Alaska Airlines Pet Policy

by Jaron Lukas August 10, 2022

If you have a trip coming up on Alaska Airlines, you'll be happy to know it's a pet-friendly airline! Here's all you need to know about bringing your best friend on your flight.

Alaska Airlines allows pets that weigh 15 pounds or less to travel on domestic flights.

Alaska Airlines allows pets that weigh 15 pounds or less to travel on domestic flights. However, they do not accept some animals as service animals.

They also accept certain emotional-support animals, but these must be accompanied by a letter from your doctor stating the animal is necessary for your mental health and well-being during the flight.

If you are traveling with an emotional support animal, please keep in mind:

You will be asked to present documentation at the airport stating that this animal is required due to a disability and is trained to behave properly in public places. This can include proof of certification and/or registration from an organization like Assistance Dogs International (ADI), which requires all dogs participating in their programs be highly trained before entering into public settings.

They also accept certain emotional-support animals.

Alaska Airlines accepts emotional-support animals as well. Your doctor or mental health professional (a psychiatrist, psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, or psychiatric nurse practitioner) must document that you have a mental health-related disability and that the animal is necessary to lessen your symptoms of the disability. You must provide documentation verifying the type of animal and why it's needed.

The service animal may be required to sit on the floor even if a seat is available for them next to you. Only one emotional support animal is allowed per passenger, but you can request more seating space for more than one pet if needed in advance of travel at no charge (if available).

Emotional support animals must wear some sort of identifying tag issued by Alaska Airlines showing their status as either an assistance pet or an emotional support animal on board flights operated by Alaska Airlines

Pets traveling in the cabin must be placed in an approved carrier that fits under the seat.

Pets traveling in the cabin must be placed in an approved carrier that fits under the seat.
If you are traveling with a pet, you must have a carrier that fits under the seat. You can purchase one from us at time of check-in, or bring your own. Please note: if your pet's total weight exceeds 2 pounds, they may not be allowed to travel as carry-on baggage.

Your pet must be able to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably inside the carrier.

Your pet must be able to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably inside the carrier.
The carrier must fit under the seat in front of you or in an approved stowage area. If you need help storing your travel crate, check with your airline for more information.
The pet should not be able to escape from its travel container while in flight; this includes being unable to get its head stuck between the bars or walls of a cage/carrier.

You must pay a one-way fee of $100 to bring your pet with you in the cabin on Alaska Airlines flights.

The fee for bringing your pet in the cabin on Alaska Airlines flights is $100 per way, and it's nonrefundable. You can pay this fee online when you check in for your flight by using their online reservation system or at an airport ticket counter.

If you're traveling with a guide dog, service dog, or emotional support animal and need to bring it into a cabin with you because of a disability (meaning that the animal provides medical support), then Alaska Airlines may waive this fee; however, if they don't waive it—or if you think they should have waived it but they didn't—you may want to contact them directly so they can look into whether there was any mistake made in making their decision.

If the airline has already charged your credit card $100 or more for bringing your pet on board (because of multiple legs of travel), then they'll stop charging further fees as soon as possible after being informed by email at [email protected]

You can only bring one pet per passenger.

You can only bring one pet per passenger.
If you're traveling with a dog, the maximum weight is 20 pounds. Smaller dogs are allowed on Alaska Airlines flights in the cabin if their carrier fits under your seat (for more information about this, check out our pet carrier specification requirements).
If you're traveling with a cat or other small animal that can fit into a carrier, they may also travel in the cabin with you (for more information on what kind of carriers are acceptable, please see our pet carrier specification requirements).

All passengers traveling with pets will be required to check-in at the airport counter in person.

You will need to check in at the airport counter.
You can do so two hours before departure, but it's best to arrive earlier than that if possible.
You will be required to show a health certificate for your pet and its rabies certificate.
There is a $100 fee for taking your pet on an Alaska Airlines flight with you.

Alaska Airlines does allow you to travel with your pet but there are some rules you need to follow

Alaska Airlines does allow you to travel with your pet but there are some rules you need to follow. First of all, each passenger is only allowed one pet in the cabin and it must weigh less than 80 pounds.

Second, if your dog or cat is over six months old, they must have a health certificate from a licensed veterinarian stating that they are healthy enough to travel.

Thirdly, if you want to take your dog or cat on board the plane as cargo, it will cost $100 one-way for domestic flights or $200 for international flights.

Conclusion

Here's to a memorable trip with your best pet friend! Let us know how it goes and if you have any other travel tips.