Started on March 15th Delta has been tagging bags with tag that has the bag throwers taking you bag straight to the baggage office. From there they will only release the bag after you have shown your photo ID, and they zip tie the bag so you can't easily open it.

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.c...gs-checked-firearms/

I personally avoid Delta, but if you can't I would suggest packing a tool to cut the zip ties that you can easily get to in your checked bag, or in your carry on. Knipex makes a set of diagonal cutters that would be perfect for this, and they are less than 7" which makes them carry on friendly.

Seatbelt cutter keyfob.

Wonderful

ETA: just ordered this tool. I fly Delta exclusively so I appreciate the heads up.

https://www.amazon.com/Columbi...belt+cutter+keychain

Do they actually follow their procedures? On last airline flight (I think it was American), the agent was a royal pain checking the bag, (I was glad that another agent straightened her out about a box of ammo not having to be full so I didn't have to) and once that was done, told me I'd have to pick it up at the baggage office as it would be taken straight to the office. Sure enough, wife went to the office with the ticket and had no luck, but I picked it right off the carousel where it popped off fairly early.

United was a lot nicer going back to New Hampshire, but each gate agent had a different idea of what the procedure was.

Being flexible and having the airline's and TSA's rules printed out just in case they wanted to go too far seems to have worked the best.

Another tool suggestion:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d...L%2BBuwPL&ref=plSrch

Delta- the airline that told me I had to remove my handgun and "show" it to them while trying to check my bag at Chicago Ohare...

Haven't flown with them since (May 2001)

Doesn't this violate the Federal regulation that baggage containing firearms is not to be marked externally?

quote:

Originally posted by zoom6zoom:
Doesn't this violate the Federal regulation that baggage containing firearms is not to be marked externally?

The prohibition is that the bag not be marked externally as containing a firearm. That isn't what they are doing.

The tag/sticker that they are affixing to the luggage doesn't identify it as containing a firearm. It is the same tag they use to tag bags containing anything identified as being high value. They have been using this tag system for years.

What it means is that the bag will get priority handling and be hand carried off the plane and turned over to their baggage office...where they will verify that it is being released to the person who checked it in.

My "heard" that if they lose the bag, someone gets terminated

quote:

Originally posted by zoom6zoom:
Doesn't this violate the Federal regulation that baggage containing firearms is not to be marked externally?

Nah, these special tags could just signify that your luggage contains Fabergé eggs.

Or just bring a large toenail clipper. Its a pretty common thing to have even in your pocket.

quote:

United was a lot nicer going back to New Hampshire, but each gate agent had a different idea of what the procedure was.

Being flexible and having the airline's and TSA's rules printed out just in case they wanted to go too far seems to have worked the best.

Nothing new here. This crap was going on at least 15 years ago. The last time I flew.

United was doing it then, and their personnel had ZERO idea of the actual regulations.

I have decided, long ago, that given the gubbermint BS, stupidity of airline personnel regarding their own regulations and the 5000 mile trip to actually go 2600 miles to my destination, if I cannot get there by car, I ain't going.

Wife is talking about going back to Germany in April to visit her family and childhood friends.

I will not go. The "immigrants" (or as I call them, invaders) have seized far to much power from the governments and running rampant!

Only defense I/we would have would be to buy a cane or walking stick. Which would not be all that much help if mobbed by a bunch of "immigrants".

quote:

I will not go. The "immigrants" (or as I call them, invaders) have seized far to much power from the governments and running rampant!

It's really not as bad as they make it seem. Granted, I didn't travel in the cities but I probably saw less muslims there than I do here.

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:
Delta- the airline that told me I had to remove my handgun and "show" it to them while trying to check my bag at Chicago Ohare...

Haven't flown with them since (May 2001)

Holy shit.

American Airlines has been doing something similar with the firearm holding checked bags going to the baggage claims office on landing and the owner having to show ID to get it beck. There is no ziptie though.

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin1069:

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:
Delta- the airline that told me I had to remove my handgun and "show" it to them while trying to check my bag at Chicago Ohare...

Holy shit.

I had to do that with Continental back in the early 90's, at SeaTac after a layover. Take them both out and show them they were unloaded (a rifle and a revolver). (while I'm doing it I'm thinking, "Now THIS is a bad idea!") Of course they also told me I had too much ammo, after letting me on three flights to get there. (made them look it up and changed their mind)

Of course they were unloaded, the bolt and cylinder were in my carry on camera bag. (don't try that today)

I have encountered that arrival procedure several years ago in San Antonio due to thefts of weapons from luggage, but as I recall there was no special tag on my bag. We may see more of this kind of procedure in light of the airport incident in Ft Lauderdale

All bags are scanned as they are loaded on and off the plane. I'm sure it is just a simple matter of the handler scanning the tag and getting a message to redirect the bag. There wouldn't have to be any special external tags that visually identify the bag as containing a firearm.

And a simple pair of nail clippers is a good idea.

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:
Delta- the airline that told me I had to remove my handgun and "show" it to them while trying to check my bag at Chicago Ohare...

Haven't flown with them since (May 2001)

United did that to me this past fall out of PDX. After repeated requests for me to verify their (her) policy, I went ahead and showed her the firearm telling her she had the policy wrong.

quote:

Originally posted by Expat:

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:
Delta- the airline that told me I had to remove my handgun and "show" it to them while trying to check my bag at Chicago Ohare...

United did that to me this past fall out of PDX. After repeated requests for me to verify their (her) policy, I went ahead and showed her the firearm telling her she had the policy wrong.

We may be thread drifting here, but I had to show a pistol to AA employees both times on somewhat recent trip from PDX->DFW->PDX, so it might be some Federal law. (That trip is the source of previously posted photo.) TSA accepted my baggage, but did not need to see the pistol however, apparently since the red "SPECIAL HANDLING" tag had been attached to my luggage.

I will append an edit to state that AA, at least, keeps records of travelers with firearms. Further discussion would be thread-jacking without OP's consent.

These policies seem to change every so often. Over the years flying, I've had to show, not had to show, had to go to a special screening room to show...

Most recently, I just had to hang around while a special gate agent and TSA guy X-rayed my package to make sure I was being truthful and hadn't put any live ammo in the weapon. That was outbound.

On the return flight, I did have to verify the pistol was unloaded in front of a gate agent (in the friggin' Philly airport - some awesome looks as a result of that) and then they did the hand-carry X-Ray thing. When I landed, nobody had mentioned the hand-carry-to-baggage-agent thing, so I had a moderate panic attack wondering where my bag WITH A GUN IN IT had wound up before the baggage agent explained matters and I got my stuff back.

Would have been nice to know that up front...since I'm moving somewhere where just about anybody I want to see is within driving distance, I think it's road trips for me for the forseeable future, unless I fly back to the mountains for some reason.