Pet carrier backpacks for flying: do they fit under the seat?
✓ Product dimensions checked against each manufacturer's official page; airline limits from our dated airline pages.
Backpack carriers are tall, while airline under-seat limits are usually short (8 to 11 in / 20 to 27 cm high). Below, a backpack's published dimensions against each airline limit we've verified, standing upright.
Sherpa Elevation Pet Backpack (Medium)
9 × 13 × 19 in (23 × 33 × 48 cm). Sherpa says the Medium backpack carries pets up to 16 lb (7 kg) that measure 18 in H x 12 in L or less, sitting.
Fits under-seat on which airlines?
Manufacturer dimensions compared with the cabin carrier limit on each of our airline pages. Length and width may be swapped (the carrier can be turned); height may not. Soft carriers may squash a little, but we only compare published numbers. The gate agent has the final say.
| Airline | Airline limit | Fits? |
|---|---|---|
| Air Canada Most mainline jets | 43 × 40 × 20 cm soft-sided only* | ✗ Over taller by 28.3 cm |
| Air Canada Dash 8-400 / E175 / CRJ900 | 55 × 40 × 27 cm soft-sided only* | ✗ Over taller by 21.3 cm |
| Air Canada Widebody Business Class | 41 × 21 × 28 cm soft-sided only* | ✗ Over taller by 20.3 cm, wider by 1.9 cm |
| Air France Cabin | 46 × 28 × 24 cm soft-sided only* | ✗ Over taller by 24.3 cm |
| Alaska Airlines (and Hawaiian Airlines) Cabin | 17 × 11 × 9.5 in soft-sided only* | ✗ Over taller by 9.5 in |
| American Airlines Soft-sided (recommended) | 18 × 11 × 11 in | ✗ Over taller by 8.0 in |
| Delta Air Lines Recommended soft-sided kennel | 18 × 11 × 11 in | ✗ Over taller by 8.0 in |
| JetBlue Cabin (soft or hard) | 17 × 12.5 × 8.5 in | ✗ Over taller by 10.5 in |
| Lufthansa Cabin | 55 × 40 × 23 cm soft-sided only* | ✗ Over taller by 25.3 cm |
| United Airlines Soft-sided | 18 × 11 × 11 in | ✗ Over taller by 8.0 in |
| United Airlines Soft-sided, Boeing 737 MAX | 18 × 11 × 10 in | ✗ Over taller by 9.0 in |
* This airline accepts soft-sided carriers only, and Sherpa doesn’t state this product’s construction on its page; check before you fly.
Not compared: airlines with no confirmed cabin carrier size on our pages (see carrier size by airline).
If you need a carrier for the cabin, compare the soft under-seat carriers instead.
More guides
- Best airline-approved soft pet carriers: sizes vs. under-seat limits
- Pet carrier size limits by airline (under-seat) and carriers that fit
- IATA-style hard crates for flying pets in the hold or as cargo
- Travel water bowls for dogs and cats: collapsible and nesting options
- All pet travel products
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page may be affiliate links; if you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes the dimensions or fit results shown. We have not tested these products ourselves: every figure comes from the linked manufacturer page. Disclosure.