Which Dog Carrier Bag Is Really Airline-Approved? Cabin Bag Rules, Sizes and Costs
Flying with your dog means one of two things. Dog and bag together 8 kg or less? On most European airlines your dog can fly in the cabin, in a soft bag under the seat: that's what this guide is about. Heavier? Then your dog flies in the hold in a hard kennel: work out the right size with the Dog Flight Checker. Checked September 2026.
"Airline-approved" means nothing
It's a marketing phrase, not a certification. Even IATA, which writes the rules airlines follow, says it doesn't certify or approve any brand or model. What counts is whether the bag or kennel meets your airline's rules on the day. Check-in staff decide — and a kennel that doesn't pass means your dog doesn't fly.
In the cabin: the soft bag
Most European airlines allow a small dog in the cabin up to about 8 kg including the bag, in a bag that fits under the seat in front of you, from about 40 × 25 × 23 cm up to 55 × 40 × 23 cm depending on the airline. Check your dog against the bag size and weight limit of each airline with the Dog Flight Checker. A good cabin bag has:
- Room to stand, turn around and lie down. Go by your dog's body shape, not just the weight — a long 7 kg dog needs more length than a compact one.
- Mesh on at least 3 sides, not one small window.
- Locking zipper pulls that clip together, so a nervous dog can't nose its way out.
- A leak-proof base with a washable liner — for the inevitable accident.
- Soft sides — it squeezes under a tight seat.
Cabin bags, cheapest to priciest
- Budget (~€20–40): a basic soft bag, fine for short flights — double-check the size, budget bags vary more.
- Mid-range (~€40–70): better mesh, a washable liner, more reliable sizing. The Henkelion carrier is a well-reviewed pick here.
- Premium (~€70+): built for frequent flyers. Our pick is the Sherpa Original Deluxe: sized for the big airlines, mesh sides, padded shoulder strap for long terminal walks. Best for dogs up to about 7 kg.
See cabin carrier bags on Amazon →
In the hold: the hard kennel
Too big for the cabin? Your dog flies in the hold of your own plane, pressurised and temperature-controlled, in a hard kennel. This is where most dogs get turned away at check-in: the kennel must be big enough for your dog, built to the IATA rules, and within your airline's maximum size.
Our free Dog Flight Checker works out the right size from four measurements of your dog, in cm or inches, and shows which airlines take a kennel that big. What a hold kennel must have is further down this page.
Shop IATA travel kennels on Amazon →
Good to know
What does it cost to fly with a dog? In the cabin usually €50–125 per flight in Europe, $100–200 in the US. The hold costs more, cargo more again. We compare the fees of 27 airlines.
Which airlines take my dog? Our free Dog Flight Checker shows which airlines take your dog in the cabin or the hold, with the link to book its spot.
Should I sedate my dog? No — IATA itself advises against it. Sedatives lower blood pressure, and so does the cabin air pressure at altitude; together that can be dangerous, especially for old, sick or stressed dogs. Ask your vet about calming options that don't sedate.
Feeding before the flight: a light meal at least two hours before, then a short drink and a walk just before your dog goes into its bag or kennel.
When should I book my dog's spot? The moment you book your own ticket. Airlines take only a few pets per flight, and popular routes fill up weeks ahead.
Going by car instead? Read Road Trips With Your Dog: Safety, Packing List & First-Time Tips.
Sources: IATA; KLM, Transavia, Air France and Lufthansa pet pages — checked September 2026. Rules change: always confirm with your airline before you buy or book.
Bag and kennel sizes, per airline
Below is the detail behind the rules above: what size bag each airline allows, how to measure your dog for a hold kennel, and what that kennel has to have before check-in will accept it. Want the answer for your own dog without the tables? The Dog Flight Checker works it out from the weight and four measurements.
What size cabin bag can my dog fly in?
Small enough to fly in the cabin? Then dog and bag together must stay within the airline's weight limit, 8 kg on almost every European airline, and the bag must fit under the seat in front of you. Every airline sets its own maximum bag size, and they differ more than you'd think: a bag that's fine on Lufthansa can be too long for KLM.
| Airline | Maximum bag (cm) | Maximum bag (in) | Dog + bag |
|---|---|---|---|
| KLM | 46 × 28 × 24 | 18.1 × 11 × 9.4 | 8 kg (17.6 lb) |
| Transavia | 40 × 30 × 24 | 15.7 × 11.8 × 9.4 | 8 kg (17.6 lb) |
| TUI Netherlands and TUI fly Belgium | 50 × 35 × 30 | 19.7 × 13.8 × 11.8 | 8 kg (17.6 lb) |
| Eurowings | 55 × 40 × 23 | 21.7 × 15.7 × 9.1 | 8 kg (17.6 lb) |
| Air France | 46 × 28 × 24 | 18.1 × 11 × 9.4 | 8 kg (17.6 lb) |
| Lufthansa | 55 × 40 × 23 | 21.7 × 15.7 × 9.1 | 8 kg (17.6 lb) |
| SWISS | 55 × 40 × 23 | 21.7 × 15.7 × 9.1 | 8 kg (17.6 lb) |
| Austrian | 55 × 40 × 23 | 21.7 × 15.7 × 9.1 | 8 kg (17.6 lb) |
| Brussels Airlines | 55 × 40 × 23 | 21.7 × 15.7 × 9.1 | 8 kg (17.6 lb) |
| Iberia | 45 × 35 × 25 | 17.7 × 13.8 × 9.8 | 8 kg (17.6 lb) |
| Vueling | 45 × 39 × 21 | 17.7 × 15.4 × 8.3 | 10 kg (22 lb) |
| TAP Air Portugal | 45 × 30 × 23 | 17.7 × 11.8 × 9.1 | 8 kg (17.6 lb) |
| SAS | 40 × 25 × 23 | 15.7 × 9.8 × 9.1 | 8 kg (17.6 lb) |
| Finnair | 55 × 40 × 23 | 21.7 × 15.7 × 9.1 | 8 kg (17.6 lb) |
| Turkish Airlines | 40 × 30 × 23 | 15.7 × 11.8 × 9.1 | 8 kg (17.6 lb) |
| Aegean | 55 × 40 × 23 | 21.7 × 15.7 × 9.1 | 8 kg (17.6 lb) |
| American Airlines | 46 × 28 × 28 | 18 × 11 × 11 | Not published |
| United | 46 × 28 × 28 | 18 × 11 × 11 | No set limit |
| JetBlue | 43 × 32 × 22 | 17 × 12.5 × 8.5 | Not published |
| Alaska Airlines | 43 × 28 × 24 | 17 × 11 × 9.5 | Not published |
| Southwest | 46 × 27 × 25 | 18 × 10.5 × 10 | Not published |
| Frontier | 46 × 36 × 28 | 18 × 14 × 11 | Not published |
Sizes are length × width × height, from each airline's own pet page, checked September 2026. Most airlines want a soft bag; Aegean and Finnair require a smaller bag on some planes, and on a United Boeing 737 MAX the bag can be no more than 25 cm (10 in) tall. Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air take no pets, and British Airways takes none in the cabin. Delta sets the bag size per aircraft.
Your dog should be able to stand, turn around and lie down in the bag. For what makes a good cabin bag, from mesh and zips to a washable liner, read which dog carrier bag is really airline-approved.
What size kennel does my dog need to fly?
Too big for the cabin? Then your dog flies in the hold of your own plane, pressurised and temperature-controlled, in a hard kennel that follows the IATA Live Animals Regulations (Container Requirement 1). This is where most dogs get turned away at check-in, so the kennel needs the right size and the right build.
Measure these 4 points on your dog
Measure your dog standing, in cm or inches:
- A — Nose to tail base. Measure to where the tail starts, not the tip.
- B — Floor to elbow.
- C — Shoulder width. Across the shoulders, or the widest point.
- D — Floor to top of head or ears. Whichever is higher.
The IATA formula
Your dog must be able to stand without touching the roof, sit upright, turn around and lie down normally. That gives the minimum inside size of the kennel:
- Length = A + ½ B
- Width = C × 2
- Height = D + bedding thickness
Flat-nosed breeds: add 10% extra space.
Example
A dog measuring:
- A = 70 cm (27.5 in)
- B = 30 cm (12 in)
- C = 22 cm (8.5 in)
- D = 60 cm (23.5 in)
- Bedding = 3 cm (1 in)
Then:
- Length: 70 + 15 = 85 cm
- Width: 22 × 2 = 44 cm
- Height: 60 + 3 = 63 cm
Minimum inside kennel size: 85 × 44 × 63 cm (34 × 17 × 25 in).
What a hold kennel must have
- Material: rigid plastic, fibreglass, metal or solid wood. No wire crates, and no soft or folding kennels.
- Top and bottom bolted together with metal nuts and bolts in every hole; plastic clips alone are not enough.
- The door: the whole of one end, with metal hinges and metal locking pins that go at least 1.6 cm into the kennel above and below. Secure it with cable ties in the four corners as well.
- Ventilation on all 4 sides, at least 16% of the side surface, mostly in the upper two-thirds, with openings no bigger than 25 × 25 mm.
- A water bowl fixed inside that you can fill from outside without opening the door. A bottle dispenser doesn't count. Tape a small bag of food to the top in case of delays.
- Absorbent bedding on a solid, leak-proof floor, such as a towel or puppy pad. No straw.
- No wheels: take them off or make them unusable.
- Labels: a green "Live Animals" label and "This Way Up" arrows on two opposite sides, plus your dog's name, your phone number and your destination.
The biggest kennel each airline accepts
Bigger isn't always allowed: the kennel has to fit through the hold door. These are the maximum outside sizes the airlines publish (length × width × height, checked September 2026). The weight limit for dog and kennel together also differs per airline, see 27 airlines compared.
| Airline | Maximum kennel (cm) | Maximum kennel (in) |
|---|---|---|
| Brussels Airlines | 125 × 75 × 85 | 49.2 × 29.5 × 33.4 |
| KLM, bigger planes | 122 × 81 × 89 | 48 × 31.8 × 35 |
| TUI Netherlands and Belgium | 121 × 81 × 86 | 47.6 × 31.8 × 33.8 |
| Aegean | 105 × 75 × 79 | 41.3 × 29.5 × 31.1 |
| Transavia, and KLM on European Boeing 737 and Embraer flights | 102 × 69 × 76 | 40.1 × 27.1 × 29.9 |
Is your dog's kennel too big for every airline? Then it can usually only travel as cargo.
Before you buy the kennel
- Shops usually list the outside size. Compare it with the inside size our Dog Flight Checker works out for your dog.
- A label saying "IATA" doesn't guarantee a kennel passes: check it against the list above yourself.
- Get it a few weeks early and let your dog sleep in it at home, so it's a familiar place on the day.
See hard travel kennels on Amazon →
Small enough for the cabin instead? The bag sizes per airline are in the table above. And the free Dog Flight Checker tells you which airlines take your dog in the cabin or the hold, and works out the size you need.
Sources: IATA Live Animals Regulations, 52nd edition (2026), Container Requirement 1; airline pet pages, checked September 2026. Always confirm the kennel rules with your airline before you buy.