Flying on vacation

[Jeff B.]

You were lied to, in several ways.

That may well be. There is a definition on the TSA site pertaining to the security of the container, it seems open to a bit of local interpretation.

The firearm must be in a hard-sided container that is locked. A locked container is defined as one that completely secures the firearm from being accessed. Locked cases that can be pulled open with little effort cannot be brought aboard the aircraft.

From TTAG:

Second, the case. Don’t buy cheap stuff. $15-20 plastic cases from Bass Pro ain’t gonna get the job done. The unwritten standard is that when the case is locked (not latched, but locked; think “someone trying to get in”) that you can’t fit your finger through the gap. (See this picture for a “bad” example.) I firmly believe Pelican (or something very, very similar) is the way to go. They are solid, and darn near bulletproof.

It would seem that the standard for being "pulled open" may vary a bit from place to place and managers influence.

At the time, I wanted to;

- Successfully check my bags (to include said pistol)
- Get back to DFW before the big storms got in

We got both done and the extra locks cost $12.00 (IIRC). Alot cheaper than a hotel if we were delayed and had to stay over.

Jeff B.

[Excaliber]

You were lied to, in several ways.

That may well be. There is a definition on the TSA site pertaining to the security of the container, it seems open to a bit of local interpretation.

The firearm must be in a hard-sided container that is locked. A locked container is defined as one that completely secures the firearm from being accessed. Locked cases that can be pulled open with little effort cannot be brought aboard the aircraft.

From TTAG:

Second, the case. Don’t buy cheap stuff. $15-20 plastic cases from Bass Pro ain’t gonna get the job done. The unwritten standard is that when the case is locked (not latched, but locked; think “someone trying to get in”) that you can’t fit your finger through the gap. (See this picture for a “bad” example.) I firmly believe Pelican (or something very, very similar) is the way to go. They are solid, and darn near bulletproof.

It would seem that the standard for being "pulled open" may vary a bit from place to place and managers influence.

At the time, I wanted to;

- Successfully check my bags (to include said pistol)
- Get back to DFW before the big storms got in

We got both done and the extra locks cost $12.00 (IIRC). Alot cheaper than a hotel if we were delayed and had to stay over.

Jeff B.

I use a small steel locking case similar to the ones sold with a cable for securing to the frame of your car seat. No one is going to create a gap between the halves with anything short of a screwdriver.

I've flown with that rig for over 20 years with no problems. It's a little heavier than the plastic cases, but the security and certainty of being in compliance is worth the extra weight

[ELB]

I don't understand how you can easily do that in a crowded airport with people all around you--I mean, just the act of setting the bag somewhere and opening it up is unusual and would get others' attentions???

As others pointed out, most people are in their own little worlds and won't notice. I put my bag flat on the scale between the agent stations, turn it around so that when I open it the lid flips up towards me, not away from me, and then open the handgun case while it is laying on top of all my underwear and such. I don't even pick the gun up, I just run the slide (or cylinder) open while it is laying flat on the foam.

If it is a rifle case (not inside another piece of luggage) I also lay it down so the lid opens towards me.

But it has been hit or miss about whether the agent checks to see if it is really unloaded. Also hit or miss about whether the declaration form goes inside or outside the handgun case when the case is inside another piece of luggage.

Allegedly the rules are the same at all the airports, but the implementation varies wildly. Always allow extra time.

[jmorris]

We were ALSO not authorized to check whether a firearm was unloaded at the ticket counter, that was up to the ticket agents and airline employees and if the airline wants you to demonstrate that the firearm is unloaded, they have the right to do so, and if you refuse, they also have the right to deny you the flight.

Almost every time I fly United, I am asked to show the ticket agent my handgun is unloaded. I quietly and discreetly do so.

I don't understand how you can easily do that in a crowded airport with people all around you--I mean, just the act of setting the bag somewhere and opening it up is unusual and would get others' attentions???

Shoot, I'm usually hauling a short rifle case with three handguns and a rifle. I have to haul that up on the counter and open it.

Which is why I always fly SW. It's my second bag.