Carry on luggage, a few questions, Please need a bit a help.

[Shanti]

I went on line and reading through the TSA rules my goodness... nothing is defined. There not a defined list.

When I called and spoke to a real person well I thought they were real... I got a vague answer and then he was like really it depends on the TSA employee and how they are feeling? and you need to look it up on line, and did I know the definition of liquid. That the airline doesn't make the rules. So basically a wasted call.

The airline won't have the TSA info on liquids, but should be able to answer your very specific garment bag question. I wasn't being sarcastic- they're the only ones who can guarantee your bags will be allowed as carry-ons, as they're the ones who make that decision.

 

[maxiesmom]

Sometimes. It totally depends on the day, the location, the way the wind is blowing....last time I flew to MCO (from IND) the only thing they wanted out was laptops. I had all 4 of our 3-1-1 baggies in my laptop case (so that I could easily pull them out) and they didn't say a word. When we flew out of MCO in November, we had a sippy cup of apple juice make it through with no child under 9 (although we were able to point out the 2yo it belonged to in line).

MCO has been doing a lot of testing with their security lines. One trip we were told we were part of a test group who didn't have to take their shoes off, and didn't have to pull their 3-1-1 bags out. Next trip we were back to the old shoes off, baggie out routine.

 

[njpyro]

I may have missed it, but since I don't think anyone has answered this question yet:
I have brought snorkel equipment on many flights in my carry-on. That includes mask snorkel and fins.

 

[Squirlz]

MCO has been doing a lot of testing with their security lines. One trip we were told we were part of a test group who didn't have to take their shoes off, and didn't have to pull their 3-1-1 bags out. Next trip we were back to the old shoes off, baggie out routine.

We flew out of MCO 3 weeks ago and I didn't even notice our Southwest boarding passes had PRE-TSA printed on them. Didn't have to remove anything, take off anything, all we had to do was shove the bags through and Raise The Roof. Not sure how that happened.

 

[AustinTink]

I feel like the more I fly the less I know. Sometimes I just know a certain item is going to cause issues and it ends up breezing through security and customs without a second glance. Other things that I don't think twice about result in my bag being emptied out piece by piece by three different agents. There seems to be no consistency from one airport to the next. Except water bottles. Water bottles are a problem the world over. Off the top of my head, things that were and weren't a problem to carry on:

No Problem
Lighters
Matches
Metal pipes
Seashells
Full-sized bottle of champagne
9 manicure sets with scissors
Plants and seeds
100 glow sticks
5 pounds of taffy
Foreign produce
4 foot long tube of rolled artwork
Aerosol hairspray
7 mini bottles of Absinthe
A Maasai Runga (a club used as a weapon)
Luggage over the weight limit
The worlds largest tote that should've never been counted as a personal item

Big Problem
Lighters
Water bottle
An unopened can of Diet Coke
Seashells
1/2 oz. facial lotion that I'd accidentally left in my make up bag
A decorative elephant
Another decorative elephant (I've learned my lesson about buying decorative elephants)
Carry-on bag that was 3/4" too large according to their new guidelines that had been changed two days prior
Gel deodorant that had been packed as a liquid that the agent insisted was a solid

Interesting about the seashells. What did they tell you? We bring home seashells in our carry on every summer, with no problem.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Interesting about the seashells. What did they tell you? We bring home seashells in our carry on every summer, with no problem.

The oyster shells from Guinness' International Oyster Festival in Ireland (everyone should go, best time ever) were no problem. The shells picked up in Costa Rica, half were confiscated, half were let through.

ETA: I frequent a fish forum and a surprising number of people show up there because they brought home a shell from vacation that turned out to be a hermit crab, so I can't begrudge the no shells rules.

E again TA: The only thing the Costa Rican officials told us when confiscating the shells was "No concha."

 

[Alberta bound]

I've had rather spendy moisturizer, etc that I have had leave with the TSA. I have found it also depends on which airport etc. The rules should be the same but are not always in practice. It's best to do what you are supposed to thereby ensuring you arrive with the things that you brought with you.
Also the transportation board on the dis has excellent answers to questions regarding traveling etc!

 

[jdb in AZ]

We flew out of MCO 3 weeks ago and I didn't even notice our Southwest boarding passes had PRE-TSA printed on them. Didn't have to remove anything, take off anything, all we had to do was shove the bags through and Raise The Roof. Not sure how that happened.

SWA sometimes gives DH and me PRE-TSA status too, and the airline even e-mailed that we qualify for it; except they aren't consistent with it. Just before and after Christmas our boarding passes had the PRE-TSA. When I flew last month I had to go through the regular lines. So I asked a TSA agent and she just said it was up to the computer. It was a very busy travel day, right after the MLK holiday, and maybe they had enough people who had paid for the TSA pre-check, so they didn't let us "normal" passengers in the PRE-TSA lines. only the computer knows. On the way home my flight was out of a much smaller airport and the line was so short it really didn't matter.

 

[tvguy]

SWA sometimes gives DH and me PRE-TSA status too, and the airline even e-mailed that we qualify for it; except they aren't consistent with it. Just before and after Christmas our boarding passes had the PRE-TSA. When I flew last month I had to go through the regular lines. So I asked a TSA agent and she just said it was up to the computer. It was a very busy travel day, right after the MLK holiday, and maybe they had enough people who had paid for the TSA pre-check, so they didn't let us "normal" passengers in the PRE-TSA lines. only the computer knows. On the way home my flight was out of a much smaller airport and the line was so short it really didn't matter.

I got a PRE-TSA last year, but I thought they had done away with the free trial and to get PRE-TSA now you had to pay the $85 and go to the local application office and be fingerprinted etc.
https://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/apply

 

[LovesTimone]

I got a PRE-TSA last year, but I thought they had done away with the free trial and to get PRE-TSA now you had to pay the $85 and go to the local application office and be fingerprinted etc.
https://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/apply

Our friend that travels all the time for work, said that if you have a passport that it has something to do with it ( Pre-TSA). We both have passports and use them often, Thanks for the link, DH and I will be doing this right away. I am all for anything that gets you through faster.

 

[DIS_MERI]

DS15 got PRE-TSA last month. He has a passport, but it expired 8 or 9 years ago. I have a valid passport, and didn't get it, lol.

 

[nkereina]

I travel a lot for work and it's a crap shoot airport by airport as far as what you'll have to do with your 3-1-1 bag. I always have it handy to pull out just in case. Most airports will have signs posted or a TSA agent repeating sentences while you're waiting in line with explicit instructions for when you get to the machines. They'll tell you to leave everything in your bag and your shoes on, or not to, etc. So I'll listen for those announcements. If I hear or see nothing, I just follow what everyone else is doing which is usually shoes off and 3-1-1 bag out. Also, if it's a large shoulder bag, put it directly on the conveyor belt and not in one of the bins. It gets stuck and holds things up.

 

[VandVsmama]

I have travelled several times with just carry-on luggage, including a 9-day trip to Europe with just my carry-on luggage. Here is what I've learned:

1. the other posters are correct. If it can't hold its shape outside of the container, then TSA considers it a liquid.
2. there is powdered toothpaste available and it tastes pretty good. I can usually find the Eco Dent brand at a health food store.
3. LUSH Cosmetics makes shampoo bars. It's shampoo in a bar shape, not in liquid form. And I've used to before. It works really well.
4. Deoderant - if you have a regular stick deodorant, then that's not a liquid. But if it's a gel deodorant, then that IS a liquid.
5. The website http://www.onebag.com/ has a lot of very handy suggestions on how to travel with just carry-on luggage.
6. If you're bringing your own snorkel gear, that's fine. Just remember that you will have to fit ALL of the snorkel gear and your regular stuff in the 1 carry-on bag and 1 personal bag (purse, for example). What you will NOT be able to do is have 1 carry-on piece of luggage, 1 personal item, and carry the snorkel stuff in your hand separately.
7. Your carry-on piece of luggage needs to be able to fit underneath the seat in front of you. This is because if the flight is full and EVERYBODY else has big carry-on luggage, then you COULD end up with no overhead bin space. So your option will be either to gate-check the luggage or put it under the seat in front of you.
8. Another useful website is http://1bag1world.com/. They have lots of gear reviews and I've found this site helpful, too.
9. In terms of the size of carry on luggage allowed, it CAN vary by airline, so check with the airline you'll be travelling on.

 

[VandVsmama]

Ok, I just had 1 more thought on your snorkel gear...

If you're female and carry a purse, what you COULD do is get a SMALL travel purse. Small enough to fit into your carry-on bag/luggage and keep it in there while you go through the TSA check point. Then in your 'personal item' bag (traditionally your purse or backpack for example), put the snorkel gear in that. Then when you get on the plane, take the small travel purse out.

And 1 more thing...ALWAYS have the quart-sized liquids bag OUT of your luggage before you send the bags through the x-ray scanners.

 

[ariel71]

Our friend that travels all the time for work, said that if you have a passport that it has something to do with it ( Pre-TSA). We both have passports and use them often, Thanks for the link, DH and I will be doing this right away. I am all for anything that gets you through faster.

It's not that your friend "has a passport", it's most likely that s/he paid for an international travel program like Global Entry or SENTRI, which also include TSA Precheck eligibility when traveling domestically. You can get TSA Precheck by itself for $85, which is good for 5 years. You have to undergo fingerprinting and a background check. Once you have a Known Traveler Number, you enter it when you make your reservation (or save it in a profile on the airline's website if you have one). Make sure it's noted on your boarding pass once you check in.

Some small airports do not have the full complement of TSA Pre benefits. One that I use only when visiting family gives you an "expedited screening" card where you don't have to take off your coat/shoes, but still have to go through the regular line and remove any laptops and 3-1-1 bags. However, since the lines are usually pretty minimal, it's usually not a big deal.

 

[loves to dive]

We always carry on our masks, regulators and dive cameras. DH usually has to get his camera equipment swabbed, the lights (video) set off alarms every time but I just put the masks and regs in a carryon type suitecase and have no problems. I wouldn't think fins would cause a problem but ours are so big and heavy we don't try it.

 

[LovesTimone]

It's not that your friend "has a passport", it's most likely that s/he paid for an international travel program like Global Entry or SENTRI, which also include TSA Precheck eligibility when traveling domestically. You can get TSA Precheck by itself for $85, which is good for 5 years. You have to undergo fingerprinting and a background check. Once you have a Known Traveler Number, you enter it when you make your reservation (or save it in a profile on the airline's website if you have one). Make sure it's noted on your boarding pass once you check in.

Some small airports do not have the full complement of TSA Pre benefits. One that I use only when visiting family gives you an "expedited screening" card where you don't have to take off your coat/shoes, but still have to go through the regular line and remove any laptops and 3-1-1 bags. However, since the lines are usually pretty minimal, it's usually not a big deal.

Thank you so much, I am going to be checking out the international travel program you listed. Do these work everywhere internationally? We have several trips planned in the next few years over seas and this would be a huge help. I am all for anything that gets you through security faster and still safely.
So link it to my Delta frequent flyer? When we are flying an airline we don't normally use, just let them know when checking in so it get printed on the boarding pass? So when booking with say Expedia it would be best to handle it this way. Right?

 

[LovesTimone]

We always carry on our masks, regulators and dive cameras. DH usually has to get his camera equipment swabbed, the lights (video) set off alarms every time but I just put the masks and regs in a carryon type suitecase and have no problems. I wouldn't think fins would cause a problem but ours are so big and heavy we don't try it.

We have the longer ones as well, but they aren't really all that heavy, off hand I can't remember the brand, I know a Navy Seal designed them, they are wonderful in the water. I have skinny heels, and have had problems in the past with my fins fitting properly, no problem with these. We are thinking about getting a dive camera, but we don't want to spend a small fortune do you have any suggestions?

 

[goofy4tink]

MCO has been doing a lot of testing with their security lines. One trip we were told we were part of a test group who didn't have to take their shoes off, and didn't have to pull their 3-1-1 bags out. Next trip we were back to the old shoes off, baggie out routine.

When we flew out of MCO last Sunday, I had precheck....I pay for it...but my dd didn't. So, I used the regular line. Security was actually running quite smoothly....they had about 5 different lines, with agents checking BP and ID, then those merged into several lines to go to the belts. When I got to the agent, he looked at my BP, at me, down at the BP again, and said, 'the good news is you can go over to that line over there'. Told him I knew that, but decided to stay with my dd. He grinned and said 'Once you get past the dog, it will be just like precheck anyway.' I wasn't sure what he meant until I got to the line for the conveyor belt. There was a dog working the line...up and down, sniffing away, constantly going end to end. There were agents at the end of the belt yelling that there was no need to remove shoes, 3-1-1 baggies, or laptops! Perhaps if they had had someone along the line telling people this, there would have been less confusion!!! It made the line move really quickly though...so security at MCO, at noon on a Sunday, took a total of 15 mins!!! Not too bad.

 

[loves to dive]

We have the longer ones as well, but they aren't really all that heavy, off hand I can't remember the brand, I know a Navy Seal designed them, they are wonderful in the water. I have skinny heels, and have had problems in the past with my fins fitting properly, no problem with these. We are thinking about getting a dive camera, but we don't want to spend a small fortune do you have any suggestions?

Our fins are scubapro split fins, don't have heels on them have straps. I use a good old fashioned sony cybershot, it's about 8 or 9 years old, I have an underwater housing for it from sony. DH also uses a small sony video camera but his rig is custom made. He used to have an Ikolite but it was really heavy and the lights kept breaking. If you want just an easy still camera Sealife makes a decent one that isn't too expensive. It really depends on what you are using it for and how deep you are going.