Sherpa Original Deluxe (Medium) vs Sherpa Original Deluxe (Small): which airline pet carrier?
Two of the most cross-shopped in-cabin carriers, compared the way an airline sees them: by published size against each 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 | 7 of 43 | 29 of 43 |
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.
| 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 France | Flexes — 1.1" over | Fits |
| Air New Zealand | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Air Transat | Too big | Squeezes — 0.5" over |
| 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) | Too big | Flexes — 0.5" over |
| ANA (All Nippon Airways) | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Austrian Airlines | Flexes — 1.4" over | Fits |
| Avelo Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| Avianca | Flexes — 0.5" over | Fits |
| Azul Linhas Aéreas | Size not published | Size not published |
| Breeze Airways | Too big | Too big |
| British Airways | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Brussels Airlines | Flexes — 1.4" over | Fits |
| Cape Air | Flexes — 2" over | Exact fit |
| Cathay Pacific | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| China Airlines | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Contour Airlines | Flexes — 0.5" over | Fits |
| Delta Air Lines | Exact fit | Fits |
| easyJet | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| EL AL Israel Airlines | Too big | Too big |
| Emirates | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Etihad Airways | Too big | Fits |
| Finnair | Too big | Too big |
| 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 |
| Japan Airlines | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| JetBlue | Flexes — 2" over | Exact fit |
| JSX | Exact fit | Fits |
| KLM Royal Dutch Airlines | Flexes — 1.1" over | Fits |
| Korean Air | Flexes — 3" over | Flexes — 1" over |
| Lufthansa | Flexes — 1.4" over | Fits |
| Norwegian | Too big | Flexes — 0.6" over |
| Porter Airlines | Exact fit | Fits |
| Qantas | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Qatar Airways | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Royal Air Maroc | Flexes — 2.6" over | Flexes — 0.6" over |
| Ryanair | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| SAS Scandinavian Airlines | Too big | Squeezes — 0.2" over |
| Singapore Airlines | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Southern Airways Express | Size not published | Size not published |
| Southwest Airlines | Flexes — 2" over | Exact fit |
| 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 |
| Turkish Airlines | Too big | Fits |
| United Airlines | Exact fit | Fits |
| Virgin Atlantic | No cabin pets | No cabin pets |
| Volaris | Flexes — 3" over | Flexes — 1" over |
| Vueling | Flexes — 2.2" over | Flexes — 0.2" over |
| WestJet | Too big | Exact fit |
Which should you buy?
The Sherpa Original Deluxe (Small) — it is within the published limit of 29 of the 43 airlines with a published cabin limit, against 7 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 (Southwest, JetBlue). Part of Sherpa's Guaranteed On Board® program.
- It clears 29 of 43 airlines with a published cabin limit outright — more than the Sherpa Original Deluxe (Medium).
- Your pet is under ~8 lb.
Choose the Sherpa Original Deluxe (Medium) if…
- Spring-wire top flexes down to squeeze under lower seats. Guaranteed On Board®.
- It clears 7 of 43 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
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 29 of the 43 airlines with a published cabin limit, against 7 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.