Surprising exceptions to hazardous materials restrictions

While the TSA has a number of restrictions on hazardous and dangerous items, the FAA allows passengers to travel with several categories of hazardous items on commercial airliners. These exceptions are for small amounts of hazardous materials, typically included in items that are for personal use.

The FAA has provided a rather detailed table listing these exceptions, and they explain in that document that the TSA may on occasion prohibit these items, and that airlines may have additional limitations on these items. Some of the hazardous materials exceptions mentioned in the FAA document are listed below:

• Toilet or medicinal articles that are hazardous materials such as rubbing alcohol, flammable perfume and colognes, nail polish and remover, and aerosols (hairspray, shaving cream, etc.).
• One book of safety matches (book matches) allowed in carry-on bags only.
• One lighter (gas or absorbed liquid) in carry-on baggage only.
• Up to 5 liters of alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of more than 24% but not more than 70% in unopened retail package, in carry-on or checked bags depending on the situation (Note: for tips on how to travel with liquor, which is typically a duty-free item, visit AirSafe.com for advice.
• A cordless curling iron with a flammable gas cartridge installed.
• Small personal mercury thermometer in a protective case.
• Small arms ammunition (up to 19.1 mm for rifle and pistol cartridges, any size bshotgun shells) for personal use, when securely boxed (checked baggage only). Also, check out this 2010 AirSafeNews.com article on how to travel with firearms.
• One small (4-ounce or less) self-defense spray (checked baggage only).
• Diving lamps and other battery-operated extreme heat producing equipment, with power disconnected and in carry-on bags only.
• Small lithium and lithium-ion batteries in consumer electronic devices. Spare batteries must be protected from damage and short circuit and placed in carryon baggage.

For questions or comments regarding these hazardous materials regulations, please contact the Hazardous Materials Information Center at: 800.467.4922 or infocntr@dot.gov

For questions about TSA prohibited items or other air travel security measures please visit tsa.airsafe.com, which has a detailed overview of what is allowed in either carry-on or checked baggage, what is completely prohibited, and what kinds of exceptions are allowed by the TSA.

For details on typical airport security procedures please visit security.airsafe.com. You can also visit the TSA web site at www.tsa.gov, or contact the TSA for questions about security procedures or prohibited items at 1.866.289.9673 or tsa-contactcenter@dhs.gov.

Rescheduled webinar on sex toys and the TSA in two days

On Thursday March 28, AirSafe.com will host a live webinar on how TSA rules affect passengers who fly with one or more sex toys.

While the TSA for the most part does an outstanding job of protecting the flying public, sometimes they compromise a passenger's privacy and dignity while doing so.

There have been a number of cases where TSA representatives exposed passengers to unnecessary embarrassment and humiliation because the passenger was traveling with a sex toy. In at least one case from 2011, a TSA screener was fired for leaving an inappropriate message in a checked bag containing a sex toy.

This webinar will discuss TSA rules with respect to what is allowed in checked and carry-on bags, with an emphasis on what sex toys and sex toy accessories are allowed in flight.

The webinar will also provide advice on what passengers can do to minimize or eliminate problems with TSA security screening, and suggest specific steps to take if the TSA fails to act in a professional manner. In addition, the webinar will discuss how rules and customs concerning sex toys may differ when traveling outside of the US.

Register for the webinar today!

Note: This webinar was orginally scheduled for February 28, 2013. If you registered for the original webinar, please re-register using the above link

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Previous webinar
Last week's webinar discussed the upcoming changes to the TSA's rules on traveling with knives and other potential weapons items in carry-on baggage. If you missed last week's webinar, check out the following resources:
Video of previous TSA webinar
List of upcoming changes to TSA prohibited items list

Webinar: How to Fly with a Sex Toy under TSA Rules

On Thursday March 28, AirSafe.com will host a live webinar on how TSA rules affect passengers who fly with one or more sex toys. While the TSA for the most part does an outstanding job of protecting the flying public, sometimes they compromise a passenger's privacy and dignity while doing so.

There have been a number of cases where TSA representatives exposed passengers to unnecessary embarrassment and humiliation because the passenger was traveling with a sex toy. In at least one case from 2011, a TSA screener was fired for leaving an inappropriate message in a checked bag containing a sex toy.

This webinar will discuss TSA rules with respect to what is allowed in checked and carry-on bags, with an emphasis on what sex toys and sex toy accessories are allowed in flight.

The webinar will also provide advice on what passengers can do to minimize or eliminate problems with TSA security screening, and suggest specific steps to take if the TSA fails to act in a professional manner. In addition, the webinar will discuss how rules and customs concerning sex toys may differ when traveling outside of the US.

Register for the webinar today!

Note: This webinar was orginally scheduled for February 28, 2013. If you registered for the original webinar, please re-register using the previous link

Holiday Travel Tips from the TSA

Every year, the TSA provides a number of holiday tips for travelers, and this year there are a number of recent changes that will be of particular interest to families traveling with either young children or older relatives.

Shoe removal for younger and older passengers
Children who are 12 or younger, and adults who are 75 or older are no longer required to routinely remove their shoes. However, shoe removal may be required if a passenger is selected for additional screening.

Revised screening procedures for younger and older passengers
The TSA has made unspecified modifications to screening procedures for children who are 12 or younger, and adults who are 75 or older. These changes will reduce, but not eliminate, the pat-downs that happen after a passenger causes an alarm with the metal detectors or full-body scanners used by the TSA.

Some snow globes are now allowed
For quite some time, all snow globes were banned from the passenger cabin and from carry-on baggage. The TSA has relaxed those rules, allowing snow globes containing less than 3.4 ounces (100 ml) of liquid in your carry-on bags. Snow globes typically don't come with volume indicators, and the TSA suggests that globes up to about the size of a tennis ball will be acceptable.

TSA number for passengers with special needs
Travelers with questions about screening policies can call TSA Cares at 1-855-787-2227 to have their questions answered about what to expect at the security checkpoint. If you or someone who is traveling with you has a disability or medical condition that may cause a problem during screening, a TSA Cares a representative will answer your questions and can also provide assistance that is relevant to the passenger’s specific disability or medical condition.

How to fly with gifts
Some TSA regulations have not changed. The TSA has to be able to inspect any gift or package, whether in checked or carry-on bags, so if you have any gifts in your luggage, you should either wrap them after your arrival, or wrap them in such a way that they can be easily opened and inspected.

Additional Resources
AirSafe.com provides extensive travel advice resources, with information that is useful at any time of the year. Some of those resources are on the following pages:
Baggage.AirSafe.com - Checked and carry-on baggage advice
Security.AirSafe.com - Airport security basics
TSA holiday travel checklist

AirSafe.com Travel Books
AirSafe.com has published a number of guides filled with air travel advice, including a guide on baggage and security, and another on how to make complaints. If you subscribe to the AirSafe.com mailing list at subscribe.airsafe.com, you can download free PDF versions of these books, as well as buy ebook versions of the guides. If you sign up today, you will be notified when the newest guide for traveling with families comes out later this month.

Maggots Raining on Passengers Forces US Airways Flight Back to Gate

Some airline incidents are quite stranger than fiction, and that was the case on June 28, 2010 in Atlanta. US Airways flight 1537, which was scheduled to go from Atlanta, GA to Charlotte, NC, was taxiing prior to takeoff when passengers began noticing maggots falling from on overhead bin. The flight crew announced that they were returning to the gate because of a "minor emergency on board."

The source of the maggots was from a container of spoiled meat that was in the carry-on baggage of one of the passengers. The plane returned to the gate, where a ground crew cleaned out the aircraft before it was allowed to continue to Charlotte. The passenger who caused this situation was also allowed to continue, but on another flight. Only after the flight arrived at Charlotte did the airline fumigate the aircraft.

Comments from one of the passengers on this flight show just how disturbing this event was to them:

• I heard the word ‘maggot' and that kind of got everybody creeped out...All of a sudden, I felt somebody flick the back of my hair and on the front of me came a maggot, which I flicked off me
  
  
• I felt like they were crawling all over me because it only takes one maggot to upset your world
  
  
• And as they're telling us to stay calm and seated, I see a maggot looking back at me and I'm thinking, ‘These are anaerobic, flesh-eating larvae that the flight attendants don't have to sit with

How Can Maggots Get on an Airplane?
In the US, the federal government restricts what kinds of animals or other live creatures are allowed on an aircraft, and what kinds of animals can be imported into the US. However, for domestic airline flights it is up to the airline to set rules for animals, and those rules typically deal with flying with pets and service animals. Also, while the TSA has many rules about what items are permitted and prohibited from checked or carry-on baggage, there are no specific restrictions on bringing either spoiled meat or insects through security.

AirSafe.com contacted US Airways directly, and a representative indicated that dogs, cats, and birds were allowed on flights, but not bees or other insects. Presumably this means that maggots would not have been allowed on the aircraft if the airline had been made aware of their presence. It is not clear whether the passenger who brought the maggots on board either received permission from the airline or was even aware that there were maggots in their baggage.

Video Report of the Maggot Event

Advice from AirSafe.com
Most airlines have very detailed rules on what kinds of live animals or biological specimens you can bring on an aircraft. If you are thinking about bringing any kind of animal or insect on board the aircraft, contact the airline ahead of time to see if your animal will even be allowed. If you are traveling internationally, make sure you are following all appropriate import and export rules. If you see something that may be a problem, for example someone sneaking an animal onto the aircraft, or a carry-on or checked baggage item that may be a health hazard, contact an airline representative immediately.

How to Protect Your Laptop and Your Computer Data When Going Through Airport Security

The recent arrests of the couple accused of stealing over 1,000 checked bags from the Phoenix airport highlighted one of the baggage theft risks that airline passengers face each time they fly. Another ongoing problem inside the airline terminal is the risks passengers face of having their laptop computer lost, stolen, or damaged.
The two areas of risks are taking the computer through security and inside the airport terminal.

Putting Laptops in Checked Baggage
There is a very simple way to avoid this problem-just don't do it. There is the obvious risk of a lost, damage, or stolen checked bag. Also, airlines often load bags on top of one another in the cargo hold of your flight. Hundreds of pounds of pressure in conjunction with the low temperatures in unheated cargo compartments may lead to cracks or damage to the laptop screen or damage to other components.

Taking the Laptop Through Security
In the US and in most other countries, laptops have to be taken out of its carrying case or out of your carry-on bag as you go through the x-ray scanners at airport security. To protect your laptop, you should do the following:

• Place laptops in a bin by itself before you put it through the x-ray machine.
  
• Keep your laptop in sight at all times. You may be delayed getting through the metal detector or you may be pulled aside for additional screening. If this happens, make sure you keep your laptop in sight. If you are traveling in a group, one thing that you can do is to have the first person through security be the person who takes care of all the laptops.
  
• Reclaim and secure your laptop as quickly as possible once you are through the screening process.

Laptop Security in the Terminal
If you decide to use your laptop during the time before boarding, take the same precautions that you would in any other public space. Don't leave your laptop unattended, and if you the airport has free wi-fi access, avoid doing anything online such as online banking that requires a secure connection.

Other Laptop Security Hints
In addition to protecting your laptop from loss, damage, or theft, you should also take the time to protect the information on the laptop. One way to do that is to separate the data from the laptop. For most users, the information on a laptop is far more valuable than the laptop itself. One easy way to protect against the loss of data is to either backup your data before you travel, or plan to keep any important or sensitive data data separate from the laptop in a device such as a flash drive, CD-ROM, or or external hard drive. Of course, these data storage devices should always be with you or with your carry-on bag, and not in any checked bag.

If you are unwilling or unable to separate the data from the laptop, at least put some kind of password protection on the laptop or on individual files or directories within the laptop.

One way to avoid the hazards and hassles of taking your laptop out for security screening is to use alternative electronic devices. Unlike the situation with laptops, special screening is not required for small data-related devices like Internet enabled phones such as the iPhone or Blackberry, PDAs, flash drives, and other small data-related devices.

Related Resources
Baggage Basics for Checked and Carry-on Items
Carry-on Baggage Advice
Top 10 Baggage Tips
Top Ten Tips for Dealing with Security
Overhead Baggage Risks
Hazardous and Prohibited Baggage Items