Air France - carrier requirement

[Kris]

I am taking my cat on Air France next month. (in cargo, she is far too large to go in the cabin).

But, I was just looking on the Air France website, and the cargo carrier requirements seem bizarre and unattainable! I have a Kennel Aire that I have used for her in the past internationally...and now the Air France conditions say that it must be IATA (fine), but then go on to specifications that seem to go beyond...

The door must have a centralized locking mechanism that locks in 3 (yes, 3!) places: in the middle, at the top, and at the bottom (middle? I don't see any that do that!)

The 2 halves of the container must be fastened together by rivets - all other mechanisms prohibited (implying my metal nuts & bolts hardware is insufficient?)

Any idea what the heck they are looking for and if I can get a container that meets their requirements? In spite of the fact that they link to a web shopping site that says you can ship to the U.S., that appears not be be true - plus, I can't even verify the specifications of the products they link to, even if I could buy them (they look like they meet the middle locking requirement - but the rivets?).

Any idea what Air France is up to and what is really required? Or who I can call? In the past I have found reservation agents to be mostly clueless...

Help!

[admin]

Re: Air France - carrier requirement

Hello Kris - as to the door, Air France is referring to a spring lock door with a bar that slides into the crate at the top and the bottom and locks in the middle of the bar, which the Kennel Aire door does. You will also want to zip tie the corners of the door after you check in your cat. As to the fasteners, they are referring to hardware similar to the type that we have in PetTravelStore.com and that you have (nuts and bolts). You will be fine with that hardware. The prohibited mechanisms they are referring to are the plastic fasteners or latches that sometimes hook the top and bottom halves of the crate together.
Susan