Best Dog Carriers

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Airline approved is a marketing phrase, not a standard, so treat any carrier's claim as a starting point and check the numbers instead. Most major US carriers publish an under-seat allowance in the region of 17 to 18 inches long by about 11 wide and 11 high, and soft-sided bags are the ones that survive that check because the frame flexes and the top squashes down at the gate. Then size to the dog, not to the label: measure nose to tail base for length and floor to shoulder for height, add two inches, and compare that against the internal dimensions rather than the exterior, since a 20 inch carrier can have 18 inches of usable floor. A dog that cannot stand up and turn around should not be in it for a flight. Ventilation is the next filter, and mesh on three sides moves far more air than a single panel, which matters in a cabin at floor level. Look for a lockable zipper, an internal tether clip that stops a bolt at security, and a removable washable sherpa pad, because the pad is what gets soiled. Wheels and expansion panels are convenient in a terminal and usually the first things a gate agent objects to, so they are secondary to a bag that already fits.