I spent the most wonderful day today dealing with the local Northwest Airlines officials, as well as the TSA and wanted to share in the event some of you encounter a similar situation.

Last June (2004) we hunted RSA and had earlier this year received our hides horns stateside. My father was planning to visit, so I set his buffalo skull and horns aside as he planned to check them as part of his luggage allowance for the flight from RIC to FSD. We get to the airport this morning at 7:00AM (8:20AM flight) and they check everything in. About 8:05, he is called to the ticket counter as they won't allow the bag with the horns in it on the plane. Reason?? - they stated because the horns had been dipped (don't know what in) it now contained flamable liquids and therefore was banned. I asked to see where that item was listed, to which they couldn't produce. I sent my dad on the plane and took the bag with the horns home with me. Throughout the day I talked to numerous folks about what the explanation was. Got the run around from most. My contention is that when you read the TSA prohibited item list, http://www.tsa.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/Permitted_Prohibited_5_16_2005_v3.pdf there is nothing specific listed dealing with formeldahyde (sp.) or taxidermy type products. See also the following page: http://asi.faa.gov/these.asp

Anyway, wanted to give you guys a heads up should you be considering traveling with this type of items.

Brad

Thank you.

To me this just sounds like more of the same from NorthWest, they've been campaigning for years amongst the other airlines to stop the transport of any antlers or heads on airlines as baggage. This is all because they were sued a few years back for losing a big set of antlers and ended up being found responsible for about $60,000 in reimbursement.
We were made aware of their cause by our airlines here in the North where excess baggage is the only method of getting your trophies home.
~Arctic~

Not to take the airlines side, but this may explain this situation as I work in regulatory compliance. I've seen chain, allergic reactions to latex paint in an office where you could barely smell paint. Once one drops, they all start dropping.

Let me say this: I do not know what chemicals or amounts of these chemicals, are used for preserving, nor what is used to prevent infestation of trophy's.

This information may not even be valid on shipping trophy's. Please take this as trying to explain the airlines actions.

It would seem some people are allergic to almost anything, and I'm not sure what chemicals they use to dip or how well the container is sealed. Formalin type chemicals are listed as carcinogens by OSHA, and regulated materials by DOT & IATA. This alone means extra paper work. You must declare the regulated constituents, hazard class (UN or USDOT), as well as a contact that is available 24/7 for information on the package should an accident occur (usually CHEMTREK), on the shipping label.

God forbid, someone at the check-in counter, especially if they're working, feel itchy, nauseous, or a headache at the time of your bag being near them. Best case scenario is no one associates this with your package. Worst case, everyone becomes a hounddog and homes in on your package, where upon they evacuate the terminal.

If this happens, a few dozen workers are going to get the day(s) off with pay, customers start dropping like flies, and everyone goes to the hospital. At this point, the police, FAA, DOT, OSHA, six oclock news, union representatives, and lawyers (sorry 500G's) get very involved. This will be very, very expensive.

Once again, I'm only relating how these things can get out of control due to any hazard either real or perceived

Now you can see why regulatory agencies are not well liked.

Minkman

btw, I didn't re-read this as I didn't have the time. I'll edit it later when I get a chance.

Snakelover,

Gee thanks!!

It is nice to know that strange things continue to happen at RIC, since this is now my airport to use!!
I have yet to have a completely incident free trip through the Richmond terminal... nothing that prevented me from flying, but something everytime.
Mike

Mike, sorry but RIC is a pain in multiple ways. We should get together to shoot stuff and take our frustataions out. I've now had luggage lost, delayed, or not permitted either coming or going. Best of luck in your future RIC encounters!

Minkman, I understand what you are saying and I tried to look at it from their viewpoint. However, the stuff didn't get here on a boat, but was infact shipped via AIRPLANE from Africa. How can it be flamable and too dangerous to fly a couple hours from RIC to FSD, but not too dangerous for 20+ hours from Afrcia? And people have to handle it on both ends, so again, the possibility existed for someone to have an allergic reaction then too right??

Personally, I have no problem with the regualtory agencies, as long as they are consistent in application, which again seems not to have happened in this case. I am starting to think Arctic may be right on this and it is NW, not the airlines in general that brought this issue out.

No I don't think it is really any of that. I think it is just the jerk you happen to end up with when you checked in. There are lots of them in the industry and they may or may not have a clue as to what is dangerous or not, or which way is up for that matter. Often in my experience they don't know what their own rules for the airline they work for happen to be at any point in time. I have had my handloads taken from me as the ammunition had to be in "Factory original boxes". That was what I was told by the counter person and thier supervisor. Later found out that was not the rule at all. It said "factory box or otherwise suitable container that keeps each cartridge seperate." Which my boxes did. Another time TSA failed to lock my guncase after inspection. I was not allowed to have contact with my case after inspection. In Amsterdam they caought it and gave me merry hell about it. They also gave me grief about having firearms and ammo in the same container. That was OK as far as their website said. He told me that was a lie and I said I happen to have the print out from your website in my hand that clearly stated you could put them both in together. He immediately changed the subject. So they sealed this all up (open guncase with live ammo) with safe secure duct tape and sent it on. It makes me wonder sometimes. When you fly you play the odds in more ways than one, you place your bet and you take your chances. You just came up unlucky with who you got that day. Better luck next time. Happy trails and good hunting.

Dhunter,

You nailed that one on the head!!

You be as prepared & informed as possible, then sacrifice a goat to the gods of travel & hold your breath hoping you don't draw an idjit at the checkin counter or TSA inspection.

Snakelover,
I hear you about RIC. I used to travel a lot on business & bounced around in & out of lots of airports. Now it is infrequent, but I have had more trouble on the infrequent RIC visits than I had put together with all others domesticly (especially since I will do nearly anything to avoid chicago)

Mike

Thanks for the warning and information.

At least part of the problem is likely with NorthWest. I am a platinum medallion on Delta and have had million mile cards on both Delta and American for several years AND I live in Minneapolis (Home of NorthWest). My occasional experiences with NorthWest have been uniformly poor and have given me absolutly no reason to shift my flying from Delta and American.