500grain,

you took 5 rifles in one case, Boy did I have alot of trouble with Delta trying to get 4 rifles checked in! The girl kept telling me Delta "never" aloud more that 2 guns to a case! You believe that! I told her I flew Delta at least 16 times with more then 2 guns in a case, most of the time it was 4 guns. She said I could never have done that, that I was wrong!!1

Terry, I've flown SW Airlines many times to the Southwest with rifles. I have never had a single gun-related problem with that airline, and in fact, they're been more than hospitable and remain one of my favorite airlines to fly with.

American West has not been so easy to work with........

AD

Terry,

In the past I have never had any problems with SW. If I had to bet they would be the most gun friendly airline.

Widowmaker--

Any chance you flew out of JFK when you had the problem? Delta at JFK seems to be particularly adept at hassling travellers with firearms, to the point that any time any of my friends fly Delta from there, I expect to hear complaints on their return.

I try to fly Continental out of LaGuardia, which has always been no-hassle. There are some screwy Port Authority rules imposed on the ATA guys (the last time, one of them had to come find me in one of the delis, saying that the Port Authority keeps making arbitrary changes in the rules, and now requires the ATA, as well as the check-in desk, to make a visual inspection of the firearm), but I've always found everyone involved to be courteous and knowledgeable enough to keep the experience pleasant.

Well, haven't you seen that new show on TV about "airlines?" One of them is solely based on SW Airlines. It's a hoot.

Just beware, they always seem to Overbook their flights so you might not get where you want to go, but we've personally never had a problem with that airline.

NorthWest Airlines gave me no hassle whatsoever when I went to Maine on my bear hunt. In fact, it went a lot smoother than I anticipated. The only other airline I've flown with a rifle was Frontier, out of Phoenix heading to Denver. No problem there either.

I've flown SWA with firearms countless times. They are without a doubt the most gun friendly airline I've traveled on.



I've carried a Tuffpak, take-down cases and double rifle cases and have never heard a peep about the size.



Last year I was in the check-in line behind a guy carrying a short surfboard in a padded cordura case. The ticket agent charged him $50 for "oversized luggage". I thought for sure I was in for it as my double rifle case was almost as large and much heavier. The agent asked me if the guns were unloaded, then handed me an inspection ticket to slide into the case without fully opening it. No extra charge, no extra questions. I felt sorry for the surfer dude. Maybe he should take up a more politically-correct sport.



My only complaint about SWA is that I can't travel with my bird dog. When Rocket's along, I fly Continental.