Pets are a part of your Ohana and their comfort and safety are important to us. Due to FAA mandated carry-on luggage size restrictions and State or Government mandated quarantine restrictions, there are times when your pet may not be able to be stowed safely in cabin with you. For those times, we will be happy to accommodate your pet in our pressurized, temperature-controlled cargo compartments of our aircraft.
If your pet is a household bird, rest assured that we accept birds as check-in pets, too. For more information, click here.
To see if your dog or cat qualifies to travel with you in cabin, click here.
If you’re traveling with a certified Service Animal, you’ll find more information here.
Making Reservations
Pets Traveling as Checked Baggage
Dogs and cats are welcomed to fly with us traveling in the cargo compartment between North America, the State of Hawaii and for travel between the Neighbor Islands. Pet reservations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Based on aircraft type, space available for pets are limited. We encourage you to call Hawaiian Airlines Reservations to check availability and reserve a space for your pet.
| Aircraft | Maximum Pets |
|---|---|
| ATR 42-500 | 1 pet per flight |
| Boeing B717 | 3 pets per flight |
| Boeing B767 | 3 pets per flight |
| Airbus A330 | 3 pets per flight |
Pets Traveling as Cargo (Large or Unaccompanied Pets)
Does one of the situations below apply to you and your pet?
- Your pet is traveling with a passenger and pet and kennel exceed a combined weight limit of 70 lbs (32 kg), or
- Your pet is traveling unaccompanied.
If so and you’re the owner or shipper, call our Hawaiian Airlines Cargo department to book a reservation. Our cargo agents are available Monday to Friday between 7:00AM and 6:00PM (HST) and Saturday and Sunday between 7:00AM and 1:00PM (HST).
International Travel
Thinking of taking your pet to a non-U.S. destination? Call Hawaiian Airlines Reservations for accepted routes and travel document requirements, or see our International Contract of Carriage for more info.
Booking Restrictions
Hawaiian Airlines will only accept checked pets on direct flights to/from North America and the State of Hawaii.
Due to embargo periods and other State or Government restrictions, we may prohibit the carriage of checked animals on flights:
- Where the local temperature at the origin, destination or connection airport exceeds 85°F (29°C), or falls below 45°F (7°C)
- To and from Las Vegas (LAS), Phoenix (PHX), San Jose (SJC) and Sacramento (SMF) during our Pet Embargo period of Apr 15 to Oct 15 each year
- To and from New York (JFK), EXCEPT if your pet is a certified Service Animal
- Connecting to another airline carrier. EXCEPT pets transferring to/from a Hawaiian Airlines or Ohana by Hawaiian flight.
If we cannot accept your pet for a flight due to temperature restrictions, you can rebook on the next available flight that can accommodate both you and your pet. Hawaiian Airlines will waive any applicable fare differences or date change penalties, as long as you rebook in the same fare class (First, Business or Main Cabin) as your original ticket.
Breed Restrictions
Hawaiian Airlines restricts the transportation of the following snub-nosed dogs and cat breeds.
| Snub-Nosed Dog Breeds | Snub-Nosed Cat Breeds |
|---|---|
| American Staffordshire Terrier | Burmese |
| American Pit Bull Terrier | Exotic |
| Boston Terrier | Himalayan |
| Boxer | Persian |
| Brussels Griffon | |
| Bulldogs | |
| Bull Mastiff | |
| Bull Terrier | |
| Chow Chow | |
| Dutch Pug | |
| English Bulldog | |
| Japanese Pug | |
| Japanese Spaniel Chin | |
| Lhasa Apso | |
| Pekingese | |
| Pit Bull | |
| Pug | |
| Shar Pei | |
| Shih Tzu | |
| Staffordshire Bull Terrier |
Note: Hawaiian Airlines airport agents may make exceptions if the pet’s owner or shipper signs a waiver.
For more information on our pet acceptance policies, see our Domestic / International Contract of Carriage.
Check-In Pet Fees
How much is your pet’s travel fee? Hawaiian Airlines charges per kennel for each direction traveled. If you decide to add in a stopover along the way, you’ll pay separate pet fees to and from your stopover point. All fees are subject to change.
| Check-in Pet (Per kennel, one-way) | |
|---|---|
| Neighbor Island | $60 |
| Hawaii to North America | $225 |
| North America to Hawaii | $225 w/ quarantine restrictions |
| International | $225 *Please call Hawaiian Airlines Reservations for accepted routes |
Pet Kennels: What you need to know
Sizes and Weights
How big is your pet carrier?
Due to different cargo compartment sizes on each aircraft, Hawaiian Airlines can accept the following maximum size dimensions for each kennel:
| Aircraft | Max Weight (Pet and Kennel combined) |
Max Linear Size Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
|
ATR 42-500 |
70 lbs (32kg) |
40" length x 27" width x 30" height |
|
Boeing B717 |
70 lbs (32kg) |
40" length x 27" width x 30" height |
| Boeing B767 | 70 lbs (32kg) | 48" length x 32" width x 35" height |
| Airbus A330 | 70 lbs (32kg) | 48" length x 32" width x 35" height |
Pet Kennel Specifics
Hawaiian Airlines does not supply any equipment for the transportation of an animal. You’ll need to supply your own kennel labeled with your name, address and contact phone number at your destination. Hawaiian Airlines does not accept P.O. box addresses.
The animal kennel must:
- Be a hard-sided plastic kennel approved for airline transportation
- Our agents will not accept a soft-sided, collapsible kennel or all-wire cage
- Have adequate handholds to enable lifting without coming in contact with your pet
- Have a protecting rim of 3/4 inch so that the ventilation openings will not be blocked if the kennel is placed next to a solid surface
- Have a securely fastened door and any latching mechanisms must be accident-proof
- Be labeled with your name, address and contact phone number at destination.
Keeping Your Pet Comfortable
To ensure the safety and comfort of your pet:
- You may have only 1 animal per kennel
Exception: Up to 2 puppies or kittens (fully weaned and between 8 weeks and 6 months old) may be carried in one kennel, provided they do not exceed a total weight of 25 lbs
- There should not be a leash or restraining device attached to your pet
- Place a drip water bottle in the kennel (Hawaiian Airlines does not provide food or water for pets)
- Have an absorbent material (blanket, towel, shredded paper, absorbent pad) in the kennel
- Ensure your pet is harmless, inoffensive, odor-less and will not require attention during the flight.
Travel Documents: What you’ll need
Will my pet need travel documents?
Required documentation may be required based on State or Government restrictions. Read on to learn more about what documentation is required based on your travel route.
| Route | Required Travel Documents |
|---|---|
| Within the State of Hawaii |
|
|
Hawaii to North America |
For General Import Information and other details, call the Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health at 970-494-7200. |
|
North America to Hawaii |
|
|
Hawaii to International |
|
|
International to Hawaii |
|
Note: Health certificates must be signed/issued by a licensed/certified veterinarian. Health certificates are valid for 30 days after original departure date. If a return flight is more than 30 days after the original departure date, the passenger will need to obtain a new health certificate, dated within 10 days of the return for Hawaii→North America flights and 14 days of the return for North America→Hawaii flights. Service animals are also required to meet all heath certificate and quarantine clearance requirements.
Hawaii’s Animal Quarantine: What dog and cat owners need to know
Did you know that Hawaii has zero rabies? No cases at all. To keep it that way, the State of Hawaii has strict quarantine laws. If you’re transporting a dog or cat from North America to Hawaii, see which quarantine restrictions apply.
Pet Check-In and Pick-Up
It’s the day of your flight—you have your air transport-approved kennel, your pet travel documents (if needed) and your pet check-in reserved. Now what?
Pet Check-in
When you get to the airport, please check in for your flight at the Ticket Counter, as Web, Kiosk and Mobile check-in is NOT available for guests traveling with animals. Please have all required documentation ready for the check-in agent.
Pet Pick-up
Honolulu (HNL)
All live pets arriving into Honolulu (HNL) will be taken to the Animal Quarantine holding station at the Honolulu airport. Please contact 808-837-8092.
Kahului (OGG), Lihue (LIH) and Kona (KOA)
Upon arrival, domestic dogs, cats and household birds must be cleared by a third-party veterinarian who is certified by the State of Hawaii Animal Industry Division - Animal Quarantine. Once cleared, you may pick up your pet at Baggage Claim.
State of Hawaiian Direct Animal Release Entry permits are required for direct flights from North America to Kahului, Lihue and Kailua-Kona. Hawaiian Airlines will not accept any animal for travel without this permit.
North America
Please pick up your pet at Baggage Claim.