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Sleepypod Air or Sleepypod Atom?

lyndxe

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Mar 14, 2011
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Okay, so, now that it's OFFICIALLY a go to bring Iggy over in November, I'm trying to square away one of the more important details: how he will be traveling! Obviously he's going to be in the cabin with me (reservations made on Air France!), but the problem is they have some (rather small) carrier requirements.

I own a super fabulous PetFlys carrier, but over the years, Iggy's grown a little too big... he can barely turn around in it, much less fully stand. He's not a huge fan of getting "stuffed" into a tiny carrier like that (no matter how fashionable it looks or how much I paid for it at the time), so I figure if he's going to be on a 12+ hour flight, I might as well splurge and get him something good so he'll be comfy.

My main concern is the size. I am in love with the Sleepypod series, and so naturally I gravitated towards the Sleepypod Air. Iggy weighs 9.2Lbs (as of his recent vet visit a couple days ago), and the Air weighs 4lbs (with bedding, so it puts him right at the 13.5Lb weight limit for in cabin travel on AirFrance).

AirFrance has the following requirements for carriers: W17" H8.5" D12"

The Sleepypod Air has the following dimensions: W16-22" H8-10.5" D10-10.5"

The Sleepypod Atom is W16-17" H8-10.5" D8.5"

I'd really rather get the Air, but I've heard some people saying it doesn't really compress well for height. The LAST thing I want is to have him denied at the gate at JFK and have to be put in cargo or some other horrific fate. I've heard from some people that the Sleepypod Air is actually a bit on the large side, though I've never heard of anyone being denied boarding. A review on Amazon said they would be laughed at if they attempted to "lift" the sides as seen in the video to prove an adequate sizing fulfillment.

Should I play it safe and just get the Atom? It's nice, but not my first choice. I'd rather get the Air in Orange Dream :)
 

susi794

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How can you use either if they are 10.5 high and the limit is 8.5? I guess I am missing something because I don't "get it". :Dizzy:
 

bthomas

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I don't really have anything of value to add but...I want a sleepypod air SO BAD for Elvis! They look awesome!
Sorry I'm no help! Good luck- keep us posted!!
 

lyndxe

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Mar 14, 2011
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How can you use either if they are 10.5 high and the limit is 8.5? I guess I am missing something because I don't "get it". :Dizzy:

It supposedly ranges from H 8"-10.5" (i.e. "compresses/stretches") but not sure how well it does that. Anyone have one that they can shed some light on? The site DOES say 8 inches to 10.5 inches, though...
 

lyndxe

Lairian
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Mar 14, 2011
Messages
121
Points
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How can you use either if they are 10.5 high and the limit is 8.5? I guess I am missing something because I don't "get it". :Dizzy:

It supposedly ranges from H 8"-10.5" (i.e. "compresses/stretches") but not sure how well it does that. Anyone have one that they can shed some light on? The site DOES say 8 inches to 10.5 inches, though...
 

Monchchichi

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I've never really looked into the Sleepy Pods, I've always traveled with a medium size Sherpa carrier and have never had any problems. Hope everything works out for you, with whatever you decide.
 

Nofuratu

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I dont have the sleepy pod air, just the regular sized one, which the roof does compress well on. But I have no idea about the air and how well it compresses. I would think it is the same as the regular though.

Usually if they dont approve of your carrier they just make you buy one of their overpriced ones at the airport.....so I would be inclined to go with the air and cross your fingers they dont measure it and make you buy one of theirs.

When I flew with Nofuratu from Canada to the U.S and back, they never checked his carrier dimensions....although I did make sure we used a carrier that fit inside the requirements.

I also kept Nofuratu in his stroller at the airport right until we entered the plane, then stuffed him in his carrier and took his stroller as carry on. People were so busy staring at the cat in the stroller (just sitting in it, not closed or strapped in) that they didnt pay any attention to his carrier!! So you could consider the "stroller distraction technique".
If you find pet strollers are too pricey just buy a second hand human umbrella stroller and strap the seatbelt to a cat harness. I reccomend some strolls ahead of time to get him used to it.
And if you are worried about them letting you on board with an umbrella stroller, because the airlines technically only allow travellers with children to bring strollers on board.......just bitch about the price of your cats ticket, and dont let them discriminate against pets as children.
FYI- None of the 4 flights I took did ANY staff, stewards or check in attendants make a peep about me bringing a stroller!!! They just slapped a sticker on it and off we went!
Good luck!
 
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