Can anyone speak with experience on this? Can baseball spikes be part of "carry on" luggage? Or does TSA consider them a potential weapon and that must be checked in luggage?
Son taking flight to tournament and cutting it close for first pitch. Not having to deal with lost luggage and the wait for the carousel may mean the difference in starting the game or coming in from bullpen!
Thanks.
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I have the same question for son traveling this week-
anyone?
My son's team, which has traveled all fall on an airline that charges for almost every little thing, has taken their spikes on board through carry-on -- and through the metal detectors.
Just came back from AZ Fall Classic and had no problems having metal cleats in son's carry on, there or on the way back. From what I heard most of the other boys did the same without any issues.
Dont worry, you, he wont be arrested for carrying a dangerous weapon and they wont be confiscated.
Spikes aren't an issue, but bats are. You may need to check his bat bag, or have someone who is travelling early take his bats.
Whatever you do don't let him check his glove. If they lose his luggage, cleats and bats are expensive, but at least they are somewhat generic and can be quickly replaced when you arrive. His glove is broken in his way and ready to go, and much tougher to replace quickly if it gets lost by checking with his other gear.
This is going to come across as a smart a$$ answer but it's not meant to be.
Why not just call the airline and ask them what he can and cannot take on the plane with him?
Any update to this thread....what SHOULD NOT be given to the airlines and should always be carried with the player?
Most equipment can be carried on board with you. Bats won't be allowed and will have to be checked. My biggest concern were cleats because of the spikes, but they were allowed without a problem. I would at least carry on the cleats, glove and uni so you can still play if anything is lost.
CaCO3Girl posted:Any update to this thread....what SHOULD NOT be given to the airlines and should always be carried with the player?
CaCO - Last week, my son's spike were allowed in his carry-on but as stated before, bats will need to be checked. I sent my son's bats with a family who was driving.
coach2709 posted:This is going to come across as a smart a$$ answer but it's not meant to be.
Why not just call the airline and ask them what he can and cannot take on the plane with him?
Ever tried to call a major airline for a simple question??? No thanks.
I'd rather ask the good folks at HSBBWeb! And yes, he was able to carry his spikes on board.
BTW, here's the trailer for the film, "Spikes On a Plane," starring Samuel L. Jackson. He plays a down and out travel ball coach taking his misfit band of scrub ball players to Jupiter:
For anyone interested, we purchased this for my son to use to check his bats on airlines. Holds 4 bats perfectly (lay them in barrel to handle to barrel to handle). Put a TSA approved lock on it and have had no problems. Have used this half dozen times flying coast to coast, as recently as yesterday. Usually have to pick it up back in Atlanta at the oversize luggage area (more because they think it's a firearm than being oversized). Other airports it comes out on the regular baggage carousel. Multiple trips to Jupiter, etc., with no issues and protects bats very well. They make bat travel cases but tend to be twice as much, half the quality and don't hold as many bats. Upside is no one messes with you when carrying this through airport. Multiple size options. We bought the 36" and it accommodates bats up to 34" with no problem.
coach2709 posted:This is going to come across as a smart a$$ answer but it's not meant to be.
Why not just call the airline and ask them what he can and cannot take on the plane with him?
I spent years traveling and doing business conferences. If you want two different answers, call twice. The people you get on the phone will tell you the size of carry on allowed and guess at everything else based on those parameters. They have a list of items from the potential terrorist list. I doubt any consideration has ever been given to sports equipment.
I was once hauled into a side room for bathroom kit scissors. I had carried them several times before. They were upset I disagreed I was carrying a weapon. I had no idea what they were talking about.
When we travel to Australia for Goodwill Series events. all spike must be checked and dirt free or the customs will stop the entire group of 70 persons. Twice when one our little "angels" did not clean his spikes and our group missed the flight. Each player received a reminder 5 times.
Bobhttp://goodwillseries.org/
coach2709 posted:This is going to come across as a smart a$$ answer but it's not meant to be.
Why not just call the airline and ask them what he can and cannot take on the plane with him?
I'm going to reiterate that I wasn't trying to be a smart a$$ but to be honest I had not traveled by plane at that point in my life. But since then I've flown three times and you guys are right in that there's no chance of getting a good or consistent answer. It's amazing.
Last Thursday I was flying out of Omaha airport (got to see the CWS - super stoked over that) and I totally forgot to take my belt off before I got into the metal scanner thing. Obviously it showed up and they pulled me off to the side for a pat down and that's when I realized I forgot. I told the guy and he understood but still told me to unbuckle it and was going to pat me down. Soon as he touched me I said that was the most action I've had in a long time. He laughed, stopped patting me and let me go on. I must have an honest face.
Add Wonder Weights to the "No Fly List." Yeah, son had his confiscated by airport security in Paris last month as he came home from his year abroad. Damn, there went another $100 down the baseball drain.
I can see my Wonder Weight now, on the desk of some airport security bureaucrat at Charles de Gualle holding down a stack of photos of Interpol's Most Wanted.
Just doing my part in the War on Terror I guess?
Has anyone seen the pics today where TSA kicked some disabled young girls A$$.After news story it was anounced "The TSA would like any special needs/disabilities to call ahead" guess they need time to get ready so when they beat young girls to a bloody pulp no one gets a pic.
Did you notice if they were using my Wonder Weight in the beat down?
Would say possibly.Just one problem.Do they have the tsa in france?I thought they were just one of the newer out of control curupt good ole USA government entities.
So has anyone carried spikes on board lately? Son is flying to Fort Myers on Sunday.
Last week son had no problem taking his spikes as "carry on" TO California. With no worries about lost luggage he put them in his checked bag on return flight.
Add Driveline's PlyoCare balls and weighted baseballs to the list of things to put in your checked bags. They will eventually let you carry them on, but only after taking every ball out, wiping them for explosive residue, wiping you (thoroughly) for explosive residue, full pat-down, etc.
And make sure that you account for their weight in your checked bags. If you are already packed heavy, they can easily tip you over the 50 lb limit.
Just don't get the spikes near the co-pilot. 
I walked my son to his plane on Saturday out of Atlanta. At the security checkpoint there were a lot of kids that had similar looking bags to my sons (presumably with their vital equipment) baseball hats on, sunglasses flipped upside down on the rim...i.e. baseball players coming from the 16u WWBA that just finished at Lakepoint.
In a bored voice, like she had said it a million times, the TSA agent said "If you have a belt remove it, also remove your shoes and place them in a gray bin, if you have any drinks throw them out, if you have any baseball equipment thrown them out"....10+ players (including my son) snapped their heads up in panic saying WHAT, HUH, WHAT....the TSA agent burst into laughter and said "Just kidding guys, had to see if you were awake".
It was hysterical to watch.
Add those Velcro Wrist Weights filled with sand to the list of NO CARRY ON. Durathro Throwing program uses them and to the TSA screener on the X-Ray machine they look like C-4 type explosives, or something like that? Just flew today and was tipped off that although they may not be confiscated it may cause you a delay as you may be forced to unpack your back and have the bomb squad inspect them.
