What dimensions should my pet’s travel crate be when travelling in-cabin?

Each airline has its own set of requirements for in-cabin pets, however, the main guideline is that your pet must remain in its carrier at all times during the flight, with enough room to stand, turn around, and lie down comfortably.

For example, pets travelling in-cabin in Etihad Airways, carriers are mandated to:

• Not exceed 40 x 40 x 22cm (L x W x H) to fit under your seat, or 50 x 43 x 50cm (L x W x H) if you have purchased an adjacent seat.
• Be ventilated on at least three surface areas
• Be escape and leak-proof
• Be lined with absorbent material.

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Lufthansa only allows small dogs and cats in-cabin weighing no more than 8 kgs, including their carrying container. Larger dogs and cats and all other animal species are not allowed in the cabin regardless of their weight and size. All pet parents must register their pets for in-cabin travels no later than 72 hours before departure.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines requires an in-cabin reservation made no later than 48 hours prior to departure and again only allows a small cat or small dog in a travel crate that weighs no more than 8 kgs, all-inclusive, with the dimensions of the crate being 46 x 28 x 24 cm.

Another example of in-cabin regulations would be Turkish Airlines which allows cats, dogs and small singing birds (e.g., parakeets, canaries) to be transported in-cabin provided that they are in a carrier that fits under the seat, don’t exceed 8 kg including its crate and the dimensions do not exceed 23 (H) x 30 (W) x 40 (L).

On the other hand, Emirates does not permit any in-cabin pet travel besides guide dogs with credible proof and paperwork.

We strongly advise pet parents to cross-check the precise requirements based on the airlines selected to ensure that the crate is fully compliant. Should you require any further support or have questions, reach our experts at bookings@sandypaws.ae to have them answered!

Have a look at a few in-cabin travel crate stories here, here and here :)