Alaska Airlines has quietly adjusted its pet policy in a way that will please some travelers and frustrate others. Rabbits are back in the cabin after a short-lived ban, but household birds will soon be barred entirely.
Alaska Airlines Brings Back Rabbits In Cabin, But Household Birds Face Upcoming Ban
After reversing a mid-2025 policy change, Alaska Airlines is once again allowing domesticated rabbits to travel in the passenger cabin. The airline reinstated the option on January 14, 2026, following customer feedback..
Under the updated policy, rabbits may fly in the cabin provided they are transported in a soft-sided carrier that fits underneath the seat. Space must be reserved in advance and standard in-cabin pet fees apply. Alaska says those fees range from $100 to $200 each way, depending on the route and type of travel (neighbor island flights within Hawaii are $35 each).
However, the reinstatement comes with important limitations. The House Rabbit Society notes that Alaska’s updated rabbit policy only applies to flights within the continental United States and Alaska. Rabbits are still not accepted on flights to Hawaii or on international itineraries due to destination-specific restrictions.
At the same time Alaska is reopening the door for rabbits, it is preparing to close it for another category of pets. The airline has confirmed that household birds will no longer be accepted in the cabin effective later this year. While birds have historically been permitted on some Alaska flights, the airline is tightening its policy and removing them from the list of eligible in-cabin pets effective April 4, 2026.
Alaska has not publicly detailed the precise rationale for the bird ban, but concerns related to safety, sanitation, allergen exposure, and inconsistent international and state-level regulations when revising animal transport rules often are the basis. I’ve never owned a bird, but it seems these winged creatures may present unique challenges compared to small mammals, particularly in pressurized cabin environments and during irregular operations…
Pet polices always represent a balancing act of customer demand with operational risk, regulatory compliance, and onboard experience for other passengers. Alaska’s decision suggests it sees rabbits as manageable within existing cabin policies, while birds now fall outside that threshold. I still think, however, that there is room for a carrier (perhaps Alaska Airlines itself) to offer a more welcoming policy for pet owners and capitalize on as a point of distinction between other carriers.
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CONCLUSION
Alaska Airlines has restored in-cabin travel for domesticated rabbits after customer pushback, but the change is narrowly defined and excludes Hawaii and international routes. At the same time, the airline is moving in the opposite direction with household birds, which will soon be banned from the cabin altogether.
Anyone planning to fly with an unconventional pet should double check the fine print before booking and again before departure…best to leave your pet at home or drive.
How about a bird that allegedly self identifies as a rabbit?
Only if it dyed its fur/feathers purple, sir.
I ate dinner at a restaurant in Ulm last night, and someone had a live falcon seated with them at their table. Ironically, I guess they won’t be able to ‘fly’ an AS codeshare with ‘Condor’ if they ever want to come to the States.
You’re in Ulm?! Try the coffee shop I recommended:
https://liveandletsfly.com/best-coffee-ulm-germany/
Oh man, I left this afternoon, and to add insult to injury, I went to Coffee Fellows. But I liked the me and all, so I’ll be back.
Best combination there? Cappuccino, orange juice and croissant.
It would be cool if rabbit was on the first class menu. The little buggers are quite tasty.
Perhaps the adorable guinea pigs will also benefit from this decision…
While I’m glad to see you’re not using AI to create your graphics, I think you could have had a bit of fun with this one.
Leave pets at home, please.
It would be great if “we could leave pets at home” as was cavalierly expressed. But what about people in Hawaii who **have** to use Hawaiian (now Alaska) Airlines to fly to another island to procure life-saving veterinary care not available in your home island? What about people who are relocating? Dogs (and . . . OMG . . . cats, for heaven sake) can be highly allergenic, but no one is talking about banning dogs (or cats). The actual reality is that there is a fundamental bigotry at work here that is utterly illogical, and the airlines are not providing any policy justification for one simple reason . . . because they CAN’T. They can’t justify their cruelty, under any non-discriminatory or logical basis.
There is an excellent YouTube video that explains the whole problem — and the urgency behind it — very clearly, prepared by the leading household pet bird experts: Birdtricks.com.
I urge anyone interested in fundamental fairness to take a look and weigh the facts for themselves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg19gN1D_GU
This is neither a fair, nor a logical, policy, and it is causing real hardship and suffering.