American Airlines Updates Pet Carrier and Carry-On Policy

It might be getting more expensive to check your bags at every US airline, but American Airlines is at the very least trying to make it a bit easier for pet owners to fly with their furry companions in tow. A new policy from the airline will allow passengers bringing pets in carriers to also bring a carry-on bag, instead of just a personal item.

Now, the policy from American Airlines says that you can bring a pet in a carrier if “you pay the carry-on pet fee,” and “your pet stays in the pet carrier and under the seat in front of you the entire flight.” You cannot bring both a personal item and a carry-on bag in addition to the carrier. American Airlines says that you can either carry “a personal item like a purse or small handbag, or carry-on bag that meets requirements and fits in the overhead bin.”

According to pet travel expert Nicole Caba, founder and CEO of Pawtrip, Inc., the American Airlines policy change is definitely an improvement for pet-toting travelers though much more could still be done on the matter. Caba has lived in three countries with her mini-poodle Coco, traveled to more than six countries with him, and is an Airlines Reporting Corporation-accredited travel agent and International Air Transportation Association-licensed live animal transporter. That is all to say she is very familiar with the challenges that come with traveling with a pet and where the industry stands on the issue today.

“The original policy penalized a pet parent who was paying much higher prices for a pet to travel and removed the ability to have a carry-on,” Caba said in an interview with Thrillist. “For example, I have flown with my dog, Coco, for a four-day flight where I only needed a carry-on bag. Imagine if I had to pay for a checked bag in order to bring him along?”

Caba says that there are other airline policies that she’d like to see implemented so that traveling with pets is a more positive experience overall. “I personally would love to see the type of benefits that allow pet parents to book their pet online (not calling), have priority through TSA, have empty neighboring seats, and a welcome kit with instructions on where pet relief stations are,” Caba explained.

Overall, traveling with pets is definitely getting easier and gaining acceptance—at the very least, there is more positive sentiment towards traveling with pets than traveling with children. Caba’s company, Pawtrip, guides parents to pet-friendly companies, and she said in the last few years there are more options available in the travel space. “There have been major improvements across the entire travel experience. There are more pet-friendly airlines, hotels, restaurants than ever,” she explained.

And while there are still major hurdles for travel, especially traveling with service animals, American Airlines latest policy change, plus all of the pet-friendly spaces popping up in the travel realm, hopefully indicate that traveling with animals will become a smoother experience for the traveler, and a safer experience for the animal.

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