This guide reflects personal experience and publicly available policy information — not professional veterinary, legal, or official travel advice. Policies and regulations change. Always verify directly with your airline, vet, and relevant authority before you travel. Full disclaimer →

EasyJet and Cats: The Answer — and Which Airlines to Book Instead

This article contains affiliate links. If you book or buy through these links, Travel with Cats may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products and services we'd genuinely use ourselves.

EasyJet does not carry pet cats in the cabin or hold on any of its routes. The only animal exception is for recognised registered guide and assistance dogs on eligible routes — for pet cats, there are no exceptions of any kind. If you're planning a trip with your cat and easyJet is your default airline, here's how to find an alternative that will actually take your cat.

(Policy checked against easyjet.com, May 2026.)

If you've already booked easyJet — your options

Finding this out after you've already booked is one of the more stressful moments in cat travel planning. You're not in an unusual situation — easyJet is one of the most popular short-haul carriers in Europe, and its pet policy is buried well below the parts of the booking flow most people read carefully.

You have three realistic options.

Option 1 — Switch to a cat-friendly airline on the same route

This is the most direct path for most people. Several major European airlines allow cats in cabin on routes that overlap significantly with easyJet's network — including Lufthansa, KLM, and Air France. If your route is served by one of them, switching flights is usually the cleanest solution.

Whether it makes financial sense depends on the fare difference and what easyJet will charge you to cancel or change. If you're within easyJet's standard change window, the flexibility fee and fare difference may be worth absorbing to have your cat with you. If your trip is close, the maths may work out differently.

If your route is also served by Lufthansa, KLM, or Air France — all of which allow cats in cabin — it's worth comparing the fare difference before committing to other arrangements. See our full guide to airlines that allow cats in cabin for an overview of which carriers fly which routes.

Option 2 — Use a licensed pet transport service

If switching flights isn't practical, a licensed pet transport service can move your cat overland or by ferry while you travel separately. Companies operating in the UK and Europe transport cats in purpose-built vehicles with climate control and regular welfare checks — it's slower, but for some cats it may be a lower-stress option than flying.

This is also worth considering for longer journeys or destinations not well served by cat-friendly airlines. It adds cost and coordination, but it is a legitimate solution. Speak to your vet about your cat's temperament and travel history before deciding — they know your cat's stress responses better than any checklist will.

Option 3 — Board your cat and travel without them

Not the goal, but worth naming honestly: if the alternatives above don't work for your situation, leaving your cat with a trusted carer or registered cattery is a reasonable choice. Some cats do better staying in a familiar environment than being transported, and a good cattery can provide consistent care and routine while you're away.

A note on easyJet change fees: EasyJet charges a flight-change fee per passenger, per flight, plus any fare difference — unless your fare type includes free changes. The exact fee depends on how far in advance you change, your route and currency, and whether you change online or through customer service. Check the Fees and Charges section of the easyJet website and your specific booking confirmation before making decisions based on the cost.

Which airlines will take your cat on easyJet's routes

The right question isn't "which airlines allow cats in cabin" in the abstract — it's which ones fly your specific route. EasyJet dominates certain UK departure airports and point-to-point European routes where alternatives may be limited.

Below are the main cat-friendly airlines with meaningful overlap with easyJet's network, all verified directly from each airline's own pet policy pages in May 2026.

(Policies checked against airline and government sources in May 2026 where accessible. Fees, carrier dimensions, route eligibility, and booking deadlines can change without notice — confirm directly with the airline before purchasing.)

You may have seen Vueling or Volotea listed in general roundups as cat-friendly airlines. Both accept pets on some European routes. Volotea explicitly excludes flights to and from the UK, Ireland, and Malta. Vueling states its pet service is not available on flights to or from the UK and Iceland. (Confirmed from Vueling help centre, January 2026.) Neither is a confident drop-in replacement for easyJet without direct verification for your specific route.

For many UK travellers looking to replace an easyJet booking, KLM, Air France, and Lufthansa are the most useful starting points — but the right option depends on your exact route, direction of travel, and whether the airline will confirm a cabin pet space before you buy. We have detailed guides for each:

• Our KLM cat-in-cabin guide — including the UK inbound restriction explained in full
• Our Air France cat-in-cabin guide — fees, carrier dimensions, and what trips people up at check-in
• Our Lufthansa cat-in-cabin guide — and why we recommend calling ahead if you're departing from the UK

For routes not covered by any of these three, see our full guide to airlines that allow cats in cabin, which covers the complete picture across European and US carriers.

Cabin pet spaces on all these airlines are limited — the exact number depends on aircraft type, route, and operating carrier — and they fill before cheap seats do. Once you've identified which airline works for your route, check availability early — our guide to airlines that allow cats in cabin covers the full picture.

Before you rebook — what to check

A few things that catch people out at this stage.

Cabin pet space is not automatic with your ticket. Some airlines allow you to add a pet to an existing reservation, but only if space is still available and before the airline's deadline — KLM requires pet additions no later than 48 hours before departure; Air France no later than 24 hours; Lufthansa no later than 72 hours before departure. The safest approach is to confirm pet availability before you pay for the flight, and add the pet during booking where the airline allows it. Do not book a flight and assume you can sort the cat afterwards.

Confirm your specific route and booking class. The policies above reflect standard economy fares on main routes. Certain promotional fares, codeshare flights, or specific routes may carry different rules. If anything about your booking is non-standard, check with the airline directly before purchasing.

Your carrier must comply with the new airline's dimensions. EasyJet's personal item dimensions differ from the under-seat carrier requirements at KLM, Air France, and Lufthansa. Measure your carrier and cross-reference it with the table above before you fly — a carrier that is a centimetre over the limit is grounds for refusal at the gate. If you're not sure your current carrier will pass, our guide to airline-approved cat carriers covers the top soft carriers by airline dimension — Mr. Peanut's Gold Series is a reliable starting point for KLM and Air France dimensions.

UK inbound travel: check both directions separately. Your outbound and return journeys are not governed by the same rules. GOV.UK states that pets travelling to Great Britain by plane must travel as cargo — the exceptions are chartered private aircraft and guide or assistance dogs. This is not a KLM or Air France quirk: it is the UK rule that sits behind both airlines' inbound restrictions. If your trip involves returning to Great Britain with your cat, your cat's homeward journey will need a separate, cargo-based arrangement via an APHA-approved carrier and route. Check GOV.UK ("Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain") for current requirements before booking anything.

Once you've confirmed your new airline and are ready to travel, our guide to what to expect at airport security with your cat is worth reading in advance — the process is more straightforward than most people expect, but knowing what's coming makes it considerably easier.

Frequently asked questions

Does easyJet allow any animals in the cabin?
No. EasyJet does not allow any animals in the cabin, including cats and dogs. Registered assistance dogs are a separate category with different rules — if this applies to you, contact easyJet directly. For pet cats, there are no exceptions: cabin and hold are both unavailable on all easyJet routes. (Policy verified easyjet.com, May 2026.)

Can I put my cat in the hold on easyJet?
No. EasyJet does not accept cats or other pets in the hold either. The restriction covers the entire aircraft — cabin and hold — on all routes. If you need to travel with your cat, you will need to book with a different airline or arrange alternative pet transport.

Is Ryanair the same as easyJet for cat travel?
Yes. Ryanair also does not permit cats in the cabin or hold on any of its routes — the policy is a blanket no-pets rule similar to easyJet's. (Verified ryanair.com, May 2026.) If your route is served only by easyJet and Ryanair, you will need to look at alternatives such as KLM, Air France, or Lufthansa, or consider overland pet transport.

What is the cheapest European airline that allows cats in cabin?
This depends on your route and travel dates — the pet fee is only part of the total cost. KLM publishes a broad €70–€500 one-way range. Air France's fee is route-based — confirm the current figure at booking. Lufthansa directs passengers to its baggage calculator rather than publishing a fixed fee. Always compare the base fare plus the pet fee for your specific dates and route, not the pet fee alone.

How many cats are allowed on a flight in the cabin?
The number of cabin pets permitted per flight varies by airline, aircraft type, and route — there is no universal figure. What is consistently true is that the allocation is small, it fills independently of seat availability, and by the time a flight shows as fully available, the pet spaces may already be taken. Booking early is the only reliable way to secure a space.

Can I change my easyJet flight if I didn't realise cats weren't allowed?
Yes, but it will typically cost you. EasyJet charges a flight-change fee per passenger, per flight, plus any fare difference — unless your fare type includes free changes. The exact fee varies by route, timing, and channel. Check the Fees and Charges section on the easyJet website and your specific booking confirmation before making decisions based on the cost. Whether it is worth absorbing the fee depends on what it costs to switch to a cat-friendly alternative versus your other options.

Do I need to book a cabin pet space at the time of booking, or can I add it later?
It depends on the airline. Some airlines allow you to add a pet to an existing booking up to a deadline — KLM says no later than 48 hours before departure; Lufthansa says no later than 72 hours before departure. However, adding a pet later is only possible if space is still available, and space is limited. The safest approach is to add your cat at the time of booking or confirm availability before you pay for the ticket. A reservation without a confirmed cabin pet allocation is not a valid booking for travelling with your cat.

What documents does my cat need if I switch to a different airline?
The documentation requirements are determined by your route and destination, not by the airline you fly with. If you are travelling from Great Britain to the EU, your cat will typically need to be microchipped, vaccinated against rabies, and covered by an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) — unless it holds a valid EU-issued pet passport. The microchip must be implanted before or at the same time as the rabies vaccination; if it is a first rabies vaccination, there is a waiting period of at least 21 days before the AHC can be used. See our full UK-to-EU travel guide for the full timing and sequencing. Switching airlines does not change these requirements, but each airline will also require you to meet its specific carrier dimensions and weight limits. An A4 travel document wallet is useful for keeping the AHC, vaccination record, and microchip documentation together — AHCs are issued on A4 and fold badly in standard passport holders.

You now know exactly where you stand: easyJet is out, specific alternatives are verified, and the main friction points — cabin pet allocation, carrier dimensions, the KLM inbound restriction, the Lufthansa UK caveat — are all named. The next step is checking which cat-friendly airline flies your exact route and what the current fare difference looks like. Cabin pet spaces fill before cheap seats do, so the earlier you search and book, the more options you will have.

See our full guide to airlines that allow cats in cabin — confirm which carriers fly your route, compare fares, and book direct with your chosen airline once you've found the right one.