Carry-on Items on Plane

[Count]

I have an Abel rod carrier (4-piece rods) and an Abel Holds Everything bag. Will I be able to take both of these with me to the Bahamas? I'm flying American Airlines.

Also, can I take my flies with me in my carry-on baggage?

Thanks for your help.

Count

[titleguy]

I had no issues at all on US Air from Bangor to Philly to Nassau. I carried two rods, flies, nippers, pliers, tippet material, basically everything I needed in case my other bag didn't make the trip. I did get hassled at Security coming out of Nassau with flies.

Print out this link:

http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?content=090005198005feca

[Ray]

You can carry the rod and reels on. Check the AA site. They have a detailed list of what you can carry on for fishing equipment. Go to the bottom on this page for a chart on sporting goods:

http://www.aa.com/content/travelInformation/baggage/baggageAllowance.jhtml

[KMcFly]

I just returned from the Bahamas and had no trouble going down on U.S.Air with everything in my carry on,but on the way back my buddy who was flying Jet Blue was told he had to put his reels in the checked luggage,when he started to recite the TSA regs the women told him he would be wise to do what she said.I guess its still best to ask but Nassau is still the worst airport inthe world.

[Count]

Thanks so much, guys. I appreciate the help, and the links.

Count

[T-Bro]

I took my family to Deep Water Cay (off the SE Tip of Grand Bahama) for spring break and flew from Ft. Lauderdale to Freeport. Had 4 rods in an Abel carrier and a Holds Everything bag with reels, lines, leaders, tools, etc. I put my Van Staal pliers and flies in my checked baggage and had no problems at all. I think you would be smart to remove hooks and pliers or hones to checked baggage.

You didnt say where in the Bahamas you were going, but another comment derided the Nassau airport. I have to agree that the people working at customs and check in at Freeport were hostile and arrogant. However, they were the last people with attitude problems we met all week.

Have a great trip!

T-Bro

[Swalt]

I just returned from the Bahamas and had no trouble going down on U.S.Air with everything in my carry on,but on the way back my buddy who was flying Jet Blue was told he had to put his reels in the checked luggage,when he started to recite the TSA regs the women told him he would be wise to do what she said.I guess its still best to ask but Nassau is still the worst airport inthe world.

KM
Was it the Jet Blue people that would not allow the reels or the Bahamas equivalent of the TSA. I had the same problem with reels flying back from one of the Out Islands last fall. It was the Bahamas TSA checkpoint that would not allow the reels to be carried on. I have had no problems either going or coming in 4 trips since 9/11. But it looks like I will be packing the reels in checked luggage on my next return trip. I still plan to carry enough on to fish with on the way down incase of lost or late arriving luggage which I also had a problem with last fall while flying American.

[titleguy]

The Bahamas security guy hassled me and I pulled out my well-traveled copy of the TSA regs- His comment, " we are not the TSA". My Lawyerly reply, "no but I am flying to the US on a US flagged carrier, what's the problem?" He finally relented as my checked bag was long gone at that point. But, yeah, Nassau s%^&, especially if you are already thinking about Kalik withdrawal. --124-3

[Swalt]

Guess I don't speak in "lawyerly ways".
I too pulled out my copy of the TSA regs. My answers were "Anybody could have printed that from anywhere", "We go by TSA regs but do not have all the updates" think this has been on the sight for 3 years, "We have a copy in the office but not here". The superviser was not threatening to put me in handcuffs but he wouldn't budge.

[JGH]

No problems with an Abel 3-pc carrier flying Continental from Neward to Ft. Lauderdale to Andros last month. No problem with reels (with line) and flies, either. On the way back, they inspected my bag in Ft. Lauderdale and seemed puzzled by my Boga grip, but let it through.

[cocktailblue]

Once more:

For what it's worth, this is the policy as posted on the TSA web site for "Transporting Special Items - Hunting and Fishing":

http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/editorial_1188.xml

Fishing Rods / Poles - Fishing Rods are permitted as carry-on and checked baggage. However, please check with your air carrier to confirm that it fits within their size limitations for carry-on items. Ultimately, it is the carrier's decision as to whether or not it can be transported as carry-on baggage.

Tackle Equipment - Fishing equipment should be placed in your checked baggage. Some tackle equipment can be considered sharp and dangerous. Expensive reels or fragile tackle such as fly's should be packed in your carry-on baggage.

[peanuts]

Would I be correct in saying that flying from the states to the Bahamas is counted as a internal flight if so that would explain the lax of security.
Us Brits have to check all our fishing gear into the hold on all flights we take wither it's to the States,Cuba,Bahamas or Europe

[Jim Royston]

No, Bahama flights are international. Stateside, we are under TSA rules, which allows for some carry on fishing tackle. I've not had problems going back with the same stuff in my carry on. At some Bahama airports, such as Nassau and Freeport, you actually clear US Customs while still on Bahama soil. This facilitates the inevitable plane changes stateside. All this could be a thing of the past though, and when I fly to Mexico in a couple of weeks I will put all my tackle in my checked bags.

[Nassau Frank]

The Nassau airport has a new name.That in itself should fix alll the problems. It's now the Sir Lynden O. Pindling airport. SLOP for short. Exiting the Bahamas to the States is controlled by TSA. They require the layers of checks and searches. Most of the searches are drug related rather than explosives or weapons. Every week there are seizures of drug mules or idiots thinking they can take drugs in or out.
I always go to a male customs guy. The women can be much tougher and exacting. But then again, I am supposed to pay duty on items acquired abroad.

[JGH]

With the recent new carry-on restrictions in the last month or so, has anyone flown with fishing equipment? It seems that now you have to check everything. Yikes. :eek:

[Squidly]

Just got back from Abaco and no problems carrying rod and reels on plane. I packed the flies

[sandeel9]

I have been told (since 9/11) to check flies, but it seems that may no longer be necessary. Assuming folks going to the Bahamas have small(er) flies for bones, I wonder if a bigger hook (say 4/0) would cause troubles. I've had no luck getting anything out of the airlines that seems to resemble anything I would trust when I show up at the airport. Consequently, I've been checking my flies, even when I go for trout in CO or something. It's a pain...

On another note, when I flew down to fish the Mexican Baja this year, I was told not to carry on reels. It had something to do with the line. So, i checked my spools (and flies/pliers, etc.) and carried the reels so it wouldn't be a total loss if anything happened. I have been shipping (FedEx or UPS) some of my gear to my destination if I don't want to check anything.

Good discussion...

[Swalt]

Just got back from Abaco and no problems carrying rod and reels on plane. I packed the flies


Squidly,
Did you fly into Nassau to get to Abaco and back?. If you did then I am assuming the Nassau TSA had no problem with the reels? I had to check mine last year on a return trip. Thanks

[Squidly]

I flew West Palm to Abaco and no problems. West Palm is the tighest security I have ever encountered. They made me take my baby out of the baby bijorn and put him on the floor to take my sweatshirt off!!!!!

[Marshrunner]

Squidly,

What was the pack length of the rods you carried on board and were they inside a regular carry-on bag or in a separate rod carrier. Also were you able to put them in the overhead near you or did they make you stow them in that oddball-size carry-on compartment at the front of the plane?

Dick

[Too Fly]

Why'd they make you take your sweatshirt off? Charlotte had me take my long-sleeve, shoes and socks off once before using the wand, at the gate! As pax boarded the plane, I asked "why the strip search?" They told me it was a random practice. :mad:

I'm already stressing, which is frivelous, about a planned trip in March. "Security" is going to do whatever they want. TSA allows, as stated earlier, travel sized rod tubes and "expensive reels" as carry-on. But they say that the airline has the final word. I'm not sure how that's true since it's usually the unpleasant security personnel at the checkpoint who give the hardest time.

I looked into shipping my stuff to Andros ahead of time. But if it takes two months for a check to make it down there, how long before expensive gear makes it in a package? Plus all that time in limbo has got to be tempting to those who are in possession of it while it sits.

I booked a non-stop flight from BOS to NAS a couple months ago for pretty cheap. So the odds of losing my checked luggage with no connections should be pretty slim... at least one would think so. I deal with lost luggage for work (believe me, I'm grateful for the business --123-3 ) so I see all sorts of stuff. So to be on the safe side, I plan to wear my flats pants, Marlwalkers and carry-on a few shirts, underwear, socks and my reels in my gear bag. So if all goes to plan, I've got my clothes, gear (hopefully) and rods in a travel tube with me to fish for the week. Yeah, I might look like a geek to the travelling public, but members of the brothehood of fly fishermen will recognize it. Maybe it'll strike up a conversation and help kill sometime chatting in the airport. :-% I'll throw the pliers, flies and a few essentials in my checked bag. I'm also sending some flies to friends who are also going on the trip in case something happens to my checked bag.

I wonder if flashing a Massport ID will help if they give me sh!t at the gates? Probably not. :rolleyes: