What Happens If Your Dog Gets Rejected at Check-In

It almost happened to us once, and I still think about it.

We were flying back from Greece with Sami — our Westie — and the woman at the check-in counter looked at him in his carrier bag, shook her head, and told us he couldn’t fly in the cabin. He was too big, she said. He’d need to go in the cargo section instead.

We said no. Not a chance. We would never put Sami in cargo. And what followed was about 20 minutes of negotiation, a supervisor being called, and us genuinely thinking we’d have to miss our flight.

That experience changed how we prepare for every flight. And it’s why I want to tell you exactly what happens when your dog gets rejected at check-in — so you know how to prevent it.

What Actually Happens

When the agent at the check-in counter decides your dog can’t fly in the cabin, you essentially get two options.

Option one: your dog goes in cargo. This means they’ll be in the luggage section of the plane, in a crate, by themselves. Some people are okay with this. I’m not. I don’t think it’s safe, I don’t think it’s comfortable, and I would rather cancel a trip than put Sami through that.

Option two: you don’t fly. You miss your flight, lose the ticket money, and try to rebook. If you’re at your destination and need to get home, this turns into a very stressful and very expensive problem very quickly.

There isn’t really a third option. You can ask nicely. You can ask to speak to a supervisor. You can explain that your dog has flown before without any issues. Sometimes that works — it worked for us in Greece. But you’re basically at the mercy of the person behind the counter.

Why Dogs Get Rejected

In our experience, there are three main reasons your dog might not make it past check-in.

They’re over the weight limit. Most airlines in Europe set the limit at 8 kg for dog plus carrier bag. If your dog is over that — even by a little — you’re at risk. The agent puts the bag on the scale, sees 8.3 kg, and that’s that. This is the most common reason, and it’s the most preventable. We’ve written a full breakdown of how airline weight limits work and a separate piece on our tips for managing an overweight dog before a flight.

The carrier bag doesn’t meet requirements. Airlines specify maximum dimensions for the carrier — length, width, and height. If your bag is too big, or if the agent decides the bag doesn’t fit under the seat, they can reject you. This is less common because, honestly, most agents don’t measure the bag. But it happens. Choosing the right carrier bag matters more than most people realize.

The dog doesn’t look comfortable. This is the one that got us. Some airlines require that your dog be able to stand and turn around inside the carrier with it zipped closed. If the agent thinks your dog looks too cramped, they can reject you — even if the weight is fine and the bag dimensions are technically within limits. This is especially an issue for terrier breeds and other stocky dogs that are wider or taller than their weight would suggest.

Our Greece Story: What Saved Us

Here’s what happened with us, in detail, because I think it’s useful to understand how these situations play out in real life.

Sami was about 7-8 months old. He was still a puppy, he was fluffy (we hadn’t groomed him in a while), and he genuinely looked bigger than he was. The carrier we had was our first one — a small expandable bag that, when compressed, was pretty tight.

The agent took one look and said no. She said he wasn’t comfortable. She said the rules require the dog to fit properly in the bag with it zipped. She told us our only option was cargo.

We refused. We told her we would not fly at all rather than put our dog in cargo. We asked for our checked bags back. And here’s where we got lucky: we were on a connecting flight. Our bags were already loaded from the first leg. Pulling them out would mean delaying the whole flight and unloading other passengers’ luggage too.

The supervisor looked at the situation, looked at Sami (who, credit to him, was sitting calmly and being his most charming self), and decided to let us through.

Luck. Pure luck. If it had been a direct flight, I honestly don’t know what would have happened.

The Agent Factor

Here’s something that’s uncomfortable to admit, but it’s true: the agent you get at the check-in counter has an enormous amount of power, and not all of them apply the rules the same way.

Some agents are pet lovers. They see your dog, they smile, they check the paperwork, and you’re through in minutes. Weight? They might not even bother with the scale. Bag dimensions? They don’t care as long as it looks reasonable.

Other agents are strict. They’ll weigh your dog to the gram. They’ll look at the carrier bag critically. They’ll ask to see the dog standing inside the bag. If anything is even slightly off, they’ll flag it.

You can’t control which agent you get. But you can prepare for the strict one. And that’s really the mindset I’d recommend: always prepare as if you’re going to get the strictest possible agent. If you get a lenient one, great — you’ll breeze through. If you get a tough one, you’ll still be ready.

How to Prevent It

Since our Greece scare, we’ve flown over 20 times without a single issue. Here’s what changed.

We manage Sami’s weight before every flight. Two weeks of reduced food, no treats, skipping a meal the morning of. Sounds intense, but it’s become routine. We go from about 8 kg to 7.5-7.7 kg, which gives us a comfortable buffer. Full details in our weight management article.

We upgraded the carrier bag. We got a proper, slightly larger bag that Sami fits in comfortably. He can turn around, he can lie down, and he almost-but-not-quite can stand. It looks good. It fits under the seat. And it’s lighter than our first bag, which helps with the weight limit.

We always groom Sami before a flight. A well-groomed Westie looks noticeably smaller than a fluffy one. This might sound trivial, but I genuinely believe our Greece problem was partly because Sami looked like an oversized cotton ball that day. A clean, trimmed terrier fits better in the bag and gives a better visual impression to the agent.

We call the airline beforehand. Every single time. We confirm the weight limit, the bag dimensions, the documents needed, and the pet fee. We ask if there’s anything else we should know. Sometimes the person on the phone tells us something that’s not on the website. It takes 15 minutes and gives us peace of mind.

We arrive early. Three hours before the flight, minimum. Check-in with a pet takes longer than a regular check-in, and you want time to deal with any issues that come up. You don’t want to be arguing with an agent when your flight boards in 20 minutes.

The Europe vs. US Difference

Quick but important note: the type of rejection you’re likely to face depends on where you’re flying from.

In Europe, weight is the main concern. They almost always weigh your dog. If you’re over, you’re over. The carrier bag fit is secondary — we always check in with Sami outside his bag in Europe, and nobody has ever asked us to put him inside for the weigh-in.

In the US, the opposite is true. They rarely weigh the dog. What they check is whether the dog fits comfortably inside the carrier. So in the US, your carrier bag choice matters more than the scale number.

Prepare for both. And if you want help figuring out which preparation matters most for your specific situation, our free email course walks you through it step by step.

Have you been through a check-in rejection — or a close call? I’d love to hear your story in the comments. The more of us who share, the better prepared everyone is.