Traveling with Pets in the Cabin

Traveling with pets in the aircraft cabin

We know your pet is part of the family, so it is important to learn about the options available for traveling with your pet and the requirements that apply to each one. There are two main options for transporting your pet by air. The first is for your pet to travel in the baggage hold ; this service is known as checked pet or AVIH. The second is to travel with your pet in the passenger cabin. However, this second option is only available for small dogs and cats. To travel with pets in the passenger cabin, you must meet a series of requirements, detailed below:

Requirements for Traveling with Pets in the Passenger Cabin

Allowed species

• The only species allowed are dogs and cats.

Minimum age

*Regardless of the minimum age required by the airline, keep in mind that additional age restrictions may apply when traveling to another country. When traveling to several US states, the animal must be 4 months old and one month must have passed since the rabies vaccination. 

Required documents

*For pets entering Mexico: certificate of internal and external deworming of the pet within the six months prior to its arrival in Mexico, stating the date of application and the name of the product.

**For international destinations, the requirements of the destination country must be met; it is the customer’s responsibility to check with the country’s embassy or the offices of SAGARPA–SENASICA.

Kennel requirements

Costs

Other considerations for traveling with pets in the cabin

• The animal must not show aggressive behavior. Animals with offensive odors or that make noise disturbing to other passengers are not allowed.
• The animal must be in good health and must not be under medical treatment.
• The animal must fit comfortably in the kennel and be able to stand, sit, lie down and turn around naturally without touching the walls or the top. Some airlines require up to 10 cm of clearance between the standing animal and the top of the kennel.
• The animal must remain in the kennel and the kennel under the seat in front of you throughout the flight.
• Some airlines count the pet kennel as your carry-on bag, so you will not be able to bring another carry-on item. 
• There is a maximum number of cabin pets allowed. The number varies by airline, aircraft type and class of service; please check with your airline for details.