Knitting on the plane

[tribpot]

Hi all

I'm googling at the moment to try and find a definitive source for my mum that knitting needles are allowed on the plane again, any thoughts? I'm sure the rules have been relaxed, but don't want to send her off to Costa Rica (with instructions to do my square for Maude) if I'm wrong.

Thanks!

I doubt it TBH
How about calling the airline or airport

Well I was looking at this v recent thread in which aviatrix said knitting needles were okay again, and I'm sure I've read it elsewhere, but now googling is turning up nothing!

My Mum flew from Dublin to Scotland somewhere last week and had to transfer her needles from hand luggage to her suitcase at check in (having knitted all the way to the airport in the car!).

HTHs

I've knitted on loads of planes, but always with wooden or plastic needles, just to cut down on hassle. Iirc, the baa website says its fine, anyway.

Hmmm, to be fair, though, I've not knitted on any planes since the last security wobble (last summer, liquids).

And the BAA site seems to be saying knitting needles aren't ok. The page in question dates from 2003. I've flown with needles since then. I only started knitting in 2004!

Hmm, the Americans seem to have sensible advice on this one.

My mother (one of those 'knit a jumper in 1 day while watching the telly and not looking at her knitting' knitters) travels every year to the US with my father on business. She hasn't been able to take any knitting needles since 9/11. She packs them in her suitcase or, this year, when they came to NZ before going on the the US, she bought her knitting needles here.

There are endless discussions about this on the Yahoo UK knitting group and the only consensus seems to be that you just can't predict. You're right that they announced that the rules would be relaxed, but it seems to be completely random, even phoning the airline doesn't give you the same answer as the check-in desk.

My mum also gets her walking stick pulled apart regularly at US airports to make sure she isn't hiding a lethal weapon in it ... as well as having her shoes removed and inspected.
LOL ... she is small and round with grey hair and a walking stick - a proper granny ... but they all think she has 'terrorist' written all over her