Checking luggage at Phoenix, Az. for flight to Heathrow last week, was specifically asked if I had a toy gun in my luggage. Said no, but did have a 200mL bottle of Tequila in the shape of a Colt .45, and offered to show it. A supervisor was summoned, he took it away for a couple of minutes, and returned saying he was sorry to be the one to tell me but it required an $80 handling fee. What was that all about? It was a clear bottle, secure in it's box, packed inside a leak proof box. I see no reference to 'toy guns' on BA's website nor Homeland Securities. The two agents couldn't have been more polite, and I think slightly embarrassed, as I was. I gave the Tequila away to the nearest Skycap, "Compliments of British Airways". I've since complained to BA, yet to hear back. Appreciate any thoughts. Cheers, Don (Executive Club since 84)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drweiler
Checking luggage at Phoenix, Az. for flight to Heathrow last week, was specifically asked if I had a toy gun in my luggage. Said no, but did have a 200mL bottle of Tequila in the shape of a Colt .45, and offered to show it. A supervisor was summoned, he took it away for a couple of minutes, and returned saying he was sorry to be the one to tell me but it required an $80 handling fee. What was that all about? It was a clear bottle, secure in it's box, packed inside a leak proof box. I see no reference to 'toy guns' on BA's website nor Homeland Securities. The two agents couldn't have been more polite, and I think slightly embarrassed, as I was. I gave the Tequila away to the nearest Skycap, "Compliments of British Airways". I've since complained to BA, yet to hear back. Appreciate any thoughts. Cheers, Don (Executive Club since 84)
seems very odd to me !
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sorry...........
also welcome along to Flyertalk and the BA board drweiler
cs
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drweiler
Checking luggage at Phoenix, Az. for flight to Heathrow last week, was specifically asked if I had a toy gun in my luggage. Said no, but did have a 200mL bottle of Tequila in the shape of a Colt .45, and offered to show it. A supervisor was summoned, he took it away for a couple of minutes, and returned saying he was sorry to be the one to tell me but it required an $80 handling fee. What was that all about? It was a clear bottle, secure in it's box, packed inside a leak proof box. I see no reference to 'toy guns' on BA's website nor Homeland Securities. The two agents couldn't have been more polite, and I think slightly embarrassed, as I was. I gave the Tequila away to the nearest Skycap, "Compliments of British Airways". I've since complained to BA, yet to hear back. Appreciate any thoughts. Cheers, Don (Executive Club since 84)
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The rules about liquids have changed in the last week and are no longer consistent across the EU. It may well be that you fell foul of this. My understanding was that the rules applied to duty free goods that were going to transit an EU airport enroute to a third airport.
However I could be talking from where the sun doesn't shine!
The rules about liquids have changed in the last week and are no longer consistent across the EU. It may well be that you fell foul of this. My understanding was that the rules applied to duty free goods that were going to transit an EU airport enroute to a third airport.
However I could be talking from where the sun doesn't shine!
Unless I am mistaken, the 'toy gun' was in checked baggage so these rules would be irrelevant.
$80 sounds like the handling fee for replica/decommissioned firearms, which seems rather strange to apply to the OP's bottle, which could hardly be describes as a 'replica' gun.
The problem isn't the fact that it was a bottle it is down to the shape.
When bags get go through automated x-ray many times in the systems it isn't a person who checks every image but various algorithms and if these computers pick up a certain shape of a gun then alarm bells ring the bag gets stopped and then people are involved to check it for real. This does cost time and money so to stop it from happening the bags get handled in a different way.
Try accidently checking in a bag that has a winter jacket it in with a couple of shot gun cartridges in the pocket… It doesn’t get very far through the system before you get a call to CS and a nice policeman.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NickB
Unless I am mistaken, the 'toy gun' was in checked baggage so these rules would be irrelevant.
$80 sounds like the handling fee for replica/decommissioned firearms, which seems rather strange to apply to the OP's bottle, which could hardly be describes as a 'replica' gun.
Well looking at the bottle of what I assume is the OP's drink
it is obviously similar just made out of glass, not metal so I'm not really surprised it was stopped.
There was the case at my local swimming baths years ago where someone was wearing denim swimming trunks. The staff said that you weren't allowed to wear cut-off jeans and wouldn't let him in the pool. Despite the protestations that they were swimming trunks and that they were made for swimming in and bought specifically he was unable to swim. I think he even brought the shop label to show them the next time but the staff were unmoved.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CT-UK
Sorry my mistake, I thought you said you were suprised, I missed the NOT bit
No worries, I remember hearing a young boy at T4 (it was very early in the morning) saying why are those men allowed to have their guns and mine had to stay at home. He was pointing at the Police and the officer nearest just smiled at him as they walked past.
