I need to carry an epi-pen because of anaphylatic allergic reactions, will this be allowed as a carry-on? Has anyone heard anything? I will be flying on United in November and will call the airline first, but am curious if anyone has had problems already. Thanks

I have been told you can bring it on as a carry-on as long as you have a written doctor's prescription.

Depends on the airports involved as to what documentation, if any, if required. I have a friend who got onboard with syringes (for insulin) without a raised eyebrow...New Orleans, Minneapolis and Regina, Saskachewan.

Martha, my wife also carries an epi-pen. On United flights to and from Europe last month, the epi-pen became an object of intense scrutiny at Boston Logan, Heathrow, and Rome. It was only through very careful explanation that it was not confiscated at Heathrow. She has since obtained a doctor's note and prescription, both of which are kept rolled up in the pen's plastic case. A good question!

The FAA puts syringes on its permitted list, providing that they're "with medication and professionally printed label identifying medication or manufacturer's name"

http://www.faa.gov/apa/pr/pr.cfm?id=1435

This just shows how the airport security people have no common sense. A hypodermic needle is NOT a deadly weapon (unless it is filled with Ebola or something).

This policy does not make me feel any safer.

asdf, Ebola isn't going to be very useful for a hijacker, is it a bit slow-acting for that?

BUT . . . A hypodermic needle, especially a setup like an epi-pen, most certainly COULD be a deadly weapon, there are plenty of things that can be injected that are deadly immediately.

I was thinking of the legal definition of a "deadly weapon." I hardly think a needle would be considered one absent some nasty substance inside.

Anyway, I think there is way too much focus on which pitiful little items passengers are carrying on the plane when we aren't screening checked baggage for bombs. That's the next big vulnerability the bad guys will exploit in the air, folks.

Well, adf, we didn't used to think of box-cutters as deadly weapons, either.

but I agree, we should be fighting "the next battle" as well as the last one, and taking better precautions with checked baggage. Especially as we are clearly dealing with people willing to die with their flights, so the precautions around "unescorted baggage" aren't going to help much.

Box cutters (i.e. razor blades) have always been legally considered deadly weapons.

Take care!

Thanks adf, I hadn't realized that about box-cutters. I sure wish the FAA had paid more attention to that list of "legally considered deadly weapons", since up til 9/11 they permitted box cutters and other blades up to 4 inches long.

You know, the sad thing is that even if box cutters had been prohibited on Sept. 11, the pitiful baggage screening we do probably wouldn't have caught any of the 19 hijackers, or at best would have disarmed one or two, which wouldn't have made a difference.

Rules without the will and ability to enforce them accomplish nothing.

Martha,
I traveled from LaGuardia to Dallas to Honolulu the week after the WTC, and mine was never even questioned.
Tracey