CO2 cylinder/cartridge as checked luggage

[alect]

Not sure if anyone here has experience with this. We are going to the US shortly and I am buying some cycling stuff to bring back, including a CO2 inflator and cartridge. The inflator is fine, but the cartridge I am not sure whether it's allowed in checked luggage. It's a metal cylinder filled with 16g of CO2 (I assume under pressure). The cylinder is about 10cm long and 3-4cm in diametre.

Now this page seems to indicate under the heading "Aerosols in Division 2.2, with no subsidiary risk, for sporting or home use." that it would be allowed when checked.

Has anyone transported such CO2 cylinders?

I know diving equipment is allowed - when travelling are they filled with O2 or empty?

 

[alect]

My question may be moot as even though QF may allow it seems AA doesn't

 

[newflyer]

G'day Alect,

I've travelled with bike-specific CO2 cartridges before (in both checked and, inadvertently, carry on luggage) and never had a problem. I'd guess that due to their small size they're not too much of a concern safety-wise. I did, however, have a small multi-tool (allen keys only) confiscated by security at Darwin airport!

If you're really worried, why not just pick these up in Australia? They're pretty cheap when you buy them as a 5/10 pack from the major cycling e-tailers (ie, Torpedo7, Cell, Probike).

Hope that helps!

 

[NM]

G'day Alect,

I've travelled with bike-specific CO2 cartridges before (in both checked and, inadvertently, carry on luggage) and never had a problem.

Did you tell the airline that you were carrying these and did they give you permission to carry them?

Just because you carried them and nobody found out and they didn't explode does not make it safe for them to be carried.

Carrying any pressurised item on an aircraft can be dangerous, which is why most pressurised items are not permitted.

If the specific item being considered here is not listed as a prohibited item, then I suggest still asking the airlines involved prior to arriving at the airport. As alect has found, they are specifically prohibited on AA flights and I would expect that to be the case for all airlines.

 

[newflyer]

Did you tell the airline that you were carrying these and did they give you permission to carry them?

Hey NM - good points, and yes, I did ask permission (well, the first time at least ) mainly because the cylinders themselves sit in a little plastic holder, with a trigger device on top (which pierces the cannister and allows you to inflate your bike tube). On the security scanning machine, the whole device looks quite menancing...however, when I took it out and showed it to both security and the QF guys, they didn't seem to raise any objections.

Alect - a quick google search brings up this discussion on travelling with CO2 cannisters - not sure if it's much more help than here (ie, little more than pointing out differences in airline policy across carriers and countries). Again, might be easiest/safest just to buy locally? They're pretty cheap things at the end of the day.

 

[newflyer]

@Alectec - just checked with Cell Bikes, and they're selling bulk packs of 10 16g cartridges for $25, plus P&H (IIRC, they have a standard rate of $9...)

CHEAP PRICES ON ROAD & MOUNTAIN BIKE AND PARTS - CELL - 10 buy 16g Threaded C02 Air Cartridges

 

[Rayz]

In April our Jetstar flight from Perth - Melbourne was delayed 2hrs while ground staff tried looking around for a C02 cylinder that had come up while scanning luggage. No one on board admitted it was theirs. (I wouldn't have if it was mine because everyone onboard incl the Captain was ready to string that person up ). Never found it, so we flew off in the end.

My wife and I had a connecting flight with Emirates from Melbourne - NZ with just 2.5hrs in between arrival & departure. So we both thought we had missed our connection in Melbourne. Fortunately (or unfortunately) there was fog at Melbourne, so the Emirates flight was delayed 4hrs.

We made the connection but it was a long day for both of us!

 

[tuapekastar]

In April our Jetstar flight from Perth - Melbourne was delayed 2hrs while ground staff tried looking around for a C02 cylinder that had come up while scanning luggage. No one on board admitted it was theirs. (I wouldn't have if it was mine because everyone onboard incl the Captain was ready to string that person up ). Never found it, so we flew off in the end.

My wife and I had a connecting flight with Emirates from Melbourne - NZ with just 2.5hrs in between arrival & departure. So we both thought we had missed our connection in Melbourne. Fortunately (or unfortunately) there was fog at Melbourne, so the Emirates flight was delayed 4hrs.

We made the connection but it was a long day for both of us!

Welcome to AFF Rayz! Glad you made your connection ok.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Originally Posted by Rayz
In April our Jetstar flight from Perth - Melbourne was delayed 2hrs while ground staff tried looking around for a C02 cylinder that had come up while scanning luggage. No one on board admitted it was theirs.

I'm surprised Jetstar couldn't find the owner of the bag. Normally if a bag shows something dodgy on the xray machine security pull it aside they look at the surname of pax on the thermal tag then page that person.

Could've been the days of the old manual luggage tag but I'm surprised they couldn't enter that tag number in the system to locate the pax. Even manual tag numbers and input against a pax name upon checkin.

Oz

 

[alect]

@Alectec - just checked with Cell Bikes, and they're selling bulk packs of 10 16g cartridges for $25, plus P&H (IIRC, they have a standard rate of $9...)

CHEAP PRICES ON ROAD & MOUNTAIN BIKE AND PARTS - CELL - 10 buy 16g Threaded C02 Air Cartridges

Yep got that email and picked some up - the original question was not because I wanted to buy them in the US and bring them over - merely that I would be getting one with an inflator I am buying and wanted to know whether to dump it or bring it in luggage.

BTW - if you want bulk CO2 cartridges - check out 16g Threaded C02 Cartridges (30 pack) - Fine Whip Australia - their normal price is what Cell had them on sale for - pity I didn't see their sale before buying from cell