We just got home last night from Spain. Everything was very smooth in the Madrid airport. Everyone was quite helpful. However, I noted that the woman put a single regular tag on the gun case. She did NOT put the CAGPT tag on it . I said something. I was assured all was fine.

Fast forward to Atlanta. I am with CBP waiting on my guns. The CBP guy noted the CAGPT tag was not there yet they records showed that the case was a gun. While he was quite pleasant and helpful, he advised that I was definitely going to have problems with TSA.

He escorted me to TSA where, to make a long story short, it took 2 hours to fix the problem. He advised that CBP is often seeing this happen on flights from Europe.

Make sure and check your tags on your guns.

What is a CAGPT tag? I've traveled to Africa numerous times with firearms and don't recall ever seeing such a tag.

It stands for “Care & Give Protection To”.

I have travels with guns on Delta countless times. They always use it. TSA was definitely looking for it. I assume other airlines do the same thing in the US.

This is totally the purview of TSA. Making sure to spend a bunch of time on people who are zero danger.

I'm sure the next 9/11 will be perpetrated by a traveling hunter with a 30-06... THAT IS STORED UNDER THE PLANE WITH THE LUGGAGE.

Folks,

The ticket counter personal often are misinformed and pass on that bogus info to the passengers with such an assured attitude that we believe them. Not! They have screwed up my luggage more than once. You have to be proactive and watch everything they do. If it doesn't look right don't be afraid to ask.

Mark

Once was upgraded to first class when ticket agent had no idea how to handle checking guns. Supervisor took over and upgraded me. Virgin Air. Pays to be polite and knowledgeable.

CAGPT is Delta’s version.

American puts a tag saying “Deliver to BSO”

Qatar puts a tag saying firearms.

If I recall correctly, KLM used one saying weapons.

I’m not sure where/what the issue in the US is for Larry here. By law, they cannot mark the case with a tag saying firearms (I think this happened due to theft…)

They don’t want guns on the regular baggage claim. It happens sometimes. I had it happen returning from Canada once. Went through customs and it wasn’t until I asked if they wanted to look at the guns that anyone had a clue that I had them (it was my terminal airport so I could have just went home) and they did decide to look… I’ve also had the customs agent look at me and say he didn’t need to look once. Near as I can see, their concern is arms smuggling and it’s more policy than law. If you bring a gun in that’s new, you owe a bunch of tax money as well as import paperwork- that’s the real purpose and why you have the “effects taken overseas” form- proving you didn’t acquire it elsewhere and cheating uncle out of his money.

I can see TSA being upset that the control process wasn’t followed.

I can see why customs wants to check it.

What I don’t get is why TSA has issues with you as long as before you board a US plane under TSA rules, you haven’t declared it to them and done the unloaded firearm declaration. That’s your obligation.

Compliance with their policies (guns going to baggage offices and having your ID checked) is the airline’s issue. The TSA has no control over how a firearm is handled in an airport loaded outside their jurisdiction.

Customs only is to insure no contraband comes in. Your duty is to present it to them and have the required documentation. I’ve been told that technically you can prove a gun is yours to customs with a bill of sale receipt (by CBP agents.)

I agree with Mark that airline baggage agents don’t necessarily know the law or their own policies. Be proactive. Know the rules, and if someone tries to do something wrong, insist on it being done right. If they won’t, request a supervisor. If the supervisor contradicts the written rules, ask them to sign that they are informing you differently than the printed rules. I’ve yet to have an issue there at that point…. Better deal with it up front than afterwards.

My only cock up with guns was an issue in Cameroon when the embassy guy wrote my serial number wrong (I thought it was just bad penmanship) and the Cameroon government insisted on holding my shotgun at the airport until I left as my gun didn’t agree with the number on my permit (handwritten into my passport).

We have a simpler system here.

A police officer takes the rifles and ammo once they are checked in by Emirates.

They do not go through normal luggage handling process.

On arrival, again, the police pick them up from the plane, and we pick them up from the police station on exit.

Very efficient, as they are normally there once we have gone through immigration.

Sorry for your trouble, Larry.

It takes me a minimum of an hour to two hours to clear customs upon returning from overseas with firearms to Boston's Logan International Airport.

Never any trouble with TSA. Always with CBP.

US Customs and Border Patrol always get my firearms and ammunition directly from the airline.

They are understaffed and there is always a line of people ahead of me for clearance. Either they've been somehow snagged by customs or have volunteered for personal attention.

All CBP need to do with me is check my 4457s and match them up with my rifles.

But I have to wait in an invariably long line, along with and behind both people who've been snagged for undeclared goods acquired abroad and also behind law-abiding people who have legally declared their goods.

They all wait in line, without regard to who was snagged and who volunteered, to have their goods valued and to pay their US taxes on them.

Oh yes, and also along with me, who just needs to show some paperwork and clear my rifle(s).

I especially like the cute little drug sniffing terriers running around sticking their noses into everyone's luggage.

I've never yet seen them actually catch a drug smuggler.

I got good advice on here long ago. Print the luggage rules regarding travelling with firearms right from the carriers website and carry them with you. Black and white.

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana1:
Once was upgraded to first class when ticket agent had no idea how to handle checking guns. Supervisor took over and upgraded me. Virgin Air. Pays to be polite and knowledgeable.

If I try to inform a ticket agent, even in a polite manner, they usually are combative and, "how could I possibly know how to do their job?" attitude.

These are the ones who don't know how to do guns, because I don't have to teach the ones who already know how.

Why is it always the attitudinal ones that also are incompetent?

quote:

If I try to inform a ticket agent, even in a polite manner, they usually are combative and, "how could I possibly know how to do their job?" attitude.

These are the ones who don't know how to do guns, because I don't have to teach the ones who already know how.

Why is it always the attitudinal ones that also are incompetent?

Seems to be the same with TSA and CBP…

quote:

Originally posted by KevinNY:
I got good advice on here long ago. Print the luggage rules regarding travelling with firearms right from the carriers website and carry them with you. Black and white.

I hope that was from me. I have said numerous times to print the airlines, the TSA’s and CBP rules. It makes it much easier to show an ignorant agent what their rules actually are.