Are you a handyman by trade?  If so, it is likely that you have grown accustomed to carrying your tools around with you, wherever you go. In fact, there is also a chance that you may need to travel with them. Whether you are traveling for business purposes or not, it is important to know that the airline industry as a specific set of air travel rules concerning tools.  If you are planning on brining your tools along with you, you will want to take the time to familiarize yourself with these rules.  Doing so may prove helpful, in more ways than one.

Before examining the tools that are not allowed aboard an airline and those that are, it is important to know one thing, there are different types of rules.  Most airlines do not strictly prohibit you from carry tools with you, but they do restrict you from carry them at certain times. For instance, you will find that a large number of tools can be stored in your checked baggage, but they are prohibited from being stored in your carry on luggage.  If, at anytime, you are confused about these bans, you are advised to contact your airline for additional information.

One group of tools that are banned from carry on luggage includes sharp objects. With the recent focus on airport security, you should already be well aware of this type of ban. Saws, saw blades, drills, and box cutters are banned from all airplane cabins. Essentially, this means that you cannot store these items in your carry on luggage; however, they can be packed in your checked baggage.  Since all baggage, including the bags that you do not plan on keeping with you at all times, needs to be searched, you are advised to properly secure these tools. Not doing so may result in an air airline employee receiving an injury that could have been prevented.

In addition to tools with sharp edges, there is also a carry on luggage ban on tools that could be used as a deadly weapon. These tools include axes, hatchets, cattle prods, hammers, and crowbars.  This ban is mostly imposed due to the size and weight of these items.  As with most other tools, the airline industry will allow you to store these heavy tools in your checked baggage.

Although it may seem as if all tools are banned from your carry-on luggage, that is not the case.  There are a number of tools can be stored in your carry-on luggage. These tools commonly include screwdrivers and pliers.  Additional tools may also be allowed, but they must not have been mentioned above. It is also required that these tools be no more than seven inches long. In the event that they are longer than seven inches, you will have to make additional accommodations.

Despite the fact that certain tools can be stored in your carry on luggage, it may be a good idea to put these items in your checked baggage or leave them at home.  Even though these items are allowed, you may raise suspicion from having them with you aboard a plane. That suspicion may not necessity come from airport security officials, but it may come from other passengers.  With the way that the world works today, it may be best if you refrain from including these tools in your carry-on luggage, unless you absolutely need them.

Image via WikipediaWhen it comes to air travel, many travelers are more concerned with their carryon luggage than they are with their bags that will be handed over to airport staff. These bags, commonly referred to as checked baggage, are just as important, if not more important, than your carryon luggage. For this reason, there are a number of different factors that you should take into consideration, when packing your bags for your next flight.

One mistake that many travelers make, when it comes to checked baggage, is including prohibited items in their bag. In addition to prohibited items, there have also been instances of travelers trying to hide illegal items in their checked luggage. Although it may seem like a good idea at the time, it isn’t. In fact, with today’s airport security screening, it is virtually impossible for you to get away with storing prohibited or illegal items inside your checked baggage. This is mostly due to the fact that the screening process has dramatically changed from what it was in the past, say ten years ago.

In the past, certain airlines only randomly searched checked baggage. Many times, these searches were only implemented if airline officials or airport security had probable cause. Today, all bags are checked, including your checked luggage. Most checks will quickly be done, but, in some cases, more extensive searches may be conducted. A quick check of your luggage may include rummaging through all of your belongings, looking for anything out of the ordinary. An extensive search could include searching all of your clothing pockets and baggage compartments. In the event that you are subject to one of those checks, it is likely that you will be caught if you are trying to conceal a cigarette lighter or other prohibited items.

Since your bags will be checked, all of them, you are advised against locking your baggage before heading to the airport. After your bags have been properly screened, some airlines will allow you to replace the locks on your checked baggage, but not all will. For this reason, you may want to reconsider storing expensive items, such as electronic equipment, in your bags. In addition to the possibility of theft, you will find that items packed inside your checked luggage are at a higher risk for being damaged then those that are in your carryon bags.

When packing your bags, which will be checked at the airport, it is also advised that you carefully pack them. There are a number of items, including sharp objects, which are prohibited from being stored in your carryon luggage, but those items can be placed in your checked baggage. As previously mentioned, airport security will likely examine those bags.

Even during a quick examination, they will rummage through your belongings. For that reason, you are advised to properly package and secure all items that can be considered dangerous, such as those with sharp edges or points. This extra precaution may not only affect your safety, when you to go unpack your bags, but the safety of all airport security officials, especially those screening your luggage.

By taking the time to famialrize yourself with all travel rules, including the airport screening process, you should be able to pack your bags for your next flight, the right way. The wrong way, although you may not necessarily think about it at the time, could have serious consequences.

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