Common pet travel questions and answers

Whether you’re planning to travel with your pet for the first time or need a refresher on pet travel policies, we’ve got the info to help you plan your next trip. Here are some frequently asked questions for travelers with pets.

Common pet travel questions and answers

Whether you’re planning to travel with your pet for the first time or need a refresher on pet travel policies, we’ve got the info to help you plan your next trip. Here are some frequently asked questions for travelers with pets.

Flying with a pet

We wish we could just say yes, but it really depends. Each airline has their own guidelines for the animals they allow as carry ons – often, it depends on the size of your pet. Because every airline is different, your best bet is to check with who you plan to fly with for specifics. Check out the policies below for some popular North American airlines.

Many airlines offer options to transport your pet as cargo if carrying them on isn’t an option. Similar to flight in-cabin policies, each airline has their own individual set of rules for which pets they can accommodate as cargo. Our advice would be to check out your airline’s pet policy to see what they offer.

You’re probably sick of this answer by now, but much like flying with your pet as a carryon or as cargo, each airline varies in terms of costs and fees for pet travel. Be sure to check with your airline’s pet policies prior to your trip to get a better idea for pet-related costs.

Pet-friendly stays

Yes – when searching for a place to stay on KAYAK, be sure to utilize our “pet friendly” filter. This will help you narrow down your search results to stays that are pet-friendly. Get more deets here.

Our advice would be to use the pet friendly filter mentioned above to find a place to stay. If you can’t find specifics about pet accommodations, your best bet may be to contact the hotel or property directly – it’s in your best interest to find out ahead of time if they will welcome your pet rather than assume it’s fine.

That would be a good idea. We have more details on planning a camping trip with your pet and how to check if the campsite is pet-friendly on this blog.

Other pet-friendly transportation

It depends on who you’re renting a car from – for the most part, rental agencies are fairly pet-friendly, they just ask that you keep the car clean (or else you may be charged a fee). For more on individual rental car policies, head over to this blog or follow the links below to read the fine print on your rental agency’s terms.

Again, it depends on who you are renting a car from – but for the most part, as long as you clean up before you return your ride, you should be able to avoid any additional pet-related fees. Read up on the full deets using the links below.

It depends which train line you’re traveling on – as you’ve probably guessed, it depends on the individual train policy. However, if you’re traveling domestically, odds are you’re using Amtrak, which does allow for you to bring a pet with you (under certain conditions). You can read up on our tips for taking your pet on the train here, or look into Amtrak’s pet policies here.

Policies

Common pet travel questions and answers