Weirdest item you've seen taken as carry-on?

[Mattg]

I was on an Air New Zealand domestic flight today and one of the passengers brought on a large pot plant. They tried to put it in the overhead locker but the cabin crew were worried it would fall over and spill soil over the bags sharing the locker, so they stored it up the front.

I've never thought to take a plant as carry-on, but I suppose there aren't any rules against it.

What you have brought on (or seen brought on) as carryon?

 

[jukebox333]

If you travelled PER - PHE late in the last century (!), it was common to see pax bringing multiple buckets of KFC onboard, for delivery to deprived locals who didn't have a local outlet.

Now they *only* have to drive to Karratha.

 

[daft009]

a friend has taken a lobster in a tiny esky to Singapore.

Krispy Kremes were very common ex SYD back in the day

 

[Denali]

I saw a man once (Seattle to SF I think) with an egg carton and it had eggs inside it. Nothing else. He kept it on his lap the entire flight and just walked off the plane and out of the airport with it. I wonder what the story was with the eggs, special breed or just extra tasty?

My husbands poor Macquarie Street dentist did a favour for hubby. He brought a large concrete gargoyle in Paris to London, Dubai, Sydney in carry on and all in F.

 

[NM]

On a flight from deep in the deep south of the USA, a passenger holding two dead possums was stopped at the boarding gate. He was informed that according to the airline's policy, he was only permitted one carrion, so he handed the second dead possum to his wife .

 

[luxury-lizard]

I once brought a whole smoked salmon from Canada to Germany for a friend - crew recognised it on boarding and offered to put it in the fridge. I sometimes bring my Nespresso machine in my carry-on when places I'm staying don't offer one - only done this on domestic - too much trouble when travelling international.

 

[RooFlyer]

Krispy Kremes were very common ex SYD back in the day

Especially TO HBA

I once brought a carved soapstone rhinoceros from Zimbabwe to back home, abt 35 cm long. Had it wrapped in some clothes in my carry-on. When it went through the X-ray, several times the machine operators laughed, at least, at seeing the perfect outline of a rhinoceros.

Speaking of animals, I didn't see it, but do these count?

 

[NM]

Speaking of animals, I didn't see it, but do these count?

I think they be looking for some carrion

 

[ZigZagWanderer]

Not strange, but unusual. A long, long time ago...

I was leaving India after my first trip there. After 6 months in India, I had collected a considerable amount of additional luggage. I had one of those fantastic Indian Army bedrolls for all my clothes. Basically you keep your clothes in a rolled up 'bag' which unrolls into a makeshift mattress for sleeping. Absolutely perfect for India. These were pretty large things, maybe the overall size of a larger suitcase.

Anyway, the airline tried to charge me for extra luggage, but I really didn't have the money. I was pretty annoyed, and just said I'd take it as carry on. Amazingly, they actually let me!

When I got on the plane, they challenged me, and I had to unroll itand show everything in it. I can't remember what security was like. Back then, early 80s, there probably wasn't any?

 

[jastel]

Krispy Kreme from BNE to CNS is still common...as is buckets (or eskies) of KFC to Thursday Is and Wepia.

Esky comes down full of Turtle, Dugong or normal fish and goes back up choccas with KFC...Its called the T.I. Passport here.

I have in the past taken whole frozen fish, well wrapped, in my carryon down to friends in the capitals...after fighting security who declared it "undersize" and wanted to seize it for their dinner.

 

[kpc]

Does a sewing machine count?

Carrying on board a sewing machine?

Can you take a sewing machine through domestic airport security (ex Adl) ....it meets QFs carryone allowance (weight). Obviously there is the attached needle.Thanks

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[drron]

Well in 1969 flying in a TAA DC3 from POM to Lae the 2 fellows across the aisle from me were carrying large spears. The fellow behind them was carrying a pig. We hit turbulence over the mountains which caused 1 spear to be embedded in the roof and 1 pig running up and down the aisle sqealing.
Security wasn't a thing back then.

 

[Forg]

In the 90’s a few mates frequently did “parts runs” to Japan over the weekend, fly out Friday night & be buying car-parts Saturday & at least part of Sunday & go out all night Saturday night & sleep on the way home Sunday night, and go straight to work Monday morning from the airport.

One trip they were carrying all sorts of parts, probably 25kg to 35kg each in carry-on, hoping not to be pulled-up on it. Which they weren’t. What didn’t occur to them was that they were going to have to manhandle all of that weight up over their heads where it was going to sit for the whole flight while they wondered just how much concentrated-weight the overhead bins over their heads could cope with …

 

[Hvr]

In the 90’s a few mates frequently did “parts runs” to Japan over the weekend,

I heard there was an incident on a plane this occurred and it needed to descend quickly. The pilot asked that anything heavy be thrown out of the plane.

A farmer on the ground watched the parts land on the ground and remarked to his friend "look it's raining Datsun cogs."

 

[CaptJCool]

Chickens & other live animals

turkish airlines Frankfurt to Istanbul 1992

 

[OATEK]

Mine: Was travelling to UK for Christmas with the kids. Boiled up a large Christmas pudding, and had it in foil and the cloth. X-ray guy didn't know what to make of it, but was thinking along the lines of Schappelle Corby. Took a full inspection by two of them before they accepted it was not a hash cake!

Other: Two women on a flight in Europe with a small dog in a pink bag tucked under the seat in front of them. Kept popping its head out during the flight but was good as gold. Looked to me like an attempt at the ultimate accessory.

 

[drron]

In the 90’s a few mates frequently did “parts runs” to Japan over the weekend, fly out Friday night & be buying car-parts Saturday & at least part of Sunday & go out all night Saturday night & sleep on the way home Sunday night, and go straight to work Monday morning from the airport.

One trip they were carrying all sorts of parts, probably 25kg to 35kg each in carry-on, hoping not to be pulled-up on it. Which they weren’t. What didn’t occur to them was that they were going to have to manhandle all of that weight up over their heads where it was going to sit for the whole flight while they wondered just how much concentrated-weight the overhead bins over their heads could cope with …

I was guilty with something like this in 1992. We had visited Bali and Lombok. Mrsdrron fell in love with lombok pottery. We bought way too much and had to buy the large size of a cheap Balinese duffle bag which I took on as carry on.In the terminal I left it behind when I went to get some food and mrsdrron was worried someone would run off with it. i wasn't worried as their new hernia would stop then.

Back in those days the BNE-DPS flight was on one of QF's original 747s. So I had to carry the bag across the tarmac and up the flight of stairs into the 747. fortunately we were in the front J seats in the nose and there was a storage cupboard in front of us. The FA offered to put the bag in there but I insisted I would do it for obvious reasons.
Of course arriving back in BNE it was carrying the bag down the stairs and across the tarmac to the old International Terminal. Never wighed the bag but I would guess it was 25-30Kg.

 

[smckay]

At Seattle, Old Mate was walking around with his fishing rod airside last month.
So, snap it in half and you have a handy weapon.

 

[jb747]

Krispy Kremes were very common ex SYD back in the day

The annoying thing about the Krispy Kreme brigade is that they seem to think they can take over the overhead locker with them.

 

[Willie]

My mother flew from MIA to IVC and collected 50doz Bluff Oysters and carried them as hand luggage to my 30th in MEL. This required a Fisheries NZ export permit in addition to Australian Quarantine approval that was granted as the oysters were opened and sealed in a tin prior to collection. The shells were not allowed to travel. The party venue improvised! OMG the oysters were the biggest HIT at the party.
The NZ crews kept the tin in cold storage to CHC and then to MEL.

Other than that, and not really hand luggage but I still get a giggle remembering the person in the US who wanted to travel with an 'assistance' peacock...

Ooh Roo

Willie