3-1-1, right?

[Silent1CB]

If 3-1-1 rule for liquid carryons is still in place, then why are contact solution companies making 4oz bottles & labeling them ok for flying with an airplane on the box?

The travel size aisle did not have ANY contact products. 4oz in the regular aisle was the smallest.

 

[sunnyday123]

Crud. I just bought one of those bottles. Is that what it is now?

 

[Carriemel]

Like everything else, there are exceptions to the rule. Contact lens solution is a medical supply, and therefore not required to be in the 3-1-1 baggie. It does, however, need to be declared to TSA before it goes through the x-ray machine. There is a very good chance that they will need to run an additional test on that contact lens fluid.

The contact lens solution is fine in a 4-ounce container.

I work for TSA.

 

[Silent1CB]

Like everything else, there are exceptions to the rule. Contact lens solution is a medical supply, and therefore not required to be in the 3-1-1 baggie. It does, however, need to be declared to TSA before it goes through the x-ray machine. There is a very good chance that they will need to run an additional test on that contact lens fluid.

The contact lens solution is fine in a 4-ounce container.

I work for TSA.

Ok thanks.
If they just made it a 3oz bottle, then you & I wouldn't need to go through all this.

 

[Amy]

Sorry to hijack your thread, Silent1CB, but when I saw that Carriemel works for the TSA, I just have to ask her:

What about knitting needles? Our vacation is coming up soon, and we have a 3-hour layover in Chicago. My latest hobby is knitting socks, and I'd love to have my knitting with me on the plane. I Googled whether knitting needles were allowed in your carry-on bags - according to the TSA policies, they ARE allowed, esp. the wooden needles (rather than aluminum). But other people have said it depends on the individual TSA agent and whether they'll let you have them in your carry-on.

I was just going to pack my knitting in my checked bag and not take any chances, but when I saw that you work for the TSA, I figured I'd ask you.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Knitting needles are fine. If you're truly concerned, switch to plastic or bone (vs. metal) needles for travel.

Also, back to the original topic More information can be found at tsa.gov, but anything like contact lens solution that might be exempted from the 3-1-1 bag as a medical supply should probably go in a separate clear plastic zipper bag - for both convenience and, well, in case anything leaks. Use a gallon-size bag to easily make it distinctive from your 3-1-1 bag, which in turn makes that bag easy and quick to pull out of your carry-on.

Something else... oh, yeah! While 3-1-1 is used because it's simple and easy to remember, and the "1" and the "1" are absolute, the "3" is actually a maximum of 3.4 ounces, or 100 milliliters. That STILL wouldn't matter in the case of a four ounce container of contact lens solution, and probably eventually those will drop down to three ounces (with no corresponding price reduction ), and the 100 ml/3.4 ounces is absolutely the maximum size allowed in the 3-1-1 bag.

 

[laurie31]

I get sample sizes of contact solution from my eye doctor for flying. The solution my DD uses comes in a 2 oz sample, but the kind I use (Clear Care) comes in a 4 oz sample. However, Clear Care has now started SELLING 2 oz bottles- at ridiculous prices, with the airplane on them. The free samples are still 4oz. Recently they had a promotion where you could buy two 12 oz bottles and get a 2 oz free, so we stocked up.

We flew to Disney in 2007, before they made 2oz bottles (I even called the company and they said they didn't MAKE them at that time!) and were given a very hard time about it. We had separated our contact solution and declared it as the TSA guidelines said to do, we even had a print out of the page, but wow, it was horrible. The agent said we should have bought a smaller size. Considering I had been to my eye doctor AND called the company trying to get a smaller size, that was really annoying. He was VERY condescending and told us he had "seen it at WalMart" when we tried to explain that they didn't MAKE a smaller bottle.

We didn't want to check our contact solution as we have experienced "misdirected bags" on at least 4 occasions, and if we didn't have our contacts, we wouldn't be able to see normally! Fortunately, on our way back, we got a VERY nice agent in Orlando and had no problems at all.

This year, since we do have the 2 oz bottles, I hope it won't be an issue. We are separating it from our 3-1-1 bag and declaring it, as it won't fit in there this time. (if it fits, and it's under 100mL you don't have to declare it).

Although size isn't supposed to matter on medical liquids, so long as you declare them, it seems that individual agents have a lot of discretion on what they will and won't allow.

 

[Metsfan520]

I leave my solution in the sealed box, put it in the plastic bag, and declare it. I've never had a problem. I don't usually carry any other liquids on the plane.