Aer Lingus does not let pets fly in the cabin. It carries domestic cats and dogs only, in the aircraft hold, and only when they are booked through a pet agent at IAG Cargo, the cargo arm of Aer Lingus's parent group. If you turn up at an Aer Lingus check-in desk with a pet, it will not be accepted under any circumstances. Animals must be at least 15 weeks old, and no live animals fly on the airline's A321neo LR aircraft because their holds are not ventilated.
This guide is built from Aer Lingus's own travelling with pets page, read in November 2026. Aer Lingus flies between Ireland and many US cities, so most people asking about its pet policy are moving a cat or dog across the Atlantic, in one direction or the other.
Aer Lingus pet rules at a glance
| Rule | What Aer Lingus says |
|---|---|
| Animals accepted | Domestic cats and dogs only |
| Pets in the cabin | No (trained service dogs only) |
| Pets in the hold | Yes, booked through an IAG Cargo pet agent |
| Booking at the check-in desk | Never accepted |
| Minimum age | 15 weeks |
| Aircraft excluded | A321neo LR (hold not ventilated) |
| Aer Lingus Regional (Emerald Airlines) | No pets |
| Breeds | Some dangerous and snub-nosed breeds may be refused |
| Weight and crate limits | Set by IAG Cargo |
No pets in the cabin
Aer Lingus has no in-cabin pet option. A small cat in a soft carrier is treated the same as a large dog: it flies in the hold, booked as cargo. The only animals that travel in the passenger cabin are trained service dogs, which follow a separate disability assistance process. If you were hoping to keep a small pet at your feet on a flight to or from Ireland, Aer Lingus is not the airline for that.
How booking works through IAG Cargo
Pets must be booked for carriage in the hold through a pet agent at IAG Cargo, which handles cargo for Aer Lingus, British Airways and Iberia. The agent you book with arranges to meet you at the airport on the day of your flight, so you and the pet travel on the same aircraft but the pet goes through the cargo process rather than the passenger desk.
From North America, Aer Lingus points owners to IAG Cargo's North American Pet Desk on 1 (866) 300-4004, open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern, or by email at petdesk@iagcargo.com. Call early. Space for live animals on each flight is limited, and the agent needs time to check your paperwork, the crate and the destination rules. The fee is quoted by the agent rather than published by Aer Lingus, so ask for the full cost in writing. IAG Cargo publishes its own live animal service details.
Minimum age and breed limits
Animals must be at least 15 weeks old to fly. That rules out very young puppies and kittens, and in practice the destination's rabies rules usually push the minimum age higher anyway. Aer Lingus also warns that some dangerous dog breeds and snub-nosed breeds of cats and dogs may not be accepted. Flat-faced breeds have a higher risk of breathing problems in the hold, which is why most airlines restrict them. Our guide to the snub-nosed flying ban explains the risks and the alternatives.
The A321neo LR exclusion
No live animals can be carried on Aer Lingus's A321neo LR aircraft, because their cargo holds are not ventilated. Aer Lingus uses this narrower long-range aircraft on some transatlantic routes, so this rule can decide whether your pet can fly on your chosen flight at all. Before you buy tickets, ask IAG Cargo which aircraft operates the flight and whether pets can be carried on it. If the route only uses the A321neo LR, you may need a different routing or a different date.
Aer Lingus Regional
Flights sold as Aer Lingus Regional, operated by Emerald Airlines, do not carry pets. If any part of your journey is an Aer Lingus Regional flight, for example a connection within Ireland or to the UK, the pet cannot travel on that leg. Check the operating carrier on every leg of your booking.
Other airlines on the same booking
If any flight on your itinerary is operated by a different airline, Aer Lingus says to contact that airline directly about its pet policy. Codeshares and connections can mix rules, and a pet that is fine on the Aer Lingus leg can be refused on the next one.
Crates and weight limits
Maximum weight limits apply to both the animal and the container, and Aer Lingus refers owners to IAG Cargo for the exact figures. Expect a rigid, ventilated airline crate that lets the animal stand, turn around and lie down, built to the IATA live animal standards. Our guide to cargo versus in-cabin travel covers crate sizing and preparation.
What the day of travel looks like
Because the pet is booked as cargo, you will not hand it over at the passenger desk. The IAG Cargo agent arranges a time and place to meet you at the airport, checks the animal, the crate and the documents, and takes the pet through the cargo process. You then check in as normal. On arrival, the pet is collected through the cargo or animal reception process rather than the baggage belt, so ask the agent exactly where and when to pick it up, and allow time for the arrival checks in Ireland or the US.
Getting the crate right
Most refusals at the cargo counter come down to the crate. Buy a rigid plastic or fibreglass crate with ventilation on several sides, a secure metal door, and enough room for the pet to stand with its head up and turn around. Fix a water bowl that can be filled from outside, line the floor with absorbent bedding, and label the crate with your details. Leave the crate open at home for a few weeks so the pet goes in on its own. Our guide to crate training a dog for travel walks through the steps.
What it costs
Aer Lingus does not publish a pet fee, because pets are priced as cargo by IAG Cargo. The quote depends on the route and the size and weight of the crate. On top of that, budget for the crate itself, the microchip and rabies vaccination, any blood test the destination needs, the vet health certificate and its official endorsement, and any pet relocation company you use. Ask the agent whether the quote includes handling at both ends.
Bringing a pet into Ireland
All animals entering Ireland must comply with the EU pet travel rules, which the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine runs in Ireland. If you are coming from outside the EU, which includes the US and Great Britain, you must notify the Department at least 24 hours before departure by completing an advance notice form and booking a compliance check on arrival. At check-in you will need to show evidence that the compliance check has been scheduled.
If you transit another EU country first, the compliance check can sometimes be done at the first point of entry into the EU instead, and you should carry proof if it was. Keep every document for the animal, because you may be asked for it at several points in the journey. Pets must be travelling with their owner or a person the owner has authorised. The European Commission pet movement page explains the underlying EU rules, and our guide to pet transport to Ireland covers the microchip, rabies and health certificate steps.
Flying a dog from Ireland to the US
Dogs entering the US must meet the CDC rules in force since August 1, 2024: the CDC Dog Import Form, a microchip, and a minimum age of 6 months, with extra requirements if the dog has been in a high-risk rabies country in the previous six months. Ireland is not on the CDC high-risk list, but check the list for every country your dog has lived in recently. Aer Lingus's own page has a separate section on entering the US. See the CDC dog import page and our guide to importing a dog into the US.
Many people moving from Ireland to the US also book through a pet relocation company that handles the Irish export paperwork, the IAG Cargo booking and US arrival in one go. Our guide to pet transport from Europe to the US compares the routes.
Coming back to the US with a pet you took to Ireland
If you are taking a US pet to Ireland for a stay and bringing it home, plan the return before you leave. The dog will need the CDC Dog Import Form again on the way back, and its rabies vaccination must still be valid on the return date. If the vaccine will expire during the trip, a booster given in Ireland counts as a foreign vaccination under CDC rules, which brings different paperwork. Book the return through IAG Cargo at the same time as the outbound if you can, since space on popular dates fills up.
Cats on Aer Lingus
Cats follow the same rules as dogs on Aer Lingus: hold only, booked through IAG Cargo, at least 15 weeks old. Snub-nosed cat breeds such as Persians may be refused. For the US, cats do not need the CDC Dog Import Form, but they still need the paperwork the airline and the destination require.
Service dogs
Aer Lingus accepts trained service dogs travelling with passengers with a disability or reduced mobility. They travel in the cabin under the airline's disability assistance rules, and they must still meet the pet travel rules at your destination, including Ireland's advance notice and compliance check. Our guide to flying with a service dog covers what to prepare.
Emotional support animals
Aer Lingus's pet page describes service dogs and pets, and nothing else. An emotional support animal that is not a trained service dog should be treated as a pet, which means the hold through IAG Cargo.
Planning the timeline
Work backwards from your travel date. First confirm the destination's rules, because the rabies vaccination and any waiting period set the earliest date the pet can travel. Next call IAG Cargo to check the aircraft and space on your flight. Then book your own seat on the same flight, file Ireland's advance notice form if you are flying in, and book the vet visit for the health certificate inside the required window. Leaving the airline booking until the paperwork is done is the most common reason pets miss their flight, so make the IAG Cargo call one of the first things you do.
If your pet is refused
A pet can be turned away at the cargo counter if the crate is wrong, a document is missing or out of date, the animal looks unwell, or the flight changes to an aircraft that cannot carry animals. Keep the agent's contact details with you, and have a backup plan for the pet, such as a friend or a boarding kennel near the airport, in case you need to fly without it and send it on later.
Aer Lingus compared with other airlines to Ireland
Because Aer Lingus only carries pets as cargo, the experience is similar to using a pet shipper, just on the same plane as you. Owners who want a small pet in the cabin need to look at other airlines and other routings, bearing in mind that Ireland, like the UK, does not allow pets to arrive in the cabin on many routes. British Airways, also part of IAG, uses the same cargo service for pets. Our guide to pet transport from the UK to the US covers the neighbouring route.