Contact Lenses on Flights
 

Not worried about lotions, lipsticks, or any of the truly unnecessary vanity items. We can easily enjoy beverages AFTER we board the plane...a no-brainer. But, we are headed out for a nine-hour overnight flight to Italy in a month and do wonder how we will deal with our lenses? My husband will be fine with his hard lenses since he can use water on the plane, but mine are soft lenses and are impossible to deal with using H2O. I don't own a current eyeglass prescription, so am I "screwed"? Any suggestions from anyone??

As a contact lens wearer myself, I've been wondering about this for several days myself, and I have not read any solid statement from any authority about this.

I understand you're not even talking about bottles of solutions, which have to go in checked bags. No question about that. But you're asking about the lens you have to wear onboard.

I've given this a little thought and this <b>may</b> work. Keep a small lens case in your shirt/pants/whatever pocket with solution when you go through security and not in the carry-on. Unless they do a strip search on you, you'll be okay.

Having said that, there are certainly risks involved. For example, if they DO pat you down at security and found your contraband, not only will you lose your case, they may give you a much more thorough inspection, if not put you on the no-fly list.

And please me very discrete with your lens case on board. If your suspicious seatmate sees it and alert someone, the air marshall and other passengers may tackle you and hogtie you for the whole flight. And who knows what Italian prisons are like?

Finally, please don't mention that you learn about this from me!

:p

As I understand it as of yesterday, we can bring aboard under 4 ounces of &quot;necessary non-prescription medications.&quot; Might a very small bottle of lens solution be considered in that category?

Luckily I happen to have a tiny trial size bottle of prescription eye drops (with no prescription label attached) with me, so I'm thinking I'll be able to bring that on.

Good luck, I wore contacts for many years and I know that this is a dilemma. I'm grateful I had Lasik!

The TSA website lists saline solution separately than &quot;non-prescription medicines&quot;, so I don't think the small bottle would be acceptable under the 4 oz rule. If I remember my chemistry correctly, saline solution is a conductor of electricity so it could be considered more dangerous.

I would pack a set of contacts in my checked baggage. No one's going to steal them, so your only worry is losing the luggage - and if that happens, you're screwed anyway.

If you can make the length of a flight with your contacts in - whether or not you have solution - then take one case without solution and a second case with a small amount, then ask at the security (before they find it on you) point if you can take it onboard.

If so, you've got something. If not, bring a small washcloth with you. During the flight, ask for some bottled water and moisten the cloth. Use it to cover your eyes - that will help ease up on the dryness. I've done it and it does help (not as well as drops, but..)

toedtoes, that's a great suggestion to relieve the contact lens dryness. I prefer to use a safe alternative like what you mention than what rkkwan suggests. Taking rkkwan's advice may get me thrown in jail with my luck.

francophile03 - I love rkkwan's suggestion, but I know I'd get busted :) Mine is a bit safer. The wet washcloth will also help keep you relaxed, hydrated and your face fresh. It may also help keep your strange neighbor from talking to you...

Wow just got this email form Omni Hotels.&quot;.Effective immediately, we are offering the following complimentary items:

Facial Skin Care Products
Women’s Cosmetics
Hair Care Products
Sunscreen
Toothpaste
Contact Lens Solution
Nail Polish and Remover&quot;........Thats some relief!

I am a lens wearer and am equally concerned. I have heard &quot;gossip&quot; that people were able to take their case on board, with a few drops in it. Enough to keep the lenses wet, and probably comfortable enough it you take them out and put them back in. Not permitted to take any size bottle of solution.
If anyone has any experience with this in the past few days, please send us your update.

I just reviewed the TSA website. I don't see saline solution listed any longer. Any thoughts????

I don't see it there anymore either. I wish they'd put an update date/time stamp on that site.

My guess is that saline caused more of an issue than any other item on the list. Possibly some pax were getting their doctors to write a prescription for it (they can write prescriptions for over the counter drugs - it's just not necessary) and they figured they should let it go.

I would suggest being prepared for it to be confiscated as these constant changes are confusing to us let alone the actual security staff. Have an alternate plan, but bring it with you.

Does anyone know if plastic bags are still required for our few items, or can women still carry a (small) purse?
TIA.

I am hoping that tamjam is right about a very tiny amount in my lens case - just a drop or two. I went to talk to my eye doctor today and he did say that my lenses and plain H2O just won't work...I would never to be able to get them back in my eyes without a bit of saline. If the flight weren't an overnight one I wouldn't think too much about it. Seems like such a silly thing when I think about it - I'm almost embarrassed! It's not like those who are worried about their cosmetics, however. That, in itself, just simply blows my mind that people can be so banal, vain, and self-indulgent during all of this.
Thanks much for all of your input. I'll continue to check and see if there any new ideas.

It's all good news for the LASIK (and similar) industry. :p

from tsa.gov web site

Exceptions
Under certain circumstances, some items from the list above are permitted. To help you understand more about these items and the circumstances under which they are permitted please read below.

Eye drops - You are allowed to carry up to 4 oz., of eye drops with you. Volumes greater than 4 oz., are only permitted in your checked baggage.
Gel Shoe Inserts - Gel shoe inserts are not permitted, but shoes constructed with gel heels are allowed and must be removed and screened.
Prescription and non-prescription medications and other medical needs
Saline solution - You are allowed to carry up to 4 oz., of eye drops with you. Volumes greater than 4 oz., are only permitted in your checked baggage.
Baby formula and food, breast milk and other baby items

Thank you. The airline and travel industries have been saved!

Does saline solution include the multi-purpose disinfecting lens solutions, which can also be used as a rinse?

Brian, oh, surely that's what they mean!

I only can find those 4 oz bottles of saline/renu that my doctor gives me when I buy contacts. Is there another source? annieladd

you know, you could just wear glasses.

Oh, Mr. w, we've been through all this. It's not about vanity (at least for many of us).

&gt;&gt; you know, you could just wear glasses.&lt;&lt;

Actually, at -11 with contacts (meaning at least -12 with glasses), I can't. Please try again.

Been thru it? ok. Hadn't even considered that contacts were a vanity thing, but that they would be more convenient, easier to use for the most part, than glasses (my glasses spend most of the time in my shirt pocket or, on a flight, in a case in the seatback pocket). Kind of surprised that most people wouldn't have glasses as a backup.

glasses can get easily damaged on a flight if you take them off to sleep -trust me ;)

tamjam, great suggestion! i fly friday and am dreading the contact lense dilemma, but it looks like i can now relax.

I am so worried now with all this. We have 3 planes from San Diego to get to Milan. I am ok with packing my lenses in my luggage BUT am worried that my luggage won't get there.

Taking AA to JFK ...then AA to Zurich and finally Swiss Airlines to Milan. (AA sister airline) So anybody out there do you think my luggage will get there?..

Take your lenses with you as caryy-on, loisco.

And I just thought of this...I can give my husband a 4 ounce bottle of eye drops too...!

That's good thinking loisco.

btw, the great majority of checked bags make it to their destination.

(SOME checked bags, after making it to their destination, stay on the plane and go to Guatemala for three nights. but that is another story)

Thanks for the reassurance!! If we weren't changing carriers I wouldn't worry so much...

Wouldn't hurt to make sure that the tags they put on your checked luggage are correct before they take them from you (ZRH=Zurich, MXP=Milan).

So would the tags show both Zurich and Milan?...

A baggage tag showed all legs and destinations on your itinerary.

It will have large letters <b>JFK</b> and your AA flight number for SAN-JFK, then <b>ZRH</b> and your flight number to JFK-ZRH, and also large letters <b>MXP</b> (or LIN if you're flying into Linate) and the flight number of that 3rd and last flight.

Thanks..I copied this down and will bring it with me to check-in. What would I do without you!!

Also go out and buy some large address labels. Write your name, airline locator number, flight numbers on it plus the date of travel.

At the bottom put Destination: and include the name of your accommodation, address, and phone number.

Apply to the luggage and use wide, clear tape to seal it down especially all edges. For duffle bags, wrap the tag around a handle... use the clear tape to go around the tag and soft handle, again sealing beyond the edges of the tag.

We've been doing this for about 10 years and have never arrived anywhere without our luggage.

This idea was posted on a travel forum back in 1992! (the days of text only internet) by a Delta airline luggage handler.

I traveled this past weekend and good news, no trouble with contact solution in the carry on. One TSA agent did read the label to be sure, but with the others, it just passed through.
I'm still a carry on junkie. We traveled without any liquids (exception contact solution). Went to the beach, so we just bought suntan lotion, and toothpaste. Hubby shaved with soap and conditioner. Easier than expected.

Keep in mind that you may encounter differing interpretations of what is allowable in your carry-on within the current rules by individual screeners. You can try printing off a copy of the TSA regs off the site to have in case but even that won't always work. I've read recent first hand accounts of travelers having small (less than 4 oz) bottles of saline solution and anbesol taken from them.

You may also encounter different rules if you are traveling outside the U.S. as other countries may not necessarily allow the exceptions to the rules such as the 4oz. This could be especially problematic if there's a language barrier that complicates your abiltity to explain why something should be allowed.

And I wanted to bring my spare contact lenses in case I lose one during our long long vacation. My lenses are packed individually in a tiny sealed bottle with a little saline. This is how I get them from the manufacturer. I thought maybe I would bring along the prescription?...or maybe give to my husband to carry..

further to my comments about different interpretations - have a look at sdfoursome's 2:12 post here:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34856197

Ali25 - EVERYONE who wears contact should have glasses as backup. What if you lose a lens or have an eye infection and you can't wear them?

The worst horror story I've heard (I'm an eye doc) was a patient of mine calling frantically from the Jersey shore, about a 90 minute drive from home. She was there alone, 9 months pregnant, and her husband was at work. You can guess what's coming, right?

She was going into labor and due to nerves, managed to lose her contacts down the drain. She had no glasses. She called asking what to do. I suggested calling an ambulance if no neighbor was available to help her. Bottom line, it's always good to have glasses for backup.

Personally, I never wear my contacts on a flight longer than 2 hours. The air is just so dry on the plane, it becomes uncomfortable. I'll either wear glasses for the whole flight, or sometimes put my lenses in about 30 minutes before landing.

Thanks, Barry, I know you're right, and I'm trying to find a pair of glasses, mine are so old, I'd hate to be stuck barely able to see. But, yikes, are glasses expensive now or what!!! I've been to 2 stores, and picked out frames that cost about $280. I didn't think that was bad, but by the time the glasses, UV protection, and clipons, they were about $850! I'm going to keep looking, but if you, or anyone, has suggestions on where to buy glasses, let me know! Thanks, annieladd

well, you don't have to spend $280 on frames, forget the UV, forget the clip-ons. If you're looking for backups to contacts then go to Costco and get a plain ole pair of glasses.

Every Sunday in the circular/coupon section of our paper there are coupons from places like Lenscrafters, Sears that advertise full set of glasses for much less.

Take the coupon, go to the store - they will tell you they have only 4 styles of rather unattractive frames to choose from - tell them you want only those - they will give you 6 reasons why you should upgrade - resist.

Then the lenses - if you need bifocals or have astigmatism, you can not avoid paying somewhat more for the lenses. If not, tell them you want the cheap lenses that come with the coupon. They will try to give you 6 reasons why you need add-ons and options. Resist.

Walk out with glasses for around $150.