Cathay Pacific pet policy — why pets cannot travel in the cabin
Cathay Pacific does not accept pets in the cabin, so no carrier size will make it work — this is a policy limit, not a size limit. Cathay Pacific does not publish a cabin-pet fee on its own policy page. Your options are Cathay Pacific's cargo service or an approved pet shipper. If you need your pet with you in the cabin, you need a different airline.
That means nothing on our list fits, and nothing comes close enough to squeeze in either — at not published this is one of the tightest allowances we track. Check Cathay Pacific's own policy for cargo or an approved pet-shipper option before you book. Cathay Pacific does not accept pets in the cabin, so there is no carrier height to compare. Its own policy covers cargo or approved pet-shipper options instead.
Cathay Pacific pet rules
| Recommended max carrier (soft) | not published |
| Soft-sided required? | Soft recommended; hard allowed within its limit |
| In-cabin fee | Not published · compare all airlines → |
| Species allowed | guide/assistance dogs only — pets are not permitted in the cabin |
| Pets | Not published |
| Booking | Pets travel in the hold via Cathay Cargo's Cathay Live Animal service. From 1 September 2025 direct pet bookings are accepted only from an IPATA or ATA member, an IATA Accredited Freight Forwarder, or a holder of a valid IATA Live Animals Regulations training certificate |
Source: official Cathay Pacific pet policy · verified 2026-07-23
Airlines that do allow pets in the cabin
A cabin ban is a policy limit, not a size limit, so no carrier changes it. Cathay Pacific’s own published route: Pets travel in the hold via Cathay Cargo's Cathay Live Animal service. From 1 September 2025 direct pet bookings are accepted only from an IPATA or ATA member, an IATA Accredited Freight Forwarder, or a holder of a valid IATA Live Animals Regulations training certificate
If the cabin is the requirement rather than the route, these are the airlines we track that do allow it, ranked by how many of our tracked carriers clear their published limit. We do not know your route, so treat this as a reference rather than a substitution:
- Allegiant Air — 18 × 12 × 11 in · 9 of 15 carriers clear it
- Frontier Airlines — 18 × 14 × 11 in · 9 of 15 carriers clear it
- American Airlines — 18 × 11 × 11 in · 8 of 15 carriers clear it
- Delta Air Lines — 18 × 11 × 11 in · 8 of 15 carriers clear it
- JSX — 17 × 13 × 11 in · 8 of 15 carriers clear it
- United Airlines — 18 × 11 × 11 in · 8 of 15 carriers clear it
- Porter Airlines — 21.5 × 15.5 × 10.5 in · 6 of 15 carriers clear it
- Avianca — 22 × 14 × 10 in · 3 of 15 carriers clear it
Carrier sizes we track
None of these can be used in an Cathay Pacific cabin. They are listed so you can size up for whichever airline you switch to.
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| Carrier | Size | Fit | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 × 10 × 8.5 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → | |
| 16 × 10.5 × 9.8 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → | |
| 17 × 10 × 10 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → | |
| 17 × 11 × 10.5 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → | |
| 22 × 10.5 × 10.5 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → | |
| 17 × 12 × 10.5 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → | |
| 17 × 8.5 × 10.5 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → | |
| 18.7 × 10.8 × 10.75 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → | |
| 17 × 11 × 11 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → | |
| 16 × 8 × 11 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → | |
| 18 × 11 × 11 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → | |
| 19 × 11.75 × 11.5 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → | |
| 18.5 × 11.75 × 11.5 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → | |
| 18 × 11.5 × 11.5 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → | |
| 18 × 12 × 12 in | No cabin pets | See on Amazon → |
How to confirm your actual under-seat space
Cathay Pacific's number is a fleet-wide recommendation, not a promise for your exact seat. Before you buy or fly:
- Check which aircraft operates your flight (in your booking or on a seat-map site).
- Avoid bulkhead and some window seats — they have less (or no) under-seat storage.
- Call Cathay Pacific to confirm under-seat dimensions for that aircraft, or
- Choose a collapsible / flexible-height carrier that adapts to a tighter space.
More airlines: Air Canada · Alaska Airlines · Allegiant Air · American Airlines · Breeze Airways · Delta Air Lines · Frontier Airlines · Southwest Airlines · United Airlines · all →
Common questions
What size pet carrier does Cathay Pacific allow in the cabin?
Cathay Pacific's recommended maximum in-cabin carrier is not published. It must fit fully under the seat in front of you. Source: the Cathay Pacific pet policy.
How much does Cathay Pacific charge for an in-cabin pet?
Not published. Always confirm the current fee on the official Cathay Pacific pet page before you fly.
Which pet carriers fit Cathay Pacific?
No carrier we track clears Cathay Pacific's published not published outright, and none compresses down far enough either — check Cathay Pacific's cargo or approved pet-shipper options. Full shortlist: /fits/cathay-pacific/.
Does Cathay Pacific require a soft-sided pet carrier?
Cathay Pacific recommends soft-sided but allows a hard-sided kennel within its published limit. Height is what rules carriers out: Cathay Pacific publishes no height limit, against 13" at the most generous airline we track.
How many pets can I bring in the cabin on Cathay Pacific?
Not published. Species accepted: guide/assistance dogs only — pets are not permitted in the cabin. Pets travel in the hold via Cathay Cargo's Cathay Live Animal service. From 1 September 2025 direct pet bookings are accepted only from an IPATA or ATA member, an IATA Accredited Freight Forwarder, or a holder of a valid IATA Live Animals Regulations training certificate