PET TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS & RESTRICTIONS

Your pet is an important member of your family. Review the health, kennel and weather requirements listed below to help keep your pets safe and secure during travel.

Delta does not accept pets as checked baggage, but will continue to transport allowable pets in aircraft cabins. Delta will also accept shipment of pets for travel within the United States as freight through Delta Cargo. Review your options.

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  • Health Requirements

    Follow these guidelines to ensure a smooth process when traveling with your pets.

    Health Certificate

    A health certificate is required when shipping your pet as cargo and for all pets checked as baggage Some destination states may require a health certificate for your pet. Your veterinarian, the U.S. Department of Agricultureopens in a new window, or the Department of Agriculture for your destination state may provide you with more information.

    If a health certificate is required, it must be issued by a licensed veterinarian within 10 days of transport and must include:

    • Shipper's name and address
    • Tag numbers or tattoos assigned to the animal
    • Age of the animal being shipped: USDA regulations require animals be at least 10 weeks old and fully weaned before traveling domestically, at least 16 weeks old before traveling to the U.S. from other countries and at least 15 weeks old for European travel
    • Statement that the animal is in good health (If the shipper knows that the pet is pregnant, it must be noted on the health certificate)
    • List of administered inoculations, when applicable
    • Signature of the veterinarian
    • Date of the certificate

    Live Animal Checklist/Confirmation of Feeding

    When you check in your pet, you will be asked to complete a live animal checklist. When you sign this checklist, you are confirming that your pet has been offered food and water within 4 hours of check-in. On the checklist, you must also provide feeding and watering instructions for a 24-hour period. If in-transit feeding is necessary, you must provide food.

    Tranquilizers

    The use of pet tranquilizers at high altitudes is unpredictable. If you plan to sedate your pet, you must have written consent from the pet's veterinarian. This information must be attached to the kennel. Please keep in mind that Delta agents cannot administer medication of any kind.
     

  • Kennel Requirements

    Pets in the Cabin

    To transport your pet in cabin either soft- or hard-sided kennels must be leak-proof and ventilated on at least 2 sides. Kennels are not sold at Delta Ticket Counters, but are available at most pet supply stores. Check the under seat dimensions of the aircraft to ensure the kennel dimensions do not exceed the dimensions listed for the applicable aircraft and cabin confirmed.

    Pets Traveling as Checked Baggage (U.S. Military Personnel / Foreign Service Officers, Only
    - See Pet Travel Options for details)

    To transport your pet as checked baggage, you must use an approved shipping kennel, and it must ship in accordance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. The kennel must provide enough room for your pet to stand and sit erect — without the head touching the top of the container — and to turn around and lie down in a natural position.

    Approved kennels are available for sale to booked Delta passengers and shippers at most Delta Cargo locations, as well as many pet supply stores. If you would like to purchase a kennel from Delta, check with the local cargo facility for availability of the kennel size you need in advance of your travel date.

    All kennels must be capable of loading upright in the aircraft bin as required by the Animal Welfare Act and the International Air Transport Association Live Animal Regulations.

    In addition, USDA rules state that the kennel must:

    • Be constructed of rigid plastic, wood, metal or material of comparable strength with solid roofs; no cardboard kennels.
    • Have wheels that can be removed or made inoperable (applicable to wheeled kennels only).
    • Have ventilation openings on 3 sides, in addition to the door opening.
    • Have functional handles on the kennel's exterior to prevent tilting and any direct contact with the animals
    • close securely, but not lock, to allow personnel to open it in case of emergency.
    • Display labels with the words "Live Animal" in 1-inch letters on the crate's top and on at least 1 side.
    • Display upright arrow labels indicating kennel's correct position; Delta Cargo can provide these labels.
    • Contain bedding, shredded paper or towels to absorb “accidents.”
    • Contain 2 dishes (1 for food and 1 for water) attached to the inside of the kennel door — they must be easily accessible to Delta agents without opening the kennel door.
    • Display feeding instructions and food, if applicable — these instructions should be affixed to the top of the kennel, along with shipper and consignee information.

    The following is a list of kennel sizes, costs, and the types of aircraft in which each kennel can fit. The kennel costs below do not include tax and are subject to change.

    Kennel Requirements Table

    Kennel Type   

    Outside Dimensions
    (inches)

    Kennel Weight

    Cost of Kennel

    Type of Aircraft

    SML/100 series

    21 x 15 x 16

    6 lbs.

    $75.00

    Any Delta aircraft*

    MED/200 series

    27 x 20 x 19

    12 lbs.

    $90.00

    Any Delta aircraft*

    MED/300 series

    32 x 22 x 23

    18 lbs.

    $125.00

    Any Delta aircraft*

    LRG/400 series

    36 x 24 x 26

    24 lbs.

    $145.00

    Any Delta aircraft*

    XLG/500 series

    40 x 27 x 30

    31 lbs.

    $160.00

    Any Delta aircraft* except 767-300-300ER-400ER, A330-200, 717-200, CRJ-200-700-900, ERJ-145-170-175

    GIANT/700 series (accepted as cargo only)

    48 x 32 x 35

    51 lbs.

    $250.00

    Any Delta aircraft* except 737-700-800-900, 767-300-300ER-400ER, A330-200, MD-88, 717-200, CRJ-200-700-900, ERJ-145-170-175

    *Rates apply to Delta aircraft only. For travel on a Delta Connection Carrier, please contact Reservations.

    Prohibited/Restricted Kennels

    • Kennels made entirely of welded mesh, wire mesh, wicker, cardboard or collapsible materials are strictly prohibited.
    • Kennels with opening doors on top.
    • Kennels with plastic front doors and/or plastic side latches that secure the top and bottom together without hardware, such as metal nuts/bolts.

    Reptile, Amphibian and Fish Containers

    Reptiles, amphibians and fish are accepted only as air cargo, not as carry-on or checked baggage. Shipments must comply with the container requirements of the current edition of the IATA Live Animal Regulations.

    Reptiles, other than snakes, need to be placed in a container constructed of wood, plastic or corrugated material. For flight purposes, animals in this category include (but are not limited to):

    • Caiman
    • Chameleons
    • Frogs
    • Geckos
    • Iguanas
    • Lizards
    • Newts
    • Salamanders
    • Toads

    Safety and security concerns for Delta personnel and customers prevent removal of live snake shipments from shipping containers.

    Kennel Labeling

    All animal kennels must display the following; Delta provides these display items when your kennel is accepted for transport:

    • Live Animal Checklist (includes feeding and watering instructions)
    • Live Animal label
    • Directional arrows
    • Wild Animal label, when applicable

    Pets Traveling as Cargo

    To transport your pet as cargo, you must use an approved shipping kennel, and it must ship in accordance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. Visit Delta Cargoopens in a new window to view requirements.

  • Weather Requirements

    To keep your pet safe, Delta observes the following seasonal restrictions on pet travel.

    Year-round Restrictions

    Delta will not accept animals as checked baggage during extreme weather, if at any point (origin/transit/destination) during the animal's trip the high temperature for the day is forecast to be: (no exceptions to the temperature restriction)

    • Below 10F (-12C)
    • Above 85F (29.4C)
       

    Delta reserves the right to refuse live animals as checked baggage and as cargo if the animal's health is in question and/or if the health of the animal may be jeopardized by extreme conditions.

    • Delta will no longer accept live animals as checked baggage in Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR).

    Summer Restrictions — May 15 through September 15

    • Pets cannot be checked as baggage on Delta and Aeromexico operated flights.
    • Pets may be shipped as cargo; see year-round temperature restrictions below.

    Winter Embargo — November 1 through March 31

    • Animals will not be accepted as checked baggage on flights operated between Sun Valley, ID (SUN), Twin Falls, ID (TWF) or Jackson Hole, WY (JAC).

    Additional Weather Restrictions: Live Birds

    Pet birds and tropical birds normally kept indoors are at risk if the temperature, at any point on the planned itinerary, is below 50F (10C). When temperatures are between 50F (10C) and 20F (-6.7C), they are transported at the risk of the shipper. A certificate of acclimation is not required.

    Live, wild birds will not be transported unless:

    • Shipper, or shipper's agent, certifies in writing on shipper's letterhead and submit with the air waybill, that the birds being shipped were born or bred in captivity or on special farms, or birds are being shipped to or from a zoological garden, wildlife preserve, or government wildlife agency.
    • Transportation is restricted to Delta local services.
  • Animal Breed Restrictions

    Delta no longer accepts snub-nosed or pug-nosed dogs and cats as checked baggage. Certain breeds may be acceptable for transport as cargo via Pets First. 

    Animal Breed Restrictions

    Snub- or Pug-nosed Dogs

    Snub-nosed Cats

    American Bulldog
    American Staffordshire Terrier
    American Pit Bull Terrier
    Boston Terrier
    Boxer
    Brussels Griffin
    Bulldog*
    Chinese Pug
    Chow Chow
    Dutch Pug
    English Bulldog
    English Toy Spaniel
    French Bulldog

    Lhasa Apso
    Japanese Boxer
    Japanese Pug
    Japanese Spaniel (Chin)
    Mastiff (all breeds)
    Pekinese
    Pit Bull
    Pug
    Shar Pei
    Shih Tzu
    Staffordshire Bull Terrier
    Tibetan Spaniel

    Burmese
    Exotic
    Himalayan
    Persian
  • Aircraft Restrictions

    First Class /Delta One® / Business Class Restriction

    Pets in Cabin are not allowed in the First Class/ Delta One / Business Class cabin on any international segment, regardless of aircraft type due to insufficient space.
     

    767 Aircraft Restriction

    Animals will not be accepted as checked baggage or cargo on any Delta operated 767 aircraft.  There are no exceptions to this restriction for any passenger.  Learn more about your aircraft. Other restrictions may apply.

    Airbus 330-200 Aircraft Restriction

    Animals will not be accepted as checked baggage or cargo on any Delta operated A330-200 aircraft. There are no exceptions to this restriction for any passenger.  Learn more about your aircraft. Other restrictions may apply

    Flat Bed Seat Restriction

    Pets are not allowed in the First Class, Business or Delta One Cabin on certain flights. Learn more about your aircraft. Other restrictions may apply.