According to the Delta Airlines website, pets can fly on domestic and international flights in a carry-on or checked baggage kennel. While a full-price passenger ticket is not required for your pet travel mate, there are fees for pets, as well as requirements for health certification (in some states), Delta-regulated rules and requirements, such as size of carrier, number of pets per cabin, type of pets that can travel and restrictions for pets flying to Hawaii.
For an additional fee of $125, pets such as dogs, cats and household birds can be carried on a Delta airline flight as a carry-on item. This includes flights to the United States and Canada, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. For flights outside the U.S., pets can fly as a carry-on item for a fee of $200, with the exception of Brazil, which requires a $75 fee.
In order to be taken on a plane as a carry-on item, pets must be in a carrier that fits under the airline's seat. Due to different plane sizes within Delta's fleet, pet owners can contact the Delta prior to the flight to obtain information on carrier sizes for various aircraft. Pets, which must be 8 weeks old to fly, must remain inside the kennel while on board, and are the only carry-on item that is permitted. Only one pet can fly per passenger, with no more than two pets total in first class or business elite, and four pets total in the main cabin. Hawaii is the only state that restricts a pet traveling as a carry-on.
Pets such as cats, dogs, household birds, guinea pigs, rabbits and hamsters qualify to fly as checked baggage aboard Delta flights. Two kennels can be transported per flight, and all primates, with the exception of service animals, are not permitted. A one-way price of $200 is charged for pets traveling as checked baggage to Canada, the U.S. and Europe, while pets traveling to Brazil and Asia are charged $150 and $230 respectively for one-way tickets.
Depending on the state in which you are traveling, you may be required to obtain a pet health certificate prior to travel on a Delta flight. In the European Union, official health certificates are required from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the APHIS, or Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Division of Veterinary Services. To obtain a health certificate, pet owners can take their pet to a USDA/APHIS/VS veterinarian, who will verify the pet is in good health, parasite-free, and vaccinated.
If a pet is changing planes from a Delta aircraft to another airline, such as a connection flight, Delta requires that each carrier's rules are followed. In addition, plenty of time should be scheduled between connecting flights so that the pet can be transferred in time (either as a checked bag, or as a carry-on item). Some airlines have restrictions that are more strict than Delta, so checking with all airlines involved before travel is necessary.
