Lifejackets aloft!

[whisper]

Having read a note about poor safety equipment on Mallorcan charter yachts our crew is considering taking our own lifejackets, next month.
To ensure that this was OK with Airport Security I ring the local airport and am told that the compressed air bottles may or may not be a problem. They asked why the jackets and bottles couldn't be emptied of air before we went and "refilled" when we got there. They suggested that it was in any case up to the individual airline.

Rang the airline in question - "We are going to Mallorca and want to take our own automatic lifejackets, will this be OK?" Girl answers - " That really isn't necessary sir as there are lifejackets under every seat"

Result , after much tittering, no one seemed to know the answer.

Has anyone out there taken lifejackets by air, if so are there any restrictions such as to whether they go in the aircraft hold or do they have to be in the cabin and do the air bottles have to be carried separately?

 

[Gunfleet]

I have taken them by air. Frankly I just didn't mention them and they went through the hold luggage. If they had insisted the gas bottles couldn't go I would have been willing to leave the bottles at the airport and bought new when I arrived. But they didn't. Declaring them just means getting everyone in a post 9/11 stew. Much better to play the dummy. 'Oh, you can't take them? I never knew that. After all, the cabin is full of lifejackets'.

 

[AlexHall]

Whilst doing deliveries, on some dodgy craft I use to cart a life raft with me too! It was a 4 man valise type and never had problems checking it in both as hand luggage and normal luggage. I was only asked once what inflates it, the airline's only concern was if it was oxygen, which is explosive in the right situation.

Don't know today though, but dont envisage any problems with life jackets. They are inflated with CO2 so no dangers involved. But some security official might ask if they are actually filled with CO2! Then what.
Just detach from jacket and store in your general luggage, I'd think.

 

[stevebirch2002]

Having travelled many times by air to various parts of the world to sail I always take my own lifejacket and keep it in the main baggage. Never had a problem and I never mention it.

Regards Steve Birch

Albin Vega "Southern Comfort" V1703

 

[squidge]

we have taken two adult and two childrens automatic jackets on flights to most of the med airports and had no problems leaving them in the hold luggage,although we were forbidden to carry them in hand luggage.The same as pressurised cans,deoderant,shaving foam ect.

 

[Gunfleet]

shuffling sideways off the point, I recently flew Go from London to Nice & return and discovered when I got home that I'd done both legs with a set of sailmakers needles at the bottom of my cabin bag. So it's nice to know airline security is still on the ball.

 

[castaway]

I work in the Airline Ground handling business, and checked this in the manual.

Certainly for us, (Major European carrier) we would accept the jacket with 1 co2 canister attached and 1 spare.

However I was the only person in the office who knew this(vested interest), and when asked my colleagues all umed and erred and said prob no, and were quite suprised to be shown that it was in fact permitted.

So there you are.

Mind you not to much demand for life jackets on the ski slopes.

Regds Nick

 

[Jacket]

I had to take a couple of spare lifejacket gas bottles with me to the boat this year, and so enquired with both the makers of the gas bottles and the airline I was flying with about taking them by air. Apparently the law states that all lifejacket gas bottles have to be designed for air transportation so you're OK. The air lines do insist that the gas bottles travel in your hold luggage.

 

[BrendanS]

Know what you mean. Flown all round the world inc. UK, Europe, US, Asia with a Victorinox (Swiss Army knife manufacturers) 'credit card' set for past 3 years. Flew out of Peru 4 weeks ago and had it confiscated! Good for them.

Back to the thread...sister and her husband work aircrew BA. Yes it's fine, but don't mention it, just put it in hold baggage. Most crew don't have the regs memorised to that level of detail, so if asked are likely to say no to be on the safe side. If you don't ask, it will just go through. If stopped and questioned, ask for a supervisor, and ask supervisor to check the regs, and say you've already checked regs. Will be fine in 99% of situations.

 

[whisper]

Thanks to all respondents.
These forums can be quite helpful can't they! Or at least this one can - the one for naughty boys with motorised caravans gets tiresome very quickly. Must be the quality of the people involved do you think?

 

[castaway]

Careful what you say; walls have ears. I just got ticked of for a tongue in cheek comment about jet boats.

Nick

 

[DavidTocher]

I flew to Croatia with life jackets having removed the CO2 cylinders as I was told I couldn't fly with 'em.

I couldn't get CO2 in the local chandlers in Dubrovnik!