Crates and air kennels | Measuring your pet

A happy dog sitting in a wooden crate on a black background

One of the most critical aspects of pet travel is your travel crate. It serves as your pet’s home away from home during their journey through the skies.

To ensure your pet travels in comfort, the crate must be the correct size. Your pet should be able to lie down, stand up, and turn around comfortably, reducing stress and promoting a safe and restful travel experience.

We offer both high-quality plastic crates and custom-built wooden crates, tailored to suit your pet and the specific requirements of their journey. Our team carefully considers a range of factors, including your pet’s breed, exact measurements, flight route, and the temperatures at both the origin and destination, to recommend the most suitable and compliant crate. All crates are fully equipped with comfortable bedding, secure water bowls, and easy-access water funnels to ensure your pet’s comfort and well-being throughout their travel.

Rest assured, whichever travel crate you choose, it will fully comply with IATA Live Animal Regulations and airline-specific requirements, ensuring your pet's journey meets all international standards for safety and welfare.

our crates

Wooden crates

Wooden travel crates are a strong and reliable option for transporting pets by air, particularly for larger animals or those with custom-sized needs.

One of their key benefits is that they can be built to exact dimensions, ensuring a perfect fit for your pet and helping to minimise excess volume, an important factor when airline charges are based on crate size.

Wooden crates are incredibly sturdy and can withstand the rigours of long-distance travel and handling, offering excellent protection. Often preferred, and sometimes an airline requirement, for heavier or more powerful animals, as they provide enhanced security and stability.

Their solid construction can also help reduce stress for pets by limiting external noise and visual stimuli during the journey.

An illustration of a custom built air kennel or crate with a 'live animal' label on the side

A portrait image of a custom built wooden crate with an open door, with water and food bowl attached.

A landscape image of a custom built wooden crate with an open door, with water and food bowl attached.

An illustration of a plastic air kennel or travel crate.

Plastic crates

Plastic travel crates are a popular and practical choice for transporting pets by air.

One of the main advantages is their durability and lightweight construction. They offer excellent protection, with solid walls and secure ventilation openings that help keep pets safe and comfortable throughout the journey.

Their non-porous surfaces are easy to clean and disinfect to be reused on journey after journey. Plastic crates are available in a wide range of sizes, making it easy to find one that suits your pet’s specific needs. However, this flexibility can also be a drawback.

In some cases, the crate may be slightly oversized in length, width, or height. On longer routes, as airline cargo rates are calculated based on volume, an oversized crate can significantly increase transport costs, making plastic crates a more expensive option.

How to measure your dog?

We'll ask for these measurements when you complete a quote.

Length of animal from nose to root of tail

Height from ground to elbow joint

Width across widest section (usually shoulders or head)

Height of animal in a natural standing position - from the soles of feet to the tallest point (usually either the tip of the ears, or the top of the head).

An illustration of how to measure your dogs, including pointers on which measurements correspond to each input field.

Travel crate acclimation

Ready to begin your adventure? Here are some helpful hints to ensure you and your pet feel at ease with their new travel crate.

When you book with Pets by Plane, we can deliver your pet’s travel crate to you well in advance of the flight. This gives your dog or cat time to get comfortable with it, which is especially helpful if your pet is particularly nervous or if you're travelling to a distant destination where they’ll be in the crate for an extended period.
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Here are some top tips on how to do this:

Leave their travel crate in a place where your dog or cat can explore it and place things they like inside, such as a favourite toy, blanket or treat.
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For the first few days tie the door open so your pet can go in and out as it pleases.
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Once your pet starts resting in their crate, begin to shut the door and let them have a short nap! Just close it for a few minutes to start with, then increase the length of time gradually.
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Finally, if you have the space, start taking your pet on car journeys whilst in the crate with just bedding.
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For dogs, it’s a good idea to go to places it loves, such as the park, so it can see that travelling in the crate leads to fun things. When you return home, give your pet a treat and some fuss as a reward.

faq

Crate expectations...

Find answers to some of our most requested queries regarding our crates and air kennels.

If you require any more information, please reach out below, and we'll aim to get back to you as quickly as possible.

Request a quote

What Travel Crate will my pet travel in?

We provide both wooden and plastic crates depending on your pets size, journey and breed. When we provide a quote, we will clearly show what crate we have proposed, including the measurements, which will have taken into account all the relevant factors that could affect your pets journey.

Can I use my own crate?

Great! If you already own an IATA-compliant travel crate, we'll gladly reuse it. However, it's important to note that the IATA Live Animal Regulations and airline-specific policies can change over time. A travel crate that was acceptable for bringing your pet to a country a few years ago may no longer meet compliance requirements.

Using a crate that does not comply with these regulations could result in your pet being rejected by the airline, and may lead to delays while an alternative and compliant travel crate is sourced. Depending on your destination, this situation can cause significant emotional and financial distress, which we want to avoid at all costs.

We suggest you sending photos of your crate at some point so we can check to ensure it wont be rejected at check in. We can also modify crates to ensure they are compliant so don’t, worry we will find a solution that works!

How big will my pets crate be?

Using your pet’s measurements, we use an internationally approved formula to calculate the correct-sized travel crate for your pet. This ensures it meets strict regulations, so your pet travels as safely and comfortably as possible. This is why we request accurate measurements as early as possible (dogs only) as it will determine the airline costs (based on the volume of the crate) meaning the quote will be accurate.

Do you deliver beforehand?

Yes, we can deliver the crate in advance, and for the longer journeys, this is recommended so that your pet can get used to the crate before travel.

Do I keep my crate?

All the crates we provide are yours to keep! This means they will need to be collected at the destination, and must be considered ahead of time. Should you not wish to keep your crate, then please inform us and we will try and arrange for it to be re-used and recycled at your destination.

What does the crate come with?

All crates come airline and IATA approved with suitable bedding, water bowls and funnels ready for your pets travel! You wont need to add or change anything! When the crates leave our factory, the bedding is sprayed with natural pheromones which mimic that of mother animals and help promote a sense of calm and ease for your pet.

Can I put anything in the crate?

Certain items can be placed within the crate such as a blanket, pillow or bedding, however anything seen as a choke hazard, such as toys or chewable items are strictly not permitted. Once your pet is checked in the crate will be x-rays so any forbidden items will be spotted and need to be removed, which may delay your pets flight (and incur additional costs). This also includes cameras or tracking devices, which again , are strictly forbidden.

My pet is nervous, what can I do beforehand to help?

For nervous pets we recommend receiving the crate around 1 month beforehand, and building up their confidence going in and out of the crate. When the crates leave our factory, the bedding is sprayed with natural pheromones which mimic that of mother animals and help promote a sense of calm and ease for your pet. Please see our specific guidance on crate training for further information.

Travel crates