pet travel crate

Yesterday, we wrote about how to determine your pet's travel crate size for traveling underneath the plane.  One of our commenters asked about how to determine the carrier size for in cabin travel. 

Every airline is different in terms of their in cabin policies, however a good general rule of thumb is that the carrier must be short enough to fit fully under the seat in front of you.  Check with the airline to find out the maximum in cabin pet kennel size.  Sizes vary depending on the airline you plan on flying.  For example, Continental allows a maximum size for in cabin pet carriers of 17" L x 12.5" W x 8" H (43 cm L x 32 cm W x 20 cm H).  Southwest on the other hand allows two different sizes.  Window and aisle seats can be a maximum of 19"L x 14"W x 8.25"H whereas middle seat kennels are allowed to be a bit wider (19"L x 19"W x 8.25"H).  

We got these pictures of Cleo today, who we're moving from Nuremberg, Germany to Lynchburg, Virginia.  Sometimes when a customer is having a hard time determining whether their crate is big enough, we'll have them send us pictures so we can determine whether it will work for their pet's flight.  At first glance, her crate looks like it is probably tall enough for her.  But upon closer inspection, it's clear she's going to need a little more leg room for a big trip like this!

Cleo's paws are touching the end of the crate, even when she's sitting as far back as she can go.  Wouldn't you want more room to stretch your legs on a long flight?

We're currently moving two large Mastiffs named Luke and Cain to Madrid from Austin, Texas.  Last week we posted a photo of Cain's custom travel crate, which is over four feet tall!

Luke, taking a peek outside!