want to avoid pet friendly airlines, here are the airlines I’ve found that do not allow pets in the cabin.

The list below is in alphabetical order so that you can easily search for an airline.


Aer Lingus – only allows pets in the cargo hold

Aerolineas Argentinas – only allows pets in the cargo hold

Air Canada – only flights to/from Hawaii have pet-free cabins

Air Malta – only flights to/from UK have pet-free cabins

Air New Zealand – only allows pets in the cargo hold

Alitalia – only flights to/from UK and Ireland have pet-free cabins

American Airlines – only flights to/from Hawaii, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Venezuela have pet-free cabins

British Airways – only allows pets in the cargo hold

Cathay Pacific – only allows pets in the cargo hold

Delta Airlines – only flights to/from Hawaii, the UK, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong have pet-free cabins

El Al  – only flights to London, Johannesburg, Hong Kong and Australia have pet-free cabins

Hawaiian Airlines – only flights to/from JFK airport have pet-free cabins

Japan Airlines – only allows pets in the cargo hold

LAN Airlines – only allows pets in the cargo hold

Qantas – only international flights have pet-free cabins

Singapore Airlines – only allows pets in cargo hold

SWISS Air – only flights to Ireland, the UK, Kenya, South Africa, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates have pet-free cabins

US Airways – only flights to/from Europe, South America, the Middle East, Antigua, Bridgetown Barbados, Montego Bay, Jamaica or St. Lucia have pet-free cabins

United Airlines – only flights to/from Australia, Dominican Republic, Hawaii, Italy and the UK have pet-free cabins

Virgin America – only the First Class cabin is pet-free

Virgin Atlantic – only allows pets in the cargo hold

Service animals are generally exempt from pet-free cabin rules, so you may still find yourself on a flight with an animal in such an instance. Keep in mind that this info can change at any time – so if you have an allergy please confirm with the airline.  Each airline has current pet travel information on their website, which you can confirm prior to booking. If you see any airlines that I’ve missed, please let me know!