How do I measure my pet for a crate?

Measure A: nose tip to tail base. B: floor to elbow joint. C: width at the widest point. D: floor to the top of the head or ear tips while standing. Crate length is A + ½B, width is 2 × C, and height must be at least D. We do this with you on a video call.

Can I use my own crate?

Yes, if it complies. Send us photos and dimensions and we will check it against the airline's acceptance checklist. If it passes, use it. We would rather your pet travel in something that already smells like home.

Should I put toys or blankets in the crate?

A familiar-smelling piece of bedding or an old t-shirt of yours is excellent. Avoid loose toys that can be chewed and swallowed, and avoid anything that could block ventilation.

What size crate does a Labrador need?

Most adult Labradors take a size 6 crate, roughly 122 × 81 × 89 cm internally, and a large male occasionally needs a size 7. That is a starting point, not an answer. The crate must let your specific dog stand with its ears clear of the roof, turn around and lie down naturally, and two Labradors of the same age can land in different classes. We measure before ordering.

Can two pets share one crate?

Rarely, and only where the airline permits it. Some carriers accept two compatible small animals of the same species in one container up to a combined weight limit; most require one animal per crate, and any pet over about 14 kg travels alone regardless. Two crates means two freight charges, so it is worth confirming for your sector before buying anything.

How long does crate training take?

Five to seven days is enough for most dogs if the crate arrives early and nothing is forced. Meals go inside with the door open, then naps, then short closed periods while you are in the room. Cats take longer and need the carrier left out permanently rather than produced on the day. This is why we deliver five to ten days ahead instead of on travel morning.

Do I get the crate back after the flight?

It is yours: the crate is sold, not rented, and it travels with your pet to the new address. Most owners keep it for vet visits and future moves, which is the sensible outcome given what a compliant kennel costs. If you would rather not store a size 7 kennel, tell us and we will discuss a buy-back at the destination.

Are soft carriers allowed on flights?

For in-cabin travel only, and they must fit under the seat in front of you within the airline's published dimensions. No hold anywhere accepts a soft carrier: it offers no crush protection, and a determined cat can work a zip open in a way it cannot work a spring latch. If your pet is going in the hold, it needs a rigid IATA-compliant kennel.

IATA LAR Container Requirement 82 compliant

IATA-approved pet travel crates

Too small and the airline refuses you at the counter. Too large and you pay for air. Correct is a measurement, not a guess.

Starting from: ₹4,500
Lead time: Delivered 5–10 days before travel
Best for: Every air move

The short answer

Aigan supplies IATA Live Animals Regulations–compliant travel crates sized to your individual pet, delivered days ahead so they can be familiarised at home. Correct crate sizing is the single most common reason pets are refused at check-in, and the biggest lever on air freight cost.

Is iata pet crates & travel prep right for your pet?

Best for: Every air move, and any pet who has never been crated.

Sizing to IATA Container Requirement 82, the standard airlines actually audit against
Crate-refusal at check-in is the most common avoidable failure in pet travel
Right-sizing has saved clients five figures in volumetric freight

Get a free quote

At a glance

IATA pet crates & travel prep: lead time and who it suits

IATA pet crates & travel prep: starting price, lead time and what it suits
Starting from	₹4,500
Typical lead time	Delivered 5–10 days before travel
Best for	Every air move, and any pet who has never been crated
Priced on	Volumetric weight of the crate, distance and season. Not your pet's body weight
Quoted as	Separate lines for crate, freight, vet, permits, both transfer legs and GST

IATA crate sizes for dogs

The rule airlines audit against is simple and it is not a breed chart: your dog must be able to stand fully upright without its ears touching the roof, turn around completely, and lie down in a natural position. Four measurements produce the size, nose to tail base, floor to elbow, width at the widest point, floor to top of head or ear tips while standing, and the crate length is the first plus half the second. Breed names get you close and get you refused at the counter often enough that we do the measurement on a video call rather than trusting the label on the box.

Travel crates and carriers for cats

A cat needs the same three freedoms in the crate as a dog and almost always sits in the smallest one or two size classes, so the choice is usually between a hard IATA-compliant kennel for the hold and a soft carrier for the cabin. Soft carriers are cabin-only: no hold anywhere will accept one, and a cat can work a zip open in a way it cannot work a spring latch. Where two cats from one household travel together, some carriers accept a single container and some do not, and that is worth confirming before buying one crate or two.

Charges

IATA crate sizes and prices

Crates are sold in fixed size classes, and the right one is the smallest class your pet legitimately fits. Dimensions below are approximate internal sizes for the standard series. We still measure your pet, because two Labradors of the same age can land in different classes.

IATA crate sizes and prices, itemised
Size class	Approx. internal size	Typically suits	Price
1: extra small	53 × 40 × 38 cm	Cats, toy breeds, small terriers	₹4,500 – ₹6,000
2: small	68 × 51 × 47 cm	Shih Tzu, Dachshund, Pomeranian, large cats	₹5,500 – ₹7,500
3: medium	81 × 56 × 59 cm	Beagle, Cocker Spaniel, Indie dogs up to ~15 kg	₹7,000 – ₹9,500
4: large	91 × 64 × 66 cm	Border Collie, Springer Spaniel, mid-size Indies	₹9,000 – ₹12,000
5: extra large	101 × 69 × 76 cm	Boxer, Dalmatian, smaller Labradors	₹11,000 – ₹15,000
6: double extra large	122 × 81 × 89 cm	Labrador, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd	₹14,000 – ₹20,000
7: giant	132 × 89 × 99 cm	Great Dane, Saint Bernard, Rottweiler	₹18,000 – ₹28,000

Going one class up is not a kindness, it is a surcharge. Air freight is charged on the crate's volumetric weight, so a size 7 where a size 6 would do can add tens of thousands of rupees to a long sector. And an over-large crate is less safe in turbulence, because the animal slides. Going one class down gets you refused at acceptance.

Compare

Buying your own crate or taking ours

We will happily check a crate you already own, and if it passes we would rather your pet flew in something that already smells like home. Here is the honest comparison.

Buying your own crate or taking ours
Criterion	Your own crate	Supplied by us
Cost	₹3,000 – ₹15,000 online	₹4,500 – ₹28,000, checked and fitted out
Compliance risk	High. Most e-commerce crates fail on plastic fasteners or one-side ventilation	None. Sized against the acceptance checklist for your carrier
Familiarisation time	As long as you like	Delivered five to ten days before travel
Fit-out	You source bowls, bedding, labels and ties	Spill-proof bowls, absorbent bedding, live-animal labels and orientation arrows included
If it fails at the counter	You buy a crate at the airport, at airport prices, in the wrong size	Does not happen. We inspect on travel morning

Send us photographs and the internal dimensions and we will check yours for free, whether or not you book anything else. Crate refusal at acceptance is the most common avoidable failure in pet travel and it is a fifteen-minute conversation to prevent.

Before you book anything

What people worry about with iata pet crates & travel prep

And precisely what we do about each one. If your worry isn't here, ask us. We'll answer it the same way.

“I bought a crate online. Is it airline-legal?”

Most e-commerce crates aren't. We check ventilation on all four sides, metal-bolt fastening, a spring-locked door, no wheels, and the correct internal dimensions, and tell you honestly if yours passes.

“My dog has never been in a crate.”

That's why it arrives early. We send a five-day familiarisation plan (treats, meals, naps inside, door open) so the crate becomes a den before it becomes a vehicle.

“Will they be cramped?”

The rule is simple: your pet must be able to stand fully upright without their ears touching the roof, turn around completely, and lie down naturally. We measure to that, not to a size chart.

“What if they chew through it or the door opens?”

Metal bolts, not plastic clips. Cable ties on the door latch, live-animal stickers, arrow orientation labels, and a laminated card with your name and both phone numbers.

What's in the price

What's included in iata pet crates & travel prep

This is the full scope of the service. Anything outside it appears as a separate, named line on your quote. Never as a surprise on the invoice.

Measurement consult

A guided video or in-person measurement of length (nose to tail base), height (floor to top of head or ear), width and weight.

The correct crate

IATA CR82-compliant kennel in the right size class, with ventilation, a spring-lock door and metal fasteners.

Fit-out kit

Spill-proof water and food bowls, absorbent bedding, live-animal labels, orientation arrows and a feeding-instruction card.

Familiarisation plan

A day-by-day plan to make the crate a safe place, with WhatsApp support if your pet resists.

Volumetric cost check

We calculate the crate's chargeable volumetric weight so you know the freight impact before you commit.

Pre-flight inspection

A final check of latch, ties, labels and bedding on travel day, so the counter is a formality.

How it runs

How iata pet crates & travel prep works, step by step

Measure

Length, height, width and weight, taken while standing.

Size & source

The right IATA size class, sourced or supplied from stock.

Deliver early

Crate reaches your home with time to become familiar.

Train

Meals and naps inside, door open, no force, no rush.

Fit out & fly

Bowls, bedding, labels, ties. Checked on the day.

When you do not need an IATA crate at all

In-cabin travel does not require one. A compliant soft carrier that fits under the seat is what the airline wants there, and it costs a fraction of a hold kennel. Road moves need a secure, well-ventilated crate but not a certified one, and a dog who travels calmly in a harness on a back seat may not need a crate for a short drive at all. Rail sits in between: the parcel office wants something secure and lockable rather than something IATA-stamped. We will tell you which of those applies before selling you a kennel you will use once.

Why Aigan for iata pet crates & travel prep

The measurement is a guided video call, not a size chart, because ear tips and standing height are where breed charts get people refused.
We calculate the crate's chargeable volumetric weight and show you the freight impact before you commit to a size class.
The crate arrives days early with a day-by-day familiarisation plan, because a crate that becomes a nap spot at home is a completely different object to a crate first seen on travel morning.

Questions about this service

Frequently asked questions: iata pet crates & travel prep

An IATA-compliant travel crate is rigid plastic or wood with a metal-grille door, ventilation on all four sides, no wheels, metal nuts and bolts joining the halves, a spring-locked door, an absorbent floor and no interior projections. It must also be large enough for the animal to stand upright, turn around and lie down naturally.

Services often booked with iata pet crates & travel prep

Guides to read before booking iata pet crates & travel prep

Cities we offer iata pet crates & travel prep in

Bengaluru Delhi NCR Mumbai Hyderabad Chennai Pune Kolkata Ahmedabad Gurugram Noida Kochi Jaipur +100 more

IATA pet crates & travel prep

Tell us about your pet. We'll tell you the honest plan.

Free consultation, an itemised quote within 30 minutes, and a straight answer about whether this is even the right service for you.

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Mon–Sun, 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM IST · 24×7 on travel days · Free consultation, itemised quote within 30 minutes