So, since this does sometimes come up, I thought I'd start a "master" thread for traveling with pets on UA. Some info is provided on united.com, but there is plenty of useful info that is not mentioned there, hence the idea for this thread.

If you have extra info, hints, tips, tricks, or corrections to any of the information here, please post and I'll keep the OP updated. Please, **NO** discussion about whether pets should be allowed in the cabin. This thread is for informational purposes, not for philosophizing.

Note that this info is available on the FlyerGuide UA Wiki, as well.

-------- Last updated: 8/29/2009 --------

UA allows pets both in-cabin and as cargo. If traveling with your pet, familiarize yourself with all of the rules, guidelines, and general info posted on united.com. Some of the most important info, along with other stuff not posted on united.com, is given below.

In-cabin pets

Cost: Domestic - $125 each direction, per animal. International - varies by destination; see united.com for the price list. (The cost is per direction, not per segment, so the number of connections between origin and destination does not affect the price.) Payment is made at the check-in counter, not in advance. As with every other check-in fee, you cannot use vouchers/coupons to pay for it; payment must be made with cash or credit card. You will receive a card-stock receipt for the in-cabin pet fee; keep this receipt with your BP, as the TSA will check for it during security screening.

N.B. Prices have changed a number of times recently; your cost may differ from above depending on your booking and/or travel dates. See united.com for the full chart.

Advance reservations: Absolutely recommended and required. There is limited availability for in-cabin pets (noted below) and space is first-come, first-served, so you want to make a reservation for pet space ASAP. Reservations can only be made after ticketing. To make a reservation, you must call Reservations; you cannot reserve space online. (You can call any of the Reservations lines applicable to you. Don't call Web Support!) The reservation is non-binding - if you show up at the airport without your pet, you will not be charged. However, because of the limited capacity, it would be polite to notify UA and cancel your pet reservation if your plans change (opening up that space for other passengers).

It is strongly recommended to reconfirm at least 2 days prior to your flight, to make sure that nothing messed up your reservation! See below for possible pitfalls to avoid.

Limitations: Only one in-cabin pet is allowed per passenger, although a passenger may elect to purchase an extra seat for a second pet (c.f. S*BAG/PET-CARRY ON). Capacity restrictions are noted below. Also, for domestic travel, the in-cabin pet counts as your carry-on item... this may not always be enforced and it's not noted on united.com, but that's been my experience and is the policy per the profile linked above. Plus, it's probably more convenient to check bags when dealing with a carry-on kennel, anyway.

Pets are not allowed in-cabin for travel to Hawai`i or the UK. Other restrictions apply for Hawai`i and int'l travel; see united.com (link above) for more details. (I am pondering maintaining a list of country-specific restrictions, if people can volunteer enough info.)

Capacity restrictions: The number of in-cabin pets varies by aircraft type and by cabin; E+ and E- are treated as a single cabin, as expected. This info is not listed on united.com, but is very handy to know in advance. Per S*BAG/PET-CARRY ON, available pet space is as follows:

• 1-cabin (unconverted Ted A32S): 3 in Y
• 2-cabin (A319, A320, A32S [converted], B733/735, B752, B763): 2 in Y, 1 in F
• 2-cabin 777: 3 in Y, 2 in F
• 3-cabin (744, 763 WW, 777 WW): 3 in Y, 0 in C, 0 in F
• 3-cabin 757 p.s.: 1 in Y, 2 in C, 0 in F
• RJs/EMBs: Unknown.

Note that as of 10/29/2007, UA no longer allows in-cabin pets in C or F of 747s, 3-cabin 767s, and 3-cabin 777s because of the SuiteDreams upgrades - the new seats do not have the underseat storage required for the pet carrier. This restriction is in place regardless of whether the plane actually has the new seats, to protect against problems in case of equipment swap. If flying an old-config plane, the GA may allow pets in C at the gate, but no advance reservations can be made in C or F. Keep this in mind if looking to upgrade.

Seating restrictions: Passengers with in-cabin pets may not sit in the exit rows (for the same reason that parents with children may also not sit there), nor in bulkhead rows (the kennels must go under the seat in front of you). For comfort in Y, E+ is highly recommended when traveling with in-cabin pets. Also, check SeatGuru to ensure that the space under the seat in front of you is not restricted (by power boxes or whatever).

There is no waitlist for pet space availability. If there is no more space to reserve for an in-cabin pet for your flight or cabin, your only option is to find another cabin/flight that has space, or keep calling back to check if space has opened up. (The latter is generally not recommended since there is no guarantee and IMHO a low probability of success.)

See below for tips on how to minimize headache and hassle when planning and booking travel with in-cabin pets.

Upgrading: You can upgrade with an in-cabin pet, but only if there is room for your pet in the upgraded cabin, i.e. this is subject to the capacity restrictions noted above. For this reason, it is not recommended to waitlist an upgrade, since there is no guarantee that there will be available pet space when/if your upgrade confirms; it is strongly recommended to upgrade only when you can confirm in advance.

Award travel: No difference. The rules and restrictions for in-cabin pets are exactly the same for award travel as for revenue travel.

Potential pitfalls:

• OLCI - you cannot use OLCI with an in-cabin pet because the kennel must be inspected and approved by a TA at the counter, paperwork must be signed, and payment must be made. Check-in must occur at the counter.
• Refaring - Refaring your flight may cause the pet reservation to get lost. This is because the reservation is tied to your original ticket, and refaring results in reticketing. If you refare online, call immediately after refaring to check on your pet reservations and reinstate them if necessary. Better yet, refare on the phone and make sure the CSR preserves your pet reservation.
• Schedule changes - As with refaring, confirming a schedule change may lose your pet reservation (just like upgrades and seat assignments sometimes get lost). Be sure to confirm your pet reservation with the phone CSR when confirming schedule changes.
• Voluntary standby - This may be difficult to accomplish with an in-cabin pet, because of the capacity restrictions noted above. I have personally never tried this.
• Irrops - Generally, irrops with in-cabin pets sucks even more than usual. However, GAs may choose to override pet capacity restrictions when reaccommodating disserviced pax, just like many other restrictions are overridden during irrops. I have personally never been rerouted during irrops with in-cabin pets on UA (my only reroute was on US and it went smoothly), so I can't confirm this.
  

Tips:

• Planning - When researching your flights, come up with at least 2-3 acceptable alternatives (times/dates/routes) for both your outbound and your inbound flights, and rank them in order of preference. Non-stops are highly recommended to minimize your hassle and your pet's discomfort. By knowing your preferred itineraries beforehand, you can very quickly ask the phone agent to check on availability for specific flights... it's easier on them, and it's easier on you.
• Booking -
  • Immediately before booking, call Reservations and inquire about pet availability on your pre-planned itineraries, in order of preference. Having alternative flights handy is critical here. You may also do this in-person at an airport ticketing counter. Right now you're just checking availability, since pet space cannot be reserved before ticketing.
  • If you wish to book on the phone or in person, you may do so now (i.e. do it all in one step), but you will incur the phone/in-person booking fee unless it is waived for other reasons (e.g. 1K or using vouchers). If you wish to book online, hang up and immediately book your chosen itinerary online. Then, immediately call back, explain that you just booked a flight and want to reserve space for an in-cabin pet, and provide your PNR locator. Do not delay as pet space is first-come, first-served. (You may be able to avoid having to call back by asking the Reservations agent to hold the line after checking availability, booking online with the agent on hold, and then going through the above with the same agent.)
  • Call back periodically (at least once before your flight) to reconfirm your pet reservation, especially if you experience any of the items mentioned in the Pitfalls section, above.
• Checking in - You cannot use OLCI or the kiosk, so arrive at the airport with sufficient time to check in at the counter with a human. You may be directed to the Odd-Size Baggage counter, if available, even though you won't be checking your pet. Have your pet's health certificate available, as it will sometimes be requested.
• Baggage - It is not recommended to take an additional carry-on (other than your "personal item"), since you may not be allowed to do so and it's also a pain to drag it around with your pet kennel.
• Security - Your pet must be taken out of its kennel and carried through the metal detector. The TSA may wand your pet, as well. Keep this in mind if your pet is skittish. The kennel goes through the X-ray just like other baggage.
• In flight - Place your pet under the seat in front of you, and then just leave it there. Don't take it out during flight (this is against policy). If your pet is well-behaved and quiet, your seatmates will probably not even notice that the pet was on-board. (If your pet doesn't travel well, check with your vet regarding possible sedation.) You may consider asking your seatmates if they have allergies and then attempting to negotiate reseating (for them or for yourself) if appropriate; however, as long as the pet stays in the kennel and the kennel stays closed, there should be few or no issues with airborne allergens. (Again, E+ and/or an upgraded cabin really helps here, as you can still keep some legroom even with the pet under the seat.)
• Post-flight - Let your pet out of the kennel as soon as possible. It will be really happy to get out of that kennel!
  
  

Pets as checked baggage (not cargo)

Cost: Domestic - $250 for small/medium kennels and for large/extra-large kennels, each direction, per animal. International - varies by destination and kennel size; see united.com for the price list. (As above, the cost is per direction, not per segment.) Payment details are as above.

N.B. Prices have changed a number of times recently; your cost may differ from above depending on your booking and/or travel dates. See united.com for the full chart.

Advance reservations: Absolutely recommended and required. AFAIK there are no capacity restrictions for pets as checked baggage, but a reservation is still recommended. Reservation details are as above, and again, it is strongly recommended to reconfirm at least 2 days prior to the flight.

Limitations: Certain short-nosed dog breeds cannot be shipped in checked baggage during summer months (June 1 - Sep 30); they are listed on united.com. Personally, I would not recommend shipping any animal, regardless of breed, as checked baggage during those months. This is because of heat issues, as the cargo hold is not air-conditioned and it may get too hot for your pet if the plane sits on the tarmac for too long. Certain airports restrict all checked-baggage pets during certain seasons; see S*BAG/PET for the full list. At all times, UA airport personnel may refuse checked-baggage pets in case of dangerously high or low temperatures, regardless of season or locale.

Pets are not allowed as checked baggage for travel to the UK.

Capacity restrictions: Per S*BAG/PET-CHECKED, the maximum number of checked kennels per plane is:

• A319/A320: 3
• B733/735: 3 (exception: 5 allowed from May 1 through Sep 30)
• B747: 10
• B757/B777: 4
• B767: 7
• RJs: not known; some disallowed

Because the pet is not in the cabin, none of the in-cabin restrictions listed above will apply.

Award travel: No difference. The rules and restrictions for pets as checked baggage are exactly the same for award travel as for revenue travel.

Potential pitfalls:

• OLCI - as above, you cannot use OLCI with a pet as checked baggage. Check-in must occur at the counter.
• Refaring - As above.
• Schedule changes - As above.
• Voluntary standby - Unknown but probably difficult, because standby is often difficult with checked baggage. Also not recommended since, if you do standby with checked baggage, there's no guarantee you will end up on the same flight as your baggage, and hence may be separated from your pet... this would not be good for either of you.
• Irrops - Unknown, but make sure to check with the GA about the status of your checked pet if you experience irrops.
  

Tips:

• Planning - Because there are no capacity restrictions (AFAIK!), you should be able to fly on your preferred itinerary. Non-stops are still highly recommended to minimize your hassle and your pet's discomfort.
• Booking - As above.
• Checking in - As above, arrive at the airport with sufficient time to check in at the counter with a human. You may be directed to the Odd-Size Baggage counter, if available. Have your pet's health certificate available, as it will sometimes be requested.
• Post-flight - Let your pet out of the kennel as soon as possible. It will be really happy to get out of that kennel!
  
  

I hope this is helpful to people... please post with any updates, corrections, or additional information. Again, please refrain from philosophical discussions of whether pets should or should not be allowed in the cabin... this is for informational purposes only.