This worked out really well for traveling. We could carry our dog in its backpack mode. or remove those straps and sling her over our shoulder with the included shoulder strap. She could be clipped in to avoid escape, but obviously check periodically that she is not tangled up. The zippers all latch to make escape more difficult as well. Once we added a small blanket, our dog snuggled up and slept comfortable on the flight (with some sedatives). I would not recommend leaving a pet unattended in this carrier. This is for taking a pet with you on a trip and not meant to hold a pet long-term unsupervised.

Check the sizes carefully, they don't all fit under airline seats. Also, some planes have rows that have less space underneath. First class seats often have even less space under them than the coach seats. Ours didn't fit that well under the seat in first class, but Delta didn't stop us. Also I recommend you check with your airline before buying tickets. They can help you find flights where your carrier will fit, and ensure that you are registered correctly as there are limits to the number of passengers with pets allowed on a flight.

Very versatile bag which is great for traveling. My husband and I bought this mostly to be used as a backpack, front pack, hand bag, and travel under the airplane seats. Size Medium worked for our Chihuahua Beagle mix, she's short but longer body.

Highlights:

- Fits under Southwest seat, but best for middle seat (must turn the carrier on the side). That being said, it would be nice if the padding for the pet was on the bottom AND the side. Since we have to flip it sideways to go under the seat, the padding on the bottom is useless for the most uncomfortable portion of travel for the pet.

- As a front/backpack, the straps are set pretty far apart so its easy for my husband to carry but it slips off my shoulders quite a bit since the strap areas are so far apart.

- As a front/backpack it would be nice to have an upper and lower strap that goes across the body rather than just one in the middle. Its fine for my husband who is stronger, but better if both of us could comfortably carry our pet.

- This is for travel so it would be nice to have a trolley sleeve so we could rest the bag on the suitcase securely when waiting in lines or walking across the airport to alleviate the issues with back supports and shoulder width.

- There are a lot pockets, viewing windows, and entry and exit points to put your pet in the bag and let them out. I think this is a HUGE pro.

- There are two straps on one side that you could put a seatbelt through which is also nice but I'd rather have a suitcase trolley sleeve.

I bought a couple sizes to test for our pet and the Medium size was perfect but unfortunately when I put the plastic supports in to keep the bag's shape the Medium bag ripped a little which is annoying for a product you pay a little more for. This did not happen on the Small or Large sizes I ordered. I bought the carrier a couple days before my flight so didn't have time to order another Medium and exchange it before use. The rip didn't expand with use so it may have just been a faulty bag.

Other color options would also be nice, but that is obviously not a big deal.

(there's a quick pros & cons list at the bottom if you don't want to read my entire review)

I want to start off by saying that this has the potential to be a great bag. I really loved the idea of it being a backpack that your pet can lay in while freeing up your hands. There was no issues navigating through the airport. In fact, most of the airline folks didn't even realize there was a dog in there. There's mesh on both sides of the backpack and even a top flap that can open so you can see your pup without having to open the bag.

My dog is a 15 lb chiweenie so I got the medium size.

Quick side note: the bag doesn't need much assembly but it didn't come with instructions either so I didn't realize how to assemble it until just before our flight back. The bag comes collapsed in the box when you receive it. It has 2 circular/rectangular thick black plastic hoops that you insert on each end of the backpack carrier and fasten with little velcro loops that are attached to the inside of that bag so that the bag remains upright. Again, i didn't realize this until the flight back so on the way there...the bag felt a little flimsy. It still worked though.

I've included pictures of how the bag fit under the seat. I flew delta and were able to get away with the carrier poking slightly out from under the seat but it's possible that on another airline...this could be an issue. I had a aisle seat so that flight attendant told me twice to push it more under the seat. I tried my best but the bag itself was just a little too big to fit the entire thing under there. On the flight back, I placed the bag underneath my girlfriend's middle seat and nobody said anything (probably because they couldn't see it that well). My best advice would be that you either try to cover it up discreetly by maybe placing a blanket or coat over your legs so that they don't flag you for the bag sticking out slightly.

Long story long: the flight there and back worked great, navigating through the airports worked great; it wasn't until our flight back as we were waiting for our lyft ride, one of the straps on the backpack broke away and detached from the backpack itself so luckily i was able to catch the bag in time so my dog didn't fall on the ground.

I ended up returning it because for $80.00 I want a bag that lasts me and my dog forever (and if not forever...then at least longer than a week). The company was nice to deal with. They wanted feedback about the bag and emailed requesting it and asked how they can improve. I think the bag itself just needs to be made more sturdy.

PROS:
-great for traveling and having your hands free
-spacious
-great mesh siding and mesh window on top
-can act as a backpack but also comes with a shoulder strap
-has a soft fleece-like bottom floor for your pet
-has a pocket on the front of the bag
-nice company to deal with
-both sides of the bag open
-all sizes seem to work on airplanes

CONS:
-not sturdy enough
-plastic hardware (would prefer metal)
-backpack straps need to be more reinforced (mine broke on the way home)
-price of bag is too high for quality of bag

Only thing really missing is the ability to attach to a suitcase easily (like a backbag). Also, with some planes you either have to really force it under the seat in front or set it on its side. Otherwise it's been a good bag. Lasted us for 5 years with lots of trips between Europe and the US and the Caribbean. One of the metal clips for the handle broke (maybe just aging or maybe corrosion because I can see corrosion on other metal parts) and I can see that at least one of the stiches is just starting to come loose. The internal pad has been durable and has been through a washer multiple times, the fabric and mesh are strong as well. All zippers work fine.

I would have loved to leave a five star rating on this bag, but two things are holding me back. First, the quality of the findings. The clips feel so cheap and thin that I would be would not trust them with a pet at the high end of the weight restriction.

The second reason, as mentioned in other reviews, is there were no instructions as to how "The height can also be reduced up to 3" by setting the frames in "A" position". I bought a bag smaller than what I would have liked to have gotten as I needed to be certain that it would fit on a flight. After contacting the company before leaving my review, I got a reply of "To get it to fit under seat it is best to remove the black frames and either bend the frames in the side doors or push them inwards like an "A". The bag will of course collapse a bit but most pets are ok with that as they usually lay down during flight anyway." In truth removing the frames entirety seems like the only feasible option as if you just try to shift the frames into another position, they just collapse to the floor of the carrier and would pose a danger to the pet at that point. At best a discomfort having to lay on them but I could see a pet becoming tangled and breaking a leg.

The side doors do provide some support without the frames being there, so if I had known this I would have gotten a medium instead of the small for more room on trips to the vet.

I do love all the various ways to carry this bag. That and the inside leash were the big draws for me. The two pockets were perfect for a collapsible water dish and leash, which made for a smooth security check. chip the leash to the harness, unclip the internal leash, send the carrier though the x-ray, get a quick check with kitten in hand, put him back in the carrier and switch the leashes out. He was never able to bolt as he was always anchored to something.

And the seat belt loops are also another bonus. We drove though two big cities and it was nice to not have to worry about him sliding onto the floor if there was a need for a hard break.

Overall, this is a great carrier. I just wish the clips felt sturdier.

(I did have a clip break when picking up the bag with cat inside recently. I will be replacing all the hardware on them).