Flying with Co2 canisters?

vectra0

Hi All

Are you allowed to fly with Co2 canisters?
Hand luggage? or in the bike box/hold?
Must be no different to deoderant in your suitcase right?

cheers

cornerblock

Airlines may vary but most I believe allow you to travel with a couple. I've always carried a couple in my hand luggage and also put another two in the wife's hand luggage, never had any problems. I'd double check with your airline first though.

ddraver

No you re not - but I ve put a few in the bike bag for my last 3 trips and they ve never been found...

Basically you have to be prepared to lose them, and act incredibly sheepish and innocent if the "can Mr Vectra please come to the Security Desk" call goes up...

(Think Deoderant is under massively less pressure...)

Mr Dog

They are classed as dangerous goods and when found will be removed. All of your cargo will be subjected to security checks. Take a mini pump, as you will have to deflate your tyres before flight anyway, or buy at your destination.

cornerblock

Well Monarch certainly allow you to carry two in your hand luggage, I made a point of asking first and was told that it was ok. Thai Airways too, never had a problem.

navrig

Google is your friend:

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/ba ... lic/en_gb#

Restricted items needing no notification



The following list covers all items that may be carried on British Airways flights but are still restricted to specific limits on quantities or dimensions:

•
Small knives and scissors can be packed in your checked in baggage

•
Aerosols - non-flammable for sporting and home use

•
Non-radioactive medicinal or toilet articles - hairsprays, perfumes, colognes, medicines, etc.

•
Alcoholic beverages

•
Non-flammable, non-toxic gas cylinders - e.g. for operation of mechanical limbs, bicycle tyre inflation devices (max. capacity 50ml)

•
Devices containing lithium cells or batteries - laptop computers, cameras, camcorders, etc.

•
Spare lithium batteries (less than 100 Wh)

A few simple measures can be taken to ensure that spare batteries are carried safely:
•Always pack spare batteries in your cabin baggage.
•Where possible keep spare batteries in their original retail packaging (e.g. cardboard/plastic blister packs) which ensure that the terminals are protected.
•If the original packaging is not available, insulate the battery terminals so they cannot come into contact with any metallic objects:
- by packing each battery in its own protective plastic bag (e.g. sturdy freezer or sandwich bag)
or,
- by covering the terminals with insulation tape.
It is strongly recommended that both the above measures are taken for batteries with protruding or sharp terminals.

•
Hair-curlers containing hydrocarbon gas

•
Radio-isotopic cardiac pacemakers

•
Safety matches

•
Cigarette lighters

MountainMonster

Surely this has nothing to do with the airlines themselves if you are flying from a major airport, as the airport simply won't let them through? That was my understanding when wondering if I could bring back some from Austria last year.

rolf_f

I wouldn't recommend it. You'd need an awful lot to get off the ground and they wouldn't last for very long either.

topcattim

Rolf F wrote:

I wouldn't recommend it. You'd need an awful lot to get off the ground and they wouldn't last for very long either.

thegreatdivide

I can never understand this need to deflate tyres before a flight. Firstly afaik these days the cargo hold of a commercial jet is at the same pressure as the cabin, and even if it wasn’t, the pressure difference between ground level and the max height the plane is flying is nowhere near enough to blow up a tyre that started out at 110psi. It's a passenger jet, not a U2.

thegreatdivide

Also, once your bag/bike box has started its journey to the plane after being checked in I'm sure the airline isn't responsible for the contents until it's packed into the hold i.e. it's the baggage handlers who decided what's allowed. So even if your airline says it's fine to take C02 or stuff like Pit Stop, it's the luggage hurlers who decide what's staying and what's going.

Are there any airline folk on BR that can advise?

xscreamsuk

Does the plane deflate it's tyres? Under every seat is a CO2 canister to inflate the lifejacket.

thegreatdivide

xscreamsuk wrote:

Does the plane deflate it's tyres? Under every seat is a CO2 canister to inflate the lifejacket.

I suppose there’s the risk that a passenger could break into the hold, remove a wheel from their bike box, slash the tyre producing a jet of slightly fishy smelling co2 at pressure into the face of a stewardess then attempt to take control of the plane with a 2010 model Ksyrium Elite?

sungod

justification/rationality of the restrictions is irrelevant, they are what they are

whether you can fly with them or not is decided by the airport security, not the airline

if you put them in normal checked baggage they *may* simply get through

if they are in a bike box, they may not - arrecife for instance x-rays bike boxes looking for cartridges, and i'm sure they will pick them up on cabin baggage security check as well

cyclingsheep

It's a bit hit and miss to be fair. Flew to France with BA last year to do the Etape. Was told on way out to put canisters into checked luggage with no problems but on way back luggage handlers told everyone to remove and dispose of them. It depends on the airline and ground staffs rules

vectra0

Cheers guys. I'll chance it with a couple in my suitcase front pocket. If they make it then bonus!

Gpfanuk

Just emailed my wife who has worked for BA for over 25 years...I'll post as soon as I get her official response...

thefd

Would be interested to know about EasyJet also.... I'm flying with them soon!

thegreatdivide

I'm guessing I don't stand a hope in hell of taking a couple of cans of Pit Stop with me.

ddraver

Very good point about the Lifejackets, I ve never thought of that!

@divide - if you think about it they re X-raying a bike box/bag which contains a metal frame, metal rims on metal spokes on metal hubs, shoes with metal cleats, metal multi tools, a metal pump etc etc...They d have to be really really looking to notice a couple of small Canisters.

Interestesting that it's changing though, i'd often wondered if it was more a case of "nodody's bothered to think about it" rather than "theyre dangerous!!"

As I say, i ve never had a problem yet, but just be prepared to lose them (ie take a pump). We re talking about 5-10Eur so it's hardly a massive loss...

xscreamsuk

I simply bought some in Decathlon when I got where I was going, saved any worry, left them at the hotel for other folks use on departure.

priory

''It's a passenger jet, not a U2''

even if it was apollo13 and your bike taped to the outside of it the difference in pressure between sea level and the moon is 15psi, which is of no interest with modern tyres , if it ever was.
i have tried explaining this to security men a few times and they all replied'' err.... what?''
I think many of them are up to date with the rules now, though;but take a good pump.

bigpikle

Just be prepared for the x-ray machines at version check in to immediately spot the canisters and potentially make you remove them.

I've flown with them numerous times and usually have no issues going out from the UK but have often been refused bringing them back and had to open sealed bags to remove them. Crazy thing was Ryanair allowing me to fly to France from stansted but not allowing them on the return flight back home. I've more than once had difficult conversations with check-in staff and their supervisors with various results. They always show up in the x-ray so there is no way just to hide them.

jimmybloom

As checked in baggage, they're fine. In hand luggage, a big no no! Spend my days shipping this kind of stuff around the world and the regulations you have to stick to are pretty strict. Fortunately, they do account for what people carry in luggage and they can't really account for. It can be a bit of a ball ache.....
The plus side is I haven't bought a co2 cartridge in years

acidstrato

thought about this myself recently as flying to Majorca Saturday so checked easyjets faq

gas cylinders are restricted so its a risk that I cant be arsed with. I'll just buy some when I get there

ddraver

I ve had no problem on sleazy jet from Schipol to Uk and back....

Up to you tho, It's not like you ll struggle to find them in Mallorca either..l

cougie

It's clearly a minefield. Unless you're racing - do you really need them ?
If you're fit enough to cycle you can pump your own tyres.

It's not the airline that X-rays - its the airport - so not too much point in checking with them.

I know security at Nice airport had a massive box full of gas cylinders they were taking off triathletes after the ironman there.

A decent mini pump is a far better bet.

sienaelyse

The point is - is it safe to fly with CO2 cartridges as hand luggage or in hold ?

sungod

they're banned by many airlines, some security checks single out people with bikes for special attention...

at arecife airport after the ironman i've been annoyed to be stuck behind a queue of idiot triathletes at the x-ray check

it's clearly signposted that they're not allowed, but each one ends up being caught, then made to unpack and ceremonially bin their cartridges in view of the ever lengthening queue

wavefront

I flew with Easyjet last year, the lady specifically asked if I had any when checking in my bike box. I hadn't even thought about them not being allowed, so said yes, and unpacked the 5 carts that were in my hold baggage, and was asked to leave them with security.

I completely forgot about the remaining 2 that were still in my saddlebag in the bike box, and they made the journey out to Nice ok. Quite lucky, because when I went to all the nearby bike shops in town to get some more, they'd completely sold out of Co2 cartridges. The event I was racing in started the following day and I wasn't the only one who needed more!

fenix

You were taking 7 canisters?