Can my dog travel in cabin of plane with me?

Question

I have a smaller sized cocker spaniel. She is 19 lbs and measures from the neck to the base of tail 18 inches. Is she small enough to put in a carrier under the seat in the cabin of a plane and if so what size carrier would be right for her size?

Answer 1

It totally depends on the airlines. Some airlines (like JetBlue) just require you pay a fee and the dog flies under the seat in an approved carrier. Others (like United) limit the number of pets in the cabin per flite (so if you call too late, you're SOL). Others (like Air Canada) don't take pets of any kind except registered service dogs with proof. So check with your airline. It's usually on their website.

Also, while all airlines say you need shot records and proof by a vet your dog is healthy, I've never had anyone ask for this paperwork. Better to be safe than sorry and every airline I've been on (and my dog has flown 7 roundtrips with me) has officially said this was required.

For almost all airlines, the cutoff is 20 pounds. My dog is 22 pounds and 15 inches at the whithers/shoulders. He travels in a SturdiBag (from the Cleanrun website listed below).

Is your cocker too big? Depends. My guy is quiet, goes into his bag, lays down and either sleeps or doesn't move around. He feets under the seat easily and travels better than I do. I've never had to drug him (and refuse to do so--we travel sometimes to compete in agility so if I drug him he's a zombie when we get to the trial: no-good). Also, the length of the dog isn't that important, it's the height of the dog (measured at the shoulders) that is critical.

On the other hand, if your dog insists upon standing than your dog is probably too big unless she was a toy. Some dogs just don't travel well--they're frantic and very active. Others just curl up in their bag and rest or go to sleep (my dog doesn't even chew on toys or bones I put in with him).

Legally, I would bet that your dog will fit in an approved size carrier. Does she have the temperament for being in the travel bag--that I can't answer for you.

Answer 2

I am sure your dog is too big to ride under the seat. It's a REALLY small space. The only dogs that would fit are going to be small toys - or cats.
I have flown numerous times with my cat in the cabin. I have a small carrier which is the size of a SMALL duffel bag. If it doesn't fit under the seat - the airline will NOT let you bring it on.
Even if you could cram your cocker into a small enough crate (which I doubt) they might make you take him out of the cage at the airport. Then they will see that he can't stand up in the crate & they won't let him fly.
They did this to me with my cat even though she's a really small cat & fit in the little carrier just fine. They insisted that it was too small for her & I had to TAKE HER OUT at the ticket counter! Sweet JESUS! Then of course I had to try to get her back in!!! It was a horrific nightmare. She REALLY didn't wanna go back in. Picture it - 100 people in line behind me - unruly cat - P'O'd husband - crotchety ticket counter folks - and me sweating bullets, trying to cram the cat in the box! They did let her fly - it was obvious she was really small. She just DIDN'T want to go back in - making the situation much worse.
I breed & show dogs & I fly with them all the time. They are large dogs - so they have to travel with the baggage. Yes, there are risks involved. I HATE having them back there where I can't see them. But I have never had any problems at all & the dogs arrived safe, sound & happy. It doesn't faze them a bit.
Ask the airline if you can have them come on board & notify you when your dog has been loaded. This will ease your mind quite a bit since you can't physically see her getting on the plane.
Make sure you check with the airline well in advance. Some airlines don't take animals & they all have weather restrictions. They wont let the dog fly if it's above or below a particular temperature. They also only allow a certain number of pets on each plane - so it's good to check well in advance.
Good luck to you!

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Can my dog travel in cabin of plane with me?
I have a smaller sized cocker spaniel. She is 19 lbs and measures from the neck to the base of tail 18 inches. Is she small enough to put in a carrier under the seat in the cabin of a plane and if so what size carrier would be right for her size?

Answer 4

you will have to contact the airline and find out.

Some airlines do allow dogs in-cabin as your carry on. Some do not allow pets at all. Those that do allow pets only allow so many in-cabin per flight.. so you will need to make those arrangements ahead of time.

You will then need to find out what the carry-on requirements are. The dog will have to fit in an airline-approved carrier that meets the carry-on standards. The dog should be able to fit comfortably in the carrier.

Answer 5

Call the airlines that you will be traveling. They each have their own rules. Assistance dogs can easily travel in the cabin and small dogs usually can go by carrier in the cabin. But BE SURE THEY DO NOT GET PUT IN WITH THE LUGGAGE.

Answer 6

Most airlines allow dogs to travel in the cabin.

However, the dog either needs to fit COMFOrtably in a carrier that goes under the seat, or the dog must be a service dog.

My dog is 13.5 lbs 15" and does not fit under the seat, so I would think that your dog is too big.

Answer 7

I'm sorry to say that I don't think your dog will fit under the seat either. We took our 6lb toy dog on a flight and put her under the seat and she JUST fit. We had her in a soft carrier that was airline approved (it was small) and we had to scrunch it down some to fit it under the seat. If it had been a hard one it never would have worked. When we went shopping for carriers the hard small one that would have fit under the seat did not allow our dog to stand up comfortably in it. So we got the soft one and luckily it fit under the seat and she was fine. I have no idea what life for a dog would be like in the luggage hold. My sister has put her dog in it twice and she said he seemed fine. I would assume the temperament of your dog would play a huge factor in that.

Answer 8

You will most likely need a medium to large kennel cab,the different type of cabs have the size of dog it will carry.In order to ship a pet,the pets must not reach the top of the shipping cab and it must allow plenty of space for the pet to turn around in,also must have adiquate ventilation and a feed and water dish.You will also need a health certificate and rabies vaccination from a vet for airlines to permit a pet to be shipped on a plane..I'm sure this large of a pet must be shipped in the Cargo area of the plane,as only smaller type pets are allowed to be a carry on and placed under seat.

Answer 9

Call the airline, they'll tell you what size crate you will need and whether she is allowed in the cabin. Some airlines won't allow any dogs in the cabin any more.

Answer 10

Most airlines don't allow animals, unless they are aid dogs. They may allow animals that can fit in your handbag. Your dog seems big, which means he won't be able to fit between your legs and the seat in front of you, which may be a problem.