Flying With a Dog on JetBlue: $150, Six Pets a Flight and No Hold

JetBlue only takes small dogs, and it only takes them in the cabin, which makes its policy one of the easiest to understand. There is no hold service to puzzle over and no weight limit to worry about, just a carrier that must fit under the seat. It also has a couple of friendly touches that other airlines lack, including a rule that lets your dog's carrier sit on a spare seat you have paid for. This guide is taken from JetBlue's own page on travelling with pets, as it stood in the autumn of 2026, and sets out what to expect.

What JetBlue Allows, in Brief

Small dogs and cats travel in the main cabin for $150 each way, so $300 for a return trip, in a carrier no larger than 17 by 12.5 by 8.5 inches. Each flight takes six pets in total. You may bring two if you buy a second seat and pay a second fee. JetBlue carries no dogs in the hold and, in its own words, accommodates no large dogs at all. It suits a small dog very well and cannot help with a big one.

Will Your Dog Fit?

JetBlue is blunt about its limits: it only accepts small dogs and cats. It states no weight, so the test is the carrier. Your dog must fit in an approved carrier that goes comfortably under the seat in front of you, and must be able to turn round inside when it is closed. Only one pet is allowed in each carrier. That last rule is stricter than Southwest or Alaska, which let two small animals share, so two dogs on JetBlue always means two carriers and two fees.

The carrier may be no larger than 17 inches long, 12.5 wide and 8.5 high, and the figure to watch is the height. At 8.5 inches it is a good deal lower than the 11 inches that Delta and American allow for a soft carrier, so a bag that has served you well on those airlines may be too tall for JetBlue. Measure your dog lying down as well as standing, because on a flight it will spend most of its time curled up, and a dog that can lie comfortably in a low bag will manage. Your dog and its carrier together count as your one personal item, which leaves you a carry on bag for the overhead locker if your fare includes one.

What It Costs

The pet fee is $150 each way, and you can add it in the extras section when you book your flight online. JetBlue also lets you pay the pet fee with its loyalty points at any time before check in, which is unusual and useful for frequent flyers. The fee is charged per pet, so a second dog doubles it, on top of the cost of the second seat.

Two Pets, and the Empty Seat

A maximum of two pets per traveller is allowed, each in its own carrier. To bring the second, you must buy a second seat and pay a second pet fee. That makes two dogs an expensive proposition, but for a couple travelling together with two small dogs it works neatly, since each person simply brings one.

If you have bought an additional seat for your pet, JetBlue allows something that most airlines forbid. The carrier and pet must be stowed under the seat for taxi, take off and landing, but during the flight the carrier can be placed on the empty seat beside you. The dog stays zipped inside, but it is at your level, where it can see and hear you, and for an anxious dog on a long flight that is a real comfort. If your dog travels badly and the budget allows, it is worth considering the extra seat for that reason alone.

Where Your Dog Sits

Pets travel in the main cabin only and are not allowed in Mint, JetBlue's premium cabin, where the seats have no space beneath them. The airline highly recommends a window or aisle seat and will not assign you an exit row, a bulkhead seat or any seat with restricted stowage. Of the two, the window is usually better, because the carrier is tucked away from feet and trolleys.

Your dog must remain inside the zipped carrier while you are at the airport and on the plane. JetBlue makes one sensible allowance, which is that you may unzip the carrier to feed or assist your pet, but it must be closed at all other times. That is more humane than the wording of some rival policies, and it means you can reach in to settle a worried dog or offer a little water without breaking the rules.

Where JetBlue Will Take Your Dog

JetBlue flies to the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe as well as within the United States, but it says that not all its destinations allow pets, and it publishes separate guidance for international travel. Each country has its own entry rules, and some will not admit a pet in the cabin at all. Check the airline's list for your route before you book your own ticket, and read the destination's requirements as well. Our guide to taking your dog abroad explains how those rules work.

There is one restriction that catches people unawares. Pets are not accepted on any booking that includes a flight operated by a partner airline, regardless of where or how the booking was made. If your itinerary has a leg flown by another airline under a JetBlue flight number, the dog cannot come, even on the JetBlue part of the journey. Look for the words "operated by" on each flight before you pay.

Larger Dogs and Emotional Support Animals

There is no option for a larger dog. JetBlue states that it does not book dogs or cats in cargo, only in the cabin. If your dog cannot fit the carrier, you will need to drive or to find an airline that still carries dogs in the hold, and our guide to flying a dog in the hold explains which do. JetBlue also no longer accepts emotional support animals. A dog that is not a trained service animal travels as a pet, in a carrier, for the fee.

Booking and the Day of Travel

You can book your pet online, in the JetBlue app or by contacting the airline. With only six pets allowed on each flight, book early, particularly around holidays. A child travelling as an unaccompanied minor cannot bring a pet. On the day, arrive in good time, and at security be ready to carry your dog through the metal detector while the carrier is scanned, as the TSA requires.

The preparation that matters most happens in the weeks before. Leave the carrier open at home, feed your dog in it, and build up to long spells with it zipped, as we describe in our guide to training your dog to travel. Walk your dog well before the airport, feed it lightly, and do not sedate it. If you are returning from abroad, your dog needs a CDC Dog Import Form, a microchip and to be at least six months old. Our complete guide to flying with a dog covers everything else.

A Closing Thought

JetBlue is a good airline for a small dog, with clear rules, a humane attitude to the zipped carrier, and the rare kindness of letting it sit on a spare seat you have paid for. Watch the 8.5 inch height limit, avoid any itinerary with a partner flight, and book before the six places go.