Packing 5 fresh lobsters for 3hrs nonstop fly LAX-SEA
 

https://www.alaskaair.com/content/tr...hable-big-game

I believe the styrofoam prohibition is for containers that are solely styrofoam and not just insulation inside another material such as cardboard or plastic, but you might check with Alaska on specifics if that applies.

You will kill the lobsters. FYI. Seaweed and cold seawater will keep them alive. Fresh ice will kill them as well.

Live lobster can be purchased in Seattle. It's not like Teller, Alaska.

If you travel with them, consider

1. put them in a bag with some paper towels dampened with sea water.
2. Alaska Airlines will not allow the lobsters to travel in the cabin as pets because they are not among the listed species (dog, cat, bird, etc.)
3. Consider bringing them as carry on (but not as a pet). Water is not allowed beyond 3 oz. in a hand lotion container. However, frozen (not liquid) cold packs are allowed. You can bring 3 oz. of sea water and then splash the lobsters.

Until recently, lobsters could be transported as emotional support animals but no longer on AS, DL, UA, AA, WN and a number of other airlines. It would be abusive to the policy to claim they are emotional support animals even though people could say "if my lobster is out of my sight, I get anxiety", "where's my lobster dinner?"

See the link above. Dry ice up to 5.5lbs is allowed per pax.

You can bring as many 3.4oz containers as can be fit inside a single 1qt baggie. You're not limited to a single 3oz container.

Water ice (I've taken ice cubes in a ziplock gallon bag, along with dry ice) can be taken on board as a carry-on, as long as it's frozen when passing through the security checkpoint. Expect extra screening from TSA.

This is a refreshing topic.

In my experience receiving LIVE lobsters long ago as air cargo, they came in waxed cardboard containers, perhaps with styrofoam insulation, and packed with seaweed, and gel-ice packs.

In my recent experience shipping fish on Alaska Airlines, the fish was packed in waxed cardboard containers with styrofoam liners as insulation.

I'd seek out a fish shipping box from a fish market and ship it as a stand alone box (not shipping it with my clothes!)

These must be special lobsters to not be bought in Seattle or shipped directly from Maine. :)

I made this comment, too, but there is a possibility that the original poster is from the LAX area and wants to bring them as a gift to the person picking them up. In that case, shopping for them in Seattle may not be easy.

Thank you all for the valuable tips, I got these Lobster for free from friends and on the way to SEA for a small family gathering and these will make a great dinner :)

I would suggest against this, not because AS's policies related to this.

AFAIK, lobsters can't stay alive without water. So when OP uses "dry ice", my guess would be those lobsters would be fresh but dead.

But this is not the problem.

The problem is to preserve the freshness of the lobsters, you must use correspondence ice based on the kind of lobsters OP has. So if the lobsters are seawater lobsters (Note - there are freshwater lobsters), then OP will need to find ice made by seawater. Ice made by freshwater will destroy the texture of the lobsters unless the lobsters can packed properly (the packaging will be difficult with the shell).

And ice made by seawater is not as available as freshwater ice (as they are generally commercially made).

OP, please try Googling
"how to pack live lobsters for air travel"
The answers are out there and are interesting.

I've cooked many a lobster in my day (well, I've actually been in the other room cowering while they were clanging to get out of the pot while someone else held the lid down) - I'm wondering how you would cook that many BIG lobsters at home? I can't imagine a home cook having a pot that big. I know restaurants broil them, but I'm not sure I'd want to hear them screaming to get out of the oven, either.

I know it's very common to pick up lobsters for travel at Logan - perhaps see how they package them?

I know seawater is best but I've kept lobsters alive for a few days in my refrigerator veg drawer with just wet newspapers - this was after they arrived in Calif from Maine. It may not be so complicated as is made out here if it's for a few hours (barring delays, rerouting, etc.)

If we're talking about 'Maine' lobsters - Homarus americanus - you don't know far enough. :)

If the OP gets reasonably fresh lobster, a little moisture - salt-water-soaked newspaper - and cool from a gel pack/blue block should have lobsters fine for 24 hours from packing to consumption.