Volaris flies dogs and cats in two ways: in the cabin, in a carrier no larger than 17.5 x 12 x 7.5 inches that fits under the seat, or checked in the hold for heavier pets up to 100 pounds including the crate. Its fee sheet lists the in-cabin pet fee at up to $192 USD and the checked pet fee at up to $190 USD on international routes. Pets flying to the United States must be at least 6 months old, and Volaris bans a long list of large breeds outright, including German Shepherds, Rottweilers and Dobermans.
Volaris is one of the most common ways to fly a pet between the US and Mexico, which makes its rules worth reading closely. Everything below comes from Volaris's own fly with your pet page and its published fee sheets. For the country rules on each side of the border, see our guides to pet transport to Mexico and bringing a pet from Mexico to the US.
Volaris pet rules at a glance
| Rule | In the cabin | Checked (hold) |
|---|---|---|
| Animals accepted | Dogs and cats | Dogs and cats |
| Weight limit | Pet plus carrier up to 26 lb on the pet page (fee sheet says 22 lb) | Pet plus crate up to 100 lb (45 kg) |
| Carrier | Fabric, rigid plastic or bubble; max 17.5 x 12 x 7.5 in (44 x 30 x 19 cm) | Rigid, waterproof, ventilated, no wheels; max height 90 cm |
| Fee (USD fee sheet) | Up to $192 | Up to $190 |
| Animals per carrier / passenger | One per carrier, one per passenger on board | One per carrier |
| Seat | Dogs: window seat, not premium or exit. Cats: last-row window | Not applicable |
| Minimum age | 6 months to the US; 8 weeks to Mexico, Central and South America | Same |
| Pets per flight | Up to 16 (10 dogs, 6 cats); 6 on flights to or from Bogota | |
| Frontier-operated flights | No pet service, direct or connecting | |
Only dogs and cats
Volaris accepts dogs and cats only, both in the cabin and in the hold. It does not take puppies or kittens under 8 weeks, sick animals, aggressive animals, or pregnant females. It also asks that your pet has had no surgery within 5 days before the flight. Birds, rabbits and other small animals cannot fly Volaris as pets.
Flying in the cabin
For cabin travel, the carrier can be soft fabric, rigid plastic or a bubble-style backpack, as long as it measures no more than 44 x 30 x 19 cm (17.5 x 12 x 7.5 inches) and your pet can move inside it. It goes under the seat in front of you, and your other bags go in the overhead bin. Only one animal is allowed per carrier, and only one pet per passenger on board.
The weight limit is the detail where Volaris's own documents disagree. The current pet page says the pet and carrier together must not exceed 26 pounds. The USD fee sheet describes the cabin service as "up to 22 lbs (pet + kennel)". If your pet and carrier together are between 22 and 26 pounds, call Volaris before you book and ask which figure the airport will apply. Older third-party pages still quote 10 kg (22 pounds).
Seat rules: window seats only
Volaris is unusually specific about where you can sit. Dogs can travel at any window seat except premium seats and emergency exit rows. Cats are only allowed at a window seat in the last row of the plane. So if you are flying with a cat, choose that seat when you book, and expect to board and leave the aircraft from the back.
Flying checked in the hold
Heavier pets can fly as checked pets, up to 45 kg (100 pounds) for the pet and crate combined. The crate must be rigid, clean, waterproof and well ventilated, with no wheels, an escape-proof closure and lifting handles. Volaris sizes the crate from your pet's measurements: length is nose to base of tail plus a quarter of that length, width is twice the pet's widest point, and height can be no more than 90 cm. Label the crate with your name, phone number and address, and your pet's name, age and sex. Collect your pet promptly at baggage claim after landing.
Checked travel means your pet flies in the hold of your own flight, not as separate cargo. Our guide to pet cargo versus in-cabin travel explains how hold travel works and the risks to weigh before you choose it.
Banned breeds and breeds that need a waiver
Volaris refuses a long list of breeds it classes as dangerous or aggressive, both in the cabin and in the hold. The list includes Pit Bull (all types), Staffordshire Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Shar Pei, Boxer, Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, Bullmastiff, Akita Inu, American Akita, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Anatolian Shepherd, Doberman, Rottweiler, Japanese Tosa, Dogue de Bordeaux, Neapolitan Mastiff, Presa Canario, German Shepherd and Italian Mastiff.
A second list covers breeds Volaris does not recommend for flying, mainly snub-nosed and very small breeds such as Pugs, Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, Shih Tzus, Persian cats, Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers and Dachshunds. These can fly, but you must sign a liability waiver at the counter. Our guide to snub-nosed breeds and flying explains why airlines treat these pets differently.
Minimum age: 6 months for the United States
Volaris sets the minimum age by destination: 8 weeks for flights to Mexico, Central America and South America, and 6 months for flights to the United States. The 6-month rule matches US entry rules for dogs set by the CDC, which require every dog entering the country to be at least 6 months old, microchipped and registered through the CDC Dog Import Form. A puppy can fly Volaris from the US to Mexico at 8 weeks, but it cannot fly back to the US until it is 6 months old.
Documents: US to Mexico
For dogs flying from the United States to Mexico, Volaris lists two documents: a GBG Inspection Certificate signed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and issued within 5 days before your travel date, and the dog's vaccination record. The dog must also be free of external parasites, including screwworm. Volaris says the certificate is not needed for Mexican dogs with proof of nationality. Fill in the Volaris pet travel form before the flight to speed up check-in.
This is stricter than the older advice that Mexico needs no certificate for pets from the US, so ask your vet about the 5-day inspection early. Our guide to pet transport to Mexico covers the country side in more depth.
Documents: Mexico to the United States
For dogs that have been only in low-risk countries such as Mexico and Costa Rica in the past 6 months, Volaris lists the CDC requirements: at least 6 months old, a microchip readable by a universal scanner, healthy on arrival, and a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, arriving at the airport you named on that form. Dogs that have been in a high-risk rabies country, such as Colombia, Peru, Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador, face stricter rules, including a rabies titer or a 28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered facility and arrival only at certain airports. Our guide to importing a dog into the US walks through both paths.
Cats have far lighter federal rules for entering the US, but Volaris still asks for the vaccination card and its pet travel form.
Domestic flights within Mexico
For flights inside Mexico, Volaris asks for a vaccination booklet showing the rabies vaccine. A first-time rabies vaccine must be given at least 30 days before the flight. Pets 15 months or older with a current booster do not need to wait. Deworming must also be current, within the last 6 months counting to your return date.
Fees
Volaris does not print a single pet price on its pet page. Its additional services fee sheet lists the cabin pet service at up to $192 USD and the checked pet service at up to $190 USD on international routes, and up to 1,650 to 1,900 MXN for the cabin service on routes priced in pesos. The words "up to" matter: the actual price depends on the route, the season and where you buy it. You can pay online when booking or at the airport counter, and the fee applies to each flight.
Pet strollers count as extra baggage, or they can replace your included carry-on or checked bag if they meet the size rules.
No pets on Frontier-operated flights
Volaris and Frontier sell some of each other's flights. Volaris's pet services, both cabin and checked, are not available on any flight operated by Frontier, direct or connecting. If your itinerary includes a Frontier segment, Volaris cannot carry your pet on it. Book Volaris-operated flights only, and check the "operated by" line before you pay.
Emotional support animals and service animals
Volaris carries emotional support dogs and cats free of charge, but only on routes within Mexico, between Mexico and Central or South America, and within or between Central and South America, according to its emotional support animals page. Flights to or from the United States are not on that list, so on a US route an emotional support animal flies as a pet. Trained service animals fly free if they meet Volaris's requirements, and dogs flying to or from the US need the US Department of Transportation service animal form.
Travel day tips
Volaris asks you to arrive at least 2 hours before domestic flights and 3 hours before international flights when flying with a pet, with your documents, completed form and fee if you have not paid online. Feed and water your pet about 4 hours before the flight. Do not sedate your pet: Volaris points to AVMA and IATA guidance that sedatives raise heart and breathing risks in the air. Get your pet used to its carrier for a few days before the trip.
Connecting flights within Volaris
Many US to Mexico itineraries on Volaris connect through Guadalajara, Tijuana or Mexico City. Each flight in the itinerary has its own limited number of pet spaces, and the pet fee applies to each flight, so a one-stop trip costs roughly twice the nonstop fee. When you add your pet, check that the service shows on every segment, not just the first one.
A checked pet on a connecting itinerary is transferred between planes by ground staff, which adds handling and time on the ramp. If you can, choose a nonstop, or a connection with enough time to reach a pet relief area if your pet is flying in the cabin with you. Our guide to connecting flights with a pet covers layover planning in more detail.
What happens at the Volaris counter
Even if you bought the pet service online, plan to see an agent at the counter. The agent checks your documents, your completed pet form, the carrier or crate, and your pet's size and breed against the rules. If you are flying with one of the breeds on the not-recommended list, this is where you sign the liability waiver. For cabin pets, the carrier is closed with a plastic strap at boarding, and it must stay closed and under the seat for the whole flight. Security staff may also ask to inspect your pet and carrier, which is another reason Volaris asks for extra time at the airport.
If your dog cannot fly Volaris
If your dog is on the banned breed list, weighs more than 100 pounds with its crate, or is under 6 months old and heading to the US, Volaris is not an option on that trip. Volaris does publish separate guidelines for carrying dogs and cats through its cargo division, but the passenger pet service will not accept these animals. For moves between the US and Mexico, many owners of large or restricted breeds choose to drive, or hire a ground pet transporter who handles the border crossing and the paperwork on both sides. A transporter can also time the vet inspection so the 5-day certificate is still valid on the day your dog crosses.
Booking a pet on Volaris
Choose "Travel with your pet" at the seat selection step when booking, and pick on board or checked. You can also add the service later through My Trips, at the airport counter, or through the call center. Because each flight has a limited number of pet spaces, add the pet when you book.