US Airline Travel Regulations - FYI

[Marc Langille]

Straight from the TSA website: TSA: Photographic Equipment & Film

Summary:

Photographic Equipment

You may carry one (1) bag of photographic equipment in addition to one (1) carry-on and one (1) personal item through the screening checkpoint. The additional bag must conform to your air carrier's carry-on restrictions for size and weight. Please confirm your air carrier's restrictions prior to arriving at the airport.

Air carriers may or may not allow the additional carry-on item on their aircraft. Please check with your air carrier prior to arriving at the airport.

Our screening equipment will not affect digital cameras and electronic image storage cards.

[Jimbo]

Thanks Marc. I fly a lot and always have my camera equipment. Only had one problem once where I alos tried to carry my tri-pod, with the camera bag and they wanted to vcharge me extra. I now carry a bag large enought to hold my tri-pod. Appreciate the details you are putting into this trip Marc. JIM

[Mallee Boy]

Thanks for that Marc.

I do wish though that the airline industry could get its act together on this and be consistent across the industry. For example...on our upcoming flights (in cattle class) we will have checked luggage weights of 20kg on one airline & 23kg on another.....

Cheers

[Damn Brit]

Originally Posted by Mallee Boy

Thanks for that Marc.

I do wish though that the airline industry could get its act together on this and be consistent across the industry. For example...on our upcoming flights (in cattle class) we will have checked luggage weights of 20kg on one airline & 23kg on another.....

Cheers

Take 3kg worth of sandwiches with you then Grant.

[daacon]

Thanks Marc as has been said appreciate the due dillence. I will be flying Delta and they have a 40lb carry limit based on my unoffical weigh in of the camera bag I should be ok.

The extra $$ for checked luggage kinda pisses me off , I mean build it into the original ticket price !! Most people hate the nickle and dime stuff.

I try and fly Westjet whenever I can (2 bags , 50lbs limit each Free - sweet airline for Canada) but they don't do Salt Lake. Delta is $15 for first one $25 for second one and first born for next one but on the bright side it is direct so take the good with the bad.

[Mallee Boy]

Dave....I'm with NWA...(owned by Delta I think)....same charges apply, but if you join their program (2 minutes online, no charge), then 2 pieces of checked baggage free.
Unless I'm reading it wrong.
Cheers

[daacon]

Originally Posted by Mallee Boy

Dave....I'm with NWA...(owned by Delta I think)....same charges apply, but if you join their program (2 minutes online, no charge), then 2 pieces of checked baggage free.
Unless I'm reading it wrong.
Cheers

Nice tip Grant I will give that a go !

[hwblanks]

Even if the airlines never get around to changing their own policies about how many bags you can carry on, I still see some advantage to the policy change. I figure that in addition to the usual 2 items (one bag would have the camera and lenses), I could also include my tripod in it's own padded case. Even if the airline wouldn't let me carry on all 3 items, I could always gate-check the tripod. It would spend less time away from me and be less prone to rough handling by the handlers. For a long weekend trip, if I were to pack lightly in the way of personal effects and put my camera and lenses in a bag that doesn't scream CAMERA BAG, I just might be able to get away without having to check anything.

On that note, that's why I prefer to fly Southwest whenever I can--at least they'll let me check one bag free if I need to.

Heather

[Lowell Goudge]

Originally Posted by hwblanks

Even if the airlines never get around to changing their own policies about how many bags you can carry on, I still see some advantage to the policy change. I figure that in addition to the usual 2 items (one bag would have the camera and lenses), I could also include my tripod in it's own padded case. Even if the airline wouldn't let me carry on all 3 items, I could always gate-check the tripod. It would spend less time away from me and be less prone to rough handling by the handlers. For a long weekend trip, if I were to pack lightly in the way of personal effects and put my camera and lenses in a bag that doesn't scream CAMERA BAG, I just might be able to get away without having to check anything.

On that note, that's why I prefer to fly Southwest whenever I can--at least they'll let me check one bag free if I need to.

Heather

heather

as stupid as it sounds, tripods monopods etc are banned from planes as they are considered weapons

[Lowell Goudge]

Originally Posted by Marc Langille

Straight from the TSA website: TSA: Photographic Equipment & Film

Summary:

Photographic Equipment

You may carry one (1) bag of photographic equipment in addition to one (1) carry-on and one (1) personal item through the screening checkpoint. The additional bag must conform to your air carrier's carry-on restrictions for size and weight. Please confirm your air carrier's restrictions prior to arriving at the airport.

Air carriers may or may not allow the additional carry-on item on their aircraft. Please check with your air carrier prior to arriving at the airport.

Our screening equipment will not affect digital cameras and electronic image storage cards.

note that a similar sign is posted at LaGuardia when entering security.

[pxpaulx]

Originally Posted by Lowell Goudge

heather

as stupid as it sounds, tripods monopods etc are banned from planes as they are considered weapons

It is blunt, and swingable (how much so on a plane, we can only guess). I'm guessing baseball bats aren't allowed either. I would rather face a bat than my monopod which is pretty much a 2lb sledge when extended.


Sure, a bunch of passengers might be able to overcome one or two people, but what if there were more, is it worth the risk at all?

Not sayin, just sayin

[Lowell Goudge]

For Marc

Shouldn't this have been posted as a single entry in my existing sticky for rights and regulations, that is where it belongs

For pxpaulx

you are correct, baseball bats, ski poles, golf clubs are all not allowed.

For All

one thing to note here is this is not what airlines allow, and while this may get you past the security screeners, it may not let you get on an airplane. These two things are entirely different. Many airplanes, (and airlines) are limited to 1 bag per person, simply because there is not enough room, either under the seats or in the overhead. the CRJ series of regional jets come to mind, I am not overly tall (5'8") and I have trouble standing in one of those.

Other airlines are explicit, 2 bags each, and yet others are based upon whether you are in economy or (as unrealistic as it seems for value concious pentaxians) business class or better.

I am not saying don't try, I am just saying don't expect to get away with it. The reason airlines want to limit bags is to get better control on aircraft weight and fuel requirements. the bigger "fudge factor" they need (to account for the tons if internal baggage) the more fuel allowance they need.

[cardinal43]

Originally Posted by Mallee Boy

Dave....I'm with NWA...(owned by Delta I think)....same charges apply, but if you join their program (2 minutes online, no charge), then 2 pieces of checked baggage free.
Unless I'm reading it wrong.
Cheers

You might want to double check this, and it might just be a one-time deal. My wife and I (both NWA mileage members) just returned today (at 2:40am) from a r/t from Baltimore (BWI) to Seattle on NWA, and I had to pay $15 each way for 1 checked bag. Going out of BWI, the bag weighed 50 lbs even, and when I checked it at Seattle, it weighed 54 pounds, and they wanted $90 for the extra 4 lbs. Needless to say, we "rearranged" some stuff from the checked bag to the carry-on (don't worry, it was all clean) and it hit the scale at 50 lbs. I did carry my camera bag (LowePro Slingshot 200) and had no trouble with carrying it on. One of the TSA ladies asked me what I had inside and I told her...K20D + 4 lens, and she remarked..."nice camera". She said she shoots with the K100D.

[Marc Langille]

Originally Posted by pxpaulx

It is blunt, and swingable (how much so on a plane, we can only guess). I'm guessing baseball bats aren't allowed either. I would rather face a bat than my monopod which is pretty much a 2lb sledge when extended.

Sure, a bunch of passengers might be able to overcome one or two people, but what if there were more, is it worth the risk at all?

Not sayin, just sayin

Even thought Lowell has covered this, I will give you a very concrete example: as you may already know, Louisville, KY is the home of Louisville Slugger baseball bats - official bat of Major League Baseball. I have passed through Louisville, KY airport several times - they "retain" a lot of souvenir baseball bats in a clear plexiglass box just before TSA screening points - even those mini bats are not allowed as a carry on item.

Originally Posted by Lowell Goudge

For Marc

Shouldn't this have been posted as a single entry in my existing sticky for rights and regulations, that is where it belongs

I posted this separately Lowell, since your post is focusing on the act of photographing, etc. in countries, etc. My post is entirely focused on traveling with gear on airlines. My thought is that could become a bit cumbersome in terms of trying to find or search for information so I chose to keep it separate. Good question! I find a lot of questions are on air travel regs, so a post like this made sense to me.

Originally Posted by Lowell Goudge

For pxpaulx

you are correct, baseball bats, ski poles, golf clubs are all not allowed.

For All

one thing to note here is this is not what airlines allow, and while this may get you past the security screeners, it may not let you get on an airplane. These two things are entirely different. Many airplanes, (and airlines) are limited to 1 bag per person, simply because there is not enough room, either under the seats or in the overhead. the CRJ series of regional jets come to mind, I am not overly tall (5'8") and I have trouble standing in one of those.

Other airlines are explicit, 2 bags each, and yet others are based upon whether you are in economy or (as unrealistic as it seems for value concious pentaxians) business class or better.

I am not saying don't try, I am just saying don't expect to get away with it. The reason airlines want to limit bags is to get better control on aircraft weight and fuel requirements. the bigger "fudge factor" they need (to account for the tons if internal baggage) the more fuel allowance they need.

Agreed = the Regional Jets (eg. the Brazilian Embraer RJ145 is basically two items). Again, the onus is on the passenger to confirm the regulations, which is even more important to ensure the passenger confirm all details beforehand..

I must travel very carefully, since half of the flights in/out of my closest airport is Embraer RJ145 or similar aircraft). Larger aircraft don't pose as significant a problem. I'm just shy of 6'3" so I understand Lowell about limited space!!

Regards,
Marc

[song_hm]

Originally Posted by pxpaulx

Originally Posted by Lowell Goudge

as stupid as it sounds, tripods monopods etc are banned from planes as they are considered weapons

It is blunt, and swingable (how much so on a plane, we can only guess). I'm guessing baseball bats aren't allowed either. I would rather face a bat than my monopod which is pretty much a 2lb sledge when extended.

I travelled between Pittsburgh to Vancouver about a month ago. I had a monopod in its carrying bag, then strapped to the tripod strap on my backpack. Went thru multiple security with no problem. Was I just lucky?