Travel by plane quesiton

[mrsnj91]

I have a food allergy child and was wondering if I could pack a small cooler to carry food for her on the plane. My husband isn't sure if we can carry on a cooler pack. It's frozen. What am I going to do with it? Throw it at someone? Does anyone know if a cooler/freezer pack would be allowed? And if not....is there any way around this problem?

 

[mrsnj91]

Well thanks to the other "snack" post on here I got my info and thought to post it for other traveling with similar problems.....

To ensure the health and welfare of certain air travelers, in the absence of suspicious activity or items, greater than 3 ounces of the following liquids, gels and aerosols are permitted through the security checkpoint in reasonable quantities for the duration of your itinerary (all exceptions must be presented to the security officer in front of the checkpoint):

Baby formula and breast milk if a baby or small child is traveling;
All prescription and over-the-counter medications (liquids, gels, and aerosols) including KY jelly, eye drops, and saline solution for medical purposes;
Liquids including water, juice, or liquid nutrition or gels for passengers with a disability or medical condition;
Life-support and life-sustaining liquids such as bone marrow, blood products, and transplant organs;
Items used to augment the body for medical or cosmetic reasons such as mastectomy products, prosthetic breasts, bras or shells containing gels, saline solution, or other liquids; and,
Gels or frozen liquids needed to cool disability or medically related items used by persons with disabilities or medical conditions.
You are allowed reasonable amounts over 3 ounces of the items above in your carry-on baggage, but you will need to perform the following:

Separate these items from the liquids, gels, and aerosols in your quart-size and zip-top bag.
Declare you have the items to one of our Security Officers at the security checkpoint.
Present these items for additional inspection once reaching the X-ray. These items are subject to additional screening.

Question though....would I need proof of her allergy? Should I get a note from the dr. stating why the need and keep it in my back pocket just in case??

 

[justplaingoofy]

Why not just buy something when you get past security to take? They have everything from juice, water, etc.

 

[salmoneous]

Bascially, if you need a coolant to keep medicine cold, you can declare it and take it with you. But you aren't going to be able to bring a cooler of food with an ice pack in it.

If you want to bring food that needs to be kept cool, you can pack frozen food (grapes, carrots, etc.) in with the other food.

PS - Don't try to find any logic in the TSA rules - there isn't any.

 

[bavaria]

I have a food allergy child and was wondering if I could pack a small cooler to carry food for her on the plane. My husband isn't sure if we can carry on a cooler pack. It's frozen. What am I going to do with it? Throw it at someone? Does anyone know if a cooler/freezer pack would be allowed? And if not....is there any way around this problem?

A food allergy does not allow a gel pack, unless it is used to keep MEDICATION cold.

I am a veggie due to health reasons, and can sometimes not find anything past security. But that is simply the reality.

Plan ahead and pack items that do not require cooling, or pack frozen grapes or peas as a coolant.

 

[mrsnj91]

From your posts I thought I forgot to add but I didn't....

My daughter has a food allergy. She cannot eat anything with wheat. So I need to provide her lunch (since it will be done on the trip down) and snacks. Most of her breads and items have to be kept cool. So for her to be able to eat, I need to be able to have access to wheat free/gluten free foods with a cooler pack. The chance of me finding wheat free foods at an airport or on a plane as slim to none.

I also was thinking about packing some foods in dry ice for once I got down there. I would be able to check that in with luggage, yes?

 

[mrsnj91]

Ohhh frozen peas is a good idea if it comes to that. The items don't need to be kept frozen so much as cold.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yeah, a bag of frozen peas - or, as somebody posted above, frozen grapes. THOSE won't go to waste - you can eat them when they thaw.

 

[NotUrsula]

I also was thinking about packing some foods in dry ice for once I got down there. I would be able to check that in with luggage, yes?

Generally, not usually. While dry ice *is* allowed under the FAA safety rules, there are very strict regulations about how much of it you may use and what kind of container you may pack it in; which must be a specially-designed vented container. Some airlines will only allow it in carry-on and in freight shipments, not in checked passenger baggage.

Call your airline and get them to send you (in WRITING) the rules for transport of dry ice before you plan on this.

 

[mrsnj91]

Thanks! I was debaiting on checking it with us or having it shipped over night UPS after we leave to meet us there. I will look into it to see which is better. Someone just told me that Disney won't heat up foods anyway. I will check into it. If not, at least I can get her breads and muffins down there.

And (from the other snack post on here) someone said we can take ziploc bags and fill them after security with ice and pack them in a small cooler. I might do that if they don't allow her freezer pack and then just load the freezer pack in the suitcase for down there. Freeze some grapes and throw them in with the ice and it should be ok on a two hour trip, ya think? How long do frozen grapes stay frozen?

LOL! What a conversation! All this trying to think it hurting my brain! Who are they trying to protect anyway? The big mean baddies want to do something, they will find a way. It just makes us, the innocent, frustrated!