What should this gun owner have done?

[Shadowrider]

I just don't travel to, through or over states that have these idiotic laws. They have nothing of interest to me if they have such laws in place.

 

[inactive]

What to do (from inside the industry). If you find yourself stranded in hostile territory, DO NOT ACCEPT THE BAG! Instruct the air carrier to "expedite" the bag to your final destination. Explain that you cannot accept the bag under any circumstances.

Every air carrier is required to collect unattended and unclaimed bags from inbound baggage carousels. You may have to stand there and watch your bag go around 20 or 30 times (to ensure it isn't stolen) and then go to the baggage claim office (which may double as the ticket counter), describe your bag, present the bag tag(s) and request that the bag be "expedited" to your final destination. Do not accept any other "solution" from the agent. Ask to speak to a manager, supervisor or Ground Security Coordinator (GSC) if necessary. The last one will get the agent's attention and let them know you're travel savvy. The airline will then have to tag the bag with an expedite tag and secure it until it can be routed onto the next aircraft going to your destination. Most likely it will be on the next flight, which should be the one you will be on anyway.

You can't always avoid hostile states. Your flight may be diverted to one due to a mechanical issue or weather. It's best to avoid scheduling flights with layovers in hostile states when flying with a firearm if possible though!

Very good insight, thank you!

 

[bilboben]

He should have never left the airport with his firearm. Upon his arrival and discovery that his bag had not been checked through to his final destination, he should have proceeded directly to baggage check and checked his bag before departing the airport.

Good luck finding an airline that will check a bag more than 4 hours ahead of your flight in this day and age, even if it is their fault.

 

[SMS]

Good luck finding an airline that will check a bag more than 4 hours ahead of your flight in this day and age, even if it is their fault.

Read more....Gloctogo's post nailed it. This is his 'lane'.

 

[Honeybee]

Ship it to himself by common carrier before boarding the plane.

 

[Glocktogo]

Good luck finding an airline that will check a bag more than 4 hours ahead of your flight in this day and age, even if it is their fault.

The bag is already checked, so the 4 hour rule doesn't apply. All they're trying to do is avoid being responsible for the bag during the delay or reroute.

 

[OldCurlyWolf]

"First, he should have never went anywhere near the Socialist Republic of New Jersey."

"He should have never left the airport with his firearm. Upon his arrival and discovery that his bag had not been checked through to his final destination, he should have proceeded directly to baggage check and checked his bag before departing the airport."

It did not matter that he left the airport. The fact that he took possession of his checked baggage is what did him in. I am surprised that he did not get arrested at the baggage claim before he had a chance to leave the airport.

Once he got away with that leaving the airport , he should have taken a bus to Phillie and continued his flight from there.

 

[loudshirt]

What to do (from inside the industry). If you find yourself stranded in hostile territory, DO NOT ACCEPT THE BAG! Instruct the air carrier to "expedite" the bag to your final destination. Explain that you cannot accept the bag under any circumstances.

Every air carrier is required to collect unattended and unclaimed bags from inbound baggage carousels. You may have to stand there and watch your bag go around 20 or 30 times (to ensure it isn't stolen) and then go to the baggage claim office (which may double as the ticket counter), describe your bag, present the bag tag(s) and request that the bag be "expedited" to your final destination. Do not accept any other "solution" from the agent. Ask to speak to a manager, supervisor or Ground Security Coordinator (GSC) if necessary. The last one will get the agent's attention and let them know you're travel savvy. The airline will then have to tag the bag with an expedite tag and secure it until it can be routed onto the next aircraft going to your destination. Most likely it will be on the next flight, which should be the one you will be on anyway.

You can't always avoid hostile states. Your flight may be diverted to one due to a mechanical issue or weather. It's best to avoid scheduling flights with layovers in hostile states when flying with a firearm if possible though!

I know everyone here appreciates this advice. My question is other than you telling me this how would anyone find this out? When most people research traveling with weapons they go to the airline website, TSA website, and some not all go to the websites for the states they are traveling through.

 

[Glocktogo]

I know everyone here appreciates this advice. My question is other than you telling me this how would anyone find this out? When most people research traveling with weapons they go to the airline website, TSA website, and some not all go to the websites for the states they are traveling through.

Sadly, you can't. TSA screeners will not know this information. Most airline agents will not know this information. The hostile states could care less whether you know this information or not. They're just petty bureaucrats who think you should have to find all their obscure laws before you dare enter their little fiefdoms. Unfortunately, you have to know your rights and responsibilities before entering and there's no one stop shopping to get that info. A lot of the little airline tricks are things they want kept secret, because it costs them time, money and effort to accommodate you.

The only reason I know is because I inspect the airlines. I know all the rules that most of their own agents aren't aware of. There are too many of them to keep track of, so they use their electronic system as a map for what they have to do. Only the energetic agents will bother figuring out what the system will allow them to do.