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Old July 20th, 2013, 03:54 PM
haleyt haleyt is offline
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Question WestJet and Sleepypod Air?

Hi everyone!

I wanted to know if anyone had any experience flying westjet with a sleepypod air? I'm flying in mid-September from Toronto to Vancouver with my cat Goose, and purchased a Sleepypod Air because it seemed to fit all of the requirements really well, and had excellent reviews.

On the Sleepypod air website, it lists two sets of measurements. One set for when the carrier is fully expanded, and one for when it is 'compressed', with the ends flipped up. The compressed measurements list the height at 8 inches (20cm) as opposed to the expanded height of 10.5 inches (27 cm). A diagram illustrates this same change in height.

When I got mine today however, I didn't see a real change in height when I compressed the ends! I'm freaking out now because I'm worried westjet will not allow it, since their website states carriers must be no higher than 8.5 inches. On other forums people say it's usually fine with carriers that are a bit too large, but has anyone actually flown westjet with this particular carrier who could let me know if it was alright or not? Thanks everyone!
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Old July 20th, 2013, 04:54 PM
kitona kitona is offline
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Call them and ask. They are really animal/people friendly and very, very helpful.
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Old July 21st, 2013, 09:09 AM
haleyt haleyt is offline
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I did call and ask, and the woman told me that I should look at their pet page...I'd obviously already done that!
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Old July 21st, 2013, 12:21 PM
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sugarcatmom sugarcatmom is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by haleyt View Post
When I got mine today however, I didn't see a real change in height when I compressed the ends! I'm freaking out now because I'm worried westjet will not allow it, since their website states carriers must be no higher than 8.5 inches.
Although I've never flown with a pet (so take what I say with that caveat in mind), my understanding is that as long as the carrier can squish down to fit under the seat, it should be fine. Is the Sleepy Pod flexible enough to squish?
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Old July 22nd, 2013, 08:24 PM
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Koteburo Koteburo is offline
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A little bit off topic but I need to say it: Loved the name! GOOSE
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Old July 23rd, 2013, 10:39 AM
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Dog Dancer Dog Dancer is offline
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Love the name Goose also. If you live near the airport could you take the carrier out with you to check and see? I know at our airport in Vancouver they have an area with a bunch of sample size things (one is a frame that is the size of the under seat spot, one the size of the overhead bin, etc.). If you could try it out in advance you'd have your answer.
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Old January 2nd, 2016, 10:16 AM
mjsharafi mjsharafi is offline
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Westjet & Sleepypod Air

haleyt: I had exactly the same scenario and question as you. I bought a Sleepypod Air precisely because it could apparently compress down to 8 inches in height and I had to take my Jackhuahua on a Westjet flight whose max. allowable height for in-cabin pet carriers was 8.5 inches (this is unusually restrictive among airlines--Air Canada, Delta and United are all in the 10inch+ range). When my Sleepypod Air arrived, I realized that it doesn't zip down to 8 inches in height. Rather, you can squash it down to 8 inches manually. If you let go, the thing will spring back to its normal 10.5-inch height! You can also shorten the bag, but the mechanism there is a tad more convincing: the ends fold in and stay in place on their own (with much bending and pushing the first few times). It feels a bit misleading for Sleepypod to advertise its product as compressible to 8 inches in height. I didn't know if the bag being squashable would be good enough for Westjet, and worried that we wouldn't be allowed on the plane because of this! (It was my first time traveling with my pup on a plane.) As it turned out though, nobody asked or checked anything when we boarded the plane, and there was a good one inch of extra space above the Sleepypod in the Westjet plane, even when the Sleepypod was its full normal 10.5 inches in height. The person on the phone at Westjet was very picky about the dimensions when I called to pay the pet fee in advance, but after that, nobody asked or seemed to care. I will say that I was still really glad that I shelled out the extra cash for a Sleepypod Air. It is a much sturdier bag than the cheaper one I had before, and I think my dog likes having the sides be solid and not net. I also put in the privacy shield in the back, so that it wasn't net behind his rear end either. I put a small blanket in the bag with him. I thought about putting in a pee pad, but it would have ended up all bunched up very quickly, as the bag is tilting and getting bumped around constantly as you walk (I'd buy the Sleepypod ones for that, as they fasten down.) The Sleepypod had pockets on both sides, which is handy for the pup's travel documents, harness and leash, etc. And when you arrive at your destination, you can open the bag up so that it functions as a bed for your dog. That was also very handy. It also has the possibility of slipping down securely over the handle of your rolling suitcase (sitting on top of it) so you can connect your pet bag and suitcase. So I highly recommend this bag, but not necessarily because of its advertised 8-inch height and Westjet requirements! I was also traveling at Xmas, when I'd think airlines would enforce their rules most strictly given all of the pressure on their systems. I got a travel (flattening) plastic water/food dish and hooked it onto the outside of the bag.
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