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T Bill

Traveling to Florida with Firearms

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Just returned from a great time in Florida at the OK Corral Gun Club. I will post a review on OKCGC in the near future as soon as I can get all the pictures together and loaded.  

I thought an update on how the air travel portion went maybe of interest to those traveling south in the near future.

The flights were on Southwest and the destination was Fort Lauderdale from Newark.  This time I transported several firearms in two Pelican 1700 cases.  Yes, it was a tight fit but it made it.  The cases were secured with four locks each mostly to prevent prying the lid even just a little bit and along with the normal baggage tags I had put a self adhesive label on the case under the carry handle containing my name and cell number only.  I use Pelican 1700 cases because their total dimension (L + W + H) is less than the maximum baggage size allowed by Southwest (62 inches).  Because Southwest has a two free checked bags policy, no additional charges were assessed, I used a carry on and backpack for the rest of my travel.  However they did not even question the size of the cases.

At Newark the counter people were cooperative and seemed to know the routine.  After declaring and filling out the declaration forms, I opened the cases just enough to drop the form inside. A counter person baggage tagged them and then took the cases and we walked together down the departures level floor a short distance to where the TSA had a room equipped to examine the cases. We were told to wait at the exit door,  Here they were x-rayed and one case passed, and was returned to the counter person. The other case did not pass, and was told a supervisor was called to examine the case.  He arrived and ask for the key to open the case.  The exam table was next to the exit and I could see him opening and inspecting the case but could not enter the room.   I had used empty chamber flags in the handguns, but at this point it seemed as though he was more interested in the choke tube wrenches I have stuck in the case, go figure.  Case was resealed, handed back to the counter person and he took them back to the Southwest counter where they went on the belt, and off they went. At this time he stated they would not be placed on the baggage claim carousel and could be claimed at the baggage service desk on arrival in Fort Lauderdale. I claimed the cases at the Baggage Counter Service desk and off I went, simple.

The return was just a little different and actually simpler. At the counter, I declared, filled out the forms again, but now the agent wanted to tape the declaration on the outside of the cases. I questioned her, she balked a little so I had to request assistance from a supervisor, The counter agent was told the form goes inside this time as the cases were the checked baggage. Seems when you check a bag transporting a firearm inside a hard case the TSA at this airport wants the card on the hard case not just floating around inside the bag.  On the belt they went and that was all.  At Newark the cases did not get placed on the carousel as well, but were sent up a separate beltway where an agent from Southwest came over opened the gate and handed me the cases after I showed them the luggage claim tickets.  Out the door and on the way home.  Seems things may have improved a bit when traveling with firearms.  Total time in each case from when I entered the airport to standing at the gate waiting to board was about an hour.  I had allowed two hours for the process in case a difficulties, but thankfully nothing happened. 

Just as a sidebar, I did have copies of Southwest's and the TSA's policies, as well as copies of my P2Ps and the make, model, and serial number of the long guns, just in case.  Hope this provides a little insight when traveling.

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I just went to Dallas on American Airlines.  Newark had me walk with the bag to the TSA area - I have a combo lock on the case - they were inspecting it and came back out to ask me the combo.  Once that checked out, I was done.

Picked it up off the Baggage Carousel in Dallas.

Flight back - They just asked me the standard questions, put the tag in the bag, and threw it on the belt.  They did tag it with the red tag though - so when the bag didn't go on the carousel in Newark - went straight to the AA Baggage Assistance office.  Picked it up from there after supplying ID and was on my way home.

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Newark TSA did the same when I flew to Pittsburgh. I was under the impression that the key or combination is never to leave the owner's possession, and that if they want it opened, it is to be opened by you in their presence.

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21 minutes ago, ChrisJM981 said:

. I was under the impression that the key or combination is never to leave the owner's possession, and that if they want it opened, it is to be opened by you in their presence.

That's what the rules say, but apparently execution is different.  They came and asked for the key and when I motioned to go with it was told to stay outside the room.  I could see the area used for inspection however so I went with the flow.  One would think they would follow their own rules, guess not

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Nice account T BIll. I've flown with a firearm (handgun) a bunch of times now, and the procedure is always different. I never know exactly what to expect, so I try to get there a little early (always a challenge for my wife and me) and go with the flow. 

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2 hours ago, T Bill said:

That's what the rules say, but apparently execution is different.  They came and asked for the key and when I motioned to go with it was told to stay outside the room.  I could see the area used for inspection however so I went with the flow.  One would think they would follow their own rules, guess not

I didn't make waves, but I agree they should follow their own rules. Perhaps they don't know them?

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I had a slightly different (but good) experience flying Newark to Dallas and back a couple of weeks ago. The guy came out (I think from American but not sure) of the TSA room and asked me for the combinations for the gun case lock. I questioned this and he said how else were they going to open the cases. I complied, he went back in the TSA room, but a minute later a uniformed TSA employee asked me to come in the room. I went over to the TSA person who had already opened my bag. He asked me to open the combination locks on the Pelican case which I did. He inspected the firearm and took a look at the box of ammo which was also in the case. He then asked me if I wanted to pack the foam material back in the way I had it which I did. I locked the gun case and he then locked my luggage. They were very professional and polite.

I had left a piece of clear tape on the gun case so when the counter clerk gave me the declaration form I could stick it to the case. My understanding is if they open the luggage and don't see the declaration it can cause problems. Since then I have attached a clear adhesive mailing sleeve to the side of the case in which i can slide the declaration form (I found this trick on a website).

When I arrived at Dallas my bag came out very quickly and I picked it up and left (I didn't have to do anything special at all).

It was a bit easier on the return trip as TSA never called me in to see the firearm at Dallas. At Newark it also just came directly to the carousel.

The entire experience was much easier than I had thought it would be.

The one thing to watch out for is if your flight gets redirected to a place that is not gun friendly (like NYC). Under no circumstance should you take possession of the bag on the carousel. Have the airline transfer it to whatever flight you are taking back home. You can get jammed up if you take possession of the firearm like the guy that was flying into Allentown PA (I believe) and was redirected to Newark where he then tried to take ground transportation back to PA with his firearm.

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