Flying With Dogs Dog Travel Forum
This topic was posted in the Flying With Dogs Forum on October 11, 2009 6:52 p.m.. If you can help with this question about Flying With Dogs, please post a reply.
What carriers are the best for carry-on?
I have a 10 lb. Pomeranian and I am trying to find a carrier that will keep him comfortable and fit the airline regulations. I will be flying on everything from a Dash 8 to a CRJ-700 to a 777.
I guess my question is how strict are the airlines with the measurements of the carrier? I put him in the medium sized Sherpa bag (17"L x 10.5"W x 10.75"H), and he looked pretty miserable. He did much better in the Sturdi-Bag Flexible Carrier (18"L x 12"W x 12"H). Both bags DO NOT meet the measurements of the airlines based on the website, however, both ADVERTISE that they are Airline-Preferred or Airline-Approved. (They do have a disclaimer that says to always check with airlines first before purchasing.)
I am flying the following with the following required measurements:
Dash 8-300: 17"L x 16"W x 8"H
CRJ-700: 17"L x 15"W x 8"H
Boeing-777: 17"L x 10"W x 10"H
The bags I am considering:
SturdiBag Flexible Carrier: 18" x 12" x 12"
Snoozer Medium Roll Around: 20" x 14" x 11"
The Sherpa is just too small for my dog unfortunately. I don't want them to reject him for not having enough room... but on the other hand, I don't want them to reject him for not having the right measurements. NEED HELP!!
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Choosing a Carrier
Hello~
I wish I had an answer for you, but I'm actually looking just like you are -- my dog is about the same size. Did you end up choosing one? Have you flown yet? Would love to benefit from your experience!
Thanks so much,
Amy (& Josh)
carrier size
I haven't flown with my dog yet but I checked with Jet Blue about the 8" Height in their 17x10x8 requirement and they said a soft bag can be squished down to fit if it's a little bit higher. So I'm getting a bag that's 9.5" high and crossing my fingers.
Carrier update!
So I decided to go with the Sturdi Bag Flexible Carrier. I recently took the exact same flight I will be taking with him next week, and made notes of all the flights.
The small Dash 8 surprising had the most under the seat room of all the flights! The SturdiBag would have no problem there as it will squish to fit.
The CRJ-700 was a little smaller, but still doable for short periods of time.
The 777 was the worst. I am actually considering checking him now that I know he will have to sit in that bag squished up for 6+ hours on that flight. There is a big box under each seat for the seat-back television instruments. This significantly decreased space. Also, the seats were much closer together, so it will be harder to maneuver the bag under the seat. Your neighbors probably will not be as happy either to travel next to you because you will most definitely take up their space under the seat.
My flight leaves next Thursday! I'll report back and let people know how it goes and what I decide to do about checking or in-cabin.
any news?
Hi. We've got a 12lbs cockapoo and are thinking about an itinerary which includes an A319 and the CRJ-700. How did the Sturdi-Bag work out? We'd love to know.
SturdiBag is great!
Sorry for the much delayed response.... I had forgotten about this thread until I was going through some old bookmarks...
The SturdiBag is an amazing bag. It works for every plane I traveled on, including the smallest regional airline aircraft.
I would definitely recommend it for anyone who can fit their dog in comfortably. George is a 10 lb. Pomeranian and he fit well. I have even seen a larger King Charles Spaniel fit in one of these bags.