Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Which US airlines are best to use when traveling with guns...?

KiloCharlie:

I would love to hunt in Canada but I am under the impression that foreigners must hire a guide to hunt there. That puts it out of my price range.

KC

KC,

No, that varies among provinces and territories. Some do, some do not.

John

+1 SouthWest....never had a problem. Delta placed my rifle on the wrong plane 2 years ago...had to wait for it to arrive the next day.

Hassle factor depends on the airport. Some will check your rifle curbside...KC airport for example.

Had a buddy recently who used a case with a combo lock and almost wasn't allowed to check it because he didn't have removable TSA locks.

I always pack ammo in the case with my rifle/shotgun.

I ended up booking a United flight.
I'll have to read up on their policies, as well as TSA.
My flight leaves at 6 AM so there won't be much room for error time-wise.
I'll be sure to print out the TSA regs and bring multiple sets of locks.
Ammo in the case is a good tip.

Thanks!
Eric

When I flew, they did not want TSA gun locks on the gun case. They wanted you to put padlocks on that they could not open AFTER they checked the gun. They have bolt cutters if they really want to get in.

TSA rules preclude packing ammo on case with firearms. Ammo should be in separate hard case with TSA locks and packed in your checked luggage. Firearm case needs to be locked with keyed alike padlocks.

This seems to be a never ending subject everytime traveling with firearms is raised.
You can pack your ammo in the same case as the firearm.

The linked TSA rules aren't clear on the TSA or no TSA lock, however a few years ago I bought a gun case because it had TSA locks built in. I used if one year before the mfg notified me I needed to convert it to non-TSA locks. If TSA had their way, I believe they would require TSA locks, after all they were telling everyone that for the first few years. I believe that the non-TSA lock requirement is an ATF rule, but I'm not positive of that, if anyone knows that for sure please chime in and share with us all. All the airlines I've flown on pretty much just use the TSA regs I've linked below. I didn't notice the 11 lb. ammo limit in there but I've seen more than one airline use that as a limit.
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1666.shtm

Here's Southwest's policy, again you can carry ammo in the same case as the firearm and only the firearm owner may have a key, hence no TSA locks. They do show the 11 lb ammo limit.

I'm a couple of weeks out from my next trip flying to a hunting trip. I re-research it every year and take a print out of both the links I've posted.

http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/baggage/special-luggage-pol.html

http://www.frontierairlines.com/customer-service/travel-support/baggage/firearms

On domestic flights, I like Southwest.

Thanks for guiding

I actually went to the airport in advance of my trip, went to the counter of the airline I was taking and asked them their policies. Then stopped to talk to the TSA folks and asked them their policies. Helped ease my mind about how everything was being packed

Yep, Good advice to print out these regs and take them with you to the airport.

I fly from Baton Rouge, LA to Denver, CO every year for elk season. Never had a problem with Delta or American.

Ken

I also believe that the airport plays a greater role than the airline. Invariably, the issues stem from airline and TSA folks being unfamiliar with their own regulations! Thus I'm a big believer in downloading and printing out BOTH the TSA AND airline regs on transport of rifles. I also have them with me, and I always strive to be courteous and upbeat, despite having to bite my tongue: "You know, ma'am, I thought exactly the same thing as you said. That is, until I read your latest mandate on the website. Here, take a look at my copy; it'll surprise you just as much as it did me!"

In the US, the 3 biggest problems I've had were at JFK, LAX, and Santa Barbara. (See a trend?).

JFK....was flying from DFW to Gander, Newfoundland, via JFK and Halifax. On arrival, no gun case or duffel bag. Through a computer search, we found that my kit was hung up at JFK. 24 hrs later, both bags arrived at Gander thoughly pilfered and haphazardly packed. There were NO locks on the guncase--they'd been cut off at JFK. Inside both was the standard TSA form that translates, "Tough Luck, ol' Hoss!"

LAX...returning from Eureka blacktail hunt. Three TSA agents sequestered me in a little room and started making up regs on the fly. I pulled out my official TSA print-out and showed it to them. The senior agent, a lady, said, "Goddammit! They've gone and changed the rules again, Honey!" We told some jokes, and I was relieved to find my kit at baggage claim when I got home.

Santa Barbara... after hunting Santa Rosa Island, I had a 6 a.m. flight back home. As near as I could tell, I was the only hunter among all the perfectly tanned and toned greenies in the lobby. After thoughly sifting through my duffle and rifle case, the airport personnel escorted me behind a little curtain and made me strip down to my boxers, even though I didn't set off the screening alarm. It was tough at 6 a.m., but I smiled and told jokes but was the last passenger to board the plane.

If there is a moral here, do three things:

Have a downloaded copy of the airline AND TSA regs.

Smile, stay upbeat, and keep up a friendly-but-firm banter.

Arrive at the airport NO LESS than 3 hours before take-off....it may take 2 hrs and 59 minutes to get through.

I just returned from my annual Texas hog hunt. Big difference in the way guns are handled at different airports. In Denver you're escorted to a special TSA screening room and are required to stand outside while you watch them screen your bag. My bag was locked with nonTSA locks. My buddies bag had TSA locks. They got out their set of master keys and opened his, they just ran mine thur the x-ray and were done with it. Then they came out and had him sign a form that he'd watched them open and examine his gun case.
When we arrived at Houston Hobby the gun cases just popped out on the baggage carosel with all the other bags.
On the way out of town going back thru Hobby the ticket agent had me sign the little orange tag put it in the case, lock it and then put it on the bag conveyor and off it went and they sent us off to security screening, no fuss no hassle.
Back in Denver, my buddies who'd checked standard looking rifle cases had to go the baggage office and show picture ID to get their cases. Since mine was just a large pelican equipment case it just popped out with my other bag. So apparently if it doesn't look like a rifle case it doesn't get segregated, at least in Denver. My airline was Frontier

I've had pretty good experiences with Southwest the last several years. A buddy was recently travelling with 2 rifles and a pistol and I watched him go through the process just as painless as could be. As an insurance policy I do print out the latest TSA and specific airline regulations and have them with me at check in in case there are any issues.

Many or most of the destinations i fly to with a rifle are only served by 1 airline...
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst...