No Lighters on SW or any flights

[Pooh's Pal]

I received this in an email from Southwest this morning and thought I'd share will you:

Lighters Added to Prohibited Items List
Effective immediately, you will no longer be permitted to carry lighters onboard commercial aircraft or in any area past the Security Checkpoint. You can either surrender lighters to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), leave them in your vehicle, or leave them with someone who is not traveling. The TSA prohibits lighters in both carry-on and checked luggage. Congress passed this provision in a continued effort to make air travel safer. By packing smart and leaving your lighter at home, you can accelerate the screening process and get to your flights faster. You may still carry up to four books of safety matches with you onboard.​

So even if you don't smoke and carry a lighter....don't!

 

[DebbieB]

When I flew earlier this month, there was a sign at the TSA checkpoint.

 

[ducklite]

Your taxpayer dollars at work. You could do as much damage with a bottle of liquid hairspray or perfume and a book of matches.

Anne

 

[Luckymommyx2]

For some reason, I thought that rule has been around for a long time. Guess not! It doesn't effect me since I don't smoke.

 

[muttngeff]

I don't think it's just SW...A Continental employee in CLE was commenting upon this a few weeks ago. Four packs of safety matches certainly won't do as much damage as 1 cigarette lighter..duh! Going out to purchase the stock of a safety match manufacturer so I can retire early

 

[disneyldwjr]

I don't think it's just SW...A Continental employee in CLE was commenting upon this a few weeks ago. Four packs of safety matches certainly won't do as much damage as 1 cigarette lighter..duh! Going out to purchase the stock of a safety match manufacturer so I can retire early

Nope is not just SWA it is the TSA, once again, showing their intelligence.
You can have knitting needles and corkscrews but no lighters. Obviously knitting needles and corkscrews are harmless.

 

[clkelley]

I just hope at least one gift shop at Orlando airport sells lighters. Especially since you can't pack a lighter in checked luggage either.

Easy enough to bring a book of matches for the layover, but hard to bring enough for the entire trip.

Carol

 

[crazy4claspooh]

No lighters on any flights. They started this around Jan I flew out of LAX and about 5 people lost their lighters. I actually just got back from Atlanta and they and Philly have signs before security no lighters.

 

[NotUrsula]

The reason for the lighter vs. matches thing is that lighters contain butane. If you removed the butane from the lighter somehow and compressed it, they claim you could cause an explosion by igniting it. Matches won't explode. Of course, hairspray in a can will explode, so go figure.

Of course, you could always pack some other volatile liquid in a shampoo bottle in your carryon, and no one would notice. I keep saying it over and over; the only way to really keep the nasty stuff off planes is by using dogs.

 

[Dumbo]

I just hope at least one gift shop at Orlando airport sells lighters. Especially since you can't pack a lighter in checked luggage either.


Carol

Carol,

You can buy a disposible cigarette lighter at any Disney resort gift shop. You have to ask for them as they are behind the counter.

Dumbo

 

[Belle1997]

Why don't they do the give a penny thing. I mean if you have to give up your lighter have a place in all airports that you can take a lighter at another airport from the ones the got taken from other passengers. That would make sense. Like when you come in the doors there would be a lighter drop off spot before you sign in and people who are leaving the airport could take a lighter. Makes sense to me.

 

[Dan Murphy]

http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?content=0900051****c57a4

 

[CarolA]

The reason for the lighter vs. matches thing is that lighters contain butane. If you removed the butane from the lighter somehow and compressed it, they claim you could cause an explosion by igniting it. Matches won't explode. Of course, hairspray in a can will explode, so go figure.

Of course, you could always pack some other volatile liquid in a shampoo bottle in your carryon, and no one would notice. I keep saying it over and over; the only way to really keep the nasty stuff off planes is by using dogs.

NO, the reason is that they believe that the shoe bomber could have lit his stupid shoe if he had used a lighter. The problem is NOT the lighter it's the EXPLOSIVES, but the TSA is "protecting us" from something? Personally I would perfer that they stopped worrying about lighters, but.... (and no I don't smoke so it doesn't impact me.).... On and this is good... they let my mom carry on her butane cartridge for her hair curler last week, but she wouldn't have been able to bring a lighter?

 

[simzac]

Sounds like another good reason for everyone to quit smoking

 

[disneyldwjr]

Sounds like another good reason for everyone to quit smoking

Not likely to happen. Cigarettes and cigars still light with matches.

 

[disneyldwjr]

NO, the reason is that they believe that the shoe bomber could have lit his stupid shoe if he had used a lighter. The problem is NOT the lighter it's the EXPLOSIVES, but the TSA is "protecting us" from something? Personally I would perfer that they stopped worrying about lighters, but.... (and no I don't smoke so it doesn't impact me.).... On and this is good... they let my mom carry on her butane cartridge for her hair curler last week, but she wouldn't have been able to bring a lighter?

LOL, well, he might have been able to light his shoe if his shoe had not been wet. Doubtful that a lighter could have dried it.

 

[CarolA]

Well I agree, but.... it does strike me that the EXPLOSIVES were the problem LOL! Gotta wonder?

 

[disneyldwjr]

Well I agree, but.... it does strike me that the EXPLOSIVES were the problem LOL! Gotta wonder?

Well, it strikes me the same way. I often wonder if the government and its agencies understand the meaning of KISS?

 

[penni4963]

LIGHTERS

Due to security concerns, TSA recently issued a new rule that bans ALL lighters from your carry-on luggage, including lighters that don’t use fuel such as electric lighters with a battery and nichrome element.

TSA screeners will begin to enforce this new rule at security checkpoints on April 14, 2005, when lighters will no longer be allowed in carry-on luggage or on the person. Until that time, you can still bring up to two lighters onto the plane as long as they are fueled with liquefied gas or with absorbed liquid (for instance, Bic or Zippo lighters). As always, ALL lighters are banned from checked baggage for safety reasons.

TSA strongly recommends that you double-check your baggage and pockets for lighters before arriving at the airport. Some people carry sentimental or collectable lighters, and TSA would rather that you keep these items than collect them at the checkpoint. Because of federal laws and operational considerations, TSA cannot return any prohibited items voluntarily abandoned at the checkpoint.

MATCHES

No matches are permitted in your checked baggage, and up to four books of matches are allowed in your carry-on baggage or on your person. For safety reasons, strike anywhere matches are prohibited at all times from carry-on and checked baggage.

 

[NotUrsula]

"they let my mom carry on her butane cartridge for her hair curler last week, but she wouldn't have been able to bring a lighter?"

The general "Won't Fly" list says that butane is prohibited from aircraft, but then if you get down to the PDF of the HazMat poster, it shows the exception for one hair curler cartridge. Haven't got the slightest idea why they allow that exception.

The poster is quite interesting: http://ash.faa.gov/docs/HAZMATByPassenger.pdf

I really don't think the lighter prohibition is about shoe-bombers or any kind of bomber, really. Anyone with sense (note that Richard Reid doesn't qualify, IMO) would use a bomb with a timer, not something that had to be ignited by hand. Also, putting a bomb in cargo would be MUCH easier than trying to carry one on; only an idiot yahoo like Reid would be dumb enough to bother to try to get on on as a carryon. Much easier to just ship a clock, or a whole case of clocks.

What the "fuel on board" thing is about, I feel, is the possibility of someone quickly starting a fire by triggering a small explosion. Since aircraft interiors are made of plastic, the smoke is very black when they burn, and acrid, too.
Filling the cabin with smoke would probably be one of the best forms of diversion for an assault on the cockpit. Of course, I don't think that serious terrorists are ever going to try to use a commercial passenger plane as a weapon again in the US; I firmly believe that was a one-trick pony; it only worked because no one expected it; now that we do, the tactic is useless.

I'm waiting for these things to get banned: http://www.magellans.com/store/Safety___Security___Smoke_Hoods___Breathing_MasksSP628?Args= Right now those hoods are perfectly OK to carry on, and the package looks kind of like a bottle of medicine.