For those of you who fly in the US . .

Tom W wrote:
The moderators are quick tonight!

I was rolling on the floor when I saw phili1's post!

But, to get back OT, I never, EVER check my equipment.

Never check anything that you can't afford to lose........

Here is what is posted on the US Government's Transportation Security Administration website (URL: http://www.tsa.gov …torial/editoria​l_1248.xml):
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Transporting Film and Photographic Equipment

Photographic Equipment

You may carry one (1) bag of photographic equipment in addition to one (1) carry-on and one (1) personal item through the screening checkpoint. The additional bag must conform to your air carrier's carry-on restrictions for size and weight. Please confirm your air carrier's restrictions prior to arriving at the airport.

Air carriers may or may not allow the additional carry-on item on their aircraft. Please check with your air carrier prior to arriving at the airport.

rsnadel wrote:
Here is what is posted on the US Government's Transportation Security Administration website (URL: http://www.tsa.gov …torial/editoria​l_1248.xml):
---------------
Transporting Film and Photographic Equipment

Photographic Equipment

You may carry one (1) bag of photographic equipment in addition to one (1) carry-on and one (1) personal item through the screening checkpoint. The additional bag must conform to your air carrier's carry-on restrictions for size and weight. Please confirm your air carrier's restrictions prior to arriving at the airport.

Air carriers may or may not allow the additional carry-on item on their aircraft. Please check with your air carrier prior to arriving at the airport.

I'm flying to Seattle and back for Christmas via American, has anyone ever had any experience with them? Right now I have a small bag (probably a cubic foot, if that) for my camera and two lenses, and a medium sized messenger bag for my laptop, both of which are coming on the plane with me.

Do I need to figure out a way to get the camera and lenses into the messenger bag, or is AA a little less fascist about these things?

This is only my second time flying, so I really have no clue what I'm doing.

Thomas,

You list two bags, you should be fine as long as they both are within carry-on size regulations.

Call the laptop your "personal" item and the camera bag is your carry-on.

I would check American's website to verify sizing, but sounds like you shouldnt have an issue.

You have to be aware of the TSA announcement, that is what I wast talking about in my above post. The airlines do NOT have to comply with it even if the TSA allows it. So you have to check with the airline ahead of time if you are hoping to take on a third bag.

Remember the AIRLINE is the final word on what goes on their planes, not the TSA.

For those of you looking into locking your luggage, I believe you can purchase TSA locks. They are nothig more then the little plastic breakaway locks, but they go on after initial inspection, and stay on till you take them off. All this will do is prevent any handlers from going into your luggage.

Actually the TSA locks are real locks, they just have a master key that all TSA employees are supposed to have so they can open them for inspection and then re-lock them. Supposedly they work pretty well, but I still dont trust my camera gear to be checked. I dont want to get to a job with nothing to shoot with becuase my Pelican case ended up on a plane heading toward Dallas instead of Oakland.

it's amazing how different the policies and procedures are around the world. i've found in most countries i fly from, throughout apac, will visually inspect (cursory glance) the body. occasionally, i've found that they have problems with some lenses looking a bit solid on the xray, so they will check (and in some cases remove the lens from the bag and re-scan). i have also noticed it's a lot easier with my lowepro roadrunner mini aw, which looks like a real camera bag, they tend to let me through with simply a cursory glance. if i am travelling with my crumpler bags, they tend to look at everything.

i've also noticed that being patient and polite goes a long way, *especially* when travelling to or from the US. it's the difference between them letting you help them look in the bags, or them pulling everything out, potentially letting something fall out.

i had close to 200k miles this year and had no issues qantas, singapore airlines, jal, united, skywest, jetstar, virgin blue, thai intl, ana, or british airways. i had a problem with lufthansa - my carry-on bag was too heavy (they freakin' weighed it!) so i walked away, took the camera out and put it around my neck. no weight problem then - whew! i also had a problem in auckland on air nz domestic on my way to wellington. i was carrying my backpack and laptop bag. they said wouldnt let me carry on both, despite my pointing out many other people in the lounge with 2 bags. so i pulled out my laptop, carried it under my arm (put my ipod, etc. i the backpack) and let them take the laptop bag away with the prams.

I never had a problem when I was int he UK, flying to and from Ireland, Austria x2 and wehn I get to the US all that changes. i hate flying to begin with but the TSA really has my goat. I had one particular incident that happened here on my way to Seattle and it was not cool. If what I saw here is the way TSA is (which I can't confirm or deny due to lack of places I have gone thru in the US) then based one what I have seen TSA is about the biggest joke around. Create jobs it did, but hiring flunkies...a trained monkey could do better based on what I have seen here and here alone.

I came through DFW last week I stopped and spoke with a TSA agent for a few minutes. I will be forced to checked a Pelican case with my bigger lenses and was concerned about not being present for the inspection and also having my locks brokent.

Now according to this agent you can request an in person inspection where you can unlock your bags, they will do their thing and then you relock your bags and away they go with the inspection tape attached. He told me that according to regulations they cannot refuse this.