Air Travel with Gun in luggage

[LaVere]

I going to be taking a trip soon and want to take my hand gun. This will be on
American Airlines. I'll have it unloaded, in a hard case, Amo in the case in a seperate box, locked and a copy of TSA Regs. I'll stop at a ticket counter and declare gun. Is there any thing else I should do or have forgoten ?

 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

At some point in time you'll have to open the case to show/demonstrate it is unloaded. You might consider sticking the firearm in an otherwise empty cordura duffle bag or something similar rather than your suitcase, just for the convenience factor at the counter. Later you can squirrel it away in your checked luggage after it is inspected. Request that the agent put the firearms tag (i.e, the steal me tag) inside the case, rather than on the case handle if they don't automatically do that. Otherwise, it'll be a non-event for you. Thankfully for all, the airlines are getting good at making the procedure smooth if you do your prep beforehand.

(edited to add...)
Just to be safe, tell the agent you want to 'check in a secured firearm' rather than saying "I have a gun in my luggage'. Just semantics, but it sounds a lot better.

Fly and be free.

Regards,
Rabbit.

 

[Havegunjoe]

Just got back from a trip to Florida with my gun.

I flew NW airlines and it went smooth as silk. I would recomend checking out AA's web site and see what they require as it may be somehow different than TSA regs. Some airlines for example require a hard sided suitcase as well as a hard case for the gun. Most don't but the NW agent in Minneapolis thought that they did and she had to check to be sure. I had a copy of their regs. with me just in case.

The TSA folks and NW ticket agents were great at both ends.

 

[jojosdad]

Try looking at this sticky in the Legal and Political area http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=29724
Lots of info and links to the TSA regs.

 

[silky]

I second with emphasis the advice to go to AA's website and check their rules. Bring a printout with you just in case. I recently flew Southwest with my pistol, and it was a piece of cake, no problems at all, but the airline folks didn't know the procedure as well as TSA did.

 

[LaVere]

Transporting a hand gun on a Airline.

Thank you all for your replies. I have printed out TSA and AA rules and Regs.


Tnx