Anyone have recent experience traveling with a poster tube (or something similarly long)? Can I expect to be able to carry it onto the plane? Additional security checks? Mine is about 44 inches long.
Best to call or check the website of the carrier - American Airlines seems to restrict carry ons to 22" long, according to that page. Your carrier may be different. (Qantas, for example, seems to be fine with it on international flights, at least)
As far as the security, I’d imagine they’d x-ray it as normal, and may ask you to pop it open so they can look inside.
Ask if they’d prefer to x-ray or pat down your big, thick tube.
ETA: I really bet you’ll have to check it, even if you make it all the way to the gate with it. It clearly won’t fit in the carry-on measuring box, and that’s what matters to them.
I’ve carried them on flights before, although not in the last two years.
Wait, is your name Mike Brady?
I flew on Delta from the midwest to Portland and back in August with a ~50" poster tube. Carried on both times - no one gave me any flack at all.
Yeah, do you have anything else constructive to do besides going on random net forums to brag about IT?
I flew from Canada into New York State with a poster tube less than a month ago. I went through both Philadelphia International and JFK, as well as some dinky airports, and had no problems of any sort at all. In fact, nobody seemed even the slightest bit interested in the thing, which surprised me. I did send it through the X-ray machine but I was never asked to open it. It fit in the overhead bin easily, it just needs to go in the back behind other peoples bags and stuff.
My poster was 100cm tall, so the tube must have been a little taller than that. I see that that’s about 40 inches. I flew on US Airways, but some issues resulted in me being bumped onto another Star Alliance flight (maybe Continental?) for one leg of the journey. No problems at all.
This for me exactly. Usually it’s been when I’m with a large group of other poster-bearers on the same flight, but sometimes not. It was never a problem, but airlines keep getting more strict about that kind of thing, so no guarantees.
They’re a giant pain in the ass, though. I’m definitely taking a cloth poster next time I have a meeting to go to.
I can’t imagine this thing requiring additional security checks anymore than a carry on bag in the shape of a pistol would.
Many poster tubes (and several left on airplanes accidentally). Does not count in your baggage count.
i.e. carry-on + computer case + poster tube = OK
You just lay it, as Meyer6 said, behind the bags or on top of them. One time, while I was late boarding the plane, I asked the flight attendant if I could just stash it in the coat closet of 1st class (this is the best option but ask first!).
They know that it would be death to put it in the cargo hold.