If you’re both a traveler and a dog lover, you probably should have thought of taking your pet with you to your travels. It’s not unlikely, especially if you consider your furry friend as one of your closest. Maybe it’s because you don’t want it to miss the fun. Or you just want someone other than a human being to accompany you. Whatever your reasons, it’s thrilling to imagine yourself traveling with your dog, right?
Thankfully, most airlines would readily allow you to carry your pet aboard.
With that said, just how much does it cost to fly a dog?
Average Cost of Flying a Dog
Flying a dog could cost you as little as $75 to as high as more than $200. The exact cost of flying a dog would depend on your choice of airline, your destination, and flight options for your pet. Most probably, airlines with expensive tickets would charge higher fees for carrying animals aboard. Your ticket would also cost higher if you travel further, and that would affect the total price you need to pay.
You would also have several options on how you want your pet dog to travel. According to USA Today, one method is to take your pet with you inside the passenger cabin. This option applies to pets that could fit comfortably in a pet carrier and under an aircraft seat without a fuss.
For an in-cabin travel, you will be required by the airline to purchase an in-cabin ticket for your dog. Also, most airlines would only accept a dog for a passenger if you’ve made a reservation for pet travel.
If you could part from your pet for a while, you could opt for your dog to travel on air as a checked baggage. Additionally, some airlines may also offer cargo flights for your pet.
Generally, you won’t have to pay for your dog’s travel if it is recognized as a service animal. To save you the hassle, you should indicate while booking that you would be bringing a service animal with you so the airlines won’t charge your pet.
To give you a better idea of the cost of flying a dog, we would next list down pet travel rates posted by some domestic and international airlines online.
Sample Prices
One of the most popular airlines, Delta Airlines, allows you to carry your pet in the cabin or fly it by cargo.
For carry-on dogs, the airlines charge a one-way fee for the following destinations:
- US/Canada $125
- The Virgin Islands $125
- Puerto Rico $125
- Outside the US $200
- Brazil $75
The airline does not permit in-cabin travel of pets whose owners would travel to or from Australia, Barbados, Dakar, Dubai, Hong Kong, Iceland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as those who are traveling to Hawaii. Instead, pets going to the said destinations would have to travel by cargo. Here are lists of sample cargo rates by weight:
Destination: Continental US to/from Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico
- 1-10 lbs. $94
- 11-25 lbs. $103
- 26-50 lbs. $119
- 51-70 lbs. $156
- 71-100 lbs. $214
Delta Airlines has also posted a list of rates for international and specialized flights. Specialized flights apply to animals that are cold-blooded and warm-blooded, as well as exported pets, live birds, tropical fishes, and even hatching eggs.
Some airlines would charge higher than the average. For instance, Qatar Airways charge pets as excess baggage for as much as $700. The rates vary depending on the weight and size of your pet and your destination. For instance:
Small Pets (up to 15 kg and 175 cm):
- Africa $400
- Europe $400
- Far East $400
- Australia, Japan, South Korea $560
- GCC, Levant, Iran $240
- ISC $240
- Americas $250
Medium pets (up to 25 kg and 217 cm):
- Africa $750
- Europe $750
- Far East $750
- Australia, Japan, South Korea $1,050
- GCC, Levant, Iran $450
- ISC $450
- Americas $300
Large pets (up to 32 kg and 245 cm):
- Africa $1,250
- Europe $1,250
- Far East $1,250
- Australia, Japan, South Korea $1,750
- GCC, Levant, Iran $750
- ISC $750
- Americas $350
Note that both airlines do not charge any fee for service animals.
Other rates as listed by USA Today include:
- Alaska Airlines
Cabin Fee (by segment) $100
Checked Fee (one-way) $100
- American Airlines
Cabin Fee (by segment) $125
Checked Fee (one-way) $200
- Frontier Airlines
Cabin Fee (by segment) $75
- US Airways
Cabin Fee (by segment) $125
Note that fees may change for each airline. To confirm the costs, you could visit their website or call their office to get an exact answer on how much does it cost to fly a dog.
Flying with Pets
Traveling with your dog can be exciting. However, you have to keep your excitement at bay and prioritize booking your pet’s travel. Whether it would stay in the cabin with you or fly by cargo, it is important to make sure that your dog would be allowed by the airline to take flight.
After securing your dog’s spot on the plane, you should also provide a kennel or carrier for your pet. Purchase a kennel that has enough space for your furry friend to stand, lie, and move around a little.
Also, prepare your dog for the long travel. Your preparations should include taking your pet to the veterinarian to ensure that it is fit to travel. Your vet could even issue a health certificate if you’re going to a place which has regulations related to bringing in pets. Aside from that, you should get your pet up-to-date vaccines in accordance with vaccine regulations in your destination.
If it’s possible, travel during off-peak seasons where passengers are likely fewer. Doing so would save you and your pet the hassle of layovers, switching planes, and longer flights. Additionally, check in early so you would have enough time to ensure that your pet would enter the plane or would be loaded into the cargo properly.
Now that you know how much does it cost to fly a dog, and you’ve learned some tips on how to prepare your pet for the flight, then next is to go ahead with the trip.
Enjoy traveling with your furry friend!