When you travel with your favorite pet it might get stressful for not just you but your pet as well. This is why it is very important to understand airline policies so that you can ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible. This guide will help you with just that.
Read on to find out what rules and regulations you have to observe while traveling on JetBlue with your pet(s), what the fees are, what documentation you need to have in order, and as a bonus, some helpful tips from us.
Table of Contents
What is the JetBlue pet policy?
Passengers traveling on JetBlue can bring with them only one small dog or cat as a carry-on. This pet must be in an FAA-approved pet carrier that can be easily fit under the seat in front of you.
It is important to note that JetBlue does not count the remains of your animal as a pet under its guidelines and does not allow remains in any form including cremated remains on-board or as cargo.
For service animals, we have dedicated a separate section later in this article as different rules apply to them.
Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!
What are the fees for carry-on pets?
As mentioned earlier, a small dog or a cat can travel with you in the cabin for a fee of $125 one way.
You have to pay the fees every time you board a JetBlue flight to a destination. This means that if your itinerary has multiple destinations then you will have to pay each time you start a journey to a destination and not just once for a round-trip.
There are also rules and regulations covering the kennel, or container that you carry your pet in, which I have covered in detail in a separate section below.
Important Note: Your pet in a kennel, that you bring into the cabin, counts as your one carry-on item. In addition to the kennel, JetBlue will allow you to bring one personal item onboard the aircraft.
Related: Bringing a Dog to a Hotel: Essential Tips for a Good Stay
How to avoid JetBlue pet fees
The easiest way to avoid pet fees for Jetblue is to use the right travel rewards credit card. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a great card for all kinds of travel expenses. In addition, as these pet fee expenses you incur during your travels are usually coded as travel, your points can be used to offset airline pet fees.
There are other cards also like the Chase Sapphire Reserve which has a $300 travel credit that can be used on any kind of travel purchase, including pet fees.
Carry-on pet restrictions for domestic travel
If you are traveling to any domestic destination in the US then JetBlue accepts pets on all domestic flights. For Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, however, vaccination documents are required.
Carry-on pet restrictions for international travel
When traveling with pets on JetBlue please make sure to check if your country of origin is not on the list of permanent or temporary restrictions below.
Permanent restriction
As of the publishing date of this article, pets of any kind are NOT allowed on flights to the following destinations according to JetBlue restrictions:
- Barbados
- Trinidad & Taboga.
- London
High-risk countries
There is a temporary suspension for dogs traveling between July 14, 2021 and January 7, 2022 from countries that the CDC considers high risk for dog rabies.
The only way around this is to obtain advance written approval from the CDC. This CDC Dog Import Permit applies to all carry-on pets, those traveling via cargo, and even service animals.
The following countries are considered High Risk
Africa
- Algeria, Angola
- Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi
- Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti
- Egypt (Temporary importation suspension of dogs from Egypt until further notice)
- Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini (Swaziland), Ethiopia
- Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau
- Kenya
- Lesotho, Liberia, Libya
- Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique
- Namibia, Niger, Nigeria
- Republic of the Congo, Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan
- Tanzania (including Zanzibar), Togo, Tunisia
- Uganda
- Western Sahara
- Zambia, Zimbabwe
Americas & Caribbean
- Belize, Bolivia, Brazil
- Colombia, Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador, El Salvador
- Guatemala, Guyana
- Haiti, Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Peru
- Suriname
- Venezuela
Asia and the Middle East, Eastern Europe
- Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan
- Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Brunei
- Cambodia, China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan)
- Georgia
- India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan
- Laos, Lebanon
- Malaysia, Moldova, Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma)
- Nepal, North Korea
- Oman
- Pakistan, Philippines
- Qatar
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria
- Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Turkey, Turkmenistan
- Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
- Yemen
IMPORTANT NOTE: Even if you have a CDC Dog Permit you can only enter the US through the following 18 airports up till January 7th, 2021 post which, you will be allowed to enter only through these approved ports of entry:
- Anchorage (ANC),
- Atlanta (ATL),
- Boston (BOS),
- Chicago (ORD),
- Dallas (DFW),
- Detroit (DTW),
- Honolulu (HNL),
- Houston (IAH),
- Los Angeles (LAX),
- Miami (MIA),
- Minneapolis (MSP),
- New York (JFK),
- Newark (EWR),
- Philadelphia (PHL),
- San Francisco (SFO),
- San Juan (SJU),
- Seattle (SEA),
- and Washington DC (IAD).
Please do check the JetBlue website and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Page for any changes for your specific travel destinations before you travel.
Grand Cayman, Jamaica, and St. Lucia
For the above-mentioned three countries, JetBlue recommends that you start the import process 30 days in advance to prepare your pet for travel. Additionally, you can find information to help you with your pet travel requirements for these three countries below
| Grand Cayman | Visit www.doa.gov.ky or email [email protected] |
| Jamaica | Visit www.moa.gov.jm |
| St. Lucia | www.moa.malff.com, or email [email protected] |
JetBlue carry-on pet rules and tips
It is important to review the following rules before your travel with your furry friend so just quickly go through them as a checklist.
Cabin restrictions
As mentioned earlier JetBlue allows a total of 6 pets on any given flight in total. This is why you should book your pet for your flight as early as possible to ensure that your pet has been accommodated. You can do this online, on the JetBlue Mobile App, or by contacting JetBlue.
While on-flight your pet carrier must be placed under the seat in front of you during taxi, takeoff, and landing. You can, however, keep the carrier in your lap during the flight. You can purchase an additional seat for your pet, in which case you can place the carrier on that seat.
Try to get a window or an aisle seat for comfort.
Additionally, you cannot book the following seats if you are traveling with pets.
- Emergency exit seats
- Bulkhead seats
- Mint class seats
- Any other seat with restrictions for under-seat stowage
Space, Size, and Weight restrictions
All approved pet carriers must fit under the seat directly in front of you. Since the space under the seat in front varies from aircraft to aircraft, JetBlue recommends a kennel with the following maximum dimensions of 17” L x 12.5” W x 8.5” H.
In addition, the total weight of both your pet and carrier should not exceed 20 pounds. Both soft-sided and hard-sided carriers are acceptable at JetBlue. Pet carriers may be purchased at a JetBlue ticket counter for $55 (quantities are limited)
Tip: You must make sure that your pet can move around in the carrier you have got for them. Pets can get restless if they do not have enough movement space, especially on long flights. Pick a carrier that has good ventilation on at least 3 sides and must be leak-proof to save yourself from any headaches later.
Counts as a carry-on item
If you are traveling on Blue Basic fare then you cannot bring additional carry-on baggage as your pet carrier counts as the one allowed item. However, you can carry a personal item in addition to your pet carrier.
Interline/ codeshare bookings
JetBlue does not allow pets on any interline/ codeshare bookings (This means a single booking involving multiple JetBlue and partnership flights).
True Blue members
You can earn 300 extra points per flight whenever you add a pet to your itinerary.
Documentation
Before you travel please ensure that you have all the documentation necessary for the destination you are traveling to. This has been discussed in detail in the Carry-on Pet Restriction section above for both domestic and international travel.
In addition to this, you should always have an ID Tag on the pet and the kennel, a pet license, and proof of vaccinations required.
Sedation/ Tranquilizers
Sedating your animals is not recommended as the effects of pressurized cabins can be unpredictable. Sedation sometimes causes breathing issues with animals as well. In case you have sedated your pet please inform the JetBlue crew before you board your flight.
At the airport
While at the airport your pet must always be inside its carrier unless the airport has an official pet relief area. JetBlue staff can help direct you to a pet relief area if the airport you are at has one. You must make sure the door to the carrier is firmly secured to ensure the pet does not get out.
Make sure you pay the fees and have JetBlue give you confirmation for your pet to travel with you. You can do this by checking in as early as 24 hours before flight online, through the JetBlue app, or at an airport kiosk.
Tip: When you arrive at the airport visit any full-service JetBlue counter or talk to a JetBlue crewmember in the self-service lobby to get a JetPaw bag tag. Attach this tag to your pet’s carrier.
TSA Security Screening
Before boarding your flight you will need to go through TSA. You will have to present your animal at a TSA security checkpoint as pet carriers are subject to search by the authorities.
You will be asked to remove your pet from the carrier and pass through screening equipment while the carrier is passed through an X-Ray machine. Your pet will never be put through an X-ray machine.
If you cannot take your pet out of its carrier for any reason then it will have to go through a secondary screening including a visual and physical examination by security officials. All this takes time and this is why it is advised to show up early if you are traveling with pets.
Related: TSA Body Scanners: Images & Machines Explained
Traveling with service animals
At JetBlue, a service animal is specifically defined as a dog that is specifically trained to do work or assist a disabled person.
Legal Warning: It is a Federal crime to make materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement entries, or representations knowingly and willfully on the U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Air Transportation Form to secure disability accommodations provided under regulations of the United States Department of Transportation (18 U.S.C. § 1001).
All service dogs are welcome aboard JetBlue flights but if they are coming through the restricted countries mentioned above you may have to get advanced approval from the CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
If you have a disability and are traveling with a service animal make sure you visit JetBlue’s Traveling with Service Animal page online to get the most up-to-date requirements.
JetBlue pets as checked baggage policy
At the moment JetBlue does not allow you to travel with your pet as checked baggage in the hold. You can only carry your pets as baggage in the cabin.
JetBlue cargo policy
As of the date of publishing this article, JetBlue does not take pets as cargo on any of its flights
Final Word
The JetBlue pet travel policies are not complex. You pay a $125 fee for every JetBlue destination on your itinerary. Get the documentation mentioned above that applies to you and simply follow all the rules and tips which we have shared with you. Good luck and safe travels!
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
