Alaska Airlines Pet Policy 2021, Fee And Allowance To Travel With Your Pet Harmlessly

Alaska Airlines is one of the most demanding airlines in the world as it serves what it says. The airline allows you to travel with your fur friend or pets without any hassle. But when you fly with your favorite pet, you must have to follow some restrictions. That’s why Alaska airlines make a pet policy. Alaska Airlines’ pet policy includes a few terms and conditions which you have to read carefully and understand before flying with your pets on Alaska airlines flights.

Passengers can enjoy their trip by taking their pets with them on Alaska airlines. To travel with your pets, you should have to make Alaska airlines reservations for your pets in advance. You must have to be prepared with the requirements for a safe and comfortable journey for your pet. Find out some of the terms and restrictions of Alaska Airlines’ pet policy which must be followed at the time of flying with pets.

Alaska Airlines Pet Reservations

Alaska Airlines allows you to book seats for your pets in the cabin or in the cargo compartment which is dependent on availability. So it is recommended that you should reserve space for your pet in advance from Alaska Airlines’ official site or from Alaska Airlines’ reservations center. Passengers can carry only 1 pet in the First Class cabin whereas in the main cabin they are allowed to carry 5 pets. You should confirm your travel plans with your pet to the reservations agents so that they will confirm the seat availability. 

Service and emotional support/psychiatric service animals

Alaska Airlines welcomes trained service animals and emotional support animals at the time of travel but with some terms and restrictions. To make sure you and your service animal or emotional support animal comfort and safety, you must have to follow some terms and conditions which are given below:

• Size of the pet should be inside the personal space of the passenger’s seat and foot area and these animals are allowed to travel for free with Alaska airlines.
• Service animals or emotional support animals should always be in control of passengers at the airport and inside the flight everytime.
• Passengers have to provide all the necessary documents of the emotional support animals. You should have to provide the confirmation of veterinary health advisory form, mental health form, and confirmation of animal behavior form from the veterinary expert and these animal health advisory forms should be submitted before 48 of the flight departure time. 
• As per FAA Regulations, For emotional support animals safety they should be kept in an approved kennel/carrier which can be fit under the seat
• Your service or emotional support animal should be 4 months old at the time of traveling with Alaska airlines.
• It is recommended that passengers should have to overwater or overfeed the service or emotional support animal on the traveling day.
• Service animals or emotional support animals should be sit below the seat of the passenger. If the animal is not larger than an infant then it can sit on the passenger’s lap to accommodate the passenger’s disability. 
• These animals must behave properly at the airport and inside the flight for passengers safety. 
• Service animals or emotional support animals never sit on any passenger seat or on a tray table at any time.
• Passengers who are flying with Service animals or emotional support animals not allowed to sit in an emergency exit row.
• Alaska airlines suggest you to choose a window seat for travelling so that your pet will be safe from foot traffic.

Passengers who are traveling with an emotional support animal must have to check-in before 1 hour of the departure of the flight for their pet safety and other passengers too. If you find any difficulty at the time of traveling with your service animal or emotional support animal then you can connect to Complaints Resolution Official (CRO) where you will find trained Alaska representatives which are ready to assist passengers with accessibility.

Pets in the cabin

Passengers who are traveling in the cabin with their pets must be 18 years or older and are not allowed to sit in the emergency exit row seat, bulkhead, or any seat with an airbag safety belt. Alaska Airlines allows 1 pet in the first-class cabin whereas, in the main cabin, 5 pets will be allowed at a time per flight.

Pet In The Cabin Guidelines:

Passengers do not allow a pet carrier, a standard size carry-on, and a personal item all along as per Alaska airlines carry-on bag allotment. You can either carry a pet carrier and a personal item or a standard-size carry-on bag and a pet container.

• Customers can travel with a maximum of 2 pet cabins in the main cabin if your purchased seats are adjacent.
• No animals should have to reserve a seat by itself.
• Only dogs, cats, rabbits, and household birds are accepted in passenger cabins with Alaska airlines. Age of the pets should be 8 weeks older and pets should be fully weaned.
• Only 2 pets of the same species and same size are allowed in the same containers.
• Pet should always be in its container all the time from boarding and deplaning, Alaska Lounge. Pet containers should be under the seat at the time of taxi, takeoff, and landing.
• Pets who create nuisance or disturbance and have offensive odors will be transported in the climate-controlled baggage compartment.

Pet Carriers/Container allowance in Cabin

• USDA and IATA have some other guidelines and specific requirements for pet carriers.
• Pet size should be small to fit in the kennel comfortably and stay under the seat. 
• Size of the Hard-sided kennel should be 50 and minimum dimension should be 17″ x 11″ x 7.5″ for traveling in the cabin.
• Size of the Soft-sided container must be 50 and dimension must be 17″ x 11″ x 9.5″in the cabin.
• Pet carriers should be clean and leak-proof and made of absorbent bedding material which is safe & non-toxic for the pet.
• Carrier should be escaped proof and closed completely.
• Pet carrier should be adequate air ventilation
• Containers don’t have any cracks or breaks and there should not be a fear of tears.

Pets in the baggage and cargo compartments

In the baggage and cargo compartments, Alaska airlines allow only small domesticated pets whereas other pets are only accepted with approval. Pets are allowed cats, dogs, ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, household birds, non-poisonous reptiles, pot-bellied pigs, rabbits, and tropical fish in the baggage and cargo compartments. Apart from it, you also have to follow some terms and restrictions for pets traveling in the baggage and pet cargo.

• Pets should be minimum 8 weeks older and must be weaned.
• Only one dog or cat can be transported in a kennel of minimum 6 months older. 
• Only 1 puppy of age 8 weeks to 6 months older and 20 lbs weight will be transported in a kennel.
• 2 puppies or kittens are allowed in the same kennel of wight should be 20 lbs or less each and age must be 8 weeks to 6 months old.
• Pets travelling in the baggage or cargo compartments should be harmless, inoffensive and not needed any attention at the time of transportation. 
• Pet ad container combined weight should be up to 150 lbs.

Alaska Airlines Pet Cargo options

Cargo means transportation of goods and services in bulk for commercial use. Cargo does not accept pets with passengers and baggage. Learn more about pets traveling in cargo with Alaska airlines.

Checked Pet eating options 

• Pets who are transporting as checked baggage must have to provide food and water within 4 hours of check-in.
• Pets should offer sufficient food and water for the entire journey. 
• If you have a connecting flight of 4 or more hours then you must request access to your pet at the connection city for feeding them once more.
• To recheck the animal is the passenger’s responsibility and provides the paid receipt at the time of rechecking the pet.

Climate-controlled baggage compartment

Passengers must have to travel to the same flight in which their pet has been transported in cargo. You must have to check in before 1 hour of the flight departure time and you must have to follow some special check-in requirements at the departure airport. Alaska Airlines allows you to pick up your pet at the baggage claim area after 30 minutes of arriving at the airport. 

Alaska Airlines Pet Fee

Passengers who are flying with pets on Alaska Airlines flights must have to pay some pet fee which is similar in the cabin and in baggage. You have to pay a $100 pet fee each way per kennel for traveling in the cabin and a $100 pet fee each way per kennel for traveling in baggage.

Pet Breed allowance

Pets include Brachycephalic or “short-nosed” dogs and cats will not be allowed to be transported as cargo with Alaska airlines. Pet health experts or Veterinary experts say that generally short-nosed animals have some problems with breathing and during the flight, due to stress these problems can be worse. 

Brachycephalic or “short-nosed” dogs and cats are only allowed with Alaska airlines if they travel with their passengers in the pet carrier which should be fit under the seat. These conditions also apply to various other breeds which are given below:

Dogs breeds allowed with alaska airlines 

American Pit Bull, American Staffordshire Terrier, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Brussels Griffon, Mastiff (All Breeds), Bulldog, Bull Terrier, Chow Chow, Dutch Pug, English Bulldog, English Toy Spaniel, French Bulldog, Japanese Boxer, Japanese Pug, Japanese Spaniel, Pekingese, Pug, Shih Tzu, Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Cats breed allowance

Burmese, Exotic Shorthair, Himalayan, Persian

Pet Traveling Guidelines with Extreme outdoor temperatures

Pets’ health can be at risk if there are extremely hot and cold temperatures. So, it is recommended that you should have to choose early morning or late evening flights in the summers and select mid-day flights in the winter. 

Passengers should have to book nonstop or direct flights if the temperature exceeds certain limits of the origin, destination, or connecting airports. 

Alaska airlines Pet Health and vaccination requirements

Alaska Airlines allows those pets only whose health conditions are well and good. If your pet has an injury, illness, or your pet kennel is small then you are not allowed to travel with your pet due to obvious distress. Pets traveling in the cargo with Alaska airlines must have a health certificate which should be dated within 10 days of initial travel and if the return flight has been booked in the same trip then the health certificate should be dated within 30 days of return travel. But if your return flight date has been separated then your pet has a health certificate dated within 10 days of that flight.

Alaska airlines do not ask for a health certificate for the pets traveling in the cabin with their passengers. But some of the states ask for health certificates of your pets and Alaska airlines will not be responsible for any fee of not having the health documentation to enter the state or country. It is recommended that you should contact the state veterinarian of your destination before flying with Alaska airlines and find out the necessary documentation and vaccination requirements. 

Discounted pet preparation

Alaska Airlines has a partnership with Banfield® Pet Hospital which offers you a special discount and prepares your pets for traveling on the flight.

Wrapping Up

Alaska Airlines’ pet policy has lots of guidelines which are mentioned here. If you still want to know more about Alaska Airlines’ pet policy then visit the official website page of Alaska airlines. Apart from it, if you want to ask any query or share your experience then comment below and we will respond to you regarding your concern. 

FAQ (Frequently Asked Queries)