This question comes into us from Margarita, who left a note on our Facebook page asking for help with the in cabin pet travel crate requirements for her pet. She's flying from the US to Germany with her mini-Dachshund and would like to take him in cabin, but isn't sure what size travel crate he needs if she's flying Delta to Paris and then connecting with Air France on to Germany.
If you're planning pet travel on two different airlines, you'll need to fulfill the requirements for both airlines. So let's take a look at the pet travel rules for each.
Since Air France's requirements ask for a smaller crate than the largest maximum size allowed by Delta, in Margarita's case she would need to go with a smaller crate that would be allowed on both Delta and Air France. One option for her is a soft-sided pet travel carrier called the Sleepypod Air. The Sleepypod Air meets the size requirements for Delta and Air France, as it can be compressed to a size of 16" L x 10" W x 8" T. Once on the flight, the ends of the carrier can be expanded to a length of 22" to give pets a little extra leg room while still being small enough to fit underneath the seat in front of you. This could be a great option for Margarita's mini-Dachshund, since those types of dogs tend to be a little longer.
Whatever type of carrier your purchase, it's important to make sure that if you are going to purchase a carrier for in cabin travel, it will still need to be large enough for your pet to fit comfortably inside. If the airline feels that your pet is not in an adequately-sized travel carrier, then they typically will refuse it for shipment.