Pet carrier for a plane: size and weight

Carrier for the cabin

In the cabin the carrier sits under the seat in front for the whole flight, so the airline sets the main limits: dimensions and weight with the pet inside. At Turkish Airlines, for example, the carrier can be up to 23 × 30 × 40 cm, at KLM up to 46 × 28 × 24 cm. IATA’s general requirements for a cabin carrier:

• It fits under the seat in front or wherever the airline specifies.
• Your pet can stand, sit erect, lie down naturally and turn around inside.
• Ventilation openings cover at least 16% of the four sides.
• It closes securely so the animal can’t escape, and it doesn’t leak.
• It has absorbent bedding and is clean.

Soft or hard? IATA doesn’t require a rigid carrier in the cabin, and many airlines accept bags. Delta, for example, recommends a soft-sided carrier up to 18 × 11 × 11 in (46 × 28 × 28 cm), ventilated on three sides for US domestic flights and on four for international ones. The downside of a soft bag: it can get squashed under the seat, blocking the vents and trapping heat. Choose one with a firm frame and a solid base that keeps its shape.

Get your pet used to the carrier at home: leave it open with bedding and a treat. IATA recommends doing this well before the trip.

Carrier size and weight by airline

The most common weight limit is 8 kg including the carrier: that’s the rule at Turkish Airlines, KLM and Air France. Sizes vary a lot; many airlines in our database allow about 55 × 40 × 20–23 cm, others noticeably less. If you fly with several airlines, go by the strictest size.

Some US airlines have no weight limit: at Delta the carrier just has to fit fully under the seat, and the exact allowed size depends on the aircraft type.

Kennel for the hold: IATA requirements

For the hold and for cargo, airlines require a kennel that meets Container Requirement 1 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations. Soft bags don’t qualify. The key points:

• Material: fiberglass, metal, rigid plastic, welded wire mesh, solid wood or plywood. Kennels made entirely of wire mesh are not accepted.
• The halves of a plastic kennel are bolted together, not held only by plastic clips. IATA recommends metal nuts and bolts in every hole.
• The door forms the whole end of the kennel and is mesh or strong enough that the animal can’t bend it. Locking pins engage at least 1.6 cm into the frame, and cable ties at the door corners are recommended.
• Ventilation covers at least 16% of the four sides, with openings on all four sides in the upper two-thirds. Mesh openings are no larger than 25 × 25 mm for dogs and 19 × 19 mm for cats, so noses and paws can’t get through.
• Solid floor and roof; the floor must be leak-proof. Absorbent bedding inside.
• A water bowl fixed inside that can be filled from outside without opening the door. A bottle-style dispenser doesn’t replace an open bowl. Food for delays is attached to the kennel.
• Wheels are removed or disabled.
• Spacers on the sides and back so other freight can’t block the vents, plus proper handles.
• A Live Animals label and This Way Up labels on at least two opposite sides. Writing your pet’s name on the kennel is recommended.

Two adult animals of similar size, up to 14 kg each, that live together may share a kennel. IATA also warns that adult animals may fight in transit, so separate kennels are safer. Up to three puppies or kittens under 6 months and up to 14 kg each that are used to living together may also share a kennel. More on this in “Can you fly with two cats”.

These are IATA’s general requirements. Airlines may add their own — on size, material, kennel weight and water containers — so check the exact rules for your flight with the airline before buying a kennel.

How to measure your pet

IATA calculates the minimum inside size of the kennel from four measurements. Measure while your pet is standing:

• A: tip of the nose to the base of the tail.
• B: floor to the elbow joint of the front leg.
• C: width across the shoulders or at the widest point, whichever is greater.
• D: floor to the top of the head or the ear tips, whichever is higher.

Minimum inside dimensions for one animal: length = A + ½ B, width = 2 × C, height = D plus the bedding. For two animals the width is 3 × C. For snub-nosed breeds IATA recommends a kennel about 10% larger.

Example: a cat with A = 46 cm, B = 12 cm, C = 14 cm, D = 30 cm needs at least 52 cm inside length, 28 cm width and about 33 cm height with bedding. Outside dimensions are larger by the wall thickness.

In the cabin the carrier is capped by the airline’s dimensions, but the same rule applies: your pet must be able to stand and turn around. If it can’t within the allowed size, the hold is the better option.

How the weight is counted

In the cabin airlines almost always count the total: pet, carrier, bedding and anything inside. Turkish Airlines, KLM and Air France allow up to 8 kg including the carrier.

1. Step on the scales holding your pet, then without it. The difference is your pet’s weight.
2. Weigh the empty carrier with the bedding and pad.
3. Add them up and leave a small margin: your pet may gain a little before the trip.

In the hold the weight also includes the kennel, and it often sets the price. At Emirates the fee depends on the combined weight of the animal and cage, and at Singapore Airlines a pet over 32 kg together with its kennel can only be booked through a cargo agent.

What’s next

Once you know your pet’s weight and size with the carrier, check which flights work: our search includes the pet fee for the cabin and the hold and shows where your pet won’t be accepted. Each airline’s rules are in Airlines.

When flying with a pet, it’s best to buy the ticket on the airline’s own website: it’s easier to add the animal to the booking, and if the flight or rules change you deal with the airline directly, without a middleman.

Find flights with a pet