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Old Oct 2, 2016, 12:35 pm
  #1  
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Unhappy Delta checked perishable food restrictions

http://www.delta.com/content/dam/del...ge/dry_ice.pdf
I tried to check a box with a styrofoam cooler, frozen shrimp and 5 lbs of dry ice.

I was not allowed to check dry ice in a styrofoam cooler. See policy above. You are allowed to check dry ice in a hard sided cooler. This doesn't make sense to me. Seems like the styrofoam cooler is more porous and thus less likely to produce an explosion. Also the bubble wrap and sturdy brand new cardboard box was plenty sturdy. Very sad to not be able to arrive with my seafood.
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Old Oct 2, 2016, 12:59 pm
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What type of Styrofoam container was it? Ie the type you find at a gas station or the extra thick/hard type that would be used by Omaha Steaks. I've not had problems with the later when taking on board. However for checked baggage the insist on hard side. I believe it's partially to prevent the package from being destroyed during handling. We've all seen how carefully bag handlers, handle bags. Add in the baggage belts and you have a recipe for disaster.
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Old Oct 2, 2016, 1:00 pm
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I wonder if you had put it in a suitcase if it would have gotten thru TSA security screening?
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Old Oct 2, 2016, 1:01 pm
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I imagine so that the container doesn't break apart during transport. The styrofoam coolers can be pretty breakable. I can only imagine what would happen if a bag with dry ice starts to release CO2 in a bag in handling. The water vapor could cause a lot of issues.
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Old Oct 2, 2016, 1:02 pm
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Originally Posted by davetravels
I wonder if you had put it in a suitcase if it would have gotten thru TSA security screening?
From the documentation it looks like you can. Chemically the dry ice sublimates. So no worries about liquids.
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Old Oct 2, 2016, 1:36 pm
  #6  
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Originally Posted by securesmaskfirst
So no worries about liquids.
I was referring to TSA checked bag screening.

I frequently put large liquids in checked luggage.
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Old Oct 2, 2016, 2:06 pm
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Originally Posted by Devehf
http://www.delta.com/content/dam/del...ge/dry_ice.pdf
I tried to check a box with a styrofoam cooler, frozen shrimp and 5 lbs of dry ice.

I was not allowed to check dry ice in a styrofoam cooler. See policy above. You are allowed to check dry ice in a hard sided cooler. This doesn't make sense to me. Seems like the styrofoam cooler is more porous and thus less likely to produce an explosion. Also the bubble wrap and sturdy brand new cardboard box was plenty sturdy. Very sad to not be able to arrive with my seafood.
Hmm...here in CVG..we have a great local ice cream brand called Graeter's. Use to be that we could/would check the Styrofoam/dry ice container with 6-12 pints of greatness...no problem. Then, someone checked with the "dangerous goods" dept and we were told that if we put the cooler in a study box with a coupla dry ice stickers...all would be ok. We've shipped plenty of them during the summer. Oh...and btw...YMMV (as seen in the above example...) I'll see if I can come up with our version of the letter.
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Old Oct 2, 2016, 2:22 pm
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Cooler description

The cooler was in between a super thick styrofoam and a super cheap one. Not thick but not thin either. The cardboard box and bubble wrap packing around it would essentially make it as strong as a hard plastic cooler. Those aren't impervious either. 5lbs of shrimp and 5lbs of dry ice would be hard to fit in a cooler small enough for carry on. Next time I will either use gel packs or a hard sided cooler.

Dry ice doesn't release water vapor. It releases CO2. No more issue generating than a bunch of warm blooded animals repirating in the passenger cabin.

Apparently the rule against styrofoam is new as of this year according to the check-in agents in JAX.
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Old Oct 2, 2016, 2:34 pm
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What would happen to pets traveling in the cargo hold as the dry ice sublimates? This doesn't sound healthy for them.
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Old Oct 2, 2016, 2:45 pm
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Originally Posted by jimrpa
What would happen to pets traveling in the cargo hold as the dry ice sublimates? This doesn't sound healthy for them.
I forget which airline, but, I remember reading a story about a pilot that just took off, and realized that there was a pet in cargo, and something about dry ice. He immediately turned around and went back to the airport and saved the pet!

Anyone else remember that story?
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Old Oct 2, 2016, 3:58 pm
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Originally Posted by jimrpa
What would happen to pets traveling in the cargo hold as the dry ice sublimates? This doesn't sound healthy for them.
Delta's dry ice labels say not to load with live animals except on certain aircraft where it's safe.

My station began circulating a reminder on the entire dry ice policy, so maybe there have recently been a spike in dry ice incidents or confusion.
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Old Oct 2, 2016, 4:10 pm
  #12  
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Originally Posted by Widgets
My station began circulating a reminder on the entire dry ice policy
I can just imagine how many memos and reminders you guyz hafto stay on top of. I don't know how you do it!!
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Old Oct 2, 2016, 4:30 pm
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Originally Posted by davetravels
I forget which airline, but, I remember reading a story about a pilot that just took off, and realized that there was a pet in cargo, and something about dry ice. He immediately turned around and went back to the airport and saved the pet!

Anyone else remember that story?
United.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...t-dry-ice.html
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Old Oct 3, 2016, 9:48 am
  #14  
 
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Originally Posted by Devehf
Dry ice doesn't release water vapor. It releases CO2. No more issue generating than a bunch of warm blooded animals repirating in the passenger cabin.
False.

Yes it is CO2, but it is a lot, and it is cold.

Thus it sinks too the floor and displaces O2.

And thus the dogs die.
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Old Oct 3, 2016, 10:08 am
  #15  
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I've had no problems taking the Omaha Steaks type styrofoam cooler and using frozen gel paks to keep the contents frozen. Never been asked what the contents were or if it had dry ice in either, although I've never tried to use dry ice as the cooling medium.
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