Which seat works best with an in-cabin dog? [Alaska 737-800]
I don’t fly on Alaska or Horizon, so I was thrilled when a Dog Jaunt reader took the time to measure not only the spaces around her (she’d been upgraded to First Class) but also the under-seat spaces in Coach Class. She was traveling on an Alaska 737 (800 series) between Puerto Vallarta and San Francisco. Here’s what she reported:
In First Class, there is room for a pet carrier in the open space between the two seats (she spoke with a flight attendant, who told her that that space is available). The space under the seats is taken up, in large part, by hard plastic panels (protecting electronics, probably, or a life preserver). A carrier up to 11” H x 17-18” W x 18-20” L will fit in the area between the seats.
In Coach Class, the middle seat is the way to go for anyone with dog carrier. The aisle seat has the least width, and the window seat space is “okay, but you have trouble getting out.” She recommends a carrier that is up to 10-10.5” H (maybe 11 inches, she said “if really squishy top“) x 18” W x 18-20” L. There is less vertical room for a carrier in Coach Class because a life preserver is hanging in a soft container under the seat.
This post is part of an ongoing series recording under-seat measurements of the various planes we fly on. Keep in mind that most domestic and international airlines have rules about the maximum size of in-cabin pet carriers they allow on board (see Dog Jaunt’s handy charts under the “Guides” tab above).
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This a wonderful addition!!! I just ran into this issue, I was flying Southwest and realized too late i had chosen the wrong seat. The aisle had the least room for my Sherpa!!!
I’m so glad it’s helpful, Abigail! That’s a bad feeling, I know, when you bend down and see that silly rail underneath. Hopefully your middle seat neighbor was thrilled to switch with you….
Someone should spread a new rumor about the aisle seat. I just met someone who was a stewardess for 30 years with American, and she had the false belief that the aisle seat had the most room because you had the “space” of the aisle. So she transported (on standby and passes like ex-stewardi get) a rescue dog from Mexico to Phoenix and took the aisle seat and a large, wheely Sherpa someone loaned her. She said that because she had been a stewardess for so many years she knew if she took it back to the back of the plane and showed the others they’d let it run around back there, which they did. And evidently people are used to travelers with dogs taking their pooch into the bathroom and using piddle pads. But the aisle seat, Not.
Hi, Tuck — It’s so true! Aisle seats are great for humans, but so often there’s a rail under the seat that makes the space almost useless. Love your friend’s story — flight attendants deserve all the perks they can get, even after they retire!
I’m traveling over the holidays with Continental on a 737-800. I’m assuming it will have relatively the same seat dimensions as the Alaska 737 listed above. We’ll be carrying our 18lb Boston Terrier in our large SturdiBag. Do you think I will have any issues traveling with it? It’s 12″ high, but has a flexible top. Also continentals carrier dimensions specify 8″ high, does any anyone have dog travel experience with Continental? This will be the first time traveling with our dog. I’m a little nervous about the size of the carrier. Any advice will be much appreicated.
Thank you,
Greg
Hi, Greg — Here’s what I can tell you. Chloe fits well in her large SturdiBag (she currently weighs 13.5 lbs, and is about 12″ tall at the shoulder). I think a slightly burlier dog could also fit well in the carrier, but not one that’s much taller. I’ve flown on Continental, but not since we’ve had Chloe, so I don’t have any measurements to offer you. There are variations among 737 configurations (Alaska’s 737s apparently allow up to a 10.5″ carrier, and Southwest’s 737 under-seat space is up to 11″ tall, but people are reporting, and I’ve now seen, life vest boxes that reduce that space to 9″ high), so I can’t predict what Continental’s under-seat space size will be. All that said, I think the large SturdiBag is an excellent choice — because of its flexible top and sides, it bends to fit in every space we’ve encountered so far (just as long as your pup is small enough that there’s room for the bag to flex). Where does that leave you? If your pup fits in the large SturdiBag, with room to turn around and some head room when she’s lying down, I’d try it.
Great thanks for the info. Our flight is tomorrow night. I’ll try and get some measurements to post. Our pup definitely fits in the bag and has room to turn around. The standing up part is a borderline questionable, but she’s comfortable being inside. I’m sure she’ll be lying down sleeping for the duration of the trip. I hope they don’t question us about the bag at the check in. We’ll let you know how it goes.
Thanks again.