Posted by Michael Strianese on 2017-11-25

I know preparing to fly with a pet can be stressful and you have a lot of questions. The benefits and popularity of frameless soft sided pet carriers is their pliability and ability to conform to varying under seat configurations of modern aircraft. All airlines actually have similar sizing requirements, and those are more stringent on narrow bodied aircraft than wide bodied aircraft, but yet the primary design of an airline capable tote is to comfortably fit your pet but yet conform to fit under the 8.5" seat. Many airlines will indeed show 8.5” as their height spec, but that is targeted for the older style hard shell carriers and not pliable soft sided carriers. A carrier that is truly only 8.5” in height will only fit the smallest of kittens, puppies and bunnies. Keep in mind, airline capable carriers are designed for your pet to be laying down, as most pets will need to do so to allow for fitting under the seat. Most of my bags are designed at about 18x11x11” exterior measurement, as that is the optimal size for under seat capability on the widest variety of aircraft. All are designed with pet safety and comfort as a priority, and secondly with pliable fabrics that allow compression for under seat compatibility, so it’s mostly a choice of styling preference with each model. Most of the standard sized models are about 16" on the interior length, while the larger Big Apple model is about an 18" interior. It is about 2” longer at 20” exterior than most airlines will spec, but it’s built for those pets where there is simply not an option for a smaller size. The Big Apple model has been on the market for a long period of time now, literally sold worldwide, and a very popular model. For those who desire a bag that is 9” in height to more easily meet under seat specs I can recommend to look at the backpack models such as the Monterey and Aspen, all of which are designed and padded to lay on their short side for under seat use. Another option is the smaller Gold Series Mini model, which is about an inch smaller all around than the standard sized models.

It is important to point out that there is a substantial design difference between a frameless soft sided airline capable pet carrier and a standard carrier. Keep in mind the priority for an airline capable carrier is the ability and pliability necessary to accomplish under seat requirements, which by definition means that an airline capable carrier is purposely not designed with the same firm structure as a non airline capable pet carrier. What gives a soft sided carrier much of its structure is the fabric used and the zippers themselves along with a thin wire frame.

The reality of airlines (and the TSA or equivalents) is there is no such thing as a blanket approval of a pet carrier or brand, as there are many other factors involved. I work with representatives of the major airline carriers in the design of my totes, including most domestic airlines, and at this point over the years my various totes have been used on virtually every airline around the world. While all airlines can vary a bit due to differing aircraft models, all have the same requirements of under forward seat compatibility combined with pet comfort. The TSA requirement that all airline crew must follow is that the foot space must be cleared for takeoffs and landings, and this applies to purses, bags, and yes, pet carriers. Under seat spacing and configurations can vary between regional, national and international routes as differing aircraft (wide bodied vs narrow bodied) are used, but the pliability and ability to conform to various seat configurations is what sets the frameless soft sided carrier apart from other types of framed or hard shell carriers and has led to their popularity.

In short, all of my airline capable carriers you see on the site are regularly used on domestic and international airlines, and all are compliant with under seat requirements, but the reality is that there can always be an aircraft or route of a particular nature that uses a smaller aircraft without typical under seat clearance, but I have rarely come across that with reviews and feedback from literally thousands of users over many years. It is always advised to proactively check with your airline of choice well prior to departure. Keep in mind many airlines have an in-cabin pet limitation per flight, so you will want to reserve your space early on in your planning.

I also recommend do check out the Instagram feed @mrpeanutspetcarriers as there are many user contributions which help show off sizing and uses with many types of pets.

Regards,

Michael @ Mr. Peanut’s Pet Carriers