Dfyjkt

I want to travel to America from Australia with my dog in the cabin or else be with him in cargo.

NONE of the Airlines flying out of Australia will let me do this. I am willing to travel very rough in cargo as long as I can stay with my dog. I don't even need food, just maybe water. Flying dogs separately in cargo especially over such long distances is EXTREMELY RISKY. Many have DIED or gotten lost in transit (see [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]). I am a senior citizen and my dog is my only family member left alive. He means the world to me and I will not leave him behind.

Is there any solution to this? I have looked into flying privately but it is far beyond my means. Is it possible to hitch a ride on a cargo plane or military transport plane?

I'd suggest not going by plane then, but rather by ship. It might take longer, but your dog will not have even remotely as much stress. Some cruises allow at least smaller dogs. What Peter M wrote still applies, though.

There are absolutely no passenger airlines flying to the USA that will allow you to ride in the cargo area, it is against FAA rules (no seats, no seat belts, no emergency exits). Plus no windows, no cabin crew, no toilets from the comfort pov.

A number of airlines will no longer accept animals as checked luggage, due in large part to safety of the animals. So if your dog is not very small, chances of traveling together on a scheduled flight to USA are slim.

Perhaps you can find a cargo carrier that would allow an animal attendant, but it won't come cheap. Or a private flight, again not cheap.

In addition Tom's answer. If you are planning on returning to Australia with your dog then you are going to face strict quarantine restrictions that could preclude you from traveling with your dog anyway.

See Cats and Dogs returning to Australia from the Department of Agriculture and Resources. From that page:

When your cat or dog leaves Australia it immediately loses its
Australian health status. This means you might not be able to bring it
back to Australia at short notice. Please consider the information
below before exporting your cat or dog.

Cats and dogs can only be imported into Australia from certain
countries and, depending on the country, the pre-import preparation
time can be over six months. However, if you start preparations in
Australia before your cat or dog goes overseas, returning them to
Australia can be much simpler and quicker.

Also from that page (noting that the USA is considered a Group 3 country)

If there is any chance your dog or cat may visit a group 3 or a
non-approved country we recommend they have a rabies vaccination and
rabies neutralising antibody titre (RNAT) test before leaving
Australia. This will ensure they can return to Australia in the
shortest possible time. Rabies vaccinations last between one and three
years and you will need to check this validity with your veterinarian.
An RNAT test with an acceptable result (0.5IU/ml or more) is valid for
24 months from the date the blood was drawn.

Please note that you will need to maintain valid rabies vaccinations
and RNAT tests for the entire time your dog or cat is overseas. If you
don’t do this, your animal will have to meet the mandatory 180 day
waiting period overseas following an RNAT test if they have visited
any group 3 or non-approved countries.

So if you do not follow the rules then you dog will have to spend and additional 6 months in the US before you can even bring it back to Australia.

As a personal anecdote (but not related to your situation). I am planning on bringing two cats back to Australia in the next couple of years. To minimize the time they will spend in quarantine custody IN Australia, this will require rabies tests every month for 6 months. At which point once they are shipped to Australia they will still have to spend 1 month in quarantine.

Service and emotional support animals can fly in the cabin. If you are not disabled or in need of emotional support, then you do not qualify for a service/emotional support animal. That said, as a senior citizen with no family, you may qualify for a service/emotional support animal to help with disabilities (e.g., hearing loss) on your emotional state.

The paperwork for traveling with a service animals is pretty simple (cf. Flying with a service animal). For a service animal the airline is not allowed to ask for documentation about your disability, but if you ended up in a legal challenge, you would want to be able to document it. For emotional support animals, you need a signed letter from a qualified mental health care provider.

The use of service animals is undergoing legal scrutiny since some people who do not need service animals, and even those who do need them, are using untrained animals. That said, at least in the US, there are limited requirements outlining the exact services the animal needs to provide and the training it must undergo.

Again, if you are not disabled or in need of emotional support, then you do not qualify for a service/emotional support animal.

If you are simply concerned about the welfare of your dog and not so much with the requirement that he be WITH you, you could look into a service that specializes in carting animals around. I know a few dog breeders use Lufthansa airlines to fly dogs FROM Canada worldwide because of some sort of special program they use (although I'm not directly familiar with it or if it is still offered).

You could also contact dog breeders in Australia to see how THEY send their dogs overseas. Most dog breeders (I'm talking show-quality pure-breed, fancy-shmancy, dogs) care for their dogs and will only send them in a safe manner.

As others have mentioned, if you are planning to go BACK to Australia, be aware of the quarantine requirements.

Austrian Airlines allows dogs to travel in the cabin with passengers, up to a total weight of 8kg (including carrier). You would have to fly from Sydney or Melbourne to Vienna, and then on another Austrian flight to your US destination. But it is certainly possible if your dog is small enough. I believe Lufthansa also has similar rules so routing via Germany may also be possible.