Airplanes and skates in cabin luggage?

[jan.zilka]

You qualified to Grand Prix event and you travel by air. You do not want to risk the delayed or lost luggage. So that would be a logical step, to take the skates with you to cabin luggage. But it is by default forbidden. Sharp edges.

Most likely airports' cabin luggage security inspection and maybe the airlines luggage service. These are those who can say yes or no.

As the comunity here is pretty large, would you, please, share your real experience from last years?
Did you take your skates with you to cabin luggage?
Did some airline or airport refused to allow that?
What happened next?
Any airport where that was never problem?
Any airlines or airport security that never allowed that?

Thank you in advance for any reports.

 

[bhazeltn]

Here is our experience traveling with skates.

Calgary to Los Angeles and return - cabin luggage. Airport security did a little extra screening and verified they were ok.

Calgary to San Francisco to Manila - cabin luggage. Same as YYC to LAX

Manila to SFO to Calgary. Checked bag. Prohibited in carry on

Calgary to Boston - cabin luggage. Airport security called supervisor to ensure they are ok for Transborder. Return was no issue at all.

Calgary to Taipei to Manila. We did cabin luggage but could not carry on when connecting in Taipei. Needed to check bag at the transfer desk. Bag was delayed 24hrs causing insane stress as this was for Nationals! Return trip was in checked luggage.

I believe you can bring skates through airport security in Canada and US, however, if your destination is overseas and you have am overseas connection, check them.

 

[Diana Delafield]

You qualified to Grand Prix event and you travel by air. You do not want to risk the delayed or lost luggage. So that would be a logical step, to take the skates with you to cabin luggage. But it is by default forbidden. Sharp edges.

Most likely airports' cabin luggage security inspection and maybe the airlines luggage service. These are those who can say yes or no.

As the comunity here is pretty large, would you, please, share your real experience from last years?
Did you take your skates with you to cabin luggage?
Did some airline or airport refused to allow that?
What happened next?
Any airport where that was never problem?
Any airlines or airport security that never allowed that?

Thank you in advance for any reports.

Collected data from assorted family members who live in the UK, re our collective experiences travelling with skates in cabin luggage. No problems for anyone, between Vancouver or Toronto and Glasgow or Aberdeen, in either direction. (Maybe skates are seen by Canadian inspectors as essential clothing ?)

 

[tstop4me]

In another thread a few months ago, there was some relevant info pertinent to practices within US airports:

It has been my experience traveling through the US that different airports in different states have personnel that have the following reactions:

1. Figure skates are allowed
2. Only hockey skates are allowed since figure skate toe picks can be used as a weapon.
3. Skates are only allowed if they are checked in bags.

And different TSA members at the same airport have dissenting opinions. There is no consistency half the time even if you show them the rules. I haven't had a problem recently, but I almost missed a flight waiting to have a supervisor to let me through the gate.

There's little logic to the TSA list. Here's a pertinent sampling.

(a) Skates

Carry On Bags: Yes
Checked Bags: Yes
Including ice skates and rollerblades.

(b) Knives

Carry On Bags: No
Checked Bags: Yes
Except knives with rounded-blades, blunt edges without serration/teeth such as butter knives, or plastic cutlery.
Any sharp objects in checked bags should be sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors.

(c) Scissors

Carry On Bags: Yes (Special Instructions)
Checked Bags: Yes
If packed in carry-on, they must be less than 4 inches from the pivot point.
Any sharp objects in checked bags should be sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors.

(d) Knitting Needles

Carry On Bags: Yes
Checked Bags: Yes
Any sharp objects in checked bags should be sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors.

Special Note. All the above rules carry the explicit qualifier:

The final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint.

This qualifier of course will lead to inconsistent enforcement.

* There was a niche figure-skate blade company called SkateScience (now kaput). Their advanced freestyle blades had the most wicked toepicks I've ever seen. Those blades would likely cause a TSA agent to jump.

* Note the stringent restrictions on knives, but the relatively lax restrictions on scissors. But scissors as is can be potent weapons. And the better scissors have screw pivots. If you remove the screw during the flight, you essentially have two knives.

* On one flight a long time ago, I sat next to a little old lady who was knitting. She had ginormous knitting needles (probably at least 14 inches long). I asked her whether she had any problems bringing them on board. She said no. She travelled frequently and liked to knit for her grandkids. Never had an issue. My wife knits, and she now also routinely brings knitting needles on board without a hitch. Granted, knitting needles have blunted tips, and the larger ones are typically fabricated from tubular aluminum, not solid steel. But I would think you could inflict some serious bodily harm with them.

 

[tstop4me]

(Maybe skates are seen by Canadian inspectors as essential clothing ?)

 

[fliptzies]

Honestly, if they really think I'm gonna be sacrificing my $1000 dollar skates ( which are on the cheaper end of skates already ! ) to murder someone...

Also toepicks being considered being the deadly part of blades means that the edges are, so to say, "blunt" then???

Honestly someone should really bring this issue up to TSA to write new, more consistent criteria

 

[Diana Delafield]

Honestly, if they really think I'm gonna be sacrificing my $1000 dollar skates ( which are on the cheaper end of skates already ! ) to murder someone...

Also toepicks being considered being the deadly part of blades means that the edges are, so to say, "blunt" then???

Honestly someone should really bring this issue up to TSA to write new, more consistent criteria

Especially when, if it's true they allow hockey skates, there have been hockey players, one within the last year, killed by a slash from a blade during a game. But I've never heard of Death By Toe Picks (although I've been accused a few times by partners of attempting that).

And what about speed skates? Those blades always look lethal to me.

 

[fliptzies]

Especially when, if it's true they allow hockey skates, there have been hockey players, one within the last year, killed by a slash from a blade during a game.