Sherpa Original Deluxe (Large) vs SturdiBag Pro (Large, Flexible Height): which airline pet carrier?
Short answer: They tie. Each is within the published size limit of 2 of the 58 airlines that publish one. In the table, the Sherpa Original Deluxe (Large) is amber for another 14 airlines and the SturdiBag Pro (Large, Flexible Height) for another 16: over the published size, so each would have to be collapsed, flexed or squeezed to go under the seat. Each amber row shows by how much.
Both carriers compared the way an airline sees them: by published size against each airline's under-seat limit. Sherpa Original Deluxe (Large) is 19 × 11.75 × 11.5 in; SturdiBag Pro (Large, Flexible Height) is 18 × 11.5 × 11.5 in.
Side by side
| Property | Sherpa Original Deluxe (Large) | SturdiBag Pro (Large, Flexible Height) |
|---|---|---|
| External size (L×W×H) | 19 × 11.75 × 11.5 in | 18 × 11.5 × 11.5 in |
| Type | soft-sided · flexible height | soft-sided · flexible height |
| Pet weight | up to ~22 lb | — |
| Airlines it fits outright | 2 of 58 | 2 of 58 |
Airline by airline
Green = within the published size; amber = fits only collapsed / flexed; grey = over. Height is strict — it's the dimension a seat won't negotiate on.
No airlines match.
| Airline | Original Deluxe (Large) | Pro (Large, Flexible Height) |
|---|---|---|
| Aegean Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| Air Canada | Too big | Too big |
| Air Europa | Too big | Too big |
| Air France | Too big | Too big |
| Air Transat | Too big | Too big |
| airBaltic | Flexes — 2.4" over | Flexes — 2.4" over |
| Alaska Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| Alaska Horizon (Horizon Air) | Too big | Too big |
| Allegiant Air | Too big | Flexes — 0.5" over |
| American Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| American Eagle (regional, incl. Republic Airways) | Too big | Too big |
| Asiana Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| Austrian Airlines | Flexes — 2.4" over | Flexes — 2.4" over |
| Avelo Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| Avianca | Flexes — 1.5" over | Flexes — 1.5" over |
| Azul Linhas Aéreas | Too big | Too big |
| Breeze Airways | Too big | Too big |
| Brussels Airlines | Flexes — 2.4" over | Flexes — 2.4" over |
| Cape Air | Too big | Too big |
| Condor | Flexes — 2.5" over | Flexes — 2.5" over |
| Contour Airlines | Flexes — 1.5" over | Flexes — 1.5" over |
| Copa Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| Delta Air Lines | Too big | Too big |
| Discover Airlines | Flexes — 2.4" over | Flexes — 2.4" over |
| Edelweiss | Flexes — 2.4" over | Flexes — 2.4" over |
| EL AL Israel Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| Etihad Airways | Too big | Too big |
| Eurowings | Flexes — 2.4" over | Flexes — 2.4" over |
| Finnair | Flexes — 3.6" over | Flexes — 3.6" over |
| Frontier Airlines | Too big | Flexes — 0.5" over |
| GOL Linhas Aéreas | Too big | Too big |
| Hawaiian Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| Iberia | Too big | Too big |
| ITA Airways | Flexes — 2.4" over | Flexes — 2.4" over |
| JetBlue | Too big | Too big |
| JSX | Too big | Too big |
| KLM Royal Dutch Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| Korean Air | Too big | Too big |
| LATAM Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| LOT Polish Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| Lufthansa | Flexes — 2.4" over | Flexes — 2.4" over |
| Norwegian | Too big | Too big |
| Pegasus Airlines | Fits | Fits |
| Porter Airlines | Flexes — 1" over | Flexes — 1" over |
| Royal Air Maroc | Soft-sided not accepted | Soft-sided not accepted |
| SAS Scandinavian Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| Saudia | Fits | Fits |
| Southwest Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| Sun Country Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| Swiss International Air Lines | Flexes — 2.4" over | Flexes — 2.4" over |
| TAP Air Portugal | Too big | Too big |
| Transavia | Too big | Too big |
| Turkish Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| United Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| Viva Aerobus | Too big | Too big |
| Volaris | Too big | Too big |
| Vueling | Too big | Too big |
| WestJet | Too big | Too big |
19 airlines where size doesn't decide it (no pets in the cabin, or no published size)
| Aer Lingus | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Aeroméxico | Size not published | Size not published |
| Air New Zealand | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| ANA (All Nippon Airways) | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| British Airways | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Cathay Pacific | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| China Airlines | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Croatia Airlines | Size not published | Size not published |
| easyJet | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Emirates | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Icelandair | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Japan Airlines | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Mokulele Airlines | Size not published | Size not published |
| Qantas | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Qatar Airways | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Ryanair | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Singapore Airlines | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Southern Airways Express | Size not published | Size not published |
| Virgin Atlantic | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
Which should you buy?
Too close to call on airline fit — each is within the published limit of 2 of the 58 airlines with a published cabin limit. Pick on shape, pet weight and how your pet prefers to lie down.
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Choose the Sherpa Original Deluxe (Large) if…
- Larger dog size. At 19 × 11.75 × 11.5 in it is over the 18 × 11 × 11 limit at Delta, American and United on all three dimensions, and very few airlines publish a limit this large, so check the table below before you buy. Size down to fly; this one is mainly for the car and the house.
- It clears 2 of 58 airlines with a published cabin limit outright.
- Your pet is under ~22 lb.
Choose the SturdiBag Pro (Large, Flexible Height) if…
- The flexible-height top compresses to slide under lower seats, then springs back. That only helps with height: at 18" long and 11.5" wide it is still too big for 8.5" airlines like JetBlue and WestJet, so check the table below before you buy.
- It clears 2 of 58 airlines with a published cabin limit outright.
- SturdiBag publishes no pet-size limit for this one — measure your pet and compare against the interior before you choose. How →
No new copies on Amazon right nowIn stock and fits the same airlines: Mr. Peanut's Gold Series Mini (Low-Profile) on Amazon →
Full profiles: Sherpa Original Deluxe (Large) · SturdiBag Pro (Large, Flexible Height) · best carriers ranked · all carriers
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Common questions
Which fits more airlines, the Sherpa Original Deluxe (Large) or the SturdiBag Pro (Large, Flexible Height)?
They tie — each is within the published limit of 2 of the 58 airlines with a published cabin limit. Pick on shape, weight rating and how your pet likes to lie.
What's the size difference?
Sherpa Original Deluxe (Large): 19 × 11.75 × 11.5 in (up to ~22 lb). SturdiBag Pro (Large, Flexible Height): 18 × 11.5 × 11.5 in. They stand equally tall — and height is the strict dimension under a seat.
Are these figures measured or published?
Published — both sets of dimensions come from the manufacturers' product pages (linked on each carrier's profile), matched against each airline's official carrier limit. We don't invent measurements.