We know that you’re very excited about your upcoming trip to visit friends and family. Surely you’ve made airline reservations and decided to bring your fur baby with you. After all, the thought of being separated from your pet is unimaginable.
The only thing left for you now is to purchase an airline approved pet carrier so your pooch can be with you in the cabin. In this article, we will review the important criteria regarding what to consider when buying an airline pet carrier.
What to Consider When Buying an Airline Approved Pet Carrier
As you already know, airline companies have specific criteria and guidelines when you’re traveling with your pet. Some airlines may have different rules, but they all agree on the minimum requirements for traveling with your pet.
Here are the minimum features that your carrier must have to be airline compliant at the time of writing this article:
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Your carrier must have a waterproof bottom
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Your carrier must have adequate ventilation
- Your pet must be securely fastened to the interior leach
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Your carrier must fit under the seat in front of you
- Your pet must be the proper size for the carrier; it must be able to stand up and turn around in the carrier
Note that it’s very important to check your airline’s specific requirements so you can be absolutely sure everything is in order. Make sure that the height of the space under the seat in front of you is adequate, because it can vary depending upon the different airlines as well as where you are sitting on the plane. The height can be "squished" down when your pet is laying down to get the carrier under the seat without harming your pet.
We recommend our airline approved pet carriers with a four spinner wheel folding Pet-Trek® trolley from A Pet with Paws. This pet carrier is very fashionable and looks like a chic handbag -- yet it has all the important criteria of a comfortable and safe pet carrier.
At the Airport With Your Pet
Since pets must be in their carriers while at the airport, you want to make sure they’re maximally safe and comfortable. Some airports even have a pet relief area, so you don’t have to leave the airport when your pet needs it. This makes the entire stay at the airport pleasant and easy.
Still, it gets pretty hard to move around the airport if the carrier isn’t light. That’s why A Pet with Paws sells the carriers that can be easily handled. The combination of our Pet Carriers plus the Pet-Trek takes the weight off the pet owner's shoulders and back and allows them to transport their pet with ease.
The Pet-Trek® enables pet owners to wheel their pets throughout the airport effortlessly. All our airline approved pet carriers have a mesh top, back, and gussets for ventilation and viewing. Inside on the bottom is a removable and washable fleece cushion for comfort as well as an attached leash to secure the pet from jumping out of the carrier.
Other Travel Necessities
Traveling with a pet can be difficult, but it can also be very pleasurable if you have the right accessories. You can make traveling much easier for yourself and your pet by boosting the comfort levels for both of you!
First, you must make sure to bring with you enough pet food, fresh water, and essential medicines in case of emergency. A foldable tray or pet water bottle can be quite handy for ensuring that your pet’s needs are met. You should also get disposable bags or pouches to take care of your pet’s potty needs if the airport doesn’t have a pet relief area.
Bring enough toys and blankets for your fur friend to provide additional entertainment and comfort. The pet carrier should be as cozy as it can get! Your goal is to avoid overpacking but you shouldn’t forget about anything either. In order to remember all of these important pieces of information, try to create a pet travel checklist to get you through the entire packing process.
Conclusion
Traveling by plane with a pet requires extra planning and diligence to reduce stress and keep your pet safe. As we’ve discussed, when shopping for an airline-approved pet carrier, you want to check with the airline to make sure to buy the one suitable for travel.
As you conduct this research, you’ll see that our carriers satisfy these requirements and are comfortable for both you and your pet. So don’t wait much longer and get your airline pet carrier today!