Checking firearm with Southwest

[Ggreen]

After checking a firearm in with American at indy, they stapled a firearms check tag to my boarding pass. TSA held me on the secure side of the checkpoint until my firearms cleared tsa. DFW required me to be escorted to the TSA check room where they swabbed the handles and put a clear tag on it, then the ticketing agent walked back to the counter with me where she printed my boarding passes. I highly suggest a pelican style travel case with two locks. Some airlines allow ammunition in magazines, not inserted into magwells, others American, require ammo to be in factory boxes or specialized plastic storage boxes, no loaded magazines are allowed to be checked.

 

[Alamo]

Do not rack a slide in the bathroom of a busy airport. Right or wrong you could be in for a long delay to your post flight travel plans while explaining yourself to the airport authority.

Guess I've been lucky. In other news, most every airport toilet I have had the opportunity to flush is loud enough to that ear-pro should be required.

 

[HoosierLife]

Guess I've been lucky. In other news, most every airport toilet I have had the opportunity to flush is loud enough to that ear-pro should be required.

A loud cough in conjunction with a flush should do the trick.

And I bought another case.

 

[Drail]

It is neither "illegal" to enter the Indy airport with a firearm or a knife or to declare it at the ticket counter. It is a violation of the Airport Authority rules to possess it anywhere on Airport property. Anywhere. From the second you turn off the highway to enter. In the cell phone lot or in long term parking. And of course many people do it everyday. I am not talking about beyond the secure areas of the terminal. I did not mean to imply that it was illegal to do so - only to point out it is not "permitted". Looking at their website it is not clear what the "penalty" is for doing so - perhaps only being asked to leave the property. The Airport Authority seems to act as if they have some legal authority but they will not talk about it. They also believe they can impose stiff fines (hundreds of dollars) for smoking on airport property but I don't really see how they can legally do so. No one has ever been able or willing to explain it to me but the signs at the entry doors were still there the last time I was there. Personally if they want to make stupid rules I could not care less but when they threaten you with anything besides asking you to leave I think there is a problem.

 

[STEEL CORE]

Glad you had a safe uneventful flight.

 

[Drail]

TSA Officers are neither trained or permitted to handle firearms. Look it up. They can only look at them which doesn't really tell them anything useful. They cannot even tell if a firearm is loaded or not. Plus anytime they find anything that "might" be a threat they toss it in the trash can at the checkpoint. Where hundreds of people are standing. They are idiots with badges and YOU are paying their salary and following their orders. Wake up people.......

 

[Dirtebiker]

The airline rules are all different from each other and from the TSA crap. ALWAYS go to your air carrier's website and print out THEIR rules and carry them in your pocket because the counter people rarely know their own rules and will tell you things that are not actual company policy - or just make stuff up. The air carrier and their insurance company has the final say on what goes on THEIR aircraft - NOT the TSA. The TSA only has authority on what gets through their checkpoint - no further. Believe it or not there are actually airports in this country where you are prohibited from bringing any weapon of any kind whatsoever into the terminal - no way no how. I'm not sure how they expect you to declare it if you can't bring it up to the counter. Indianapolis is one of those airports.

As long as by “prohibited” you mean “against the rules”, and not “illegal”. That being said, I’ve never had a problem open carrying while picking up or dropping people off.

 

[HoosierLife]

Well I’m on my way to the airport. Got the LCP in a holster, empty mags and the ammo in a box all inside a Pelican 1170 with 2 Brinks keyed locks.

All that fits in the front pocket of my suitcase.

We we shall see how it all turns out.

My newest problem is that I’m staying at Harrah’s Casino (cheapest room I could find). They have big 11 x 14 signs saying “No concealed firearms allowed...”

My reading of Missouri Law says that Casinos/businesses with those signs are considered GFZs, but if caught its is not a criminal offense, unless you don’t leave after a “peace officer” is called in which case you could be charged with trespassing and given $100 fine.

Seems no different than our laws (signs having no weight of law). Almost as if the legislature wrote in a loophole.

 

[HoosierLife]

Well that was not difficult.

Got to the airport at 6:10 and there was a line to the door to the check in counters. Got through the line and to the gate by 6:50. I do have Pre-Check though.

The lady at the check in counter didn’t bat an eye and quickly started filling out my paperwork. Had me open the case and exclaimed “That’s perfect! You must have done this before.”

Handed me a paper to hand to the guy in the clear class cubicle. He quickly called Southwest and found out that there was no issue.

We we shall see how things go on the return trip from Kansas City. Have to connect through ATL on the way back.

 

[MCgrease08]

The lady at the check in counter didn’t bat an eye and quickly started filling out my paperwork. Had me open the case and exclaimed “That’s perfect! You must have done this before."

This is the point where you should have turned your head like you're looking into an invisibe camera, given a thumbs up and said, "Thanks INGO!"

 

[HoosierLife]

Now I don’t know how I am supposed to get out of this state??



All weapons prohibited. Concealed or otherwise.

Good thing nobody stopped me once I left the bathroom. :/

 

[HoosierLife]

Well coming back from KC was even easier. They didn’t even ask me to open my case.

Thanks everybody for all the help.

 

[Ggreen]

TSA Officers are neither trained or permitted to handle firearms. Look it up. They can only look at them which doesn't really tell them anything useful. They cannot even tell if a firearm is loaded or not. Plus anytime they find anything that "might" be a threat they toss it in the trash can at the checkpoint. Where hundreds of people are standing. They are idiots with badges and YOU are paying their salary and following their orders. Wake up people.......

wow... They are low paid security guards with minimal prerequisites to be hired. They are the last line of defense of our commercial air travel system, that is amazingly safe. They don't handle firearms, because taxpayers won't pay to train them to do so. They dispose of prohibited items as prescribed by policy. They throw water bottles and shampoo in the can, anything sketchy gets disposed of by someone with more expertise. Give them a break, they are hardworking taxpayers doing a needed job. A mundane, thankless, but necessary job.

 

[HoosierLife]

wow... They are low paid security guards with minimal prerequisites to be hired. They are the last line of defense of our commercial air travel system, that is amazingly safe. They don't handle firearms, because taxpayers won't pay to train them to do so. They dispose of prohibited items as prescribed by policy. They throw water bottles and shampoo in the can, anything sketchy gets disposed of by someone with more expertise. Give them a break, they are hardworking taxpayers doing a needed job. A mundane, thankless, but necessary job.

Speaking of.. I left an almost full water bottle in my carry on bag and they caught it in the scanner. Got taken off to the side and he went digging around my bag. I didn’t know what he was looking for at the time.

He found the bottle and was very gracious. I could check the bag, leave and drink/throw it away OR he could throw it away. I let him dispose of it. I didnt watch what he did with it.

First time that’s happened. Glad I went through Precheck. Might have been handled differently if I went through the normal line?

 

[Drail]

Back around 2008 I arrived at the Indy airport (the old one) one morning only to see traffic backed up and people standing around outside in huge numbers. Turned out the TSA was being "tested" the day before and one of the "simulated explosive devices" they used to test the TSA agents got left in a bin at the checkpoint instead of being accounted for and locked up. The next morning a TSA agent "discovered" it laying in the bin, triggered an alarm and the entire airport was evacuated for several hours. I can only imagine how many people missed flights because of that stupidity. All because of the TSA's very own fake bomb (which was probably clearly labeled "TSA fake bomb") was carelessly "lost" and no one thought "Maybe we should find that sucker before we go home". Really professional. The TSA failure rate to find fake guns and bombs and "other" dangerous objects is 97%. Every day. Every time they are tested. Since they were created. If this is the best we can do why even bother? Oh that's right - the Govt. needs to "create jobs". I am certainly glad all those dumb people "feel safe". It reminded me of the old Woody Allen movie where the dictator of some third world country announces over the radio "Starting today everyone will change their underwear every 30 minutes. Everyone will wear their underwear on the outside of their pants so that we may check this. This is for your safety." I'll never fly commercial again. It has gone beyond stupid.

 

[hpclayto]

I lost all faith in TSA when I made it to Mexico with about 30 rounds of loose 9mm in my carry on.

 

[Joniki]

I lost all faith in TSA when I made it to Mexico with about 30 rounds of loose 9mm in my carry on.

 

[Drail]

But everyone on your aircraft felt safe. That's the reason we have the TSA. It's just another very expensive Psyop.

 

[Taylor22]

When I flew to FL a few weeks ago TSA found one loose round in my carryon. It was an issue until I pointed out I had checked a firearm. He tossed it and said the less paperwork he has to do the better.