Flying Alaska Airlines With Your Dog: The One US Airline That Still Takes Big Dogs
American, Delta, United, JetBlue, Southwest and Frontier have all closed the hold to ordinary passengers. Alaska Airlines has not: your dog can still travel as checked baggage on your own flight, up to 150 lb (68 kg) with the kennel. That makes Alaska the one realistic US airline for a bigger dog. Here's the short version, checked September 2026. Confirm on Alaska's own pet pages before you book.
In the cabin: soft bags only
- Carrier: max 17 × 11 × 9.5 in (43 × 28 × 24 cm), soft-sided only — hard kennels are not allowed in the cabin.
- Weight: no cabin weight limit published.
- How many: two carriers only if you buy a second seat next to you; two pets of the same species may share one carrier.
- Age: 8 weeks, weaned and on solid food for at least five days. The passenger must be 18 or over.
- Not allowed: Business Class on the A330 and 787, and no exit or bulkhead row.
Besides dogs and cats, Alaska also takes rabbits and small household birds in the cabin.
In the hold: up to 68 kg with the kennel
This is where Alaska stands alone. Dog and kennel together may weigh up to 150 lb (68 kg); anything heavier goes through Air Cargo Pet Connect instead. The kennel must be rigid, with a solid roof, a metal grated door, nuts-and-bolts construction and the wheels removed. No soft, wire, mesh or snap-top kennels. Check in at least 90 minutes before departure, bring a health certificate issued within 10 days, keep connections under four hours, and note that your dog can't be transferred to another airline. The Dog Flight Checker works out the minimum inside size from your dog's measurements.
What it costs
- Cabin: $100 each way per carrier, $35 for flights wholly within Hawaii.
- Hold: $200 each way per kennel; $100 wholly within Alaska or for active-duty military on orders; $60 wholly within Hawaii.
Where your dog can't come
No pets in the cabin to Europe, London Heathrow, Japan, Seoul, Belize City, Guatemala City, Pago Pago, Papeete, Rarotonga or Sydney. Rabbits can't go to Maui, Kauai or Kona from the mainland, and birds can't go to Hawaii at all.
Breeds that can't fly in the hold
Snub-nosed dogs are barred from the baggage compartment: bulldogs, French bulldogs, pugs, boxers, Boston terriers, Pekingese, Shih Tzus, chow chows and mastiffs, among others, plus pit bull and Staffordshire types. There's an exception for flights within Hawaii and between Hawaii and the mainland without a connection. The cabin has no breed list, so a small flat-nosed dog still travels fine under the seat.
Two things to plan for
- You can't book the pet online. It has to go through chat or by phone, before the day of travel.
- The carrier counts against your hand luggage, except on flights wholly within Hawaii.
Alaska publishes no exact temperature limits, but it can refuse a dog in the hold when it's too hot or too cold, so check the airport advisories for your route in summer.
Does your dog fit?
Our free Dog Flight Checker takes your dog's weight and tells you whether Alaska, and 26 other airlines, take it in the cabin or the hold.
Also flying with: United · American Airlines. Need a kennel? Start with the Dog Flight Checker.
Source: Alaska Airlines pets in cabin and pets in the baggage compartment pages, checked September 2026. Always confirm with the airline before you book.