Here's what I wish someone had told me before flying Alliance Air with a dog: the cabin has a firm 10 kg limit, and that number quietly decides everything about how you plan. Cooper is a 30 kg Golden, so I've done the cargo route more than once. If your dog is small enough for the cabin, you've got real options, but that weight cutoff is where every single decision starts.
Alliance Air's pet policy splits into cabin and cargo. This page summarizes the weight limits, fees, brachycephalic-breed restrictions, and carrier specifications for both modes — sourced from the airline's official pet pages.
How Alliance Air handles your pet
Each fact comes straight from the operator’s published policy. Tap the to read the exact wording; the opens the source page.
Service & assistance animals
Alliance Air requires cabin pet reservations at least 48 hours before departure. Book the pet slot the moment the ticket is confirmed, not at check-in. Call the airline directly to secure the in-cabin space within that 48-hour window. Miss the deadline and the cabin request cannot be processed. Confirm the booking reference lists the pet before travel day.
Alliance Air bars snub-nosed and flat-faced breeds from the cargo compartment. Confirm the breed's status before booking any hold travel. Owners of brachycephalic dogs must arrange an alternative, since the cargo hold stays closed to these breeds. Check the exact breed classification with the airline in writing. Do not assume a mixed-breed dog qualifies without written confirmation.
You've got the big pieces now: the cabin weight cap, the booking lead time, and the cargo breed rules. What trips people up is stitching those into one clear checklist for their own dog and route. That's exactly what Pawgo's plan-builder does. Enter your details and get a personalized plan built for your actual trip, with the timelines and paperwork laid out so nothing slips.
Glossary
- ISO chip
- ISO 11784/11785 — the universal microchip standard.
- FAVN
- Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization — a rabies serology test required by rabies-free destinations.
- Brachycephalic
- Snub-nosed breeds (French Bulldogs, Pugs, Persians, Himalayans) with restricted airline acceptance due to heat-stress risk.
- AVIH
- Animal Vehicle In Hold — IATA's term for cargo pet shipment, with fees that vary by carrier and route.