Account of Flying with Firearms

Deviant Ollam A great trip. One potential incident fixed right away by a good supervisor. A scary lesson about claiming bags quickly, too.
PHL --> PHX --> LGB 2009-05-22	LAX --> DFW --> PHL 2009-05-25

Luggage & Gear
As always, i was traveling with three of the army surplus steel mortar cases that are my customary luggage. After major error by the TSA in Newark when I was making some overseas travel (they cut locks of some of my luggage) i made the switch to Abloy Protec Puck Padlocks which are uncuttable as well as wholly un-pickable. On this trip to the LayerOne conference i had one Colt 1911 pistol, one Beretta M9 theatrical pistol, and one Geco flare gun.

Outbound Travel
As has typically been my experience (even back before documenting travel like this) the USAir staff in Philadelphia have been wonderfully cool with firearms. I was checked-in by Sonya who gave me no static about bag weights (even though i know for a fact i was a pound or two over on each case once i added the heavy Abloy puck locks) and waived all excess bag fees given my Star Alliance status. The one thing that was odd was the affixing of pink "Star Alliance Priority" tags to the cases. This may have been simply because i was arriving a little closer to my flight time than i usually like to, or perhaps it's their new "secret" way of indicating firearms. I should have asked and apologize for the fact that i didn't. I fly out of PHL on USAir again this coming weekend... we'll see what happens then, for sure.

The TSA secondary screening area is by Counter 19 during USAir check-in at PHL. The screening machine is behind a doorway with plastic flaps that hang down across a short luggage belt. My cases were taken back there locked and I was given word of a thumbs-up almost immediately. Despite it being only 06:00 the area appeared to be very well staffed and moving things along efficiently. I proceeded to my gate with no additional inspection needed. After a layover in PHX, both cases arrived at LGB on time and without incident.

Homebound Travel
Due to a scheduling mix-up, i did not fly home on my initially-booked USAir return flight (which was a Sunday) and instead had to book a Monday return, begrudgingly opting (due to price) for American Airlines. At a quarter to 13:00 i used the automated check-in kiosk then approached the counter where Gail was to process my bags. She insisted on a separate declaration card for each pistol (which i've never seen before) and insisted that each card had to be placed inside of the smaller pistol cases. What would she have done, i wonder, if the firearms were not packed in any smaller containers within my large hard-sided case?

There appeared to be many secondary TSA screening areas at this portion of the LAX airport. For reasons not explained, however, i was asked to proceed all the way down to the very end of the massive check-in hall to screening area one (passing areas two and three in the process). Upon my arrival, some manner of TSA team meeting appeared to be just then concluding, with a dozen or more blue and black uniforms still milling around. TSA screener Jackson was working that station and took my whole luggage cart (after i shouldered my carry-on) with the cases locked to an inVision x-ray machine. I waited behind the small rope in full view of any inspection tables that may be needed.

After the initial x-ray, TSA screener Armstrong approached me and stated that "we'll need to open these up" (with no explanation as to why) and asked me for my key. I explained that if he'd like to bring them to the tables adjacent to me, i'd be more than happy to open them, but that the law prohibits my surrendering of the key to an other party. "Well then, you won't be flying with these cases" was his response. Much like the incident with C.M. documented just below, at one point Armstrong replied to my quoting (and displaying on paper) of federal law by stating "well, here, our federal law says we can." I was prepared to get very indignant and inquire what country he thought we were standing in at present, but didn't feel like escalating matters to the point of anger. Instead politely said that "i'm not trying to cause you a headache... i'm sure a supervisor could clear things up." Supervisor Alston was nearby (from meeting) and was waved over.

Almost immediately, Alston took my side. I was very obvious and quick when explaining that all i wanted to do was unlock my own luggage, step back, and observe the screening process. With what could almost be described as a "are you really making an issue of this" look on his face, the supervisor told Armstrong to place the cases here on the near table so i could unlock them. TSA screener Tan hand-scanned the case containing Gringo Warrior, having major troubles putting things together and requiring a lot of direction (but of course no direct touching) from me. TSA screener Armstrong took my firearms out of the other case and ran them through the x-ray machine separately (i do not think this was proper) and then took unlocked case (without guns in them) through the x-ray machine, as well. All of this was totally within my view. Apparently separate x-raying made everything fine in his mind. I don't know what popped up before. No explanation was given. Supervisor Alston asked if i would like to be the one to lock the cases, and i thanked him and did just that. While doing so, another TSA person nearby seemed to ask why a passenger was reaching beyond the rope barrier. Alston explained to her that i was re-locking firearms. All was OK and i was on my way. I must say that TSA Supervisor Alston was exceedingly polite and helpful the whole time, defusing a potential disagreement with professionalism and expediency... exactly what we would like to see in supervisors.

When I arrived at PHL, it was late and much of the airport was shut down. We were directed to the wrong baggage claim area by improperly placed signs (sending us to the B/C terminals) and by the time some folk had made the walk back to terminal A, the baggage belts had stopped and the only parties present were cleaning crews and two folk in the night luggage office. I could see through the glass building front that my two cases were there. Astonishingly, I walked right in (from the street entrance), pointed at these two military cases bearing large padlocks, said "those are mine", and walked away with them. I showed no ID and presented no baggage claim ticket. There were tags already affixed by the staff there (the beginnings of their process of cataloging lost or left luggage) but the woman working there simply tore them off and threw them away when i approached and verbally expressed that the cases were mine. Scary.

Final Details & Thoughts
While this trip could have had its difficulties, things all went smoothly and problems were resolved immediately. Quite shocking was how easily i was able to just grab my gun cases at the left luggage office and walk away with them. Let that be a lesson to you... if you fly with firearms, be prompt in getting off the aircraft and in maneuvering to the bag claim area.

Air Travel Ratings
If you don't have the time or the desire to read the full text of someone's account of air travel, you can simply refer to the rating shown at the conclusion of each portion of that person's journey. The following criteria are used in assigning these ratings...

Four Stars	check-in - no hassle, no delay screening - in full view, lock and unlock yourself luggage - all on time and intact
Three Stars	check-in - some delay or mild hassle screening - somewhat obscured, locking and unlocking yourself or it's done directly in front of you luggage - all on time and intact
Two Stars	check-in - major delay or major hassle screening - in a room or area that you could not enter and could barely observe luggage - luggage opened non-destructively
One Star	check-in - flight missed or passenger delayed from flying, properly packed items denied as luggage screening - luggage unlocked and opened totally in another area fully removed from you luggage - destructive entry into luggage and/or tampering with firearms
Zero Stars	This is a special category for outright theft, loss, or damage of firearms during air travel
half-star results are possible... naturally, they involve partial or mitigated problems that somehow fall in-between the above categories