Pet Transport Methods Explained: In-Cabin, Checked Baggage & Manifest Cargo (2026)

A pet can fly in three ways: in the cabin with you, as checked baggage on your flight, or as manifest cargo. The method is not only your choice. The destination’s rules, the airline, the connection airport and your pet’s size decide which methods are open.

Pet Transport Methods: Quick Answers

• Can my pet fly in the cabin? Only a small pet, on an airline that offers it. The usual limit is 6 to 8 kg, pet and carrier together.
• What is checked baggage for pets? Your pet flies in the hold of your flight, booked on your ticket. Airlines call it AVIH.
• What is manifest cargo? Your pet flies as freight under its own air waybill. You do not need to be on the flight.
• Which method costs least? Travelling with you usually costs less than cargo. Cargo adds terminal and customs charges at both ends.
• Is checked baggage being phased out? Only at some US airlines, for most passengers. From Vietnam, it is still widely used.
• Who decides the method? The destination country first, then the connection airport, the airline, the breed and the weight.

How Do In-Cabin, Checked Baggage and Manifest Cargo Compare?

The three methods differ in who books the space, where you check in and where you collect your pet. This table compares them on flights from Vietnam.

Who Decides Which Method Your Pet Can Use?

Several parties set limits, and the strictest one wins. Check them in this order before you buy a ticket.

1. The destination country. Some countries accept pets only as cargo. Australia is one. Pets flying into the UK must also arrive as cargo on approved routes. Dubai receives pets as cargo, while Abu Dhabi accepts small pets in the cabin on Etihad.
2. The connection airport. Hong Kong requires dogs and cats that change aircraft there to travel as manifest cargo. Taipei lets them continue as checked baggage on one ticket.
3. The airline. Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, EVA Air, China Airlines and Qatar Airways take dogs and cats only in the hold. Cathay Pacific takes them as cargo only. Vietjet does not carry pets on international flights.
4. The breed. Many airlines refuse snub-nosed breeds in the hold. Korean Air and Turkish Airlines still accept them in the cabin if they are light enough.
5. The weight. Staff weigh the pet and container together at check-in. Above the airline’s limit, the pet moves to the next method.
6. Whether you are on the flight. Cabin and checked baggage need a passenger on the same aircraft. A pet flying alone goes as manifest cargo.

Japan shows that a destination does not always set the method. Its Animal Quarantine Service applies the same import checks to cargo and to accompanied pets.

Breed lists differ from one airline to the next, so check our airline breed restrictions early.

Which airlines offer which method from Vietnam is set out in our guide to airline pet policies from Vietnam.

In the Cabin (PETC): Small Pets Under the Seat

In the cabin, your pet stays in a soft carrier under the seat in front of you. You book it with your ticket and check in at the passenger counter. It suits cats and small dogs that stay calm in a carrier.

The limits are tight. Vietnam Airlines allows up to 6 kg for pet and carrier together, in a carrier no larger than 35 × 30 × 20 cm. It takes at most two cabin pets in economy on each flight. Korean Air and Asiana allow 7 kg. Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa allow 8 kg, as does Etihad on its Abu Dhabi flights.

Two points matter on the day. First, staff weigh the carrier with the pet inside. In July 2026, a cat booked in the cabin to Kuala Lumpur moved to checked baggage two days before the flight. Its carrier was small for the cat, and the total was close to 6 kg. Second, the airline may confirm the cabin place late. In September 2026, Vietnam Airlines confirmed a cat’s cabin place to Kuala Lumpur only the day before departure.

As Checked Baggage (AVIH): In the Hold of Your Flight

As checked baggage, your pet flies in the hold of the same aircraft as you. You book it with your ticket and check it in at the passenger counter. Airline staff then take the crate to the aircraft.

The weight limit includes the crate. Vietnam Airlines and Singapore Airlines accept up to 32 kg. Korean Air and Asiana accept up to 45 kg, and Turkish Airlines up to 50 kg. A pet over the limit goes as cargo. The crate itself must meet the IATA crate requirements for size, door and ventilation.

The aircraft type also matters. Korean Air does not take checked pets on its Boeing 737 or Airbus A321 international flights. Singapore Airlines does not carry pets on its Boeing 737 flights. EVA Air does not take them on its A321 or long-haul Boeing 787 flights. Check the aircraft for each flight number before you book.

Checked baggage is still common from Vietnam. In 2026, about as many of our moves used travel with the owner as used cargo. Dogs of about 25 kg flew this way to Los Angeles through Taipei. The method has closed mainly at US airlines: American Airlines and Delta now take checked pets only for US military and State Department staff.

On arrival, you collect the crate at the baggage belt or the oversized baggage area. Where the destination requires an inspection, you then take your pet to the animal quarantine office in the baggage hall.

As Manifest Cargo: Shipped as Freight

As manifest cargo, your pet travels as freight under its own air waybill (AWB). The airline’s cargo department books the space, usually through an agent. The pet is handed over at the cargo terminal, with an export customs declaration.

Cargo is the only option in three cases. The pet travels without its owner, the route accepts only cargo, or the pet and crate exceed the checked baggage limit. Even a small pet may need it. In October 2025, a 6 kg cat flew to Dubai as cargo, because Dubai receives pets only that way. Pets leaving Australia also fly as cargo, as in Franny’s cargo flight from Australia.

Cargo is charged by chargeable weight, not by the pet’s weight. The airline compares the actual weight with the crate’s volume and charges the higher figure. In 2026, a 49 kg Golden Retriever flew from Hanoi to Singapore in a 122 × 82 × 97 cm crate. Its chargeable weight was 161.7 kg.

On arrival, the pet goes to the cargo terminal. Customs and the vet authority check it before release. The person named as consignee on the AWB signs for the pet, so agree that name before the flight. Each step is covered in what happens to your pet at the airport.

Checked baggage and manifest cargo both travel in the aircraft’s lower hold. Read whether the cargo hold is safe for pets for what happens there during the flight.

What Does Each Method Cost?

The three methods are priced in different ways.

• In-cabin: a fixed fee for each flight.
• Checked baggage: a fee by weight band, which also varies by route. Vietnam Airlines publishes its zones and bands, explained in Vietnam Airlines pet fees.
• Manifest cargo: a rate per kilogram of chargeable weight, plus terminal handling, customs declarations and clearance at the destination.

The crate, the vet work and the destination’s fees come on top of any method. The full breakdown is in why pet transport costs what it does.

Which Method Is Right for Your Pet?

• Choose the cabin if your pet and carrier stay under the limit, the airline offers it and the destination accepts it.
• Choose checked baggage if your pet is too big for the cabin but within the hold limit, and you fly on the same aircraft.
• Choose manifest cargo if you cannot fly with your pet, the pet is over the hold limit, or the route accepts only cargo.

If two methods are open, plan for the route with fewer connections. A direct flight avoids transfer rules, explained in how pets are handled during layovers.

Pet Transport Methods: Frequently Asked Questions

Can my pet fly as cargo on the same flight as me?

Yes, if the airline has cargo space on that flight. Your pet still travels as cargo, booked separately. You collect it after cargo clearance, not at the baggage belt.

Can a dog over 32 kg fly on my flight?

On some airlines, yes. Korean Air and Asiana accept checked pets up to 45 kg, and Turkish Airlines up to 50 kg, crate included. Vietnam Airlines and Singapore Airlines stop at 32 kg, so a heavier dog goes as cargo.

Do cargo pets need different documents?

The health documents are the same for every method. Cargo adds the AWB and customs declarations at both ends. An agent usually prepares them with the rest of the pet travel documents.

Can my pet travel without me?

Yes, as manifest cargo. Cabin and checked baggage need a passenger on the same flight. Read how a pet flies without its owner for the full process.

Is checked baggage for pets being phased out?

Not across the industry. American Airlines and Delta take checked pets only for US military and State Department staff. Most airlines flying from Vietnam still accept pets as checked baggage, within their weight and aircraft limits.