I always buy a 4 oz. bottle of contact solution and put it in my liquid bag. Next flight my liquid bag is quite full and MDH says that contact solution is excluded as a medical need and it's not necessary to put it with the liquids.

If so, do I just put it in my carry-on-----won't they see the liquid on the scanner and then go through the trouble of pulling me out and opening my bag? I don't care about that, but it is just time consuming and annoying,

Or do I put it in a separate qt. bag and leave it out?

What do you do with your contact solution?

I leave it out, but not in another bag. It's never been a problem.

For long haul flights I pack my contact solution in my suitcase and just wear my glasses. This saves my eyes from drying out on the plane - I can't find gas perm conditioning solution in anything less than four oz bottles anyway (the limit is three oz).

When I do wear my lenses on short flight I just carry a small bottle of liquid tears.

Are you traveling with your spouse? Just share his liquid bag, my husband's is always empty.

The limit for contact lens solution is NOT 3 oz.
The following is from the TSA website:
greater than 3.4 ounce (100ml) of the following liquids, gels and aerosols are permitted through the security checkpoint in reasonable quantities for the duration of your itinerary: prescription and over-the-counter medications (liquids, gels, and aerosols) including eye drops, and saline solution for medical purposes;
You are allowed reasonable amounts over 3.4 ounces in your carry-on baggage, but you will need to perform the following:
1.Separate these items from the liquids in your quart-size zip-top bag.
2.Declare you have the items to one of our Security Officers at the security checkpoint.
3.Present these items for additional inspection once reaching the X-ray. These items are subject to additional screening.

Fair enough abram, I didn't realize there was a distinction.

Mel, this is only if you are flying domestically. I've had the (larger than 3oz) bottle of contact solution confiscated when carrying it on. Of course, this was not domestic, so TSA rules don't apply and the contact lens exclusion didn't exist (at least on that day).

Just be prepared with a backup plan. I use a very specific, hard-to-find solution, but luckily I was traveling home, so I had more bottles at home.

I'd put it in a separate ziplock & pull them both out for security. I'm no expert but this seems the most straight-forward.

I always pack all liquids in ziplocks just in case of leaking.

I'd think the idea of a backup bottle in your checked luggage (if you're checking) is a good one.

surfmom -

I assume you mean domestic US?

This is certainly news to me. I had no idea that the international and US domestic regulations differ, but I seldom fly domestically in the US. When I do I'm connecting from an international flight anyway.

The liquid rules are very different when flying domestically within Australia and NZ...here we can take backpacks full of wine, full water bottles, cups of coffee...right through security. No strip search either.

TPAYT- Are you flying domestic or international?

TSA (in the US only) follows only one set of rules regardless of whether a passenger is traveling domestic or international.

Can you just imagine trying to get those folks to understand how and when to apply two sets of rules!!!

sorry if I wasn't clear.

Anytime I've flown within the US and carried contact solution (larger than 3oz), I have not had a problem. I just put it in a separate ziploc bag and put it through the xray machine with my normal bag of liquids.

Last time I was flying from Europe (either Paris or London - I can't remember), to the US, my contact solution was confiscated because the bottle was too large (larger than 100ml).

The way I understood it is that TSA is a US based agency that makes the rules for flights departing from the US. Even though I was on a US based carrier, I had to follow the rules of the country I was departing from (their TSA equivalent) - which did not allow the larger solution.

I've learned and last time I was at my eye dr., I bought 5 bottles of the travel sized solution.

Hope this makes sense?

Thanks for the responses.

I'm flying domestic this time. I usually put things in MDH's qt. bag, and some in check thru on our usual long flights to Europe, but this is a short business trip with DD. We just are taking cary-ons and of course have alot of make up etc. for our qt. bags. She uses a special, hard to find saline for her contacts.

abram----good, factual information. We will follow it and put the saline out separate from the qt. bags.

>The way I understood it is that TSA is a US based agency that makes the rules for flights departing from the US.

TSA's role is much wider than just that.

The TSA also makes rules for flights entering the US, trains other country personnel, and ensures compliance. Flights cannot leave for the US unless that flights, airline, airport, and passenger/cargo security and screening measures are up to US standards.

NFZ, good clarification.

The one thing that I'm guessing about is that another country may have a stricter requirement than TSA and can uphold flights, airlines, etc. to that requirement ?

This would be one example of just that (contact solution > 3oz. ok within US, not internationally or maybe mine was just an anomaly?). Another example would be when flights departing from UK didn't allow passengers to carry on anything. I think it was for a short time (after a terrorist plot?), but remember when you weren't allowed to even take a book ?

In Mexico when they don't allow you to bring on a bottle of water even though you bought it after security.

Good example, Suze, of countries with standards higher than those of TSA.

Countries are sovereign entities ... they can impose whatever standards they wish (subject to the usual disclaimers, of course).

Suze - We found that in Asia too. No liquids beyond the 1 quart baggie at all.