Flying in 5 days, need help on baggage restrictions

[tiggerlover]

My son and I will be flying in 5 days and I am trying to find out more information on baggage restrictions, but I am not having much luck. We will be flying on British Airways from Milan to NY and I need to know what I should not pack. I also heard that I wasn't supposed to lock the luggage, but on the BA website they had the following information which contradicts that. Can anyone help me out?

Baggage
The following information has been provided to help you plan your baggage requirements.

New maximum baggage weight limit
From 1 January 2003, the maximum baggage weight limit per item is up to 32kgs or 70lbs.

Ensure that when you present your baggage at check-in that you:

Check in within the recommended time before your departure - check with your local British Airways office or your travel agent

Your baggage is securely closed - where possible locked

Loose straps or other items are not hanging from the bag - they may get caught in the baggage system

Bags with two handles - we suggest you fasten them together. This will ensure that neither gets caught up in the baggage system

Do not pack medication, important documents, valuable items or cash in your checked baggage

Label each bag on the inside with your name and full destination address and on the outside with your name and destination city

Remove all old destination labels from previous trips, old labels may delay your baggage

Do not carry unidentified items on behalf of other people

If you are travelling with any large items of baggage with dimensions greater than - height 75cm x width 45cm x length 95cm (30ins x 18ins x 38ins) and/or a weight greater than 32kg British Airways need to know about these items before you travel to ensure this baggage can travel on the same flights as yourself (eg, pets, mobility aids, musical instruments, sporting equipment etc.). Please advise your local British Airways reservations office if you plan to carry any large or heavy items at least 24 hours prior to travel. An alternative is to ship these items via British Airways World Cargo as a cargo consignment.

 

[Adrianna]

How does "Your baggage is securely closed - where possible locked" mean you can't lock it? I think it'd be fine, you can always unlock it when you get there if you need to.

I'm sure you could call a travel agent and ask them, to find out what you need. I hate when the specify to DEATH every little thing your luggage has to "be" to be ok to put in the plane. But I guess better safe than sorry.

Have a nice trip.

 

[Meriweather]

I don't know about coming from overseas.......but from here, you are NOT supposed to lock your luggage anymore. They do random searches and need to get in them.
When DS flew we watched them search his.....kind of cool.

 

[Adrianna]

Do they really? I didn't know that. When did that start? I'll be flying home to visit my parents next month. I always locked my suitcases, I'll have to remember that.

I don't know why, but I ALWAYS get practically strip searched when by airport security when I go anywhere. I'm a single, mid-30's woman who's perfectly normal, I don't get why I look so darn threatening. )

 

[mickeyfan1]

Hi there!!!

The rules are 100% different when flying from the US than from overseas. Follow what BA has on their website or call them for your trip here, but when leaving, you may be required to have the bags unlocked. Although, you may not if you are flying BA back and only going international. Many people her use cable ties to "lock" their bags, these can be eaisly cut for inspection and the airlines will replace them , generally with a different color or even type of plastic lock to let you know they snooped.

DO NOT PACK - the usual, lighter fluid, aerosol cans, bleach, etc. But a new one, FILM, keep it in your carryon, the X Ray machines will fog it, if you put it in a lead bag, they will crank up the intensity of the x ray, so just keep it loose, the security xray is not as strong as the bag machines.

Manual searches may or may not be done in sight of the traveller any longer, either. Depends on the airport. And pat downs, carryon searches, and the like are not done at all US airports now. Or should I say depending on the airline! Northwest does it in Phoenix, but not in Dulles (Va), and NW does not ask to see your ID when you board, but others do.

Anyway, have a great trip home.

 

[Tiggerkeeper]

Yep, no locks! We flew Christmas and ended up having to take all the locks off our luggage. So anything of value needs to be carry on.

Have a great trip!

Melissa

 

[CarolA]

I assume you are flying to the US?

If so, the rules are that the luggage should not be locked. Now, I don't know if BA is enforcing that but Delta was flying back from Paris this May.

If you are returning to Milan then your luggage will have to be unlocked leaving the US regardless of the airline.

Also, my understanding is that BA Is VERY strict on weight limits on both checked and Carryons. I have read lots of stories where they take carryons away from passengers and make them check becuase of weight NOT size.

Adrianna, my theroy is that single women give them two blocks to check off to prove they are not focusing on middle eastern men.

 

[Fire14]

When I flew this past may i used the plastic cable ties. I did have to show my boarding pass and photo id going through Screeners in Columbus, OH but in Las vegas just my boarding pass. This was flying contential on a share with NW. Everytime I've flown NW I've had to show ID to board plane.

 

[LuvTigger]

I was going to suggest cable ties too. Just remember to bring something to open them with (unless you're staying with family or something where you won't have to worry about it). One person I know was going to put a pair of nail clippers in the outside pocket.

Funny thing though, I travelled just a few weeks ago to LA. When I left, there were signs saying not to lock luggage. However, when we got to the counter, they let us give our locks to the security guy who put the locks on for us. And when we left LA, our luggage was locked (we got to see it go thru the super x-ray thingy), and no problem. I think it depends on the airport and airline.

Also, I noticed that several airlines (not sure if this is a federal regulation now) reduced their maximum weight of a piece of luggage to 50 pounds (it used to be 75).

I too did not have to show my ID as often as in the past. Just when checking in, and I think once at security. Not at the gate though.

Have a great trip!

 

[tiggerlover]

Thanks everyone. I am still looking for a list of what I can not pack, I know nail clippers and knives are off limits and what Marsha wrote, but what else?

3 more days....I am so excited!

 

[KimRaye]

I have no idea how accurate these are but, I got them from http://www.dot.gov/affairs/tsa0702.htm


Items permitted in aircraft cabins:

Pets (if permitted by airline, check with airline for procedures)

Walking canes and umbrellas (once inspected to ensure prohibited items are not concealed)

Nail clippers with nail files attached

Nail files

Tweezers

Safety razors (including disposable razors)

Syringes (with medication and professionally printed label identifying medication or manufacturer’s name)

Insulin delivery systems

Eyelash curlers



Items prohibited from aircraft cabins:

The following items will not be allowed through the security checkpoint. Please note that this list is not all-inclusive. In addition to items specifically listed here, other items that may be deemed to present a potential threat may also be prohibited.



Ammunition

Automatic weapons

Axes

Baseball bats

BB guns

Billy clubs

Blackjacks

Blasting caps

Bows and arrows

Box cutters

Brass knuckles

Bull whips

Cattle prods

Compressed air guns

Corkscrews

Cricket bats

Crow bars

Disabling chemicals or gases

Dog repellent spray

Dynamite

Fire extinguishers

Flare pistols

Golf clubs

Gun lighters

Gunpowder

Hammers

Hand grenades

Hatchets

Hockey sticks

Hunting knives

Ice axe/Ice pick

Knives (any length)

Kubatons

Large, heavy tools (such as wrenches, pliers, etc.)

Mace

Martial arts devices

Meat cleavers

Metal scissors with pointed tips

Numchucks

Pellet guns

Pen knives

Pepper spray

Pistols

Plastic explosives

Pool cues

Portable power drills

Portable power saws

Razor blades (not in a cartridge)

Religious knives

Replica weapons

Revolvers

Rifles

Road flares

SCUBA knives

Sabers

Screwdrivers

Shot guns

Ski poles

Spear guns

Starter pistols

Straight razors

Stun guns/shocking devices

Swords

Tear gas

Throwing stars

Toy transformer robots (this toy forms a toy gun)

Toy weapons



Have a Great trip Debbi!!!