Airline fees, policies, and travel rules

Use the information below to check fees and rules for baggage, pets, and service animals from airlines participating in the City Pair Program. 

If your international flight includes a partner airline, check that operating airline’s policies and fees. For more help, contact the airline directly.

¹ Federal Travel Regulation 301.12.2 identifies excess baggage as a miscellaneous expense. Verify your agency’s policy.

² Select fiscal year 2027 city pairs have a “$0 first checked bag fee.” Contact your travel management company, or TMC, to determine if this applies to your upcoming travel.

³ If you are traveling with a military working dog, please refer to the Air Force Guidance Memorandum to AFI 31-126, Military Working Dog Program [PDF].

Fly America Act

The Fly America Act requires you to use a U.S. designated air carrier for all government funded air travel unless one is not available.

Other travel fees and surcharges

To help you avoid surprises on your next airfare bill, below are some fees that come up.

Ticket change fees

Airlines may charge a change fee to travel agents who do not reissue a ticket when a traveler makes a voluntary change to a ticketed transaction. This is a policy between the airlines and travel agents, and falls outside the authority of the City Pair Program contract. Contact your travel management company for more information.

• If a travel agent does not change the record, the carrier won’t be able to determine if a flight is overbooked, or if additional monies should be collected or refunded as a result of the change.
• When the traveler checks in, that person’s record will not show the most recent changes, which may impact their ability to board a flight.
• The airlines are not charging the government for this change fee. Rather, the airlines are charging this fee to the travel agent only if the travel agent does not reissue the ticket when a change is made after the ticket has been issued.
• The charge is not imposed when the travel agent reissues tickets to reflect voluntary changes.

Fuel surcharge

To address fuel market volatility, our City Pair Program allows airlines to request a fuel surcharge to domestic or international contract fares after the surcharge has been in place commercially for at least 14 consecutive days. 

Fuel surcharges:

• May not be higher than that imposed commercially.
• Will be assessed at the time of ticket issuance.
• Will be included in the modified contract fare (use the CPP fare finder) if approved. They’re removed when it’s no longer imposed commercially on the applicable fares in a market.

TSA fees

All ticketed or purchased travel includes a passenger civil aviation security service fee, also known as a security service fee. Visit Transportation Security Administration security fees for current rate structures.

Traveling with a pet or service animal

Our City Pair Program doesn’t cover pet acceptance or accommodation costs, but many federal travelers need to bring a family pet or service animal on official travel.

Below are guidelines and information for these situations. In the table near the top of this page, you’ll find direct links to each CPP airline’s pet policies.

Booking and costs

• Book pet reservations directly with the airline ahead of time — CPP doesn’t cover this.
• Expect a non-refundable fee per flight segment, which varies by airline.
• Reserve early — airlines cap pet capacity per flight, and book on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Check with your agency’s travel policy official before you travel, since most agencies don’t reimburse pet costs.

Eligibility and requirements

• Check size, age, weight, and breed restrictions, plus kennel size requirements; airlines accept pets conditionally and not all breeds qualify.
• Get and bring documentation of required vaccinations and health certificates, and check quarantine restrictions at your destination.
• Expect airlines to bar pet travel during extreme weather.

Travel logistics

• Ask about in-cabin travel — some carriers allow appropriately-sized pets in the cabin on most non-stop domestic flights, but connections and international flights often require cargo shipping.
• Check the operating airline’s policy if flying internationally on a codeshare flight, since rules follow the operating airline.
• Acclimate your pet to its kennel before traveling, and consult your veterinarian about tranquilizers if you’re concerned about their stress, because cargo travel may be traumatic for them.

Other helpful videos

• Selecting the right size of carrier for your pet
• How to acclimate your pet to a crate for travel

For traveling with service animals

• Notify the airline’s disability counter and provide required documentation before you travel.
• Expect service animals to fly on domestic and international flights, though size restrictions vary by airline.
• Travel with your service dog at no extra charge.