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How Airline Employees and Their Families Fly Free

If you know somebody who works for an airline, you've probably heard them talking about their flight benefits. One of the perks of working for an airline is "free" travel to anywhere that carrier or its partners fly, but there are plenty of conditions.

Traveling for Free as an Airline Employee

The most important point to clear up is that airline employees do pay for their travel unless they are commuting for work. Even though they may not be responsible for covering the airfare that you would normally pay to fly, they are responsible for paying the taxes and fees on their tickets.

Airline employees traveling for pleasure are referred to as "non-revenue passengers." In other words, the carrier isn't making any money off them, so they're prioritized below the lowest paying revenue passenger (including those traveling on award tickets). Most airline employees also fly standby, so they won't know if they're going to make it on a flight until after everyone else has made it on board. With unpopular routes, there shouldn't be any trouble, but if they're traveling on international flights to cities that the airline only serves once each day, and the flight is full, they'll have to try again. If they have prepaid accommodations or tours, standby travel can actually end up being very costly.

Even with their benefits, the taxes and fees alone—which include security fees, international fees, and fuel surcharges—can total hundreds of dollars on an international itinerary. And while their total travel costs are lower most of the time, they hardly get to fly for free.

The good news for employees is that in certain situations, any seat may be up for grabs. If there's a first class or business class seat that hasn't been sold, they may end up getting to sit there for the same "price" as traveling in economy, or for a little extra. Of course, there's no guarantee, and even passengers using upgrade certificates or miles to move up to the next cabin have a higher priority.

Discount Travel for Friends and Family of Airline Employees

Sometimes friends and family can get in on the "non-revenue passenger" travel. Each airline has different policies and procedures for an employee's "non-revenue" guest, ranging from buddy passes to full-out booking options. Here are the policies of four major airlines in the U.S. 

American Airlines Buddy Pass Policies

Qualified American Airlines employees are allowed to fly for free, along with their registered guests and companions. Retirees who pass the "65-point plan" (a minimum of 10 years of active service, and the retiree's age plus years of service must equal or exceed 65) also qualify for "non-revenue" travel. Those who wish to travel business class or above must pay an additional fee, based on their itinerary. Fees for premium domestic travel inside the United States are based on distance, while international premium cabin travel is a flat fee based on the destination.

What about friends or companions that aren't parents, spouses, or children? Qualifying American Airlines employees are allocated a certain number of "buddy passes" each year. Buddy pass travelers receive lower boarding priority than American employees on vacation, other employees and eligible travelers, retirees and parents. 

Lastly, American Airlines employees can opt to buy full price tickets, to which a 20 percent employee discount is applied; this ensures an assigned seat and is considered a full fare ticket.

Delta Buddy Pass Policies

Much like American, Delta employees get to extend their travel privileges to friends and family. However, how it applies is a different policy than their Dallas-based counterpart. 

After successfully working for Delta for 30 days, employees are allowed to use their free travel benefits to see the world. Additionally, spouses, minor-dependent children up to 19 years old (or 23 for full-time students) and parents may also receive reduced-rate travel. That doesn't extend to everyone: non-dependent children, travel companions, extended families, and guests are only eligible for reduced-rate travel.

When flying on a Delta buddy pass or as part of an airline program, everyone is boarded on a standby basis. If there is room available after all other passengers have been accounted for, then the benefit flyers can board. According to the employee benefit page, domestic flights are "free" but travels to international destinations are subject to government and airport fees. 

Southwest Airlines Buddy Pass Policies

Even though it's open seating, Southwest Airlines passengers are allowed to snag open seats on flights as part of their benefits package.

Employees receive free, unlimited travel privileges and can offer their Southwest travel benefits to their eligible dependents: spouses or committed registered partner, eligible dependent children 19 or younger (24 if they are full-time students), and parents. While Southwest has agreements with other airlines for benefits, traveling "non-revenue" is not always a free experience, as fees can apply based on the carrier and destination. 

Southwest employees also have the benefits of "SWAG Points." When employees are recognized for their good work or take part in incentive programs, they can earn points that can be exchanged for buddy passes, frequent flyer points, or event tickets. 

United Airlines Buddy Pass Policies

At United, employees still get to hand out buddy passes to their friends and family, but the scope is very limited. According to the airline, employees and their families may receive travel privileges which include discounted rates and unlimited standby travel. 

What does the program actually look like? A bulletin from the Association of Flight Attendants outlines the program in detail. Employees must select their friends eligible for "non-revenue" travel in December for the next year. After the deadline passes, no friends can be added to their list. Employees can also elect to receive 12 buddy passes every year to distribute among friends.

What kind of pass also matters at United. Enrolled friends traveling with the employee, retiree, or their spouse are given the highest boarding priority, while those flying alone on a buddy pass are given the lowest priority.

What to Know About Buddy Pass Travel

Friends of airline employees get to fly for a cheap price if room is available—sounds like a good deal, right? Unfortunately, it's not as easy as having your airline employed friend book a ticket, passing the TSA checkpoint , and going on vacation. 

As noted above, flyers on a buddy pass are the lowest passengers on the standby list. If their flight is just about full, there's a good chance they won't make it on board. Buddy pass passengers are usually only permitted to fly in coach, but the policies vary by airline.

In addition, buddy pass flyers are considered representatives of the airline, no matter how old they are. As a result, they must adhere to a strict dress code, which often includes business-casual dress standards. If they do not meet these strict criteria, they may be denied boarding with no sources of repayment.

The Worst Times to Fly as a Non-Revenue Passenger

Using free or buddy pass travel is a terrible idea during peak times, such as:

• The Sunday after Thanksgiving
• Holiday weeks (Christmas week, Memorial Day, Labor Day, etc.)
• Any time that there's inclement weather , like the winter months

If a flight is canceled, all of the displaced passengers will be accommodated on the next scheduled flight. If it's full, they'll end up on the standby list above non-revenue passengers. As an example: If a plane that holds 250 passengers isn't permitted to fly, that could mean 250 people ahead of you on the list (although that's an extreme example).

"Non-revenue" travel can be quite rewarding, but it's important to remember that you may end up not flying that day, or you could be stranded in a city that you weren't planning to visit. If that happens, you're on the hook for meals and hotel rooms—the airline won't help at all. Before you ask your friend for help and try your hand as a "non-revenue" flyer, be sure to weigh the pros and cons of every situation. In some situations, it may be cheaper to pay for your ticket instead of flying on a buddy pass.

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Travel for official U.S. military and federal government business

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Federal government YCA, -CA and DG fare policy

United Airlines strictly enforces rules regarding the correct form of payment for federal government contract YCA, -CA and DG fares. We will only accept authorized, U.S. government-issued Visa and MasterCard accounts as payment, and only employees of the federal government traveling on official business are eligible for these fares. Government contractors of any kind do not qualify for federal government fares.

Travel agents should ensure that proper government ID is presented and the appropriate U.S. government-issued Visa or MasterCard is used when booking government contract or DG fares. Improper issuance of these fares will result in a non-waivable debit memo for the difference of the contract or DG fare and the applicable unrestricted airfare. Non-waivable debit memos cannot be paid using federal government-authorized credit cards.

What it's really like to fly standby as an airline employee

Free travel is one of the most enticing perks of working in the airline industry , but there's a major asterisk involved. Airline employees have access to non-revenue travel, meaning you'll only get a seat if there's space available. For those who like a good gamble, showing up to the airport without a confirmed seat can be thrilling yet incredibly nerve-wracking.

Back in summer 2019 — also known as the golden year for air travel — I was an intern at JetBlue Airways . One of the perks was standby travel, and during those 10 weeks, I wanted to take full advantage of my (short-lived) benefits. Overall, it was a success, as I flew more than 30 times that summer, with seven of those flights on the coveted JetBlue Mint business class .

During my internship, I learned a lot about standby travel and the airline industry as a whole. While standby travel is certainly not for the faintest of hearts, there are ways to get good at it and mitigate stress from all of the uncertainty.

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How standby travel works as an airline employee

Whether you're a pilot , flight attendant , gate agent or even an intern, you may have standby travel privileges that get you free flights on the airline you're working for and (potentially) on partner airlines. While you can travel for free within the 50 U.S. states, any international taxes and fees will apply if you're flying out of the country.

While most airlines rank employees based on seniority and role, JetBlue full-time and part-time employees were ranked on a priority list based on their check-in time. Occasionally, JetBlue employees could get one-time priority passes and jump to the top of the standby list, bypassing other employees on the ranking.

However, as an intern, I was on the same priority level as seasonal employees, which meant that we were grouped under all full-time and part-time staff but above partner airline employees. Regardless of your place on the list, all non-revenue travelers must show up at the gate and wait to be issued a ticket. If the flight was considerably empty, the gate agent may go ahead and ticket you at the start of the boarding process. But if the flight only had a few seats left — or was completely full — all non-revenue passengers must wait until the end of the boarding process for standby seats to clear.

With this much uncertainty, it's essential that you only travel with a carry-on or personal bag, as you never know which flight you'll end up taking that day. Since I only had free time to travel on weekends, this wasn't a problem as I never needed to check a bag in the first place.

Since JetBlue only offers paid upgrades to its passengers, it was easy for non-revenue flyers to snag Even More Space (EMS) seats or even Mint seats on qualifying routes. Interns only had access to JetBlue-operated flights, but full-time employees could fly standby on partner airlines as well, widening the opportunities for international trips.

Finally, in terms of dress and behavior, you're supposed to blend in with the rest of the crowd while looking neat and polished. For example, you're not allowed to wear flip flops or sweatpants as a non-revenue passenger.

Your standby benefits extend to immediate family

At JetBlue, your standby benefits as a full-time employee extend to your immediate family (spouse, dependent children and parents). Airline employees will also get buddy passes throughout the year, handing them out to extended family or friends.

As an intern, I could extend my travel privileges to my parents and one designated travel companion. I brought my mom with me on several trips that summer, and I think she enjoyed the standby privileges as much as I did.

How to work the odds in your favor

Now that I've given a brief rundown, here's how you can work standby travel in your favor. While some of it's luck, there's actually more strategy involved.

First, I had access to a separate website where I'd book non-revenue tickets and monitor flight loads in real time. For example, my new intern friend, Peter, and I wanted to start easy. That means we weren't interested in flying a competitive route such as New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX) from the get-go.

Instead, we picked New York (JFK) to Nantucket on the first flight of the day — 7:10 a.m. We checked the flight loads the night before, and since there were 60+ empty seats, we knew we could hop on this flight with no issues. We were ticketed as soon as we arrived at the gate.

A perk of standby travel that I hadn't considered before is that you have flexibility in your travel plans. We did a quick day trip in Nantucket, and there were plenty of flights going back to New York that day (JFK and LGA). While we were initially intending on leaving around dinnertime, we decided to hop back on the flight around 4 p.m. so we could get back to Manhattan earlier.

On my way home from San Diego, I wanted to try out Mint for the first time, but there were only a few seats left and a long list of standby passengers. Instead, I decided to book a flight to Boston-Logan International Airport (BOS) to snag a Mint seat and then jumped on a flight from Boston to New York (LGA).

Related: The Mint experience from London: What it was like flying JetBlue's inaugural flight from London to New York

What happens when there's not a seat available

Out of the 30+ flights I took that summer, I was denied boarding only once. Those are some pretty good odds, especially since the summer is the busiest travel season and full of bad weather delays .

My mom and I wanted to fly to Los Angeles, so we picked the first flight of the day that had about 15 seats the morning of. With other higher priority employees on the list, there was only one seat left. My mom took the last seat while I hopped on standby for the next flight that left just an hour later, and we finally met up at the airport.

There are several other instances where seats may fill up last minute. For example, delays and cancellations can lead to rebooking on later flights during the day — so that flight with 30 seats available might be snatched up by revenue passengers. That's why it's important to monitor the flight loads religiously, check the forecast and see where the aircraft is coming from or going since numbers can change last minute.

Standby travel is also a game of exercising patience, as gate agents are often overworked when it comes to delays and cancellations . We were advised to never go up to the gate until boarding has finished, as you'll want to stay out of the way as much as possible.

Several interns and I flew to St. Martin at the end of the summer. To ensure that we'd all get back to New York, some of us took the earlier flight home while the others took the later flight. No matter how many seats are available, it's always stressful not to have a confirmed ticket, so splitting up helped us travel together without leaving one of us stranded.

Spontaneity is the spice of life

Thanks to JetBlue offering free in-flight Wi-Fi, I could then plan the rest of my trip once I got a confirmed seat and was en route to my destination. Depending on where I was going, I would only bring enough clothes for a day trip. I would look at last-minute hotels or Airbnbs on the flight.

On the ground, I would spend most of my time walking, spending time on the beach or exploring restaurants in the area. Standby travel is an entirely different way to travel than I've ever experienced.

Bottom line

As someone who's quite spontaneous already, I loved the thrill of non-revenue travel and exploring a new destination for a fraction of the cost. However, as I returned to a "normal" paying passenger, I also enjoy the peace of mind that comes with a confirmed booking and the ability to earn points and miles and work toward elite status .

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Exploring the Best Airline Employee Travel Platforms: StaffTraveler, ID90, and MyIDTravel

As airline employees, we are fortunate to have access to various online platforms that cater to our travel needs. This article will explore three popular platforms for airline employee travel: StaffTraveler , ID90 , and myIDTravel . Each platform offers unique features and benefits designed to enhance our staff travel experiences.

StaffTraveler: Near Real-Time Load Information at Your Fingertips

StaffTraveler is our platform that revolutionizes how you communicate and share information about non-rev travel. The app can be used on your desktop or mobile phone and offers near real-time load information. This allows you to assess seat availability on specific flights. You can make informed decisions about your travel plans by requesting and receiving load information from our colleagues from other airlines around the world. StaffTraveler boasts the world’s largest airline community, with members from all airlines. You can also use StaffTraveler to look for tips from other airline employees or to book travel services like hotels and car rentals. 

ID90: Your Gateway to Discounted Global Travel

ID90 refers to a type of discounted travel fare available to airline employees. It stands for “Industry Discount 90%.” This discount applies to both domestic and international flights operated by participating airlines. But in the context of this blog, we refer to a platform with the name ID90. 

Through the ID90 Travel platform, airline employees can search for and book discounted flights for themselves and their eligible travel companions. The platform connects with multiple airlines and provides access to industry discounts, including ID90 fares. With ID90, we gain access to a range of travel services, including flights, hotels, car rentals, and cruises. It serves as a one-stop shop, connecting us with discounted travel opportunities across multiple airlines.

It’s important to note that ID90 Travel is not affiliated with any specific airline but serves as an intermediary between airlines and airline employees. The platform verifies the employment status of users to ensure eligibility for discounted travel options.

MyIDTravel: Non-Rev Bookings platform

Created by Lufthansa Systems, MyIDTravel is an online portal tailored specifically for airline employees to book non-revenue (non-rev) staff travel tickets. It is designed for internal use within our airline or its alliance partners. The platform enables you to manage your non-rev bookings, view flight schedules, and check seat availability on your own airline and participating airlines. 

MyIDTravel either caps the number of available seats or uses smiley faces to indicate the availability of seats on a particular flight. A happy smiley represents a higher availability of seats, while a sad smiley indicates limited availability or no open seats. However, it’s important to note that smiley faces on MyIDTravel have been known to be unreliable. They may not always accurately reflect the actual availability of seats on a flight. It is therefore recommended that airline employees verify seat availability with the airline directly or use StafTraveler to get accurate and up-to-date flight loads while making travel plans.

StaffTraveler, ID90, and myIDTravel are valuable online platforms catering to airline employee travel. ID90 offers a comprehensive interline travel experience, connecting us with discounted options across multiple airlines globally. On the other hand, myIDTravel provides a convenient internal portal for non-rev bookings within our airline and alliance partners. Lastly, StaffTraveler enhances our non-rev travel experience with load information and city tips shared by fellow airline employees.

The Best The Best Online Airline Employee Travel Platform

As airline employees, we find online platforms incredibly helpful in maximizing our non-rev privileges. StaffTraveler, in particular, is an invaluable tool that perfectly caters to our unique travel needs, whether we’re discovering new destinations or planning a visit back home. If you haven’t tried StaffTraveler yet, download it now for free.

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This Former Airline Employee's Viral Flight Hack Is Blowing Our Minds

Senior Reporter, Work/Life

If you have ever scrambled to find your gate number or forgot what carousel your suitcases are on, you know that figuring out flight or baggage claim information can be annoying or tedious at best. But there’s an easy way to get real-time updates about your flight right from your phone ― no ticket or airport TV required.

On TikTok, former airline employee Darby Maloney said that her “No. 1 flying hack” ― besides getting TSA PreCheck ― is to text the flight number to herself and her family on the morning of her flight.

A flight number consists of a 2-letter airline code and a series of numbers that will help you differentiate your flight from others that are flying that day. You will see the flight number in your booking confirmation or on your boarding pass.

Maloney gave the example of an American Airlines flight like AA686. If you are confused about what your airline code is, you can also quickly look it up in the International Air Transport Association’s search engine .

Maloney said when you text your flight number on an iPhone, it will send you a link that will show where your plane is and the current gate number, expected flight duration and your baggage claim carousel. Maloney said the link is helpful because if your gate changes, it will automatically change in that link too.

“I never have to look at screens in the airport anymore,” Maloney said. “It’s the greatest hack ever and I think nobody knows about it.”

@durbinmalonster S/O @Brooke Webster for teaching me this in my bag loading days 7 years ago ♬ original sound - Darby

Maloney’s advice was clearly news to many people. Her video had over 1 million likes and garnered thousands of comments. As one top comment to her video put it: “As someone who flies for work, this is SO helpful!”

Sure, you can download your airline’s app to get the same information, but the genius of this tip is how it reduces the numbers of steps you need to take.

Take the stressful scenario of having a short layover for a connecting flight as an example. Gates can often change, and you don’t want to waste time going to the wrong one. If you want to know immediately where your next gate is, Maloney recommended texting yourself the flight number for that leg of your trip.

“The second you land, you can just click your link and know exactly what your gate is so when you get off of the plane ― boom, you’re off to your connection,” Maloney said.

Or how about the family member who is picking you up? They just need your flight number to keep track of any delays.

“I use this the most when somebody’s picking me up,” Maloney said in a follow-up TikTok video. “I’m not going to ask them to download the app ... I’m just going to send them the link.“

Because airlines use the same planes for different flights, it’s most useful to text yourself the flight number on the morning of the flight, Maloney recommended .

Here’s how the hack works:

If you’re on an iPhone, all you need to do is to text yourself your flight number. From there, you will click on the hyperlinked number and select “Preview Flight.” There you can look up your flight information in real-time.

If you have an Android, texting yourself the flight number will not cause the same pop-up link, but you can type your flight number in your Google search bar to get the same real-time information.

When you’re rushing through the airport, it’s nice to know exactly where your plane is. This tip makes that information a stress-free tap away on your phone.

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Boeing’s mess will probably interfere with your summer travel — these airlines are most impacted.

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Don’t expect air travel to soar at new heights this summer.

The ongoing drama with Boeing is poised to hamper travel in the upcoming months, experts warn, as airlines scramble to distance themselves from the embattled airplane maker.

Boeing is currently weathering a storm of negative press after  a door plug blew off a January Alaska Airlines flight . In March, passengers on a United Airlines Boeing jet had to be evacuated  after the flight went off its runway  in Houston and 50 people were bloodied and hurt on a New Zealand-bound Boeing jet that  plummeted into a frightening nosedive .

Many airlines are either backlogged trying to purchase new planes from competitors, such as Airbus, or waiting for Boeing’s new line of “high-quality airplanes that meet all regulatory requirements,” a spokesperson told MarketWatch .

“A lot of airlines touch Boeing products every day,” said travel expert Katy Nastro.

“When something affects Boeing, it’s likely to affect those carriers that are all Boeing or [that] have a fleet that’s significantly more Boeing versus Airbus.”

United Airlines, which has taken a near equal amount of flack as Boeing for recent in-flight mishaps, is putting a freeze on hiring pilots to acquire new planes from the direct Boeing rival.

“As you know, United has hundreds of new planes on order, and while we remain on a path to be the fastest-growing airline in the industry, we just won’t grow as fast as we thought we would in 2024 due to continued delays at Boeing,” according to a United Memo shared with the outlet.

Southwest Airlines also finds itself in a turbulent spot as it flies only Boeing 737 jets. The airline was initially anticipating its entire order of 79 new planes fulfilled, but only 46 are slated to arrive this year now.

Now, Southwest is going to axe 1% — still a few thousand flights — for the year.

Nastro says this will likely hit “oversaturated” routes to popular destinations like Orlando or Las Vegas in addition to more obscure airports.

Delta Airlines is also waiting on a new fleet of Boeing Max 10 jets, but CEO Ed Bastian recently told Bloomberg that the order could be delayed until 2027.

Alaska Airlines said in a statement that the flyer remains “committed to Boieng” at this time, despite having full flight capacity “in flux,” company documents from March show .

The Irish airline Ryanair has 400 of its 600 planes made by Boeing and has 210 brand new Max 8 planes on the way. Initially, 57 were expected for June but that number was slashed to 40.

Now, the airline is removing flights from ten routes from July to September while also hiking ticket prices by 10%, CEO Michael O’Leary said last month . That’s on top of a recent 17% cost raise from last year.

Another way to try and mitigate damage is by many airlines flying dated “workhorses” in the sky, according to Gunnar Olson, a flight-deal analyst.

“Most travelers will not notice how old the plane is,” he said. “The flying experience is pretty much the same.”

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FAA to ramp up oversight of United Airlines after multiple incidents

T he Federal Aviation Administration will increase oversight of United Airlines following several safety incidents that have drawn national media attention, an airline executive told employees in a memo Friday .

“Over the next several weeks, we will begin to see more of an FAA presence in our operation as they begin to review some of our work processes, manuals and facilities,” said Sasha Johnson, United’s vice president of corporate safety. “We welcome their engagement and are very open to hear from them about what they find and their perspective on things we may need to change to make us even safer.”

Johnson said the FAA would pause certification activities for “a period of time,” adding that the airline would learn more information soon from the FAA about which “activities” the FAA was referring to.

The memo was first obtained by and reported on by the Wall Street Journal . Johnson told employees that the FAA agreed that the airline needs to “take an even closer look at multiple areas of our operation to ensure we are doing all we can to promote and drive safety compliance.”

“We have a strong safety culture at United,” said Johnson. “Still, the number of safety-related events in recent weeks have rightfully caused us to pause and evaluate whether there is anything we can and should do differently.”

The action from the FAA comes on the heels of at least 10 incidents within the last three weeks involving the Chicago-based airline. The  latest incident on Monday saw a United Airlines plane bound for Japan return to its gate at San Francisco International Airport due to engine issues. Within the last three weeks, United planes have rolled off a runway, experienced hydraulics issues, lost a wheel during takeoff, and experienced engine failure and other unspecified maintenance issues . 

It’s the second time this week airline executives have acknowledged the recent safety incidents. In a letter to customers on Monday, March 18, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said “our team is reviewing the details of each case to understand what happened and using those insights to inform our safety training and procedures across all employee groups.”

“While they are all unrelated, I want you to know that these incidents have our attention and have sharpened our focus,” Kirby said.

On Friday, some Congressional representatives, including Anna Eshoo and Kevin Mullin, sent a letter to Michael Whitaker, FAA administrator, and Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, requesting information about how each agency will respond to recent airline incidents across the country.

The letter referenced several incidents involving United Airlines planes, such as on March 15, when a flight from SFO to Medford, Ore., landed and crews discovered the external panel was missing. They also referenced other incidents, such as when a United flight heading to Florida was forced to make an emergency landing when an engine caught fire mid-flight earlier this month and when a United plane landed at SFO with a hydraulic leak and “small amount of smoke” on March 14. The letter also referenced the Alaska Airlines door blowout incident that occurred in January on a flight from Portland, Ore., to Ontario (San Bernardino County). 

“These most recent incidents point to the need for a broader look at airplane maintenance and safety issues,” the lawmakers wrote. The group requested information about whether any recent airline incidents were related, whether any of the aircraft involved in the incidents were overdue for maintenance and whether additional crew training was needed. 

“These events amount to an extremely troubling pattern that we believe may pose a major safety risk to passengers and bystanders on the ground alike,” the lawmakers wrote.

Reach Jordan Parker:  [email protected] ; Twitter: @jparkerwrites

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Flying with pets? Here's what to know.

By Anne Marie Lee

Edited By Alain Sherter

Updated on: April 6, 2024 / 10:08 AM EDT / CBS News

Thinking of taking your dog or cat with you the next time you fly? For a growing percentage of the 90.5 million pet owners in the U.S., the answer is yes. But while the notion of boarding a plane with your pet may seem simple, the rules and restrictions around traveling with an animal can be confusing. 

Eight major U.S. airlines allow pets to fly in-cabin as carry-ons. But flying with your pet takes research and planning, as pet policies vary from airline to airline, are steeped in restrictions, and are limited to specific countries and cities. You'll also have to pay an extra fee for your pet ranging from $95 to $200, depending on the airline and where you're flying. And restrictions often change.

For example, American Airlines  recently revised its policies  so passengers flying with pets may also bring one full-size carry-on or personal item. But the carrier prohibits carry-on pets on transatlantic and transpacific flights. Here's what you need to know when considering taking your fur baby with you on a plane.

Cargo, check-in or carry-on?

Most airlines offer three options for transporting animals: cargo, check-in or carry-on. But if your pet is larger than a bread box, your options are limited to the cargo or baggage check-in options, with very few exceptions. 

Given that large canine breeds such as Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers are among the most popular dogs in the country, the size restriction for in-cabin pet travel can be a major frustration for those who would rather not fly at all if that means putting their pet in cargo. 

A 2023 Forbes Adviser survey of 10,000 U.S. dog owners found that 33% of respondents fly with their pets, while 37% listed not being able to bring their dog on a plane as their biggest annoyance. (You can learn more about the differences between cargo, check-in and carry-on options  here , including warnings about the  dangers  involved when pets travel in the cargo hold.) 

Carry-on pets

Even for pet owners whose animals are small enough to fly as a carry-on, traveling is no breeze.

"When I fly with him I have to go to the desk," Margaret Rauch, 44, told CBS MoneyWatch, referring to her 15-pound poodle mix, Soda. The New York City resident has taken Soda on dozens of flights to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Soda, now 4, was being fostered by a friend after being found as a stray puppy in 2021. 

In addition to calling the airline in advance to register her dog for a flight, Rauch has to check in at the counter whenever she's traveling with Soda, so the airline agent can confirm her dog and pet carrier conform to the in-cabin pet requirements and that the flight hasn't already met its pet maximum. 

Rauch, who said she would never consider putting Soda in cargo, applauded American Airlines' new policy, while noting that in her experience the one carry-on rule was rarely enforced. 

"I feel the price is already high for what I get. Even with AA's rule change, I lose the underseat space," she said. "My dog creates no extra work for anyone."

Despite the added preparation, paperwork and hassle involved in flying with Soda — not to mention the unfriendly looks she occasionally detects from fellow passengers at the sight of her pet carrier — Rauch said, "It's absolutely worth it." 

Asked how the experience could be improved, she pointed to early boarding for pet owners as something that would help.

"If you can get in early, get a seat and settle down, that is an accommodation I don't expect to see anytime soon but I think it makes sense," Rauch said.

Safety and comfort

For the many Americans who see their pets practically as family members, one of the most challenging aspects of flying is ensuring their animal's comfort and safety. 

"The increasing humanization of pets, which involves treating them as part of the family rather than as mere animals, has increased the demand for pet travel services that are of high quality and can be customized to meet the specific needs of each pet," LinkedIn reported in December.

Among other tips, the U.S. Department of Transportation  and animal experts recommend that you not feed your pet four to six hours before a flight and limit their water intake. Others also suggest keeping bottled water on hand at all times. Additionally, most airlines require certain vaccination and vet certification that your pet is healthy enough to fly. Individual countries also have their own requirements for pets to enter.  

Not surprisingly, some airlines do better than others at handling pets. One of the best-rated carriers for pet travel is Alaska Airlines, which has repeatedly topped rankings, such as NerdWallet's Most pet-friendly airlines of 2024.  In recent years, the airline also has maintained one of the industry's lowest incident ratings, according to Veterinarians.org. United Airlines and Delta are among the airlines with the highest incident rates, according to the pet information website. 

On Rauch's first plane trip with Soda traveling home to New York, a layover in Miami led to the flight sitting on the tarmac for two hours. Calming treats are something that helps keeps her dog relaxed on flights. She also withholds Soda's food and limits his water intake up to five hours before a flight, which is also helpful given that he doesn't like using pet relief areas, which she said generally smell of urine and can be overwhelming for dogs. Flights between New York City and St. Croix are generally under six hours. 

"I'm not sure how I'd handle a flight to Singapore," Rauch said.

Here's a rundown of U.S. airlines' pet travel policies, along with fees and and restrictions:

Alaska Airlines

Pet fee: $100

Pets allowed: Dogs and cats are the only pets allowed in-cabin on international trips and flights to Hawaii. Domesticated rabbits and small household birds are allowed as carry-on on domestic flights.

Destinations: Domestic and international, with additional requirements and documentation required for  pets traveling to Hawaii  or  internationally .

See Alaska's full pet policy here .

American Airlines

Pet fee: $150

Pets allowed: Dogs, cats

Destinations: 

• Within the 48 contiguous U.S.
• The U.S. and Canada*
• Puerto Rico

*Additional special restrictions may apply. See American's full pet policy  here .

Pet fee: $75-$200, depending on destination

Pets allowed: Dogs, cats, household birds

Pet friendly destinations: 

• U.S., Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
• International destinations with the exception of Australia, U.K., Republic of Ireland and others .

Pets are not permitted on flights to Hawaii. See Delta's full pet policy here .

Frontier Airlines 

Pet fee: $99

Pets allowed: Dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and household birds

Destinations: Domestic flights and international flights to and from the Dominican Republic and Mexico.

See Frontier's full pet policy here .

Pet fee: $125

Destinations: Domestic and international. See exceptions for international flights here .

See JetBlue's full pet policy here .

Southwest Airlines

Pet fee: $125 per pet carrier on the U.S. mainland; $35 per pet carrier between Hawaiian Islands

Destinations: Domestic U.S. flights only. For travel to Puerto Rico, specific requirements may  apply . For Hawaii travel, see rules and regulations here.

See Southwest's full pet policy here .

Spirit Airlines

Pets allowed: Dogs, cats, birds (with the exception of flights to or from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) or rabbits (with the exception of flights to or from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands).

Destinations: Domestic flights including Puerto Rico and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

See Spirit's full pet policy here .

United Airlines

Destinations: Domestic and international flights with a list of exceptions. United does not allow pets to fly to, from or through certain states and countries. View the list here .

See United's full pet policy here .

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• Racial and Ethnic Diversity
• LGBTQ+ Diversity
• People with Disabilities
• Veterans and the Military
• Sustainability
• Awards & Recognition
• Global Partners

Delta’s people-first culture continues to be recognized, earning the airline a spot on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For ® list for the fifth year. Delta is the only airline included on the 2024 list.  

Great Place To Work, an esteemed expert in workplace culture, supports the selection process each year for Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For. Employee feedback is a key driver in the process, which recognizes employers who provide a great company culture. Read more on  Delta's Great Place to Work page .  

“Delta people fuel our success and are the reason we are the most-awarded airline,” said CEO Ed Bastian. “This recognition is a testament to what we can achieve by listening and working as a team to continuously improve the workplace experience for all 100,000 Delta people.”  

The input Delta people provided through last year’s GPTW Trust Index Survey was crucial to earning this coveted recognition. This feedback, along with GPTW’s evaluation, highlights the many ways Delta invests in its people.  

Delta is committed to providing industry-leading total rewards for industry-leading performance and regularly invests in employees’ financial, emotional, physical and social wellbeing. Recent examples include: 

Earlier this year, Delta paid out $1.4 billion in profit sharing to employees worldwide. The Shared Rewards program provides the opportunity to earn up to $1,200 annually based on meeting operational goals.   

Delta’s Emergency Savings Program helps boost emergency savings with up to $1,000 in contributions from Delta. 

All Delta employees and their household members have access to mental health support at no charge through Spring Health. 

Partnerships with Maven and Progyny provide family building and comprehensive fertility benefits to support family-building journeys. Progyny has supported nearly 1,700 Delta people on their fertility and family planning journeys, and since January 2023, 88 children have been born. 

By implementing a skills-first approach and eliminating college degree requirements, Delta people have more equitable career growth opportunities. 

“Delta’s culture of care starts with our people,” said E.V.P. and Chief People Officer Joanne Smith. “When we take care of our people, they extend that care to our customers, who become loyal to Delta, which takes care of the company and Delta’s shareholders. It’s the virtuous circle in action that helps us keep climbing.”  

GPTW Trust Index 

A randomized sample of approximately 25,000 U.S.-based Delta people with representation across divisions and functions were asked to participate in the 2023 Trust Index survey administered by GPTW. The independent survey asks employees to share their voice and provide their honest opinions about different aspects of working at Delta. This survey assesses Delta’s strengths and challenges and complements our internal surveys to help us continuously improve the work experience for our people. 

America’s most awarded airline 

Delta is consistently recognized for excellence in workplace culture, customer experience, operational performance and more. The airline continues to earn accolades, with other recent recognition including:    

Earning a spot on  Fast Company’s list of the Most Innovative Companies  for the fifth time in seven years.  

Ascending to No. 11 on this year’s list of  Fortune’s Worlds Most Admired Companies , ranking higher than any other airline on the Top 50 list. Delta also was ranked No. 1 among the list of Most Admired Airlines.  

Being named to the 2024 Forbes Customer Experience All-Stars list. The coveted list recognizes the top brands that consumers ranked highest with respect to the company’s products, services and treatment of customers.   

Being rated No. 1 by travel pros in the annual Business Travel News Airline Survey for the thirteenth year in a row.   

LEARN MORE :  Awards & Recognition    

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Engine cover falls off Boeing plane, hits wing flap; Southwest flight returns to Denver airport

A Southwest Airlines plane heading to Houston turned back to Denver International Airport on Sunday morning after an engine covering fell off the Boeing plane and hit the plane's wing flap, officials said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the Boeing 737-800 plane returned to Denver safely around 8:15 a.m. local time and was towed to the gate.

The agency said it would investigate the incident. The plane's crew reported that engine cowling fell off during takeoff and struck the wing flap, the FAA said.

In a statement to USA TODAY, Southwest said passengers arrived in Houston on another aircraft, about three hours behind schedule.

"We apologized to those Customers for the inconvenience of their delay and our Maintenance teams are reviewing the aircraft. We place our highest priority on ultimate Safety for our Customers and Employees," the airline said in a statement.

According to data from FlightAware.com , the initial flight had taken off around 7:40 a.m. and was expected to land around 10:10 a.m.

Latest plane emergency landing

CBS News reported that the incident could be heard on air traffic control recordings.

"Let's go ahead and declare an emergency for Southwest 3695, and we'd like an immediate return," an air traffic control official could be heard saying on the recording, the outlet reported. "We've got a piece of the engine cowling hanging off apparently."

This is the latest in a string of recent incidents, where a plane has had to make an emergency landing due to mechanical issues. Late Thursday, a Southwest Airlines flight, a Boeing 737 plane, was preparing to depart to Las Vegas from Lubbock, Texas but returned to the gate before takeoff for a reported engine fire.