Monopods and airport security

[ANSORB]

I would welcome advice about taking monopods on aircraft. I am due to fly BA from Heathrow to Rome to join a cruise and to return with Monarch Airlines from Athens. I plan to put the monopod in the hold and not have it in hand baggage but restrictions are not entirely explicit My feeling is there should not be a problem but does anyone have experience/advice to offer?

Many thanks


John

[davidedric]

Not a monopod, exactly, but I've certainly carried extendible walking poles in hold baggage on BA with no problems - and I expect they look pretty much the same to an x-ray machine

Dave

[MilT0s]

John you will not have any problem if you put the monopod in your checked in baggage for sure. I have traveled with a small tripod many times.

Enjoy your cruise in the Mediterranean. September is by far the best season for such trips. The sea is very warm (warmer than in August) and the islands are not that crowded.

Which places will you visit?

[lorenzo23]

Hi all, I don't want to deviate from John's topic, but does anyone know if there is a "universal" rule about carrying tripods as cabin luggage?
I've just bought a tripod and it might be easier to carry it in the cabin when I don't have checked in luggage.
I mostly fly around Europe and U.S., but every airline has different rules. Anyone can share some experience?

Thanks

[William W]

There is no universal Airline Rule about monopods in carry on luggage.

But note that you will have TWO rules - not one.
You will have Airline Rules about what you can carry on.
You will have Airport Security Rules about what you may carry past the Security Check Point.

Simple solution is to pack the Monopod in the Hold Luggage.

In any case and negating the classification of a tripod being a possible "weapon" and disallowed on that pretext- depending upon the size of he tripod, it might exceed the maximum length dimension of carry on: many tripods do.

It pays to be aware of the maximum linear dimensions and also the weight maximum for carry on or every airline that you travel - they're all different.


WW

[ANSORB]

Many thanks everyone. That is all quite reassuring.

It is quite a trip Miltos. Rome, Brindisi, Ravenna, Venice, Pula, Korcula, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Sarande, Pireus and fly back from Athens. All in 2 weeks. We would never manage all that any other way. Not cheap, but we did a Black Sea cruise with the same cruise company a few years ago and they were excellent. At our time of life we need a little pampering.

[rpcrowe]

Hi all, I don't want to deviate from John's topic, but does anyone know if there is a "universal" rule about carrying tripods as cabin luggage?
I've just bought a tripod and it might be easier to carry it in the cabin when I don't have checked in luggage.
I mostly fly around Europe and U.S., but every airline has different rules. Anyone can share some experience?

Thanks

Unfortunately, there are no "universal" rules! As an example, I was not allowed to carry my monopod as cabin baggage on an Alaska Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Anchorage. I was told that the monopod was a "weapon-like" instrument!

On my trip back on the same airline, I saw a man carrying a monopod through security. I asked the TSA security guard if that was O.K.. He replied, 'Sure, people carry them aboard all the time." You figure out that one!

I purchased a smaller (but handier) check-on suitcase for my trip to China but, discovered that I could not fit my collapsed Manfrotto 681 monopod in that suitcase. The pod did not collapse short enough to fit. So I bought a Calumet graphite monopod which did collapse short enough to carry in my new suitcase.

I ended up liking the Calumet better than the Manfrotto because it was about a half pound lighter in weight.

[shreds]

I always ring the airport and airline before any trip if there may be doubt, although even that is no absolute guarantee, especially with the bucket shop airlines who charge you to breathe.

I often pack a small pod in a checked-in suitcase, but have also used a Manfrotto tripod bag (like a golf club bag) for my large and robust studio type pod, and that is usually acceptable to go in the hold and robust enough not to get wrecked by the goons.

Don't think I would try for carry on though.

[Adrian]

I fly BA a great deal. I have carried a monopod and a tripod in hand luggage numerous times, as has my 16 year old son. My main carbon tripod also converts to a monopod and I always carry it in the "three legged thing" case it came with. It has never even been questioned by airport security at Heathrow or Gatwick. My son tends to carry his monopod in his camera rucksack. He does London - Amsterdam - London (LHR or GTW) regularly, always on BA and has also never had it queried. If it is with camera gear I suspect airport security assume you are a harmless photographer. I should say that neither of our tripods haev visible foot spikes.

It will be absolutely zero risk in the hold.

No idea about Monarch.

Adrian

[jcuknz]

I think I packed a monopod in my checked bagage, I know I made it to suit the bag I bought for the trip, four sections instead of three, but in recent times I have had my mini-tripod with the camera in my carry-on knapsack.
The trouble is that security keep on coming up with new rules so who knows what happens this year.