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I am fixing to go to Florida from Texas, via the airlines and want to make sure I have found the correct information.

I am flying united, The only firearm I am bringing is my carry pistol, and a 5 1/2 inch knife, ( we will be bow hunting,)

I believe I understand that I can just pack my pistol in my locked and hardsided suitcase, along with my knife (?? this one confuses me as I cant find anything on it)
But the rules are pretty much the same on my carry ability and such as they are here.

I am confused on how to transport my firearm and knife. I have spoken with a few different places,
1. Florida fish and game- my knife is legal while hunting, they are happy to honor my CHL
2. Airlines are not sure if I can put my firearm in my one locked and hardsided suitcase that holds my clothes
3. Airport is not sure if I can avoid separating my firearm and knife from my clothing (I don't want a teeny pistol case to be lost or pay an extra baggage fee just to ship it)
4. I cant get an American at United.. I don't understand them.
5. The one I cant understand well is telling me that my gun needs a hardsided case, my knife needs its own hardsided case and these two cases CAN be put in my hardsided locked suitcase. But I must in effect have 3 hardsided lockable cases-
6. Why do you buy a case for a knife? LOL

how has this been handled by others?

Spoke to TSA- her words " just get a hard case, put pistol AND knife in there (or hide knife elsewhere) and put it in your locked and hardsided suitecase.

But united is still saying buy 2 cases in addition to hardsided locked suitcase, they want me to check all 3, but will allow me to put them in my suitcase.

THIS is why I hate leaving Texas... LOL

Ok, why leave Texas to hunt Florida???

You will have to declare the firearm when you check-in at the airport with the airline. The knife you shouldnt have to declare, just goes in checked baggae. You should only have to lock up the ammo and firearm seperately in the seperate case. Once you have declared it and they have checked it, then it can be locked in the seperate case and put in your regular checked bag.

I never had any problems declaring an unloaded handgun in a locked case inside locked luggage. I don't know any law requiring declaration for knives in checked luggage so I follow DADT.

IANAL. Just somebody who has done it dozens of times.

Thanks everyone!! :) I DO plan to purchase both a hardsided case for the pistol and my luggage is also hardsided. Both lockable. Unfortunately, all I own are the plastic cases that many pistols come in- although lockable, I don't think they are accepted.

And Fishman, that's what I am asking. LOL but its a business hunt and so I gotta go where I gotta go.

chelleb wrote:Thanks everyone!! :) I DO plan to purchase both a hardsided case for the pistol and my luggage is also hardsided. Both lockable. Unfortunately, all I own are the plastic cases that many pistols come in- although lockable, I don't think they are accepted.

And Fishman, that's what I am asking. LOL but its a business hunt and so I gotta go where I gotta go.

I have flown with my Glock locked in the case it came in on Southwest. It is hardsided, so don't know why they wouldn't accept is since it locks, but there may be one that doesn't. Let me find a link to another thread that talked about one airline that wouldn't accept it.

OK, can't find one that said they didn't allow it, but here is a topic on flying on United viewtopic.php?f=7&t=56369" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

THANK YOU Keith!!

I think I have it all understood in my head now :)

so, I just have to decide on what suitcase to purchase (been meaning to- mine is soft and about had it) and grab up a small case for the gun. :)

I assume (UGGGG) that hardsided suitcase means hard plastic (or some variance there of) too? that's about all I can find- I will get a metal gun case, but suitcase? I really hate to spend more on the case than the ticket. ROFLOL!!

You should be able to use a soft-sided suitcase with a hard sided (plastic or metal) small locakable gun case.

I use a nanovault that I bought at Academy for about $20.
Has a cable lock that I strap around the inner frame of the rolling bag.
They might steal the whole bag, but they won't get just the gun unless they have some bolt cutters handy.

There's 3 sizes... 100, 200 and 300 series. I'm not sure whether Academy carries all 3.

WalMart will sell you one too, if you have time for shipping.

Print Unoted's policy and TSA's policy ant take them with you. Print any other airline policy that you are going to fly and be familiar with all policies. The airline is not to have anything on the tag or bag that identifies your bag as having a gun.

Oh, and the ammo has to be in the original box.

This is the TSA requirement.
Travelers must securely pack any ammunition in fiber (such as cardboard), wood or metal boxes or other packaging specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition.
Firearm magazines and ammunition clips must be securely boxed or included within a hard-sided case containing an unloaded firearm.
Small arms ammunition, including ammunition not exceeding .75 caliber for a rifle or pistol and shotgun shells of any gauge, may be carried in the same hard-sided case as the firearm, as long as it follows the packing guidelines described above.
http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information ... ammunition" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is United Airlines requirement.
No more than 11 pounds of ammunition may be carried. The ammunition may be packed in the same container as the firearm or in a separate container. Ammunition must be packed in the manufacturer's original package or securely packed in fiber, wood or metal containers. The ammunition inside the container must be protected against shock and secured against movement.
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/content ... ports.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

chelleb wrote:Spoke to TSA- her words " just get a hard case, put pistol AND knife in there (or hide knife elsewhere) and put it in your locked and hardsided suitecase.

But united is still saying buy 2 cases in addition to hardsided locked suitcase, they want me to check all 3, but will allow me to put them in my suitcase.

chelleb,

You're getting some wrong info from this united person - I fly a lot with them (I have over 300K miles this year already), and I carry checked firearms to Florida when I go there. Give me a call and I'll give you the low-down.

PM sent with my telephone number.

VT