I adopted my cat Stella back in 2011, and since then, she has made four cross country road trips and dozens of flights back and forth across the U.S. with me. Travel can be stressful for us humans and for our pets as well but being prepared can make it a smooth process for all parties involved. Today, I’ll be discussing what you can expect if you decide to travel domestically by plane with your cat. I’ve also created an entire video walking you through the process of flying with your cat which you can watch here.

Booking a flight

Personally, Stella and I have really enjoyed traveling with Southwest so all the information I provide in this post will be in regards to my experience flying with them.

Please keep in mind that each airline has their own pet policy so be sure to do your research before booking your flight to ensure that your cat will be able to travel along with you. After finding airlines that do allow pets, check to see whether pets are allowed to ride in-cabin under the seat in front of you or if they are only to be transported as cargo (a temperature and pressurized compartment separate from luggage.) You will also want to look up the fee to bring your pet on board. This fee is a one-way fee and not roundtrip.

While searching for flights, if possible, choose a direct flight or one with a quick layover to cut back on travel time for you and your cat. If you’re flying coast to coast like I often do, it can be a really long day so try to avoid any additional wait times or chance for delays to minimize the stress on you and your pet.

Once you’ve chosen which airline you and your cat will be flying with, you will want to call the airline to make your reservation as well as a reservation for your cat. Most airlines do have a limit regarding how many pets are allowed per flight and, while I’ve never had an issue with this, it’s important to notify the airline in advance. For example, Southwest’s policy is:” Six (6) pets are allowed per flight with a limit of one pet carrier per paying Customer traveling on the same flight.”

Before the flight

Once your flight is booked, it’s time to prepare your cat for the travel day. First of all, check online with your airline to see the pet carrier specifications whether for in-cabin or cargo. Pay attention to dimensions and any restrictions regarding hard or soft-sided carriers. This is really important as you need to be sure prior to your flight that the carrier will fit wherever it will be kept throughout the duration of the flight.

This is the carrier I use for all of my Southwest flights in the ‘small’ size. I will say that there’s not much extra room once Stella is inside but it does fit underneath the sit with room for me to place my backpack next to it.

Pet Identification: If your pet is not microchipped, I highly suggest getting a customized name tag to place on your cat’s collar with your phone number in case you do get separated.

Vaccinations: If your pet is not currently up-to-date on his/her vaccinations, be sure to schedule those appointments ahead of your departure and bring that paperwork with you on your trip. I’ve never had to show it but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Food: I always pack a little baggie or plastic container of extra dry food for Stella for her to have once we get to our destination and in case of any major delays. I store the food either in my carry-on or in the side pocket of her carrier. Again, this is mostly just for precaution as I do not give her any food throughout the duration of the flight. (More on food/water in a bit!)

Preparing your cat for travel: If this is the first time your cat will be traveling a long distance with you, it’s imperative to warm them up to the idea of being in their carrier, especially if this is a brand new carrier. I’d recommend letting them smell the carrier and leave it unzipped to see how they react. Stella loathes the pet carrier. She must be scarred from when her previous owners packed her up and took her to the pound! Oh, the heartbreak! So, personally, I wait until the last possible minute to take the carrier out of the closet where it’s always hidden away. (Again, more on that in a minute) But, perhaps your cat doesn’t have such disdain for the carrier and will react differently.

Try this about a week out from your trip to see what happens. I also recommend going for a couple longer car rides with your cat in the carrier to see how they react and to get them acclimated to the carrier (if it’s new). Lots of love and treats when they get back!

Related Reading: See all of my travel-related posts

The day of travel

Pick up any food and water bowls a couple of hours before leaving for your flight to allow them time to digest and go to the bathroom.

Many people ask me whether or not I sedate Stella before our flight and the answer is no! First of all, Stella does extremely well with travel. She is not a ‘talker’ and remains very, very quiet and still throughout the flight so I’ve fortunately never had an issue of disturbing other passengers. I’d recommend speaking directly with your vet about this before making a decision.

Stella is smart and knows once the suitcase is out and I’m not sticking to my normal routine that something is up and she tries to hide under the bed. So, as I’m preparing to leave the day of my flight, I’ll close the doors to block her off from any areas that will be difficult to retrieve her from. Sometimes it’s just easiest to keep them in the bathroom with their litter box until you’re ready to leave.

Related Reading: Must-Have Items to Pack When Moving Abroad

At the airport

Here’s where things may differ again, depending on the airline you are flying with. Again, my experience has been with Southwest Airlines.

With Southwest (and most other airlines, I would assume) you can only bring one carrier and one additional carry-on item with you. That said, I bring the pet carrier and a backpack with me on board and check my suitcase.

Check in to your flight as you normally would, at first. Obtain your boarding pass and check any bags. Then, you’ll need to check your pet in as well. Here’s how this works with Southwest:

If you are checking a bag, you can either use Southwest’s self-service kiosks to check-in your bag, tag it, and then proceed to the counter to drop off your bag and check-in your pet or you can just head straight to the full-service line.
At the counter, once they check your ID and take your bag, they may or may not see that there’s a pet listed on your reservation. If you think you can get away with this by not paying, not so fast. Chances are, they’ll catch you right as you’re boarding the plane and then you’ll have to risk missing your flight to step out of line and pay. So, I always tell them at the ticket counter that I’m traveling with a pet.
They will check your reservation, and then ask for you to pay the pet fee ($95 one way with Southwest). You can usually pay with cash or credit.
Then, they will hand you the receipt for your payment and fill out a paper tag with your information and place it on your pet carrier. After that, it’s onward to security!

Going through security

This is the most challenging part, especially if you are traveling alone. But, if I’ve done it over a dozen times, you can too!

Be prepared to take your cat out of its carrier while going through security.

I get everything else situated first – take off my shoes, hat, take out my laptop & Kindle, and get everything into its respectable bin and just as I’m about to walk through the metal detector, I unzip Stella’s carrier and take her out.

Note: If your cat is known to wrestle/jump out of your arms and run, I’d recommend using a harness and leash for this part, just in case.

They will have you walk through the metal detector (not the X-ray machine) holding your cat while your belongings and the carrier go through. They’ll stop you as soon as you pass through the metal detector and have you step to the side to wait for a TSA agent. The TSA agent will quickly swab both of your hands (careful, it can be hard to reach both of your hands out while holding a cat) and then you’ll have to wait while they run the test. This generally only takes about a minute or two. Once they say you’re free to go, you may return your cat to their carrier/refuge (this is generally the only time Stella can’t WAIT to get inside her carrier) and then you can collect your items and proceed to your gate.

Related Reading: The Single Girl’s Guide to Riding Amtrak

During the flight

Boarding is pretty standard. Keep in mind on Southwest flights, as you choose your seat, you may not occupy an Exit Seat or a seat with no under-seat stowage in front of you.

The flight attendants often recognize the pet carrier and you’ll get the occasional, “Aww, is that a doggie or a kitty in there?”

I usually take the first few minutes once I find my seat to get everything situated. I place Stella under the seat in front of me, making sure the side of her carrier with the mesh ‘window’ is facing me. Once everything else is in place, I’ll unzip the carrier just a bit and let Stella smell my hand and gently talk to her and let her know I’m there.

I think the hardest part for them is probably take-off. It’s so loud, so fast, and the rapid climb may disorient them a bit. I try to keep my foot somewhere close to Stella just so she can see I’m still there. (Overbearing Cat Mom. I know.)

Pets are to remain in their carrier, underneath the seat in front of you at all times.

I’ll check on Stella a couple times an hour by unzipping her carrier and seeing if she’ll smell my hand. Often, by this point, she’s turned to face the opposite way where she’s in a deep slumber and doesn’t want much to do with me.

Once we land and people begin to stand up, I’ll get my backpack on while remaining seated and rest Stella’s carrier on my lap so that I’m ready to exit the plane as soon as it’s our turn.

That’s it! You did it.

Give your cat some food, water, and a litter box soon after you arrive at your destination and lots of love and treats to let them know what a champ they are! As soon as I can, I let Stella out of her carrier, she does a big stretch, munches on some food, and goes about her day like it was no big deal.

I’ve also created a video/vlog bringing you with me during one of my trips, though you won’t see the process of going through security as I was on my own and both hands were needed to hold Stella. Feel free to watch!