Sun Country Pet Policy: Cabin Only, Lower 48 Only, Phone Only

Capacity, seating and age

• Reported caps of four or six animals per aircraft depending on the source — either way, not many, and there is no hold alternative when a flight is full.
• Exit row and bulkhead seats cannot be reserved with a pet, because there is no under-seat stowage.
• The animal stays in the carrier under the seat for the entire flight.
• One pet per carrier, one carrier per passenger.

Seasonal schedules are the thing to watch

This airline's network has a pronounced seasonal shape, with routes that run daily in one part of the year and a few times a week — or not at all — in another. With an animal that matters more than it does for an adult travelling alone.

• Check how often your route runs on your actual dates, not how often it appears to run generally.
• Confirm the route still operates for your return, which is easy to miss when a trip spans a seasonal change.
• A cancellation on a thin route is a different day, not a different flight, and there is no connecting alternative with a pet on board.
• Avoid the last departure of the day, and where you have the choice, the last day a seasonal route operates.

Service and support animals

A trained service dog is handled separately from the pet policy and is not subject to the carrier requirement or the pet charge. Emotional support animals are not treated as service animals by US airlines and travel as ordinary pets under the rules above. If documentation is involved, submit it well before the day rather than presenting it at a counter.

A realistic timeline

• Two months out: call to book the flight and the pet together, for both directions, with the route checked against the lower-48 restriction.
• Six weeks out: buy a soft-sided carrier that meets the smaller published dimensions, and start leaving it open at home with meals served inside.
• One month out: weigh the animal in the carrier. If it is close to 16 pounds, solve that now rather than at a counter.
• Two weeks out: confirm the pet is on the booking for both directions, in writing, and check vaccination records are current.
• The final week: pack the carrier as you will actually travel and do a short car trip in it.
• The day before: trim the animal's nails so they cannot catch in the mesh, and confirm the flight and the schedule.

How the airport day actually goes

Before you leave. Give the animal a proper walk and the chance to relieve itself. Water up to the point you set off, then stop.

At check-in. Arrive earlier than you would alone. The carrier may be looked at, and a pet booking slows an already slow process.

At security. The carrier goes through the scanner and you carry the animal through. Fit the harness and lead at home, not in the queue — a frightened cat loose in a security hall is a serious and slow problem.

On board. The carrier goes under the seat in front and stays closed. Most animals settle once the engines start, and a darker enclosed carrier helps more than an open one.

After landing. Plan the first hour: water, a relief area, and somewhere quiet before any onward drive.

What can go wrong, and how to reduce the chance

• Booking online and assuming the rest follows. The pet has to be arranged by phone.
• A route outside the lower 48. Pets are not carried — check this first.
• Combined weight over the limit. Plan around the conservative figure.
• A carrier bought against the larger published dimensions. Satisfy the smaller set.
• A walk-up request on a full flight. It costs more and may not be available at all.
• A seasonal route that has stopped by the return date.
• Your dog is too large for the cabin. With no reliable cargo option, that decides the airline.

Preparing a pet for a day in a carrier

The rules are what people research. How the day actually goes depends almost entirely on whether the animal has ever spent time in the carrier before.

• Introduce the carrier weeks ahead, left open at home with a blanket in it and meals served inside.
• Do several short car trips in it so the carrier is not only ever associated with something alarming.
• Put something that smells of home inside — a worn t-shirt works better than a new blanket.
• Exercise the animal properly before you leave. A tired pet travels far better than a rested one.
• Attach a tag with your phone number to the carrier and the collar, and check the microchip is registered to a number you actually answer.
• Carry a photograph of your pet on your phone, which matters in the unlikely event an animal is ever separated from you.
• Expect a nervous animal to refuse food for a few hours after landing. That is normal; refusing water for a long period is not.

Questions to settle before you book

1. Is every segment within the contiguous 48 states?
2. What does the animal weigh in its carrier — and is it under 16 pounds?
3. Does your carrier meet the smaller published dimensions?
4. Have you called to arrange the pet, in both directions?
5. Does your route still operate on your return date?
6. If the animal is too large, which airline will carry it?

How Fond Travels can help

• We check the route first, because pets travel only within the lower 48 here and that rules out a lot of trips immediately.
• We make the call, since the pet cannot be booked online, and confirm both directions in writing.
• We book in advance rather than at the airport, which costs less and is more likely to be available.
• We check the seasonal schedule, including whether your route still runs on the return date.
• We find the carrier that will take a larger dog when this one will not, including which airlines run climate-controlled hold programmes on your route.
• We are reachable on the day, which matters when a flight is delayed and you are in a terminal with an animal.

To plan a trip with a pet, call +1 (323) 800 6001. A travel expert answers any hour.