Baggage restrictions post 11/9/2001

[Marina]

I haven't flown since the World Trade Centre disaster and I wonder if anyone can help me on this?
We're flying within the UK early in April and will be away long enough for me to want to take my knitting. Before I humiliate myself utterly by contacting Easyjet or Stansted direct to ask them, does anyone know if it is now OK to take knitting on flights, or will I have to leave the needles at home and try and get some at my destination? It can go in the hold, obviously - I could quite understand them not wanting it in the cabin. And will we also have to pack dh's razor and nail clippers to go in the hold?

We flew to Holland fairly recently and all sharp objects are banned from hand luggage.

I've travelled a lot since 9/11 and have definitely noticed a change in the baggage allowances. I was travelling last week and the security was amazing (got my baggage xrayed twice BEFORE i checked it in and my passport checked 6 times before I got on the flight!)
I don't know about knitting needles, but I'd say you wouldn't be allowed them on board. Nail clippers and a razor definitely not. This is for international flights though, but I don't think it'd be any more lax for internal flights.

Knitting needles would be OK in the hold but not in the cabin. I had brain fade when packing for our last flight and dh's razor made it through in cabin baggage but I certainly wouldn't risk it again.

I've also found them to be much, much stricter about the size of cabin baggage, if it doesn't fit in the little test frame it has to be checked in.

Also be prepared for ridiculously long queues at security. Searches are much more thorough. You can, of course, then go any buy razors at Boots after you have checked in!

Is security before or after check-in? We are flying to Spain for Easter (hooray!) and I've been wondering how we will spend the 2 hrs between check-in and departure - does queueing for things and being frisked pretty much take care of it?

Poor Marina, I can imagine knitting would have been a lovely restful way of passing the flight time too!

Twink, could you elaborate (roughly) on the size of the cabin baggage frame - eg, would a normal secondary school backpack (sports type) fit in it or is it smaller than that? We have a weight for it but they don't give dimensions.

JanH, recently we've had the third degree at check-in, then gone through passports & security (scanners etc) and had a final body & bag search at the gate (Tinker's obviously smuggled too many razors ). The gate search has been the most thorough Dd's teddy had a torrid time...

We found the time between check-in & departure didn't drag as much as we thought it would.

BA's cabin allowance for cattle class is max weight of 6kg (13lbs) and max dimensions of 55x40x20 cm (22x16x8 inches) but if you've got a bigger squidgy bag and it'll squash into that size you'll be ok.

marina, thanks to the magic of the web you don't need to contact them directly! i've just been to easyjet and found this - sorry but it seems you will be out of luck with your knitting.

Thanks for the tips ladies and especially the link bk. Will have to spend the evenings lolling on the sofa eating chocolate instead...Would not have occurred to me to put dh's sponge bag in hold luggage.

Thanks, Twink, that's really helpful (and LOL at DD's poor teddy! They didn't have an enthusiastic sniffer dog I hope?)

We're flying with Britannia and they only allow 5kg - sounds as if the school backpacks will be OK though (not for me!)

aww Marina, I have fond memories of being 6 mths pregnant travelling to San Francisco with my knitting (tiny cardi for dd1) and as I'm making dd2 a cardi right now, you've taken me right back. terrorism has unexpected impacts

The easyjet link only referred to cabin baggage though, not hold/checked baggage.

If it's within the UK Marina, even if you couldn't take them in hold baggage, you could forward your knitting needles by post to your destination in time for your arrival