Geez! It just gets more and more complicated. I'd love to hear back on your experience today. Thanks for the information!!

I too was wondering about having your contacts with you on the plane. I will actually have my actual pair of contacts in my carryon in additional to my extra pair - because they will have very little liquid in each container, do I put it in the 1 quart(3 oz) bag, or a seperate bag?

When we traveled recently, I filled the quart bag with liquids.

For contacts, I pulled the spare contacts and solution out separately -- my solution is special gas perm only and does not come in less than 3 oz. bottles. So I essentially had 2 quart bags go through security. No problems at all.

From the TSA site:
"To ensure the health and welfare of certain air travelers, in the absence of suspicious activity or items, greater than 3 ounces of the following liquids, gels and aerosols are permitted through the security checkpoint in reasonable quantities for the duration of your itinerary (all exceptions must be presented to the security officer in front of the checkpoint):
You may bring all prescription and over-the-counter medications (liquids, gels, and aerosols) including KY jelly, eye drops, and saline solution for medical purposes.

You are not limited in the amount or volume of these items you may bring in your carry-on baggage. BUT if the medically necessary items exceed 3 ounces or are not contained in a one-quart, zip-top plastic bag, you MUST declare to one of our Security Officers at the checkpoint for further inspection."

If in doubt, go read the site, and print out a copy of the page with you. I wished I had a copy when US Air wouldn't let me carry on the bottled water that I purchased after security screening in the airport. I wasn't happy.

Thanks surfmom,

So in your other quart size bag, you had your spare contacts and your contact solution? Was this fine when you traveled in Europe or only from US-Europe?

Anna--read further up the thread about what happened to me in Athens airport re: contact solution. In Athens at least, there was no exception to the 3-oz rule (or whatever the equivalent in ml is), not even for contact solution. From what they told me, that's true throughout the EU. In US it was fine to have a 4-oz bottle of solution; in Athens it was not. FYI.

Oh, and it had to be in the same quart size bag as everything else, in Athens. [the solution, that is]

Dukey,

When we travel in europe, how do they view the actual contact container - it has a small amount of liquid in it?

Do they inspect in - not really liking the idea of someone possibly infecting my contacts.

Sorry! That post was meant for Dejavu

Nobody opened my contact lens case with the actual lenses. I don't think anybody would. They just looked at the solution bottle size.