TSA - recent change with babies

[peachygreen]

I just wanted to share a recent experience this weekend flying with my infant. Apparently this change is as of Nov 1st. You now have to remove your baby from any sling or soft carrier (like Ergo or Bjorn) and place the carrier on through the x-ray machine and carry your child through seruirty by hand.

I know this probably doesn't sound like much but when traveling by yourself with 2 little ones it is a bit of a shock. Not a big deal but I just thought I'd give warnign to others that might travel with their baby in a sling or carrier.

 

[goofy4tink]

I really don't find that so strange. I had to remove a cat from the carrier and then send the carrier through the scanner, while I walked through the metal detector with the cat in my arms. Now, that, was not a fun thing to do. Can you imagine a cat, in an airport, being carried through something strange?? Thank God something awful didn't happen.
I just can't imagine that a baby carrier would be any different than a cat carrier.

 

[peachygreen]

Its just a new change. (someone next to me had to take their cat out actually yesterday too. I had great fears of said cat getting lose and or not wanting to go back into the carrier).

It just came as a surprise as I have carried my child hands free through the security for 5 years now and as recently as a couple of months ago. I just thought I'd share this information for any others that travel with their child in a carrier. Even half the screeners were giving me different information because the change is so new.

Some carriers are a little tricky to put on by yourself while holding the baby and so it requires a little extra planning to have an extra hand available to get your stuff picked up and away from the screening line.

 

[MommytoaSweetie]

I've always been asked to take my child out of the Ergo for screening, and do just what you said... maybe it just depended on the airport? It hasn't been an issue, as I've always travelled with my DH, but I'm sure it's just one more challenge traveling by yourself with little ones!

 

[disfan07]

I always thought this was the way it had been? I've travelled a few times in the past few years with other families with infants and they have never been allowed to keep them in the sling. The sling always had to go through the x-ray.

 

[Tara]

I've always been asked to take my child out of the Ergo for screening, and do just what you said... maybe it just depended on the airport? It hasn't been an issue, as I've always travelled with my DH, but I'm sure it's just one more challenge traveling by yourself with little ones!

I always thought this was the way it had been? I've travelled a few times in the past few years with other families with infants and they have never been allowed to keep them in the sling. The sling always had to go through the x-ray.

Same here, and it's been 8 years since I had direct experience but I still see others doing the same thing all the time.

 

[effervescent]

I always had to take my daughter out when she was in a wrap - two years ago or so. I didn't realize that some airports still allowed it. It is quite a pain to get it retied with two little ones and all your stuff to deal with.

 

[peachygreen]

Really this is the 1st time I've ever had to take a baby out of the Bjorn (this is through at least 10 different airports - most of them major airports) and the most recent flight with the baby was in June/July. Even the TSA agents talked about it being a new regulatation within the past 2 weeks at both airports.

Like I said it wasn't a huge deal, it just took me by surprise as I've always just worn it through security so I thought I'd pass along the information. My next flight I'll be by myself with 2 girls and although I know it can be done it does take a little preplanning to have everything situated to make it easier.

 

[DebbieB]

One time I was in an airport a few years ago and they took a Barney doll out of a little girls arms to put it through the x-ray. She shreaked like you would not believe!

 

[aubriee]

One time I was in an airport a few years ago and they took a Barney doll out of a little girls arms to put it through the x-ray. She shreaked like you would not believe!

The first time my grandaughter flew was when I took her to San Antonio for a GM-GD alone trip for a week about seven years ago. We did carryons only and I thought I had prepared her well for what was going to happen to get her through security At that time she had a green stuffed rabbit that she absolutely could not sleep without. I had told her we'd pack him in her carryon, but he'd have to go through the scanner. I thought she understood and was fine with meeting up with him on the other side, but just as she started to walk through the scanner herself, she glanced over at the moving belt and saw her carryon starting to go through. She went ballistic and started yelling, "No they're killing bunny, they're killing bunny" and tried to run to the belt. Thankfully the TSA agents thought it was funny, but I didn't think we'd ever get her through security. As soon as we got her through and grabbed our carryons off the belt, she demanded to see her rabbit. As soon as I unzipped her carryon so she could see him, she grabbed him, hugged him like she'd never let him go, and kept saying, "you're alive, you're alive". It's cute now, but at the time I was ready to strangle her.

 

[CPT Tripss]

I really don't find that so strange. I had to remove a cat from the carrier and then send the carrier through the scanner, while I walked through the metal detector with the cat in my arms. Now, that, was not a fun thing to do. Can you imagine a cat, in an airport, being carried through something strange?? Thank God something awful didn't happen.
I just can't imagine that a baby carrier would be any different than a cat carrier.

Can you imagine the the chaos when a cat to makes a getaway after being uncaged in a public area? But, this whole thing makes me wonder how they screen animals in cages/crates that are put into the luggage compartment.

 

[robinsegg]

I actually *was* aware of this, after having actually emailed TSA for confirmation. My carrier (a wrap) has absolutely no metal parts, let alone anything hard. :sigh: One more hassle for my first flight (dh & I are taking 3 kids), but I've decided to simply not put the carrier on until after security.

 

[DebbieB]

I actually *was* aware of this, after having actually emailed TSA for confirmation. My carrier (a wrap) has absolutely no metal parts, let alone anything hard. :sigh: One more hassle for my first flight (dh & I are taking 3 kids), but I've decided to simply not put the carrier on until after security.

But you could be hiding something non-metal in it, like a plastic explosive.

 

[CPT Tripss]

But you could be hiding something non-metal in it, like a plastic explosive.

But the female body already has a couple of places neatly designed to hide things . . . you want yours checked?

 

[maxiesmom]

But the female body already has a couple of places neatly designed to hide things . . . you want yours checked?

So the argument is because a female could possibly hide things in her person, they shouldn't be checked at all? That is what you seem to be saying. Why bother screening what you can, when something could be hidden elsewhere.