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Airline · Southwest Airlines (WN)
Hi, I'm Merlot — a 30 kg Golden Retriever and trained Service Dog. Here's Southwest Airlines' pet policy exactly as published on its own official pages: the cabin rules, the hold, what changes for trained service dogs, and booking basics. Where Southwest Airlines doesn't publish a fixed number, I say so directly instead of guessing.
Last verified: 2026-10-20. Rules change — always confirm with the airline before booking.
A worked example first, then each rule in detail.
Worked example
For a 20.0 kg Azawakh, Southwest Airlines' pet cabin and hold policy wasn't fully confirmed in our latest research pass — confirm directly with the airline before booking.
Now every rule, sourced and dated.
Southwest Airlines allows dogs and cats in the cabin, though a fixed weight limit is not published in the terms we could verify. The carrier must be no larger than 47 × 34 × 22 cm. southwest.com could not be reached by automated fetch this session (all attempted URLs 404'd). Third-party sources consistently cite ~$125 each way within the continental US and ~$35 each way for inter-island Hawaii flights, and no published pet weight limit (carrier-fit is the limiting factor). Treat fee as UNCONFIRMED against the official page. A minority of 2026 third-party guides instead cite $95 each way; the $125 figure is more widely reported, but neither is confirmed on southwest.com (unreachable to automated fetch again this session). Reserve a pet carrier slot at/after booking; limited per-flight capacity, first-come first-served.
Southwest Airlines does not transport pets in the cargo hold. Consistently and long-reported: 'Southwest Airlines doesn't carry any pets — including cats and dogs — as cargo or checked baggage.' Not independently re-confirmed on southwest.com this session (site unreachable), but this is a long-standing, widely corroborated policy.
Southwest Airlines accepts trained service dogs in the cabin, free of charge. Documents typically needed: U.S. DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form (required by carrier as condition of cabin travel); U.S. DOT Service Animal Relief Attestation Form (only if flight segment is scheduled 8 hours or more). Notify the airline at least 48 hours before departure. Emotional support animals (ESA) are not treated as service animals — since 2021, US DOT rules no longer require it, and an ESA flies under ordinary pet rules here. US DOT 14 CFR Part 382 (Air Carrier Access Act rules) applies on all flights to/from/within the United States, for US and foreign carriers alike; max 2 service animals per passenger; no breed-based refusal permitted.
The Southwest Airlines pet questions that come up most.
FAQ
Each answer checked against official sources on 2026-10-20.
Southwest Airlines allows dogs in the cabin, but does not publish a fixed cabin weight limit in the terms we could verify — confirm the current limit directly with the airline before booking. The carrier can be at most 47 × 34 × 22 cm.
No — Southwest Airlines does not transport pets in the cargo hold, per our latest check.
Yes, at no charge. Documents needed: U.S. DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form (required by carrier as condition of cabin travel), U.S. DOT Service Animal Relief Attestation Form (only if flight segment is scheduled 8 hours or more).
No — an emotional support animal is not a trained service dog, and Southwest Airlines does not treat ESAs as service animals. An ESA travels under the airline's regular pet rules (carrier, fees, cabin/hold limits), not service-animal rules.
southwest.com could not be reached by automated fetch this session (all attempted URLs 404'd). Third-party sources consistently cite ~$125 each way within the continental US and ~$35 each way for inter-island Hawaii flights, and no published pet weight limit (carrier-fit is the limiting factor). Treat fee as UNCONFIRMED against the official page. A minority of 2026 third-party guides instead cite $95 each way; the $125 figure is more widely reported, but neither is confirmed on southwest.com (unreachable to automated fetch again this session).
Every rule above traces to these official pages, checked on 2026-10-20. Confidence: low. Rules change — always confirm with the airline before booking.
ⓘ This airline’s official policy page could not be fully re-confirmed in our latest check — numbers above may be outdated. Always verify directly with the airline before booking.
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