Sherpa Original Deluxe (Medium) vs Sherpa Original Deluxe (Small): which airline pet carrier?
Short answer: The Sherpa Original Deluxe (Small) is within the published size limit of more airlines: 41 of the 58 that publish one, against 11 for the Sherpa Original Deluxe (Medium). In the table, the Sherpa Original Deluxe (Medium) is amber for another 28 airlines and the Sherpa Original Deluxe (Small) for another 13: 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 (Medium) is 17 × 11 × 10.5 in; Sherpa Original Deluxe (Small) is 15 × 10 × 8.5 in.
Side by side
| Property | Sherpa Original Deluxe (Medium) | Sherpa Original Deluxe (Small) |
|---|---|---|
| External size (L×W×H) | 17 × 11 × 10.5 in | 15 × 10 × 8.5 in |
| Type | soft-sided · flexible height | soft-sided · flexible height |
| Pet weight | up to ~16 lb | up to ~8 lb |
| Airlines it fits outright | 11 of 58 | 41 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 (Medium) | Original Deluxe (Small) |
|---|---|---|
| Aegean Airlines | Too big | Squeezes — 0.2" over |
| Air Canada | Flexes — 2.5" over | Flexes — 0.5" over |
| Air Europa | Too big | Fits |
| Air France | Flexes — 1.1" over | Fits |
| Air Transat | Too big | Squeezes — 0.5" over |
| airBaltic | Flexes — 1.4" over | Fits |
| Alaska Airlines | Flexes — 1" over | Fits |
| Alaska Horizon (Horizon Air) | Flexes — 1" over | Fits |
| Allegiant Air | Fits | Fits |
| American Airlines | Exact fit | Fits |
| American Eagle (regional, incl. Republic Airways) | Exact fit | Fits |
| Asiana Airlines | Too tall (10.5" > 10.2" soft max) | Flexes — 0.3" over |
| Austrian Airlines | Flexes — 1.4" over | Fits |
| Avelo Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| Avianca | Flexes — 0.5" over | Fits |
| Azul Linhas Aéreas | Too big | Flexes — 0.7" over |
| Breeze Airways | Too big | Too big |
| Brussels Airlines | Flexes — 1.4" over | Fits |
| Cape Air | Flexes — 2" over | Exact fit |
| Condor | Flexes — 1.5" over | Fits |
| Contour Airlines | Flexes — 0.5" over | Fits |
| Copa Airlines | Exact fit | Fits |
| Delta Air Lines | Exact fit | Fits |
| Discover Airlines | Flexes — 1.4" over | Fits |
| Edelweiss | Flexes — 1.4" over | Fits |
| EL AL Israel Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| Etihad Airways | Too big | Fits |
| Eurowings | Flexes — 1.4" over | Fits |
| Finnair | Flexes — 2.6" over | Flexes — 0.6" over |
| Frontier Airlines | Fits | Fits |
| GOL Linhas Aéreas | Too big | Fits |
| Hawaiian Airlines | Flexes — 1" over | Fits |
| Iberia | Flexes — 0.7" over | Fits |
| ITA Airways | Flexes — 1.4" over | Fits |
| JetBlue | Flexes — 2" over | Exact fit |
| JSX | Exact fit | Fits |
| KLM Royal Dutch Airlines | Flexes — 1.1" over | Fits |
| Korean Air | Too tall (10.5" > 9.8" soft max) | Flexes — 1" over |
| LATAM Airlines | Too big | Fits |
| LOT Polish Airlines | Flexes — 2.6" over | Flexes — 0.6" over |
| Lufthansa | Flexes — 1.4" over | Fits |
| Norwegian | Too big | Flexes — 0.6" over |
| Pegasus Airlines | Fits | Fits |
| Porter Airlines | Exact fit | Fits |
| Royal Air Maroc | Soft-sided not accepted | Soft-sided not accepted |
| SAS Scandinavian Airlines | Too big | Squeezes — 0.2" over |
| Saudia | Fits | Fits |
| Southwest Airlines | Too big | Fits |
| Sun Country Airlines | Flexes — 1.5" over | Fits |
| Swiss International Air Lines | Flexes — 1.4" over | Fits |
| TAP Air Portugal | Flexes — 1.5" over | Fits |
| Transavia | Too big | Fits |
| Turkish Airlines | Too big | Fits |
| United Airlines | Exact fit | Fits |
| Viva Aerobus | Flexes — 2.2" over | Flexes — 0.2" over |
| Volaris | Flexes — 3" over | Flexes — 1" over |
| Vueling | Flexes — 2.2" over | Flexes — 0.2" over |
| WestJet | Too big | Exact fit |
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?
The Sherpa Original Deluxe (Small) — it is within the published limit of 41 of the 58 airlines with a published cabin limit, against 11 for the Sherpa Original Deluxe (Medium). That is the whole verdict on airline fit; real under-seat space still varies by aircraft and seat.
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Choose the Sherpa Original Deluxe (Small) if…
- Naturally short (8.5") and soft — one of the few that already clears the 8.5" airlines (JetBlue, WestJet). Part of Sherpa's Guaranteed On Board® program.
- It clears 41 of 58 airlines with a published cabin limit outright — more than the Sherpa Original Deluxe (Medium).
- Your pet is under ~8 lb.
No new copies on Amazon right nowIn stock instead: Mr. Peanut's Gold Series Mini (Low-Profile) on Amazon →It fits 31 of the 41 airlines this one fits. See its page
Choose the Sherpa Original Deluxe (Medium) if…
- Spring-wire top flexes down to squeeze under lower seats. Guaranteed On Board®.
- It clears 11 of 58 airlines with a published cabin limit outright.
- Your pet is under ~16 lb.
Full profiles: Sherpa Original Deluxe (Medium) · Sherpa Original Deluxe (Small) · best carriers ranked · all carriers
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Common questions
Which fits more airlines, the Sherpa Original Deluxe (Medium) or the Sherpa Original Deluxe (Small)?
The Sherpa Original Deluxe (Small) — it's within the published limit of 41 of the 58 airlines with a published cabin limit, against 11 for the other. Real under-seat space still varies by aircraft.
What's the size difference?
Sherpa Original Deluxe (Medium): 17 × 11 × 10.5 in (up to ~16 lb). Sherpa Original Deluxe (Small): 15 × 10 × 8.5 in (up to ~8 lb). Height is the strict dimension under a seat, and the Sherpa Original Deluxe (Small) is the shorter of the two.
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.