Your dog, cat or household bird (canary, finch or parakeet) may be accepted as carry on or checked baggage. Rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs may be accepted as checked baggage only. All options require advance reservations and are subject to a charge. For all other animals, including but not limited to parrots, cockatiels and ferrets, please visit unitedcargo.com.

Please note
Advance arrangements are not guarantees that your animal will travel on a specific flight. To be as humane as possible, airlines reserve the right to refuse to transport an animal for reasons like illness, poor kenneling, or extreme temperatures at origin, transfer, or destination airports. Airlines have the right to refuse carriage of any animal that demonstrates aggressive and/or violent behavior.

Summer embargo - Breed restriction
For the safety of your animal, United Airlines does not accept the following short-nosed dog breeds, or mixed-breed dogs exhibiting the short-nosed characteristics of these breeds, as either checked baggage or cargo from June 1st through September 30th of each year. This restriction does not apply to animals traveling with you in the cabin.

• Boston Terrier
• Boxer
• English or French Bulldog
• King Charles Spaniel
• Lhasa Apso
• Pug
• Shar-Pei
• Shih Tzu

All breed summer embargo for travel to/from Kuwait
Due to extreme heat, United Airlines will not accept any pets as checked baggage for travel to/from Kuwait (KWI) from June 1st through September 30th. Pets can be carried in the cabin only if departing Kuwait. If the pet is in the cabin, the embargo time frame does not apply.

Carry-on
Fully weaned dogs or cats at least eight weeks old and domesticated household birds (canaries, finches or parakeets) can travel with you in the cabin if they are small enough to fit and stay comfortably in a carrier under the seat. Fees will apply (see chart below). Your pet carrier may be either hard- or soft-sided and must prevent escape of your pet into the cabin. No part of the animal should protrude from the carrier, and the floor must be absorbent enough to retain liquids and solids. Ventilation must be adequate.Pet and customer well-being require restrictions on many aircraft. United Airlines may not be able to accommodate pets on some aircraft, routes, or in many United First and United Business cabins. To be brought on board, kennels may not exceed the following dimensions:

Tropical birds such as parrots are not allowed in the cabin. No pets are allowed in the cabin on flights to Hawaii, with the exception of certified guide dogs. For more information on pets and travel to Hawaii, visit the Travel to Hawaii section.

Checked baggage
Your dog or cat can ride in the pressurized and heated cargo compartment of the aircraft you are ticketed on. Pets traveling as checked baggage will be accepted at the airport check-in counter and delivered to the baggage claim area at your final destination. Please see our Kennels page for information about restrictions and requirements for pets traveling as checked baggage. Fees will apply (see chart below).

Fees for traveling with pets
All fees shown below are in U.S. dollars and are for one-way travel only, unless otherwise specified.

View pet fees for tickets purchased before October 2, 2008.

Unaccompanied pets
Animals traveling via our cargo system are accepted at the cargo facility and travel in the pressurized cargo compartments of our aircraft. Fees vary based on weight, size and destination.  Extreme weather guidelines will apply, preventing cargo shipment of any live animal when the temperature is forecast to exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit at any point in the animal's journey.

To make arrangements
If your pet will be traveling as carry-on or checked baggage, contact your local reservations office to arrange for their travel. If your pet will be unaccompanied, please visit unitedcargo.com. If you wish to ship your pet as cargo in conjunction with your own United air travel, please contact United Cargo prior to making your air reservation.