Airline travel with cues?

[14oneman]

I have not flown post 9-11. It became such a hassle, I'd rather drive. Before that, if I flew with my cues, I would carry them on and stow them under my seat or in an overhead. No way I would ever check them.

I may be flying in the near future and I was just curious, can you still take your cues as carry on, or did some airline Nazi deem them a weapon that needs to be checked? :shrug:

 

[satman]

Best bet

I have not flown post 9-11. It became such a hassle, I'd rather drive. Before that, if I flew with my cues, I would carry them on and stow them under my seat or in an overhead. No way I would ever check them.

I may be flying in the near future and I was just curious, can you still take your cues as carry on, or did some airline Nazi deem them a weapon that needs to be checked? :shrug:

Is get a big enough suitcase, but not too big, and put your case in with your clothes. Or ship it Fedex/ UPS.... your choice..... Can't carry it on with you. Might be a bomb in it, or a sword inside the wood. Stupid, a person can kill with a credit card, or an ink pen.... They should just issue us all a tazer, or a little billy club, so we can protect ourselves. Personally, I'd like to have my cue with me.

 

[Wally in Cincy]

I bought a J & J travel bag for 29.99 from Billiard Warehouse. Works great. I guess they still carry them. That was in 2006.

or like satman said, fed-ex your gear ahead of time.

 

[katiemelady]

As far as I know you cannot carry on your pool case. I recently flew to seattle and had to use a large duffle bag to fit my case and all my clothes in. It worked great.

 

[WalkerInTN]

No cues or cases for carry on. They're now considered too long for carry on & must be checked in.

As suggested, you might look into shipping the cue ahead with FedEx/UPS/USPS.

 

[Fast Lenny]

When I went to NY I put my case and cues in a duffle bag and wrapped them in my winter coat,everything went well luckily.

 

[sfleinen]

Interesting product that "armors" your cues for airline travel

I have not flown post 9-11. It became such a hassle, I'd rather drive. Before that, if I flew with my cues, I would carry them on and stow them under my seat or in an overhead. No way I would ever check them.

I may be flying in the near future and I was just curious, can you still take your cues as carry on, or did some airline Nazi deem them a weapon that needs to be checked? :shrug:

Depends on how the pin is perceived by the TSA -- it could be perceived as a stabbing implement, and therefore the cue's butt itself a "spear."

There's a company out there that makes an interesting product to "armor" your cues (in their case) for checked-baggage airline travel:

http://cuepak.com/

I'm thinking about picking one of these up myself, as twice a year I fly from NY to Denver to spend time with my folks there.

Hope this is helpful,
-Sean

 

[shayla]

I bought a pool cue travel case (for like $20-30) right after 9/11 and have used it many times to check it in. Works just fine and since its so plain and simple, jsut looks like a long skinny bag. I've probably used it like 20 times since 9/11. I have also seen people just check their regular case as is and I think thats crazy. I would think too many people would be curious what was in the case and attrack theives.

But most airlines now charge for your checked luggage, so it might be cheaper to ship it ahead of time first.

 

[satman]

Some more hints.....

Depends on how the pin is perceived by the TSA -- it could be perceived as a stabbing implement, and therefore the cue's butt itself a "spear."

There's a company out there that makes an interesting product to "armor" your cues (in their case) for checked-baggage airline travel:

http://cuepak.com/

I'm thinking about picking one of these up myself, as twice a year I fly from NY to Denver to spend time with my folks there.

Hope this is helpful,
-Sean

As for using any luggage that has a lock on it, if the people who search the baggage can't open it, they will bust your locks, and they won't pay to repair them. My friend had a really nice metal case for travel, and had 2 cue cases inside. He left it locked thinking no one would steal his cues. Got to Vegas and it had string or tape around the case to hold it shut......

Also, anyone buying airline tickets, make sure you check baggage charges and figure that into your ticket price. I recently found a ticket about $20 cheaper on one airline, but it was $15 for first bag checked, and $25 for the second.That is each way..... Making the cost $60 more than Southwest. As far as I know, Southwest is the only airline from Indianapolis to Vegas, with no checked baggage fee's until the 3rd bag.

 

[sfleinen]

What is a "TSA lock"?

As for using any luggage that has a lock on it, if the people who search the baggage can't open it, they will bust your locks, and they won't pay to repair them. My friend had a really nice metal case for travel, and had 2 cue cases inside. He left it locked thinking no one would steal his cues. Got to Vegas and it had string or tape around the case to hold it shut......

Also, anyone buying airline tickets, make sure you check baggage charges and figure that into your ticket price. I recently found a ticket about $20 cheaper on one airline, but it was $15 for first bag checked, and $25 for the second.That is each way..... Making the cost $60 more than Southwest. As far as I know, Southwest is the only airline from Indianapolis to Vegas, with no checked baggage fee's until the 3rd bag.

satman:

Concerning the TSA busting locks to inspect contents, so true! That CuePak product has what the company calls a "TSA lock" -- I wonder what that is? A lock with some kind of escrow that only the TSA is in possession of?

Will have to call CuePak when I get a moment to find out what a "TSA lock" is...

-Sean

 

[wayne_ward]

Tsa

See Link under sporting goods.
LINK: http://www.tsa.dhs.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm

 

[poolhustler]

I recently bought a rolling suitcase long enough to hold my cues/case.

Works great!!

 

[wayne_ward]

A TSA lock is a lock you can buy that they have the MASTER keys for. That simple..

satman:

Concerning the TSA busting locks to inspect contents, so true! That CuePak product has what the company calls a "TSA lock" -- I wonder what that is? A lock with some kind of escrow that only the TSA is in possession of?

Will have to call CuePak when I get a moment to find out what a "TSA lock" is...

-Sean

 

[sfleinen]

"Escrow" = master key or master code

A TSA lock is a lock you can buy that they have the MASTER keys for. That simple..

Thank you, wayne_ward! That's actually what I meant when I asked if it was "some kind of escrow that only the TSA is in possession of." "Escrow" = master key or master code. :smile:

It wouldn't surprise me, though, if they cut the lock anyway, not knowing it's a TSA lock. I can see it now -- one having to tape a label to the case with an arrow pointing to the lock, advising the baggage-handling personnel that it's a TSA lock, and not to cut it. Then again, one might have to write this in a couple different languages, since the baggage-handling personnel might not even be English-speaking. :frown:

-Sean

 

[Lucky Fish]

Airtight case

Here is an airtight case that is almost industructable and has a lifetime warranty for under $200.00 bucks! Also comes in different colors.

http://www.pelican-case.com/pelican-protector-case-with-wheels-1700nf-desert-tan-no-foam.html

Lucky

 

[Randy9Ball]

I used to use a big rolling duffle bag that has a bottom compartment to store my cue case (a 3x6 Murnak) in. I would wrap it in a robe and put some other things around it and the rest of my clothes in the top compartment. Now, with new regulations, that bag is considered oversize which would amount to a $150.00 fee plus it would likely end up overweight too. Now, I only take one cue in a 1x2 case that will fit in a suitcase. I did use a Porper travel bag on one trip to Vegas about 4 years ago and that worked fine.

 

[Celtic]

I go the huge suitcase route previously mentioned since the TSA tried to mask security failures where people got onto a plane with already banned items (box cutters) and already banned realistic replicas of explosives and banned things like cues and bottles of freaking water. They screwed up, they could not adequately enforce their own rules and thus they decided to pretend that the problem was they needed to add more rules that they wont be able to enforce when people are truly commited at getting that stuff on board.

Anyhow, ya the huge suitcase works great. Put a TSA lock on it, the security people can open the lock and check through your stuff but the baggage people cannot so your stuff is fairly safe.

What the airlines really need to implement though is a large secure lockable storage compartment in the plane near the entrance where restricted carry on can be placed. Before the plane closes the main door the compartment is locked and can only be opened by ground personal at each airport. Thus, something like a cue can be stored as carry on but in a secure fashion that does not at all endanger the well being of the passengers.

 

[Richardson]

Last time i flew out to vegas the sticks went in the suitcase. Was told they could be used as a weapon and could not be taken on the plain.

 

[bfdlad]

I go the huge suitcase route previously mentioned since the TSA tried to mask security failures where people got onto a plane with already banned items (box cutters) and already banned realistic replicas of explosives and banned things like cues and bottles of freaking water. They screwed up, they could not adequately enforce their own rules and thus they decided to pretend that the problem was they needed to add more rules that they wont be able to enforce when people are truly commited at getting that stuff on board.

Anyhow, ya the huge suitcase works great. Put a TSA lock on it, the security people can open the lock and check through your stuff but the baggage people cannot so your stuff is fairly safe.

What the airlines really need to implement though is a large secure lockable storage compartment in the plane near the entrance where restricted carry on can be placed. Before the plane closes the main door the compartment is locked and can only be opened by ground personal at each airport. Thus, something like a cue can be stored as carry on but in a secure fashion that does not at all endanger the well being of the passengers.

My stuff has been gone through quite a bit latley. I get a note inside my suitecase saying they went through it. I have a really big case and I have found that if I put my cue case diagonally on the top of my clothes it works fine.
I can understand though if you have a expensive cue or a cue you could not live without being concerned about checking it.
The travel cue cases that I have sen look really cool. Tony Crosby has one that is almost like a golf travel bag but smaller. The other problem I see though is the additional charge for bags

 

[14oneman]

Thanks everyone, for all the info! As I suspected, you'd have to check it.

My solution is going to be, if I can't drive there, I'm not bringing a cue.

I'll be damned if I'm going to trust my Schick to a baggage handler...............NO F*****N' WAY!!!