Idaho
Member
I flew Alaska/Horizon during my Christmas vacation, and had different rules and regulations for checking a firearm going and returning. According to the counter clerk, this is a TSA mandate, NOT specific to Alaska Air, and should cover all airlines.
The gist is that the steal-me tags are back - sort of. As you may recollect, some time ago firearms in checked luggage were required to be marked by a bright red/orange tag on the outside of the luggage indicating a firearm was within. Apparently due to the increased theft of bags with the bright tags, the rule was modified so that the tag, which requires the passenger's signature that the firearm is unloaded, was to be placed inside the firearm case.
Enter the TSA. Due to TSA screening procedures, luggage locks are now prohibited. They want to be able to rifle through your bag if the bomb sniffer goes beep, apparently. In addition, the outside of the firearm case gets the "firearms not loaded" tag attached to the OUTSIDE of the case.
That's the bad news. There may be some kinks left in the system (surprise) that remain to be worked out, and under the system as administered by the clerk who checked me in (YMMV), it can be somewhat circumvented. I was travelling with handguns in a small handgun case. After checking by phone, the clerk indicated that yes, in accordance with earlier rules, and the tag that I just signed, the handgun case was supposed to be locked. The case itself had the tag attached, but then I placed the case inside a duffle bag that was not marked as containing firearms, so the bag thrower by the plane was none the wiser.
As with all new rules, they may change on short notice, or your airline or your check-in clerk may apply them differently, so I highly recommend calling prior to flying.
The gist is that the steal-me tags are back - sort of. As you may recollect, some time ago firearms in checked luggage were required to be marked by a bright red/orange tag on the outside of the luggage indicating a firearm was within. Apparently due to the increased theft of bags with the bright tags, the rule was modified so that the tag, which requires the passenger's signature that the firearm is unloaded, was to be placed inside the firearm case.
Enter the TSA. Due to TSA screening procedures, luggage locks are now prohibited. They want to be able to rifle through your bag if the bomb sniffer goes beep, apparently. In addition, the outside of the firearm case gets the "firearms not loaded" tag attached to the OUTSIDE of the case.
That's the bad news. There may be some kinks left in the system (surprise) that remain to be worked out, and under the system as administered by the clerk who checked me in (YMMV), it can be somewhat circumvented. I was travelling with handguns in a small handgun case. After checking by phone, the clerk indicated that yes, in accordance with earlier rules, and the tag that I just signed, the handgun case was supposed to be locked. The case itself had the tag attached, but then I placed the case inside a duffle bag that was not marked as containing firearms, so the bag thrower by the plane was none the wiser.
As with all new rules, they may change on short notice, or your airline or your check-in clerk may apply them differently, so I highly recommend calling prior to flying.
