Pet Carriers and Lufthansa

New Home

Hi there,

I'll be travelling with Lufthansa in a little over a week and I'll have to bring my cat with me. He'll be travelling in the hold because the maximum size allowed in the cabin for a crate is 55cm x 40 cm x 20 cm (an A4 page is over 21cm wide...) and although he's not a giant my cat is not the size of a hamster either.

I've been trying to find out if the pet carrier I currently have is acceptable (see attachment - I've also "knitted" some chicken wire to the door to make the holes paw-proof) once I add an absorbent pad and a water bowl, but neither Lufthansa nor IATA have replied to my questions. The IATA website says that they do not endorse/recommend any model or brand, and that carriers similar to the one shown on their drawings is also ok, so I'm a bit at a loss as to what will be acceptable.

Has anyone travelled recently with a pet on that airline? Is my carrier OK? If not, where can I buy an acceptable pet box?

Many thanks.

dollydishmop

I had a pup fly to Singapore in a very similar travel box with no problems. The label on mine said something about it being IATA approved...ie not endorsed by them as such, but approved for use...if that makes sense.

Size wise I seem to recall that the animal needs to be able to stand up to full height and turn fully around without hindrance.

I seem to recall mine had tiny holes around the door, top and bottom both sides, so they could thread through security lock/tags to make doubly sure the door didn't open during the flight.
And mine also had a top hatch that pup couldn't fit through but so the flight handlers could access the pup without opening the door...but I don't think that was compulsory, just a useful addition.

And just because I'm a complete sop, I taped an info card on the box so if pup was fretting customs/handlers etc could speak to him using his own name etc.

I would strongly recommend ringing Luthansa and specifically speaking to someone who deals with the domestic animal side of things. Singapore Airlines were excellent with providing info, but only via phone, emailling them was hopeless.

Best of luck

kylith

Check pet shops for airline approved carriers.

I have a similar carrier for my dogs and there are a couple of problems with it. The doors aren't terribly secure and can be forced open by a determined animal, or even just by the weight of an animal lying against it. The snap fasteners around the side aren't very robust either; one of my carriers has lost 2 and now has to be held together by cable ties. One of the carriers has also deformed over time and the door can pop off. I certainly wouldn't trust a carrier like that on a plane, especially when it has to be handled by baggage handlers, I'm lucky that I only have to bring mine on the train.

You might have a look at something like a Vari crate, I recently got two (that I now have to sell cos they're too big); they're held together by wingnut screws and the door is metal and fits into the frame very well.

New Home

Hi Kylith,

Thanks for that - I was counting on the fact that cats aren't as strong as dogs, but perhaps I should rethink the whole thing. Could you please let me know where you got your Vari crates from? The ones I found on the internet seem to be way too big for a cat.

Hi dollydishmop,

Thanks for your feedback - would you by any chance remember the brand/model of your pet carrier? I assume you bought your box in Ireland, would you remember where? My only concern with getting answers over the telephone is that I'd have nothing in writing to show the check in desk in case of problems (call me paranoid...).

Thanks again.
PS:
I won't have time to order the crate online because my flight is on Monday.