• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

Corns, TSA, & Airlines

blueturtle

Aida's the name!
So I searched for something alone the lines of this but I never came up with anything definitive.

I'll be taking a trip from CA to AZ the beginning of September that will last 2-3 weeks. It looks like I'll be forced to take my 2 corns with me, due to not feeling comfortable leaving them with someone, especially someone not familiar with corns or snakes in general.

I called TSA and was informed that there is no prohibitation on animals passing so long as the airline you're using approves it. I spoke with Southwest and the lady was nearly rude and abrupt in her negative response.

To make a long post short, I got the idea of sneaking them in. They are both still small and under 2ft. I figured I could put them in a small thin cloth bag individually and place those bags inside my tanktop underneath a t-shirt. As soon as passing TSA I would go into the restroom to transport them back into their deli-cups and then into my carryone luggage. Anyone think that would work?
 
Do NOT sneak animals in, your carry on still has to go through secuirty, x-rays+snakes+you hiding them=BIG TROUBLE.

Edit: I just reread your post.
That's still wrong and if they pat you down you're still in huge trouble.
 
Never a good idea to try to sneak something onto an airplane, mainly because if you get caught, it's a federal matter. At the very least, you're out however much you paid for the ticket, as they won't let you on the plane. At worst, charges of some sort...if you annoy them, they can do all sorts of scary things these days. Including confiscate your 'contraband'. Don't risk your own well being, or that of your snakes.
 
I realize all the cons of sneaking them in. I also want to avoid having to sneak them in so before going through TSA, I'm gonna stop and speak with the personal there.

I'm just curious if anyone else has ever been allowed to take a small snake on a plane before.
 
I work in travel and as far as I am aware - no airline permits live snakes on the plane as carry on. They allow cats and dogs and even the occasional bird - but not snakes. I would strongly suggest against taking them with you at all.
 
Katie is right about no airline allowing snakes in the cabin, period, exclamation point. And as far as I know, Delta is the only carrier that will allow them in the hold. The TSA people have zero tolerance for people sneaking anything on the plane. Going to the personnel before you board will just set you up for extra scrutiny. If I were you I would look harder for a baby sitter. Maybe some one from this site lives nearby and could help out. The pet store I work at watches snakes and such, for a small fee. Maybe there is something like that near you. Snakes need so little attention, I'm sure there would be some one capable of watching them for you. It's better than getting in trouble with the TSA.
Terri
 
I can take care of them for you while you're gone if you want. Just bring the snakes and their food and you can pick them up when you get back. I know a thing or two about caring for corns ;).
 
There ya go.
I can't imagine thinking taking snakes on a plane (I said it) would be a good idea. The best case scenario is your snakes would get confiscated. The worst case, your snakes get confiscated AND you end up with a record as a possible terrorist making you get scrutinized every time you travel for the rest of your life, facing fines or even prison, where airplanes are involved people don't kid around. Not everyone knows a corn snake from a deadly one and people can be so phobic it doesn't matter if there is no venom, pandemonium could still ensue!
Even if you don't take Vinny up on that offer, find some other way to leave them home. Your idea will just get you in loads of trouble!
 
Leave the snakes home or find someone to care for them. Traveling with them will be MORE stressful to them than a few weeks without food. Give them a big water dish and you are set.
 
well i just cut my trip short. i suppose this is the end of this little discussion.

thanx everyone for the input.

Vinny, thanks alot for the offer. Had i seen it before booking my ticket I would have probably taken you up on it. How far is lake forest from upland anyways?! lol
 
Lol. I can imagine that if any of the snakes got out, it'd be like that movie, Snakes on a Plane. Betcha people would be freaking out XD
 
My cousin who I was visiting wanted one of my baby corns back when I was in HS. I did exactly as you said. I put them in a cloth bag in my sweater, walked through security, then went into the bathroom and put them in a small container for the rest of the trip. In retrospect it was VERY dumb, and was also many years before 9/11 when anyone could waltz into the airport.

Would be VERY foolish to even try it now. If you're so concerned, ship them to where you're going.
 
Back
Top