Sun Country Airlines Pet Policy: Rules, Fees, Carriers

Sun Country Airlines keeps its pet program simple, and that simplicity is the whole story. The Minneapolis-based low-cost carrier carries small dogs and cats in the passenger cabin only. It does not transport pets in the cargo hold, which means there is no option for a large dog. If your pet plus its carrier is too heavy to fit under the seat, Sun Country is not the airline for that trip. Below is a plain-English breakdown of the rules, the fees, and the fine print to confirm before you book.

One caution up front: airline pet rules and fees change often, and Sun Country runs a smaller, seasonal route network than the big four carriers. Every figure here is approximate and drawn from Sun Country's published policy and reputable pet-travel trackers like BringFido. Verify the current numbers and route eligibility on suncountry.com or with reservations before you pay for anything.

Cabin only: no cargo, no large dogs

The single most important fact about Sun Country's pet policy is that it is in-cabin only. Sun Country does not offer a cargo or checked-pet service, so animals can only travel if they are small enough to ride in an approved carrier stowed under the seat in front of you. There is no path to fly a medium or large dog on this airline, full stop. Travelers with bigger dogs typically look at airlines that still run cargo pet programs, or at ground pet transport instead. If you are weighing cabin versus other options, our overview of flying with a dog in the cabin walks through what fits and what does not.

Only domesticated dogs and cats are accepted. Other species are generally not eligible as in-cabin pets, so do not assume a rabbit, bird, or other small animal qualifies without confirming directly with the airline.

Sun Country pet rules at a glance

Here are the headline rules in one place. Treat the numbers as a starting point, not gospel, because sources differ slightly and Sun Country updates its policy without much fanfare.

Size and weight: the under-seat test

Your pet has to fit in a carrier that slides under the seat in front of you and stays there for the whole flight. Published carrier maximums commonly land around 17.5 inches long by 12 inches wide by 8.5 inches tall, though some trackers list a smaller figure closer to 16 by 11 by 8 inches. Because of that spread, do not buy a carrier to the exact published maximum without checking the current number on suncountry.com first.

The combined weight of the pet and the carrier is also limited, with sources citing somewhere in the 16 to 20 lb range. Sun Country, like most carriers, expects a soft-sided carrier with a leak-proof bottom and ventilation on at least two sides, and the pet must be able to stand up and turn around comfortably inside. A well-fitted bag matters more than people expect; our guide to the best airline-approved dog carrier covers what actually passes the gate-agent check.

What it costs

Expect a pet fee of roughly $125 per flight segment when you arrange the pet in advance, according to Sun Country's published pricing as summarized by pet-travel trackers. A walk-up request at the airport is typically more expensive, often cited around $199, and only honored if the flight's pet cap has not already been reached. "Per segment" matters: a connecting itinerary can mean paying the fee twice, once for each leg.

These figures are not guaranteed and can change at any time. Confirm the exact advance and walk-up fees, and whether they apply per segment or per direction, when you call to add your pet. If you are price-shopping across carriers, it helps to compare against budget peers like Southwest, Allegiant Air, and Alaska Airlines, which all run their own in-cabin programs at different price points.

How to book a pet on Sun Country

Cabin pet spots are limited, commonly reported as a cap of around four pets per flight, and they are handled on a first-come basis. Because of that, do not assume you can simply show up with a carrier. The reliable approach is to contact Sun Country reservations after you book your own ticket and add the pet to the reservation while a spot is still open.

• Book your own seat first, then call reservations to add the pet as early as possible.
• Have your pet's weight and your carrier's dimensions ready so the agent can confirm eligibility.
• Ask whether the fee is charged per segment, and get the total for connecting flights.
• Confirm the route is pet-eligible, since not every Sun Country route accepts pets.
• Re-check the policy close to departure in case rules or fees changed after you booked.

Routes and destinations with restrictions

Pets are only accepted on select flights within the United States. Sun Country's published policy excludes international flights and flights to or from Anchorage. That rules out leisure destinations the airline serves seasonally, including Mexico, Costa Rica, and other international beach routes, where pet import rules and quarantine requirements would apply anyway.

Hawaii deserves a special note. Hawaii enforces strict rabies-quarantine and animal-import rules that go well beyond any airline's policy, so even where a carrier does fly pets to the islands, you face a separate state process with advance paperwork and timing requirements. Do not plan a Hawaii pet trip around an airline page alone; check the state's animal-import program directly. For any eligible domestic route, confirm with Sun Country that the specific city pair accepts pets before you pay the fee.

Health paperwork and snub-nosed breeds

For domestic in-cabin travel, airlines often do not require a health certificate, but some destinations and some situations do, and requirements can change. The safe move is to ask Sun Country whether your specific route needs a veterinary health certificate, and to confirm any state-level entry rules at your destination. Bringing a recent vet record is rarely a mistake even when it is not strictly required.

Owners of brachycephalic, or snub-nosed, breeds should take extra care. Flat-faced dogs like French Bulldogs, Pugs, and Boston Terriers, and cats like Persians, are more prone to breathing and heat stress, which is one reason cargo pet programs across the industry restricted or banned them. Cabin travel avoids the worst of those risks because the pet is in the climate-controlled cabin with you, but the underlying breathing sensitivity does not disappear. If you have a snub-nosed pet, talk to your vet before flying and keep the cabin carrier well ventilated.

Service dogs versus emotional support animals

Trained service dogs are not pets and are handled under federal rules, not the pet program. Under the U.S. Department of Transportation's service animal regulations, airlines may require the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form, and a qualifying service dog travels in the cabin at no charge. Sun Country follows these federal requirements, so expect to complete the DOT form in advance.

Emotional support animals are a different story. Since the DOT rule change that took effect in early 2021, airlines are no longer required to treat ESAs as service animals. In practice that means an emotional support animal now travels as a regular pet on Sun Country, subject to the same size, carrier, fee, and route rules above, and is no longer free. If your animal previously flew as an ESA, plan for the pet fee and the under-seat carrier this time. Our explainer on flying with an emotional support animal covers what changed and what still works.

Is Sun Country a good choice for your pet?

Sun Country works well for one specific traveler: someone flying a small dog or cat on a domestic route the airline serves, who can fit pet plus carrier under the weight cap and into an under-seat bag. The advance fee is competitive with other budget carriers, and cabin travel keeps your pet with you the whole way.

It is the wrong choice if you have a medium or large dog, since there is no cargo option, or if you are flying internationally or to Anchorage. For those trips, look at carriers with cargo programs or at dedicated ground transport. Whatever you decide, confirm the live policy on suncountry.com before booking, because the numbers in this guide are approximate and the airline can revise them at any time.