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

[kangarooflyer88]

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.

Worst case if bio-security is after them they could claim the evidence was planted!

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

Over in Canada carrying fish in your carry-on is a thing of national pride. Indeed, some airports in Atlantic provinces even provide fridges you can use to keep your fishies chilled whilst waiting to board!

Krispy Kremes were very common ex SYD back in the day

That's something I usually bring as carry on when travelling abroad. Lots of stuff they sell in North America that they don't sell here like Crest toothpaste (yeah I know there's Oral-B but it's gross), Kraft Dinner, and Caramilk (Caramilk they sell here isn't even Caramilk).

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.

Again, it's a Canadian thing, folks won't understand!

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.

Have certainly packed that in checked bag before as a present for my sister before leaving for AU. But like you I need to have my Nespresso fix on the run. Fortunately there are a number of handheld Nespresso machines that use those pods.

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

That thread literally had me in stitches. Better sew me up!

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.

There have been stories on Air Canada FlyerTalk of people checking in weird stuff during mileage runs such as cases of bottled water and rims of tyres with the poster being confronted by AC Corporate Security after such a weird check-in (can't find the thread but it's there)

-RooFlyer88

 

[BCons]

Haha - USA, I guess ? Emotional support animal, with another emotional support device in her hand..

 

[Happy Dude]

I've posted previously about the dude on QF WEI-CNS with a fishing rod fully rigged with hook, line and sinker. Angered me greatly because that trip I was forced in CBR to check my carry on which contained a few reels (spooled up with line which is a banned item).

I carried on a new La Pavoni Europiccola lever coffer maker just after 9/11 from LHR-BKK. Security and nerves at airports were at an all-time high and trying to get anything metal, pointy etc was diffcult but I managed to get it on. Still use it every day too.

 

[Glider_]

10kg bucket of Omo.

 

[Astroboi82]

I have a friend that once carried a cake from NY-LAX-SYD-MEL and it did survive !

 

[Captain Halliday]

I have a friend that once carried a cake from NY-LAX-SYD-MEL and it did survive !

That takes the cake.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Haha - USA, I guess ? Emotional support animal, with another emotional support device in her hand..

Are you referring to the emotional support peacock?

I carried on a new La Pavoni Europiccola lever coffer maker just after 9/11 from LHR-BKK. Security and nerves at airports were at an all-time high and trying to get anything metal, pointy etc was diffcult but I managed to get it on. Still use it every day too.

View attachment 303874

Seems like the security at Heathrow wanted to know what exactly you were trying to pull there. No doubt espresso was enough to disarm them!

10kg bucket of Omo.

Great just what we need. Someone airing their dirty laundry!

-RooFlyer88

 

[Duffa]

Haha - USA, I guess ? Emotional support animal, with another emotional support device in her hand..

Nah. Turkish Airlines Geneva to Istanbul

 

[openseat]

Inflatable life jackets are probably the strangest thing I've carried on board. Having to explain to Brisbane International security every time why it is possible to take an inflatable life jacket as carry on when flying to Honiara or Munda/Gizo became tiresome. Usually they would freak out and call the airline.

 

[encryptededdy]

Lots of stuff they sell in North America that they don't sell here like Crest toothpaste (yeah I know there's Oral-B but it's gross), Kraft Dinner, and Caramilk (Caramilk they sell here isn't even Caramilk).

And a Nest Mini?

 

[tdimdad]

Inflatable life jackets are probably the strangest thing I've carried on board. Having to explain to Brisbane International security every time why it is possible to take an inflatable life jacket as carry on when flying to Honiara or Munda/Gizo became tiresome. Usually they would freak out and call the airline.

Now you got me intrigued on why those items. Do share, please...

 

[openseat]

Now you got me intrigued on why those items. Do share, please...

I think because of the gas canister within them that sets off the security machine. That also seems to set off the security people as well - all the questions, etc. Even showing them the airline's policy and the security policy is not enough and they have to call someone down. Then you get let through.

 

[BCons]

Inflatable life jackets are probably the strangest thing I've carried on board. Having to explain to Brisbane International security every time why it is possible to take an inflatable life jacket as carry on when flying to Honiara or Munda/Gizo became tiresome. Usually they would freak out and call the airline.

A friend of mine, doing the occasional yacht delivery, dug deep into VA QF and JQ t&C's and printed out the pages that detail carriage of items such as life jackets with co2 cartridges. Often needed to inform check-in staff as well as security..

 

[group-of-5]

I was not on the flight, but a very long time ago, BIL had been working in the gulf communities and brought a stuffed crocodile back on a Mt Isa to Brisbane flight stored in the overhead compartment on what I think was a TAA DC9. From what I remember it was probably about 2M long.

Please not that all actions were well before any changes in the law to protect these creatures and there was a commercial harvesting industry active at the time.

 

[trooper]

I was not on the flight, but a very long time ago, BIL had been working in the gulf communities and brought a stuffed crocodile back on a Mt Isa to Brisbane flight stored in the overhead compartment on what I think was a TAA DC9. From what I remember it was probably about 2M long.

Please not that all actions were well before any changes in the law to protect these creatures and there was a commercial harvesting industry active at the time.

And there is a managed, legal industry again with around 1200 permits issued a year.

 

[Sprucegoose]

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.

Same, three large clay pots bought from a road vendor in Bandung carried with love on Ansett out of JKT …….still remember how accomodating the crew were, miss you Ansett.

 

[jastel]

In the paper last week was an article about another delay for Cairns's first 7-11 servo/store so the KK donuts will be a feature on the CNS run for a while yet...

 

[mel-world]

#1. Obviously before 9/11 and so log ago, in fact, when there was often a technical stop in DRW on flights to Asia and beyond (maybe early to mid 70s). The gentleman in front of me was walking across the tarmac for boarding (in shorts and thongs) and had a slab of xx_X over his shoulder. Not sure how much he drank on the sector to BKK or HKG.

#2. While working in China in the mid-2000s, domestic flights often did not have seat allocation (or priority boarding) so you had to fight hard for a seat at all, especially an aisle or window. Hand luggage space was a premium always but, particularly between TAO and PEK, during soft shell crab season. Box upon box in the overhead, on seats and under them. The locals got mightily annoyed when I moved their boxes off a seat so I could sit down.

#3 A colleague of mine collected snow domes. I tried to get one from locations I attended for projects. While in AER (Sochi), I bought a small winter scene as a present. It made it through 4 seperate security screenings - two in Russia and one in Europe but not past security at MAN. The only upside was the officer put the dome on the bench after retrieving it from my carry-on and then pushed it off as my bag was passed back to me so it shattered on the floor. I made a quick exit but, I guess, it did prove to be liquid!

 

[UP4014]

#1. Obviously before 9/11 and so log ago, in fact, when there was often a technical stop in DRW on flights to Asia and beyond (maybe early to mid 70s). The gentleman in front of me was walking across the tarmac for boarding (in shorts and thongs) and had a slab of xx_X over his shoulder. Not sure how much he drank on the sector to BKK or HKG.

#2. While working in China in the mid-2000s, domestic flights often did not have seat allocation (or priority boarding) so you had to fight hard for a seat at all, especially an aisle or window. Hand luggage space was a premium always but, particularly between TAO and PEK, during soft shell crab season. Box upon box in the overhead, on seats and under them. The locals got mightily annoyed when I moved their boxes off a seat so I could sit down.

#3 A colleague of mine collected snow domes. I tried to get one from locations I attended for projects. While in AER (Sochi), I bought a small winter scene as a present. It made it through 4 seperate security screenings - two in Russia and one in Europe but not past security at MAN. The only upside was the officer put the dome on the bench after retrieving it from my carry-on and then pushed it off as my bag was passed back to me so it shattered on the floor. I made a quick exit but, I guess, it did prove to be liquid!

Had a mate (RIP) that used to arrive at the Singapore First check in with a carton of Coopers green as hand luggage. Which they would put in the cabin for him as they didn't stock that as a standard beer on board. They would suggest to him if he booked early they would have it on board for him but he never did book early.

 

[Forg]

Had a mate (RIP) that used to arrive at the Singapore First check in with a carton of Coopers green as hand luggage. Which they would put in the cabin for him as they didn't stock that as a standard beer on board. They would suggest to him if he booked early they would have it on board for him but he never did book early.

Green in First?

Wow, that’s gotta be a blast from a barbaric past …