Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have just returned from a three week trip across the U.S. This trip involved four airline flights, two layovers, some driving, and several hotel changes. Being able to use this carrier on the airline was very important to me. The carrier fit snugly, but easily, under the seat on the first three airplanes. It had to be "persuaded" (the top needed to be very firmly slanted forward) in order to fit it under the seat on the fourth airplane ... but, with some effort, it did eventually "fit". (The difficulty of collapsing the top arches just one inch, to make it easier to slide under a seat, is why I reduced the rating from five stars to a four stars rating. I would have given it four-and-a-half stars, if that were possible.) I discovered that the under-seat space was wider under the middle seats than under the aisle or window seats on the planes that I flew on. On other airplanes, the aisle or window under-seat space might be wider. (This varies by airline, and their favored type of airplane.) This pet carrier is a bit wider than some, and so the under-seat width may be critical to whether or not the carrier will fit comfortably under the seat in front of you, and, with luck, also allow enough room for you to slide your feet on either side of it during the flight. Be aware that some airplanes have sound and TV equipment fastened under the middle seat, therefore both height and width should be checked before you book your seat to ascertain the best seat for you to book on a specific airplane when you have any style of pet carrier with you. The mesh across the top, the front , and the back of the carrier provided adequate ventilation for my pets. (When I was carrying them, they would both be side-by-side enjoying the view through the front mesh.) Opening the sides (or the "wings") during our three-hour breaks between flights gave the "pups" the opportunity to stretch a bit after being confined in the closed-up carrier for several hours. There are several zippers involved in lowering each of the "wings". It took a few minutes to close up the carrier when my flight was called, but it wasn't difficult to do. (You are not permitted to allow the dogs out of the carrier while inside the terminal or on the airplane. Some terminals do have dog-relief stations outside, but to use them, you have to go outside the terminal and then return through Security in order to get back to your gate.) I carried two small dogs at the same time (one is 8 pounds and the other is 11 pounds) in the Pet Peppy Expandable Pet Carrier. (Check with your airline. Most airlines won't permit you to carry two adult pets in the same carrier.) My dogs are a bonded pair who are rarely far apart. They fit snugly in the carrier, but were able to stand up and turn around with care. They had enough space (but little extra space) to stretch out and sleep for most of the time during the trip. They did change sleeping positions (side-by-side with their heads together, then, one facing the front while the other faced the back of the carrier, and later, one curled up at one end while the other slept at the other end). They willingly went back into the expanded carrier to sleep later at night. The carrier (with the two dogs, their leashes, "doggie diamond" bags, and a small filled water bottle) weighed a total of about 22 pounds. The carrier has a band designed to slip over the handle of a wheeled suitcase so that you do not have to carry that weight on your shoulder as you traipse the seemingly endless length of the airport terminal. (You will appreciate that long before you get to the baggage carousels.) I carried a backpack rather than a carry-on suitcase on this trip. The backpack was a mistake. Because I didn't have a wheeled suitcase to mount it on, I had to use the included sturdy shoulder strap to carry the occupied carrier from the far end of one terminal into another (somewhat distant) terminal. Twenty-two pounds doesn't sound like much to carry, and it was fine when I only had to carry the dogs and their carrier (plus a twenty-five pound backpack) for relatively short distances. Tired after travelling for over nine hours, the weight became too much for me when I had that very long walk between terminals. I longed for a wheeled carry-on suitcase on which to mount the carrier. Instead, I used the shoulder strap to drag the carrier from one terminal to the other. That worked well, but I was very concerned about damaging the bottom of the carrier. I am still surprised, and impressed, that I can honestly tell you that I see no damage to the bottom of the carrier or to the place where the shoulder strap is anchored to the carrier after I dragged it that far. Building wheels into the carrier bottom would only elevate the carrier, making it more difficult (if not impossible) to slide under the airplane seat in front of your seat. My dogs have a crate and two other "normal" pet carriers. This one is now the only one that I use for daily use in our family room and for travelling in the car or by air. I am very pleased with this style of dog carrier, its sturdiness, the ability to expand it when the circumstances permit, and the way that both of my dogs handled hours of confinement in it. I do wish that the carrier was about an inch lower, or that the wire arches that form the top were more flexible, enabling a person to slide it under the seat more easily. I also would like to have a means of attaching the carrier to a car seatbelt when driving the dogs from place to place. When this carrier wears out, I will not hesitate to purchase another Pet Peppy Pet Carrier with the same expandable "wings" on the sides. This brand of carrier is well made. It serves both of my dogs well as an appropriately sized travel carrier and as a roomy, but cozy, lounging and sleeping space everyday at home. The fact that my dogs voluntarily use it during the day, as well as during the night, indicates that they like it. I do, too! This is the best carrier that I have found! If you have found this review to be useful, please click on the "Yes" below. If it was not useful, please let me know how to improve it. Thank you.