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Navigating the Best Pet-Friendly Airlines for Stress-free Travel
We've curated our list of international and domestic airlines including ones to and from the Bahamas that accept pets to travel with you in the cabin or cargo. The information below is ranked from low to high budget as of February 2024.
*Please also note that depending on which destination you are traveling to you may incur additional fees that meet the country's pet travel guidelines.
Feel free to comment below on any other airlines worth noting.
Short Flights In Cabin
These airlines are great for taking Fido with you on domestic or short flights overseas in the cabin. Always check the most recent pet travel guidelines before you book so you can go through the process as smoothly as possible. Keep in mind to plan ahead of time because most of these airlines only allow up to two pets in the cabin per flight on a 'first come first serve' basis. Most airlines also only allow small cats and dogs to travel in cabin.
United Airlines
Flies to and from the Bahamas? Yes.
What pets are allowed in cabin: Cats and Dogs.
Price range: Low
Find their pet policies and price list here.
You can expect to pay $125 each way when traveling with your pet as well as a $125 fee for each layover of more than four hours for flights within the U.S. and more than 24 hours internationally. Each United customer can bring up to two pets in cabin, however, if you are traveling with two pets then you have to book two seats according to their website. Soft or hard carriers are accepted and they state that they have no 'breed or weight requirement'. Travel credits cannot be used to pay for this service also. You may be able to carry other species on board if you have a service animal.
Southwest
Flies to and from the Bahamas? Yes.
What Pets are allowed: Cats and Dogs.
Price range: Low
Find their pet policies and price list here.
Fees for U.S. bound flights are $125 each way per pet carrier. For customers traveling between Hawaii Islands the fee is $35 each way per carrier. Dogs and cats must be 8 weeks to travel, pets must be vaccinated but they don't require paperwork. On their website they advise you to make a reservation in advance as space is limited. Southwest allows up to six carriers per flight however sometimes they will allow more on some flights. You may be able to carry other species on board if you have a service animal.
Jet Blue
Flies to and from the Bahamas? Yes.
What pets are allowed in cabin: Cats and Dogs.
Price range: Low
Find their pet policies and price list here.
The fee per pet is $125 each way. Two pets are allowed on board per customer, you will also have to purchase a second seat when you carry two pets. They allow up to six pets per flight but still advise to book early so you can enjoy flying with all the other pet lovers! If you're without a pet carrier Jet Blue sells cute $40 Jet Blue carriers on their website. You may be able to carry other species on board if you have a service animal.
American Airlines
Flies to and from the Bahamas? Yes.
What pets are allowed in cabin: Cats and Dogs.
Price range: Medium
Find their pet policies and price list here.
The carry-on fees are $150 when you travel with your pet within the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.You can bring your pet carrier as your carry-on bag but you will still have to pay the pet carry-on fee. On their website, it states that you are not permitted to bring an additional carry-on bag along with the pet carrier however you are allowed to bring 1 personal item. (***UPDATE*** American Airlines has changed its additional carry-on policy. You can now bring your pet and a full-size carry-on bag into the cabin).
Also, your pet must be kept under your seat throughout the duration of your flight. Service animals are free of charge for this service. You may be able to carry other species on board if you have a service animal.
Frontier
Flies to and from the Bahamas? Yes.
What Pets are allowed: Cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds.
Price range: Unknown
Find their pet policies and price list here.
Domesticated small pets are permitted to fly in cabin on Frontier flights. To find out exactly how much this service will cost you would have to contact customer service or make an online reservation to book your pet. Frontier does not allow pets to be checked as baggage and if your destination is outside of the US or your traveling into the US your pet may need a health certificate to be eligible. As with many airlines your pet must fit under the seat in a carrier and remain in the carrier throughout the duration of the flight. You may be able to carry other species on board if you have a service animal.
Delta Airlines
Flies to and from the Bahamas? Yes.
What pets are allowed in cabin: Cats, dogs and birds.
Price range: Low-Medium
Find their pet policies and price list here.
Fees for carry-on vary by destination. If you travel to/from the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, or U.S. Virgin Islands it will cost you $95 per flight. International fees to/from US, Canada and Europe will cost $200 and flights to/from Brazil will cost $75. With Delta you can bring your cat, dog or bird along with you in cabin. Delta operates on a first come first serve policy with a limit of the total number of pets allowed on each flight. They also make exceptions for you to travel with multiple pets within one carrier. You may be able to carry other species on board if you have a service animal.
Bahamas Air
Flies to and from the Bahamas? Yes.
What Pets are allowed: Cats and dogs.
Price range: Low
Find their pet policies and price list here.
The fee for this service is $75 one way, and the cabin pet carrier is included in the maximum number of carry-on items allowed per customer. Bahamas Air allows small cats and dogs and a maximum of two pets are allowed in the cabin on any flight. And like most airlines, they offer their pet cabin service on a first come first served basis. The carrier must fit under the seat and the pet must remain in the carrier during the fight. You may be able to carry other species on board if you have a service animal.
Tropix Air
Flies to and from the Bahamas? Yes.
What Pets are allowed: Cats and dogs.
Price range: High.
Book your pet-friendly flight with Tropix Air here.
Although there is not much information available online for pet requirements for this airline it is advertised frequently throughout the website that they are pet-friendly. The fee for a one-way within the Caribbean or Fort Lauderdale with cost you $400 per seat however it's not clear if there is an extra pet fee. If you'd like to spend some extra cash you can also book yourself a private jet that will take you anywhere within 500 nautical miles of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. You will have to contact them to find out the price for this but expect to pay higher fees!
Aztec Airways
Flies to and from the Bahamas? Yes.
What Pets are allowed: Cats and dogs.
Price range: Low-Medium
Find their pet policies and price list here.
Pet fees include $25 for pets 10 lbs or under. $100 for pets 10-34 lbs and if your pet is 34 lbs or larger you will have to buy an extra seat to accommodate their size. Aztec Airways offers flights to and from the Bahamas islands as well as flights to and from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They also offer private charters for that extra VIP experience. They are very pet-friendly and a good choice for local Bahamian and southeast Floridian pet owners. Their flight schedules are quite limited as they are a small company so it's always best to plan well in advance when using this airline.
Spirit
Flies to and from the Bahamas? No.
What Pets are allowed: Cats, Dogs, Birds, Rabbits.
Price range: Unknown.
Find their pet policies here.
Unfortunately, you cannot book a flight to/from the Bahamas at this time, its unfortunate because Spirit is a very pet-friendly airline. Spirit allows small domesticated pets to travel on all domestic flights in the US including Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Spirit does require rabies vaccination when traveling to specific locations such as Puerto Rico. And they do not require health certificates except for pets travelling to US Virgin Islands. When checking in with a pet you must also purchase a ticket at the airport counter to use this service. Two pets per kennel is permitted and only one kennel is permitted per customer. You may be able to carry other species on board if you have a service animal.
Long Haul Flights In Cargo
Some animals will not meet the cabin requirements to travel, I know there's nothing better than traveling with your furbaby right next to you but fortunately, cargo is the next best option to bring your pet with you. Now I know a lot of people don't like shipping their pets on long flights, and yes for some animals it might not be the best idea but a good pet cargo company will have the tools and the expertise to make your pet feel as comfortable as possible. Always do thorough research about each company to make sure you choose the right one for your pet.
Virgin Atlantic
Flies to and from the Bahamas? Yes.
What Pets are allowed: Unknown.
Price range: Unknown, likely high
Find their pet policies here.
Please note as of February 2024 Virgin is not operating any pet travel services, their services have not been active for a long time so it's hard to tell when they will bring it back however when it is time for you to travel with your pet you can always come back to their pet policy page to see if there's any updates if this airline is favorable for you.
British Airways
Flies to and from the Bahamas? Yes.
What pets are allowed: Cats, Dogs, birds, rabbits, hamsters, ferrets, fish, and snakes.
Price range: Unknown, likely expensive.
Find their pet policies here.
British Airways has partnered with a pet cargo company that is pretty pet-friendly when it comes to Fido. I used British Airways along with Pet Air to bring my dogs to the Bahamas from the UK. They took good care of my babies and updated us about how they were doing, I was quite anxious about them traveling but this company did help put my mind at ease a little bit.
If you are interested in how the pet import process works in the Bahamas you can find out more info in my Importing Pets to the Bahamas blog.
American Airlines, Delta, and United also offer cargo options for your pets:
What airlines do you use to fly your pets and what's your experience & preferred method? Comment Below!
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