Air Travel Guidelines For Luggage
The recent cancellations of thousands of flights by some of the major airlines due to required maintenance left many passengers stranded and swearing that they would never fly again. If you were not one of those people, and you plan to fly in the near future, you should be aware of what you can and can’t carry in your luggage. Knowing what regulations are will save you a lot of time and grief when you go through each security checkpoint.
Chemicals, Explosive Materials And Electronics
Air travel guidelines forbid the following items: fire extinguishers, bleach, acid, spray paint, tear gas, chlorine and compressed gas cartridges. They can neither be carried on board nor checked in luggage.
A lot of people are unaware that the x-ray equipment used at security checkpoints will destroy undeveloped film left in a camera. Laptop computers, cell phones, pagers, GPS navigational units, and personal data assistants are allowed by air travel guidelines to be carried on board or placed in your checked luggage.
Blasting caps, fireworks, dynamite, flares, hand grenades, bombs, plastic explosives and replicas of any of the previous items, are not surprisingly, banned from being carried on board or checked in one’s luggage per air travel guidelines.
Guns, Firearms, Martial Arts And Self Defense Items
Air travel guidelines forbid you to check, or carry on items such as flares, gun powder and percussion caps. The items the airlines allow you to check, but not carry on, include ammunition, BB guns, compressed air paintball guns, firearms, gun lighters, pellet guns, replicas of firearms and starter pistols. Since each individual airline has its own individual policy, that may be more restrictive than air travel guidelines covering guns and firearms, it is advisable to call the airlines that you are traveling on to double check their policy to avoid being embarrassed.
You may check but not carry on, items like billy clubs, black jacks, brass knuckles, nightsticks, nunchakus, stun guns and throwing stars.
Liquid, Gels, Aerosols And Tools
On September 26, 2007 the TSA adjusted the air travel guideline ban on liquids, gels and aerosols. Passengers are now allowed to carry these items onboard in their carry on luggage. All of these items must be in three-ounce containers, weighing no more than three ounces. These containers must be placed inside quart sized, zip lock, clear plastic bags. These bags must be removed from your carry on bag and placed, either on the conveyor belt or inside a bin, for X- ray screening. There are some liquid type exceptions to these air travel guideline rules for baby formula, breast milk, over-the-counter drugs, prescription drugs, essential liquids, gels and aerosols.
You may check tools or carry them onboard if they are seven inches or less in length. Other items that can be checked but not carried on include axes, hatchets, cattle prods, crowbars, hammers, drills and saws.
