Air Travel Tips For A Smoother Flying Experience

For flights in the US, you are no longer allowed to carry any kind of lighter on your person, whether it has fuel or not. You are allowed up to two fueled "Zippo" lighters in your checked baggage if they are inside DOT approved containers, which are air tight and are clearly marked as containing lighters so that airport personnel can easily identify them. Matches carry much the same rules as lighters, you cannot have any matches with you during flight and matches in your checked baggage can't be the 'strike anywhere' variety.

The detail and categories included in prohibited items is somewhat humorous. Some items are necessary, especially with the recent restrictions on traveling with water and other liquids. However, there is a section for guns and firearms, which lets everyone know they cannot take any type of gun on a plane, including flare guns and starter pistols. Other attempts to keep the fun out of flying include prohibiting axes and hatchets, power tools, all tools larger than seven inches, and cattle prods. There is also a section for martial arts and self defense items that includes a listing for 'martial arts weapons.' Throwing stars have a separate listing, and no, you can't have them on a plane. Items that are not allowed on carry on luggage or checked include hand grenades, dynamite, and plastic explosives.

Although many of the rules for domestic flights are common sense, international travel policies may vary greatly, especially what you can and cannot bring into a country. Although domestic flights do allow you to transport many items, including weapons, in your checked baggage, those items may be prohibited in the country you are visiting. This can be the case when traveling to other continents, so if you are going to Africa, you should gather some Africa travel tips concerning what you need and what you can have. Just because you can check cattle prods in your luggage on domestic flights, doesn't mean all African countries are comfortable with cattle prod wielding tourists, so gather all the African travel tips you can before packing such items.

You may experience similar problems if you travel to Europe. Even though you can transport firearms and ammunition in checked baggage on flights within the US, several countries in Europe don't allow firearms, especially without a permit. European travel tips will vary from country to country, and you may want to be familiar with air travel regulations, as well as customs for each country you plan on visiting. European travel tips will help a lot if you travel across any part of Europe.

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